Political Science Major, Comparative Politics Specialization
Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 30
- Grade Requirement: C or better
Students who major in Political Science are required to complete 30 graded units (10 courses) in Political Science with a C or better, distributed as follows:
Required Courses
Substantive Introductory Courses
6 graded units must come from two 1000-level introductory courses. (Note: Students scoring a 4 or 5 on the AP US Government and Politics exam and/or the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam may place out of the associated introductory course and replace it with a 3000- or 4000-level course in a related subfield.)
Methodology Course
3 graded units must come from either POLSCI 2400 Data Science for Politics or POLSCI 3630 Quantitative Political Methodology. All majors are urged to complete this requirement during their sophomore year. (Note: Some statistics courses offered in other departments will allow students to opt out of this class, but those credits will not count toward their Political Science major. See the department website for more information.)
Elective Courses
Distribution Requirement
Students must complete at least one 3-unit course at the 2000, 3000, or 4000 level in three of the following subfields: American politics, comparative politics, international politics, political methodology, or political theory.
Upper-Level Requirement
18 graded units must come from any six 3000- or 4000-level courses, including at least one 4000-level capstone course (see below).
Other Courses
A student's remaining graded units may be earned by any Political Science course or independent study. However, credits given for writing a senior thesis (detailed in the Senior Thesis section below) do not count toward the major. In addition, a student may complete an internship for Political Science credit.
Capstone
All majors must complete at least one 4000-level, home-based course in Political Science as a capstone experience. Students writing a senior thesis satisfy this requirement by completing POLSCI 4905 Research Design and Methods.
Limitations
No more than 6 units from the following may count toward the major: internship, directed reading, directed research, or teaching practicum.
No more than 6 units from the following may count toward the major: study abroad, summer school, the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, or transfer credit.
Requirements for the Comparative Politics Specialization
Students may specialize in Comparative Politics by completing three courses within the Comparative Politics subfield. Consult the department or review course details in Workday to learn about subfield designations.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| POLSCI 3014 | Gender and Politics | 3 |
| POLSCI 3048 | Politics of Privacy in the Digital Age | 3 |
| POLSCI 3095 | Civil War and Peace / The Scientific Study of War | 3 |
| POLSCI 3096 | Politics of the European Union | 3 |
| POLSCI 3161 | Gender and Politics | 3 |
| POLSCI 3177 | International Organizations | 3 |
| POLSCI 3189 | Topics in Politics: Political Economy of Immigration | 3 |
| POLSCI 3242 | Topics in Politics: Politics of Economic Development | 3 |
| POLSCI 3270 | African Politics | 3 |
| POLSCI 3283 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
| POLSCI 3285 | Political Economy of Democracy | 3 |
| POLSCI 3288 | Topics in International Political Economy: Political Economy of Inequality and Redistribution | 3 |
| POLSCI 3320 | Topics in Politics: Campaigns, Corruption, and Cash | 3 |
| POLSCI 3720 | Topics in International Politics: Ethnic Conflict: Causes and Remedies | 3 |
| POLSCI 3763 | Topics in Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLSCI 3784 | Terrorism and Political Violence | 3 |
| POLSCI 4115 | Immigration, Identity, and the Internet (WI) | 3 |
| POLSCI 4160 | Contemporary Issues in Latin America OR Presidents, Legislators, and Economic Policy in Latin America | 3 |
| POLSCI 4250 | Comparative Political Parties | 3 |
| POLSCI 4453 | Comparative Political Economy | 3 |
Additional Information
Specializations
Political science majors may specialize in a subfield of political science by taking (as part of their distribution requirement) three courses with the same subfield distribution in any one of the five subfields (American politics, comparative politics, international politics, political methodology, or political theory). Students may earn specializations in up to two subfields. The successful completion of a subfield specialization will be listed on the student's transcript.
Senior Thesis
The department encourages students to pursue independent research by working toward a senior thesis. Students admitted to this program work closely with a faculty advisor for a full calendar year, beginning at the end of their junior year. Students writing a senior thesis receive 6 units of credit for two semesters of work by enrolling in POLSCI 4900 Senior Thesis Research. However, this credit does not count toward the completion of the political science major. Although there is no grade point average requirement for writing a senior thesis, an application is required. For more information, contact the department office. All majors may apply.
To qualify to write a senior thesis, students must do the following:
- Complete the methodology course requirement by the fall of their junior year (all majors are strongly urged to complete this requirement during their sophomore year).
- Complete POLSCI 4905 Research Design and Methods prior to their senior year.
- Complete a subfield specialization (detailed in the Specializations section above) by the end of the fall of their senior year in the subfield appropriate for their senior thesis. At least two thirds of the specialization must be completed by the end of their junior year.
- Apply during their junior year for admission into the program.
Senior Honors
There are two tracks for graduating with Latin Honors: honors by thesis and honors by coursework.
To graduate with Latin Honors by thesis, students must successfully complete a senior thesis project and meet a GPA requirement set by the College of Arts & Sciences.
To graduate with Latin Honors by coursework, students must complete an additional 9 credits that are at the 3000 level or higher (for a total of 39 credits in the major), write a paper that is 10 pages or longer in a course at the 4000 or 5000 level, and meet a GPA requirement set by the College of Arts & Sciences.
Contact Info
| Phone: | 314-935-5810 |
| Email: | polisci@wustl.edu |
| Website: | http://polisci.wustl.edu |