BA in Political Science
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science complete 33 credits from core subject areas in political science. The department offers nearly 100 undergraduate classes, including special opportunities like the Politics and Values Program. Students also complete a required proseminar as juniors or seniors, in which they examine a political issue and produce scholarly writing on the topic.
For those eager to expand their horizons with travel, on-the-ground research and professional experience, the department offers study abroad and internship opportunities, which may be eligible for course credit.
Per Columbian College of Arts and Science policy, students must complete the major requirements at the time of declaration. Students who declared a major before Fall 2020 are beholden to prior major requirements.
“I interned in the office of Sen. Tammy Duckworth. … I’d like to run for office someday. GW helped me gain the skills and the confidence I need to get there.”
Anna LaRocco Masi
BA '18
Course Requirements
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), Undergraduate Programs. CCAS stipulates that a student must complete the major requirements published in the Bulletin for the academic year in which the student declares their major.*
Program-specific curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite courses | ||
| PSC 1001 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| or PSC 1001W | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| PSC 1002 | Introduction to American Politics and Government | |
| or PSC 1002W | Introduction to American Politics and Government | |
| PSC 1003 | Introduction to International Politics | |
| or PSC 1003W | Introduction to International Politics | |
| or IAFF 1005 | Introduction to International Affairs | |
| Students in the Politics and Values program are required to take PSC 1011 and PSC 1012W. For such students, these two courses fulfill the prerequisite requirement and count as a Group E (political thought) course. | ||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required for the major | ||
| Six 2000-level political science courses (18 credits) selected from the groups below, including at least one course from Group D and at least one course from Group E. ** | ||
| Group A (comparative politics) | ||
| PSC 2330 | Comparative Politics of Western Europe | |
| PSC 2331 | Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| PSC 2332 | European Integration | |
| PSC 2333 | Reunification, Reconciliation, and Resentment | |
| PSC 2334 | Global Perspectives on Democracy | |
| PSC 2336 | State–Society Relations in the Developing World | |
| PSC 2337 | Development Politics | |
| PSC 2338 | Nationalism | |
| PSC 2339 | Comparative Political Economy | |
| PSC 2366 | Russian Politics | |
| PSC 2367 | Human Rights | |
| or PSC 2367W | Human Rights | |
| PSC 2368 | Politics in the Two Koreas | |
| PSC 2369 | Comparative Politics of South Asia | |
| PSC 2370 | Comparative Politics of China and Northeast Asia | |
| PSC 2371 | Politics and Foreign Policy of China | |
| PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
| PSC 2374 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan | |
| PSC 2377 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | |
| or PSC 2377W | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2379 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Israel | |
| PSC 2381 | Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| PSC 2383 | Comparative Politics of Latin America | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics | |
| Group B (American government and politics) | ||
| PSC 2211 | State and Urban Politics | |
| PSC 2212 | State and Urban Policy Problems | |
| PSC 2213 | Judicial Politics | |
| PSC 2214 | U.S. Constitutional Law and Politics I | |
| PSC 2215 | U.S. Constitutional Law and Politics II | |
| PSC 2216 | The American Presidency | |
| PSC 2217 | Executive Branch Politics | |
| PSC 2218 | Legislative Politics | |
| or PSC 2218W | Legislative Politics | |
| PSC 2219 | Political Parties and Interest Groups | |
| PSC 2220 | Public Opinion | |
| PSC 2221 | African American Politics | |
| PSC 2222 | Science, Technology, and Politics | |
| PSC 2223 | Campaigns and Elections | |
| PSC 2224 | Issues in Domestic Public Policy | |
| PSC 2225 | Women and Politics | |
| PSC 2228 | Media, Politics, and Government | |
| PSC 2229 | Media and Politics | |
| PSC 2230 | Law and Justice: The View from Hollywood | |
| PSC 2240 | Poverty, Welfare, and Work | |
| PSC 2241 | The Politics of Education Policy | |
| PSC 2992 | Special Topics in American Politics and Government | |
| Group C (international politics, law, and organizations) | ||
| PSC 2439 | International Political Economy | |
| PSC 2440 | Theories of International Politics | |
| PSC 2442 | International Organizations | |
| or PSC 2442W | International Organizations | |
| PSC 2444 | Public International Law | |
| PSC 2446 | U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| PSC 2447 | American Presidents at War | |
| PSC 2449 | International Security Politics | |
| or PSC 2449W | International Security Politics | |
| PSC 2451 | Theory of War | |
| or PSC 2451W | Theory of War | |
| PSC 2453 | U.S. Foreign Policy Perspectives | |
| PSC 2454 | Humanitarianism | |
| PSC 2455 | Global Governance | |
| PSC 2461 | European-Atlantic Relations | |
| PSC 2468 | Post-Soviet Foreign Policy | |
| PSC 2475 | International Relations of East Asia | |
| PSC 2476 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| or PSC 2476W | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| PSC 2478 | International Relations of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2482 | African International Politics | |
| PSC 2484 | International Relations of Latin America | |
| PSC 2994 | Special Topics in International Relations | |
| Group D (research methods) | ||
| PSC 2101 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | |
| or COMM 3110 | Research Methods in Communication | |
| or IAFF 2101 | International Affairs Research Methods | |
| or PSYC 2101 | Research Methods in Psychology | |
| or SMPA 2151 | Research Methods | |
| or SOC 2101 | Social Research Methods | |
| PSC 2102 | Visualizing and Modeling Politics | |
| Group E (political thought) | ||
| PSC 2105 | Major Issues of Western Political Thought I | |
| PSC 2106 | Major Issues of Western Political Thought II | |
| or PSC 2106W | Major Issues of Western Political Thought II | |
| PSC 2107 | Twentieth-Century Political Thought | |
| PSC 2109 | Global Justice | |
| PSC 2110 | American Political Thought | |
| PSC 2111 | Nietzsche and Political Theory | |
| PSC 2120W | Freedom in American Thought and Popular Culture | |
| PSC 2991 | Special Topics in Political Thought | |
| One proseminar (3 credits) and one advanced topics course (3 credits) | ||
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (taken in the junior or senior year) | |
| PSC 3500 | Advanced Topics in Political Science | |
| or PSC 3500W | Advanced Topics in Political Science | |
*Bulletins covering prior academic years are archived.
**In addition to the courses listed, a maximum of 3 credits in PSC 2987 may count toward the 2000-level course requirement. However, these credits do not count toward any group.