Skip to main content

Major and Minors

Explore and Discover. Politics are everywhere, from small acts of protest to large-scale invasions. Political science studies all levels of politics across the globe. Students studying political science develop the skills they need to carefully answer questions about political life; skills that help them succeed in academia, policy research, law, politics, and the private sector.

 

Apply to Vanderbilt           Course List         Declare Your Major/Minor

Degrees Offered

The Department of Political Science offers a major in political science and three minors: American politics, political theory, and world politics. Below are the requirements for each specific degree.

Political Science Major

A major in political science provides the skills needed to deeply understand and carefully analyze the political world. It also offers the opportunity to develop a subfield specialty in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, or political theory.

The political science major requires 30 credit hours of coursework:

  • 6 credit hours of political science core classes (1100, 1101, 1102, 1103, or 1150)
  • 12 total credit hours of electives in all four subfields
    • Three credit hours of a 2000- or 3000-level elective in each of American politics, comparative politics, international politics, and political theory
  • 12 additional credit hours of electives

At most, 3 credit hours can be from an additional 1000-level course, and up to 6 credit hours can be from individualized instruction courses 3882, 3883, 3841, 3842,  3851, 3852, 4998, and 4999.

In completing these 30 credit hours, students must develop a specialty by taking an intro class (one of the 6 hours of core) and three electives, all from the same subfield.

Areas of ConcentrationHours Required
Political Science Core
1100, 1101, 1102, 1103, or 11503 credit hours
6 credit hours
American Government and Politics
2204W, 2222, 2235, 2240, 2240W, 2241, 2242W, 2243, 2244, 2245, 2251, 2253, 2255, 2256, 2259, 2262, 2265, 2266, 2267, 2270, 3241, 3242, 3244, 3246, 3247, 3249, 3250, 3252, 3253, 3254, 3260, 3268, 3700W, 3893, 4444
3 credit hours
Comparative Politics
2210, 2212W, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216, 2217, 2219, 2223, 2224W, 2228W, 2230, 2231, 2236, 2237, 2238, 2239, 2246W, 2249, 2251, 2252, 2254W, 2270, 2278, 2400W, 2405W, 3211, 3217, 3218, 3219, 3228, 3235, 3272W, 3273, 3273W, 3274, 3400, 3894, 4238
3 credit hours
International Relations
2170, 2171, 2211, 2220, 2221, 2222, 2223, 2225, 2226, 2236, 2263, 2270, 2273, 2274, 2275, 2405W, 3211, 3228, 3229, 3272W, 3273, 3273W, 3275, 3895, 4277
3 credit hours
Political Theory
2201, 2202, 2203, 2204W, 2205, 2207, 2207W, 2208, 2209, 2263, 3206, 3253, 3258, 3264W, 3265, 3266, 3270, 3271, 3333, 3896, 4257
3 credit hours
Electives
Any 2000- or 3000-level course listed above; 2270, 2279, 2300, 2310, 3891, 3897, 3898; one additional 1000-level course, including 1111; up to six hours of 3882, 3883, 3851, 3852, 3841, 3842, 4998, 4999 combined
12 credit hours
TOTALMINIMUM 30 CREDIT HOURS

 

Political Science Minors

The three minors offered by the Department of Political Science allow students the chance to gain exposure to the tools needed for analyzing politics by developing a specialty in American politics, political theory, or world politics.

Each minor requires 18 credit hours of coursework: one political science core course and 15 additional credit hours of electives within that specialty.

Minor in American Politics

CoursesCredit Hours Required
PSCI 1100 or 1150 3 credit hours
Plus any five of the following:
PSCI 2204W, 2222, 2235, 2240, 2240W, 2241, 2242W, 2243, 2244, 2245, 2251, 2253, 2255, 2256, 2259, 2262, 2265, 2266, 2267, 2270, 3241, 3242, 3244, 3246, 3247, 3249, 3250, 3252, 3253, 3254, 3260, 3268, 3700W, 3893, 4444
15 credit hours
TOTALMINIMUM 18 CREDIT HOURS

Minor in Political Theory

CoursesCredit Hours Required
Political Science 1103 3 credit hours
Plus any five of the following:
PSCI 2201, 2202, 2203, 2204W, 2205, 2207, 2207W, 2208, 2209, 2263, 3206, 3253, 3258, 3264W, 3265, 3266, 3270, 3271, 3333, 3896, 4257
15 credit hours
TOTALMINIMUM 18 CREDIT HOURS

Minor in World Politics

A student may focus on comparative politics or international politics, or may mix the two.

CoursesCredit Hours Required
Political Science 1101 or 11023 credit hours
Plus any five of the following:
PSCI 2170, 2171, 2210, 2211, 2212W, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216, 2217, 2219, 2220, 2221, 2222, 2223, 2224W, 2225, 2226, 2228W, 2230, 2231, 2236, 2237, 2238, 2239, 2246W, 2249, 2251, 2252, 2254W, 2263, 2270, 2273, 2274, 2275, 2278, 2400W, 2405W, 3211, 3217, 3218, 3219, 3228, 3229, 3235, 3272W, 3273, 3273W, 3274, 3475, 3400, 3894, 3895, 4238, 4277
15 credit hours
TOTALMINIMUM 18 CREDIT HOURS

 

Declaring a Major or Minor

To declare a major or minor, a student should: