Minors, Clusters, and Certificates
  1. Requirements for the Minor in Political Science
  2. Requirements for the Minor in International Relations
  3. How To Declare a Minor
  4. New Overlap Policy for Class of 2010 and Beyond
  5. Clusters
  6. Certificate Programs
  7. Legal Studies

  1. Requirements for the Minor in Political Science

    Students must successfully complete five courses, of which only one may be from the list of introductory courses. None of the five courses may be taken on a satisfactory/fail basis. No course may be taken in the summer session or transferred from another school. Choice of courses must also satisfy the requirements specified below:

    Required course. PSC 202 (Argument in Political Science) is the only course specifically required for a minor in political science.

    Techniques of Analysis. Choose PSC 200, PSC 201, PSC 203 or PSC 204. (Students may satisfy this requirement with ECO 230 or ECO 231, but they must still take five courses in political science. The additional course may come from the fields of American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Positive Theory, or Political Philosophy.)

    American Politics. Choose one course.

    Comparative Politics or International Relations. Choose one course in either field.

    Positive Theory or Political Philosophy. Choose one course in either field.



  2. Requirements for the Minor in International Relations

    3. Students must successfully complete six courses, of which at least four must be taken in Political Science. No more than three courses (PSC 101, PSC 106, and one other, whether in Political Science or another department) may be at the introductory level. None of the six courses may be taken on a satisfactory/fail basis. No course may be transferred from another school (except for approved courses taken abroad). Choice of courses must also satisfy the requirements specified below:

    Required courses: PSC 101 (Introduction to Comparative Politics) and PSC 106 (Introduction to International Relations).

    Additional courses: Choose four from the list approved for the specialized tracks, which can be found here. Courses taken abroad may, upon approval, substitute for up to two of these courses.



  3. How To Declare a Minor

    // Pick up a blue Approval Form for Concentrations and Minors, available in the Center for Academic Support at Lattimore Hall 312 or in the Department of Political Science office at Harkness Hall 334.


    // Collect information at this website regarding requirements for the minor.

    // Complete Part A of the Approval Form, following the information about requirements. List the relevant courses you have already taken, are currently taking, or plan to take before you graduate. You are not committed to following this course plan exactly, but you must fulfill the relevant requirements if you wish to graduate with a minor in political science or international relations. If you ultimately substitute courses for those listed on your Approval Form, you may wish to check with an undergraduate advisor in political science to confirm that the substitutions are acceptable.

    In deciding which courses to take, you may wish to examine the course descriptions. You may also wish to consult with an undergraduate advisor in political science for advice about courses best suited to your particular intellectual interests and career goals. If you would like advice, list only those courses you have taken, are taking, or know for certain you wish to take.

    // Once you have completed Part A of the Approval Form as best you can, take it to an undergraduate advisor in political science during his or her office hours. Your advisor will check the form, answer any questions you may have, and sign it.

    // Submit the completed and signed Approval Form to the Center for Academic Support at Lattimore Hall 312. The Center will send one copy to the Department of Political Science.


  4. New Overlap Policy for Class of 2010 and Beyond

    Students in the Class of 2010 and beyond are reminded that they are subject to a new "overlap policy" with respect to double majors and a major and minor. The new policy applies to all students in the College. For more information, see here.

    Here is the new policy, along with an example for a student wishing to major in both Political Science and Economics:

    Major: No more than three courses overlapping between any two majors.
    Minor: No more than two courses overlapping between a minor and either a major or another minor.

    Example 1: A student who majors in Political Science and uses three Economics course as allied field courses (toward their Political Science major) may not count any Political Science courses toward the Economics major.

    Example 2: A student who majors in Economics and uses two Political Science courses for the allied field requirement (in the Economics major) may count just one Economics course as an allied field course in the Political Science major.

    Note: If a cross-listed course (such as PSC/ECO 288) is listed under two majors, it counts toward the overlap limit even if it is listed under the Political Science number in one case and a cross-listed number in the other case.


  5. Clusters

    The Political Science Department offers a large and varied set of clusters. This is a full list of the clusters:

    America and the World (S1PSC018)
    American Political History (S1PSC014)
    American Politics and Policy (S1PSC005)
    Comparative Politics (S1PSC007)
    European Politics and Civilization (S1PSC015)
    International Relations (S1PSC008)
    Poland, Russia, and Central Europe (S1PSC016)
    Political Economy (S1INT001)
    Political Methods and Theory (S1PSC006)
    Political Philosophy (S1PSC010)
    Politics and Mathematics (S1PSC012)
    Politics and Religion (S1PSC017)
    World Politics (S1PSC009)

    Bear in mind that clusters sometimes are not updated quickly enough to include new courses. Please see an undergraduate advisor with any questions about clusters.


  6. Certificate Programs

    Certificate programs are taken in conjunction with, not in place of, concentrations. They are meant to supplement a student's chosen area of study and to formalize into a coherent whole courses taken outside the area of concentration. They are administered through the College Center for Academic Support, Lattimore 312. Note that courses used toward a certificate may not be taken on the S/F option except for the International Relations and Polish and Central European Studies Certificates in which one secondary course may be taken S/F, and that minimum averages are required for courses used for certificates. The following certificate programs include coursework in the social sciences:

    Actuarial Studies
    Asian Studies
    International Relations
    Management Studies
    Mathematical Modeling in Political Science and Economics
    Polish and Central European Studies


  7. Legal Studies

    The Minor in Legal Studies is an interdisciplinary program of study which gives students the opportunity to examine law from a variety of perspectives. While the minor should be useful for those who may be thinking of attending law school, it should not be considered a program in pre-professional training. To be more precise, the goals of this minor are: (1) to educate students in certain broadly relevant analytical skills; (2) to introduce students to what it means to study a social phenomenon from a variety of perspectives; (3) to help students obtain a better understanding of law and the multiple functions it plays in a variety of societies; (4) to encourage writing and the development of writing skills; and (5) to stimulate greater interaction among faculty interested in law and society. Depending on the selection of courses, students may use the minor or related clusters in Legal Studies to satisfy the curriculum requirement in either the Humanities or the Social Sciences.

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Last modified: April 25, 2008 10:54:47 am EST