Minors, Clusters, and Certificate—Old Requirements
Requirements (Old)
- Requirements for the Minor in Political Science (Old)
- Requirements for the Minor in International Relations (Old)
- How To Declare a Minor
- New Overlap Policy for Class of 2010 and Beyond
- Clusters
- Certificate Programs
- Legal Studies
Requirements for the Minor in Political Science (Old)
Change to new minorThese requirements are not available to students in the Class of 2021 and later. Only students in earlier classes may follow these requirements.
Students must successfully complete five courses, of which no more than two 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 202W (Argument in Political Science) is the only course specifically required for a minor in political science.
Techniques of Analysis. Choose PSC 200 (Data Analysis I) or PSC 205 (Data Analysis II, for which PSC 200 is a prerequisite). Students may also satisfy this requirement with ECO 230, ECO 231W, PSY/CSP 211, STT 211, STT 212, STT 213, STT 214, or any other course in statistics, or if they have received a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement exam in Statistics. Note, however, that students must take a total of five courses in Political Science, so, if PSC 200 or PSC 205 is not used to satisfy this requirement, an additional course must be taken 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, making certain that the course appears in the lists linked here. (Note that some courses that carry an “IR” designation do not satisfy this requirement.)
Positive Theory or Political Philosophy. Choose one course in either field.
Requirements for the Minor in International Relations (Old)
Change to new minorThese requirements are not available to students in the Class of 2021 and later. Only students in earlier classes may follow these requirements.
Students must successfully complete six courses, of which at least four must be taken in Political Science and/or International Relations. No more than three courses (whether in Political Science, International Relations, or another field) 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:
Comparative Politics Core
Choose one course from the following list. PSC/IR 101 is strongly recommended, but not required. The course used to satisfy this requirement must be different from the course used to satisfy the requirement for the International Relations Core.
- PSC/IR 101 Introduction to Comparative Politics
- PSC/IR 250 Comparative Democratic Representation
- PSC/IR 251 Authoritarianism
- PSC/IR 252 Ethnic Politics
- PSC/IR 253 Comparative Political Parties
- PSC/IR 255 Poverty and Development
- PSC/IR 256 Theories of Comparative Politics
- PSC/IR 257 Origins of the Modern World
- PSC/IR 258 Democratic Regimes
- PSC/IR 259 Order, Violence, and the State
- PSC/IR 260 Democratic Erosion
- PSC/IR 261 Latin American Politics
- PSC/IR 262 Elections in Developing Countries
- PSC/IR 263 Comparative Law and Courts
- PSC/IR 264 Comparative Political Institutions
- PSC/IR 265 Civil War and the International System
- PSC/IR 266 The Politics of India and Pakistan
- PSC/IR 267 Identity, Ethnicity and Nationalism
- PSC/IR 271 Territory and Group Conflict
- PSC/IR 276 The Politics of Insurgency and Terrorism
- PSC/IR 286 Political Economy of Developing Countries
International Relations Core
Choose one course from the following list. PSC/IR 106 is strongly recommended, but not required. The course used to satisfy this requirement must be different from the course used to satisfy the requirement for the Comparative Politics Core.
- PSC/IR 102 Introduction to International Political Economy
- PSC/IR 106 Introduction to International Relations
- PSC/IR 252 Ethnic Politics
- PSC/IR 255 Poverty and Development
- PSC/IR 259 Order, Violence, and the State
- PSC/IR 265 Civil War and the International System
- PSC/IR 268 International Organization
- PSC/IR 270 Mechanisms of International Relations
- PSC/IR 271 Territory and Group Conflict
- PSC/IR 272 Theories of International Relations
- PSC/IR 273 The Politics of Terrorism
- PSC/IR 274 International Political Economy
- PSC/IR 276 The Politics of Insurgency and Terrorism
- PSC/IR 278 Foundations of Modern International Politics
- PSC/IR 279 War and the Nation State
Four Additional Courses
Choose any four courses (at least two in International Relations or Political Science) from the list approved for the specialized tracks. Courses taken abroad may, upon approval, substitute for up to two of these courses.
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.
Overlap Policy
Students are reminded that they are subject to the College's "overlap policy" with respect to double majors and a major and minor. The policy applies to all students in the College:
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.
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.
For more information, see .
Clusters
The Political Science Department offers a large and varied set of . This is a full list of the clusters:
- (S1PSC018)
- (S1PSC014)
- (S1PSC005)
- (S1PSC007)
- (S1PSC015)
- (S1PSC008)
- (S1PSC016)
- (S1INT006)
- (S1PSC006)
- (S1PSC010)
- (S1PSC012)
- (S1PSC017)
- (S1PSC009)
- (S1PSC013)
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.
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 Polish and Central European Studies Certificate, 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:
Legal Studies
The 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.