Course Recommendations

Major in Political Science (BS)

Students pursuing the BS in political science should pay careful attention to sequencing the prerequisites and courses for this major. We outline here a few basic principles that we hope are useful to students in their planning. We also provide examples of four-year course sequences.

First-years

Start a calculus sequence. Take introductory courses in a core track and in tools of analysis. Students interested in the data and modeling track are encouraged to take PSC 200 in their first year.

Sophomores

Complete the BS prerequisites by taking either a computer programming course or a course in linear algebra. Take one to two classes in tools of political analysis.

Also take two classes in your core track or to satisfy breadth or electives. At least one of these courses could satisfy upper-level writing or team learning requirements.

Juniors

Complete the tools of analysis requirement. One of your tools courses must be the 3XX version of a PSCI graduate course in statistics or modeling.

Continue taking 200-level (or more advanced) classes for your core track, breadth, and electives. At least one of these courses should satisfy upper-level writing or team learning.

Students interested in the senior honors program should take PSCI 205 by the end of their junior year. Students should submit their petitions for the senior honors program no later than March 15.

Seniors

Aim to complete all requirements for your major by the fall of your senior year, leaving the spring for electives and extra coursework in your major, if desired.

Example Four-Year Course Sequences

Three examples are provided below for hypothetical students with different interests in the prerequisites, core tracks, and 3XX tools course.

Example One

  • Prerequisites: MATH 161/162 and computer programming
  • Core track: Substantive track (i.e., not data and modeling)
  • Graduate tools course: Statistics
Substantive Core Track
Fall semesterSpring semester
First yearMATH 161: Calculus Ia
PSCI 200: Data Analysis I
Core 1		MATH 162: Calculus IIa
PSCI 205: Data Analysis II (Elective 1)
Core 2
Second yearCSC 161: Intro to Programming
PSCI 202W: Argument
Core 3		Core 4
Breadth 1
Elective 2
Third yearPSCI 107: Intro to Pos Pol Theory
PSCI 404/3XX: Prob and Inference		PSCI 280: Intermed Pos Pol Theory
Core 5
Fourth yearBreadth 2
Elective 3

Example Two

  • Prerequisites: MATH 141/142/143 and linear algebra
  • Core track: Substantive track (i.e., not data and modeling)
  • Graduate tools course: Modeling
Substantive Core Track
Fall semesterSpring semester
First yearMATH 141: Calculus I
PSCI 107: Intro to Pos Pol Theory
Core 1		MATH 142: Calculus II
PSCI 280: Intermed PPT (Elective 1)
Core 2
Second yearMATH 143: Calculus III
PSCI 202W: Argument
Core 3		MATH 165: Linear Algebra and Diff Eq
Core 4
Breadth 1
Third yearPSCI 200: Data Analysis I
PSCI 407/3XX: Math Modeling		PSCI 205: Data Analysis II
Core 5
Elective 2
Fourth yearBreadth 2
Elective 3

Example Three

  • Prerequisites: MATH 141/142 and computer programming
  • Core track: Data and modeling
  • Graduate tools course: Statistics
Data and Modeling Core Track
Fall semesterSpring semester
First yearMATH 141: Calculus I
PSCI 200: Data Analysis I
PSCI 107: Intro to Pos Pol Theory		MATH 142: Calculus II
PSCI 205: Data Analysis II (Core 1)
PSCI 280: Intermed Pos Pol Theory
Second yearCSC 161: Intro to Programming
PSCI 202W: Argument
Econ 231W: Econometrics (Core 2)		Breadth 1
Elective 1
Third yearPSCI 248: Discrimination (Core 3)
PSCI 404/3XX: Prob and Inference		PSCI 288: Game Theory (Core four)
Breadth 2
Elective 2
Fourth yearPSCI/INTR 270: Mechanisms of IR (Core 5)
Elective 3

A student who wants to pursue the BS in political science with a core track in data and modeling will need to pay close attention to the prerequisite, tools, and core track requirements. The data and modeling core track is essentially an expanded tools track. Students cannot use a course like CSC 161 for both the prerequisite requirement and the core track requirement. Similarly, PSCI 205 is required for the data and modeling core track, in which case it cannot be applied to the tools requirement.

In the above example sequence, the courses that satisfy the tools and core track are as listed below.

Tools courses:

  • PSCI 200: Data Analysis I
  • PSCI 404/3XX: Probability and Inference
  • PSCI 107: Intro to Positive Political Theory
  • PSCI 280: Intermediate Positive Political Theory
  • PSCI 202W: Argument

Data and modeling core track courses:

  • PSCI 205: Data Analysis II
  • ECON 231W: Econometrics
  • PSCI 248: Discrimination
  • PSCI 288: Game Theory
  • PSCI/INTR 270: Mechanisms in IR