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Student ID:__________________________ Student Name:_______________________ Advisor Name:_______________________ Catalog: 2025-26 Catalog Program: Political Science

Political Science

Students must complete all of the following requirements to graduate with a bachelor of arts in this program. Some courses may apply toward multiple requirements.

College Requirements:

Degree Requirements 

Students are required to complete all standard college requirements.

Division Requirements:

History and Social Sciences 

Students are required to fulfill the division requirements for their major

Total divisional units: 4

Major Requirements:

Total major units: 11

Seven units of political science:

Two Units Empirical Politics from the Following:

Course NameTermCompleted?Group Req.
POL 220 - Introduction to Global Politics
POL 230 - Introduction to Political Economy
POL 240 - Introduction to International Relations
POL 260 - Introduction to American Politics and Public Policy

One Unit Political Theory from the Following (POL 280-298, 380-415):

Course NameTermCompleted?Group Req.
POL 280 - Introduction to Political Theory
POL 380 - Earth, Nature, World

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing

POL 381 - Science, Politics, Authority
POL 382 - Body Politics
POL 383 - Who Counts? Enumeration, Representation, Democracy
POL 390 - The Human Condition
POL 392 - Contemporary Democratic Theory
POL 395 - Illuminations: Politics in Dark Times

Prerequisite(s): One Political Science course.

POL 396 - Neoliberalism and its Critics

Prerequisite(s): One Political Science course. 

POL 403 - Hegel and Marx
POL 405 - Judgment
POL 409 - ”Being and Time” and Politics

Prerequisite(s): HUM 110 or equivalent

Four Additional Units in Political Science (excluding 300, 311, and 470)

One Unit in Statistics from the Following:

Course NameTermCompleted?Group Req.
ECON 311 - Survey of Econometric Methods

Prerequisite(s): ECON 201 

ECON 312 - Theory and Practice of Econometrics

Prerequisite(s): ECON 201 and MATH 141 or similar introduction to statistics

MATH 141 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Prerequisite(s): Three years of high school mathematics

POL 311 - Quantitative Methods for Political Science

Prerequisite(s): One introductory Political Science course (POL 220, POL 230, POL 240, POL 260, or POL 280), and one additional Political Science course. The additional course may be concurrently enrolled. 

PSY 348 - Statistical Analysis for Psychology

Prerequisite(s): PSY 101 

SOC 311 - Research Methods

Prerequisite(s): SOC 211 and one additional unit in sociology

One Unit of Junior Year Requirements:

Course NameTermCompleted?Group Req.
POL 300 - Junior Research Seminar

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing

  • Junior qualifying examination. Specific requirements are stated on the department junior qualifying examination page, reed.edu/poli_sci/resources/juniorqual.html.

    • Two units of Thesis:

    Course NameTermCompleted?Group Req.
    POL 470 - Thesis

    Recommended but Not Required:

    • Students are encouraged to complete the statistics requirement in their sophomore year or the first semester of their junior year.
    • Proficiency in a non-English language is recommended for all majors, especially for those with interests in comparative politics and international relations.
    Notes:





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