Major Requirements
In total, majors must complete at least 11 courses (44 units). ECON 101 is strongly recommended. No course will count toward the Politics major that the student takes CR/NC.
In addition to the Fundamental Courses listed below, a Politics major must take one course in each sub-field (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Law); one Junior Writing Seminar which can "double-dip" with a sub-field requirement (Politics 272 or any 300-level Politics, approved DWA, or UEP course except Politics 300); and three elective courses from any sub-field. A maximum of three courses outside the Politics Department can count towards the major, including approved DWA, UEP, and Study Abroad courses. Finally, a Politics major will complete a Senior Comprehensive seminar in the spring of the senior year.
Fundamental Courses
Every Politics major must take these courses.
| POLS 101 | American Politics and Public Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 300 | Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 495 | Comprehensive Seminar | 4 units |
Subfields
Students must select one course in each of the following subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Law.
For the subfield courses, DWA courses may count towards International Relations with department approval, and select UEP courses may count for American Politics with department approval, but Comparative Politics, Political Theory, and Public Law must be taken within the Politics Department.
International Relations
| POLS 130 | Introduction to International Relations | 4 units |
| POLS 218 | Russian Relations with the World | 4 units |
| POLS 232 | International Political Economy | 4 units |
| POLS 233/DWA 250 | International Security | 4 units |
| POLS 235 | United States Foreign Relations | 4 units |
| POLS 250 | American Intelligence and National Security | 4 units |
| POLS 286 | Seminar in Washington Politics: International and Foreign Policy Studies | 4 units |
| DWA 101 | International Relations: The Changing Rules of the Game | 4 units |
| DWA 102 | International Organizations | 4 units |
| DWA 103 | Introduction to Global Political Economy | 4 units |
| DWA 231 | Gender and International Relations | 4 units |
| DWA 241 | International Relations of the Middle East | 4 units |
| DWA 337 | Junior Seminar: International Relations Theory | 4 units |
| DWA 342 | Junior Seminar: Transnational Identity and International Relations | 4 units |
| DWA 343 | Junior Seminar: Transnationalism and Global Governance | 4 units |
Comparative Politics
| POLS 120 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 218 | Russian Relations with the World | 4 units |
| POLS 221/DWA 224 | Latin American Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 223/DWA 226 | Dilemmas of Democracy | 4 units |
| POLS 226 | Contemporary Chinese Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 227 | East Asian Politics: China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan | 4 units |
| POLS 320 | Advanced Theories of Comparative Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 321 | Gender and Politics in the Global South | 4 units |
| POLS 325 | Politics and Security in New Europe | 4 units |
| POLS 283 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Global Public Health Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 284 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Global Women’s Leadership Development | 4 units |
American Politics
| POLS 200/AMST 200 | Democratic Socialism, American Style | 4 units |
| POLS 201 | Media and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 202 | Leadership in the Public and Private Sphere | 4 units |
| POLS 204 | Campaigns and Elections | 4 units |
| POLS 205/LLAS 205 | Latino/a Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 206 | Race and American Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 207 | Los Angeles Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 208 | Movements for Social Justice | 4 units |
| POLS 209/UEP 209 | Health Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 250 | American Intelligence and National Security | 4 units |
| POLS 262 | California Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 264 | Disaster Politics: New Orleans in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina | 4 units |
| POLS 265/UEP 265 | Community Planning and Politics Practicum | 4 units |
| POLS 280 | Washington, D.C. Internship | 8 |
| POLS 281 | Seminar in Political Leadership | 4 units |
| POLS 282 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Environmental Law and Policy Studies | 4 units |
| POLS 285 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Inside Washington Politics and Policies | 4 units |
| POLS 301 | Urban Policy and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 302 | The American Presidency | 4 units |
| POLS 303 | Gender and American Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 336 | National Security in Practice: How Washington Works | 4 units |
| UEP 204 | Environmentalism: Past, Present, and Future | 4 units |
| UEP 301/POLS 301 | Urban Policy and Politics | 4 units |
Political Theory
| POLS 150 | Introduction to Political Theory | 4 units |
| POLS 251 | European Political Thought: From Plato to Machiavelli | 4 units |
| POLS 253 | European Political Thought: From Nietzsche to the Present | 4 units |
| POLS 254 | American Political Thought | 4 units |
| POLS 256 | Ethics and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 257 | Conservative and Libertarian Political Philosophy | 4 units |
| POLS 258/BLST 258 | Theoretical Accounts of Racism | 4 units |
| POLS 351 | Tocqueville, Marx, and Nietzsche | 4 units |
| POLS 352/BLST 352 | Black Political Thought | 4 units |
| POLS 355/BLST 355 | Critical Fanonism | 4 units |
Public Law
Additional Electives
Three required electives in any subfield must be taken within the Politics Department. Study Abroad courses may be accepted with departmental approval.