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 (see below for details); and three elective courses from any major sub-field. A maximum of three courses outside the Politics Department (DWA, UEP, and Study Abroad courses) can count towards the major and must be pre-approved. Politics majors must 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 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 245 | China and the World | 4 units |
| DWA 246/AMST 280 | The United States and East Asia | 4 units |
| DWA 253 | Security in Asia | 4 units |
| DWA 285 | Diplomacy and War | 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
| DWA 239 | European Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 120 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 221 | Latin American Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 223 | 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 283 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Global Public Health Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 284 | Seminar in Washington Politics: Global Women's Leadership Development | 4 units |
| POLS 320 | Contemporary Debates in Comparative Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 321 | Gender and Politics in the Global South | 4 units |
American Politics
| POLS 200/AMST 200 | Democratic Socialism, American Style | 4 units |
| POLS 201 | Media and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 202 | Gender and American Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 203 | Campaign 2020 Internship | 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 250 | American Intelligence and National Security | 4 units |
| POLS 265 | Community Planning and Politics Practicum | 4 units |
| POLS 270 | Campaign Fieldwork Internship | 8 units |
| POLS 271 | Seminar on Political Campaigns | 4 units |
| POLS 272 | Independent Study on Political Campaigns | 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/UEP 301 | Urban Policy and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 302 | The American Presidency | 4 units |
| POLS 336 | National Security in Practice: How Washington Works | 4 units |
| UEP 204 | Environmentalism: Past, Present, and Future | 4 units |
| UEP 209/PUBH 209 | Health Policy | 4 units |
Political Theory
| POLS 150 | Introduction to Political Theory | 4 units |
| POLS 254 | American Political Thought | 4 units |
| POLS 256 | Ethics and Politics | 4 units |
| POLS 257 | Conservative Political Thought | 4 units |
| POLS 258/BLST 258 | Theoretical Accounts of Racism | 4 units |
| POLS 351 | Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche on Individuality and Community in a Modern Democracy | 4 units |
| POLS 352 | Black Political Thought | 4 units |
| POLS 355 | Critical Fanonism | 4 units |
Public Law
| POLS 140 | Law and Society | 4 units |
| POLS 244 | Constitutional Law | 4 units |
| POLS 247 | Supreme Court Politics | 2 units |
| POLS 249 | Movement Lawyering, Politics and Social Change | 4 units |
| POLS 260 | Community Law Internship | 4 units |
| POLS 340 | Rebellious Lawyering | 4 units |
| POLS 341 | Justice Lab: Contemporary Issues in Law and Public Policy | 4 units |
| POLS 342 | Human Rights in the United States | 4 units |
| POLS 345 | The Fourth Amendment | 4 units |
| POLS 346 | Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | 4 units |
| POLS 347 | Race and Law | 4 units |
Additional Electives
Three required electives in any subfield must be taken within the Politics Department. Study Abroad courses may be accepted with departmental approval.