Political
science applies theories, concepts, and methods to the study of
political phenomena. It uses historical, philosophical, and empirical perspectives
to understand political problems and policy issues. Traditionally,
political science splits into four sub-fields: (1) the study of politics
in the United States; (2) the comparative study of
political systems and individual nations around the globe; (3) the study of relations among states and peoples; and (4) the philosophical study of political
ideas. What distinguishes Political Science at Brown
is our exploration of the broad questions about political life in ways that cross
traditional sub-fields. The concentration in Political Science exposes
students to approaches to the study of politics ranging from ancient
Greek philosophy to modern quantitative techniques of policy evaluation, in both domestic and international contexts.
The undergraduate concentration is organized around three broad tracks, or programs of study: American politics, international and comparative politics, and political theory. Twelve courses are required overall: ten within the Department of Political Science and two from areas outside the department related to your chosen track. Thirteen courses are required if the methods requirement is fulfilled with a course outside the department.
Requirements:
| Two introductory courses: | 2 | |
For the American politics and political theory tracks, select two courses from the following list. One of which must be the introductory course associated with the chosen track | ||
| Introduction to the American Political Process | ||
| Introduction to Political Thought | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Introduction to International Politics | ||
For the international and comparative politics track; the following two introductory courses are required: | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Introduction to International Politics | ||
| One course in the American politics subfield | 1 | |
| One course in the political theory subfield | 1 | |
| Two courses in the international and comparative politics subfield | 2 | |
| Three upper-level courses in the chosen subfield | 3 | |
| One methods course from Political Science: 1 | 1 | |
| Foundations of Political Analysis | ||
| Political Research Methods | ||
| One research seminar from the POLS 1820, 1821, 1822 or 1823 offerings that is track related | 1 | |
| Two upper-level courses from outside the department related to the specialized track, chosen with the approval of the concentration advisor. 2 | 2 | |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| 1 | A comparable course from an outside department (APMA 0650, APMA 1650, ECON 1620, ECON 1630, EDUC 1100, EDUC 1110 or SOC 1100 may also be used). If the methods requirement is fulfilled by an outside department course, it will not count as one of the 12 required courses. |
| 2 | Appropriate 1000-level courses offered in (but not limited to) Africana Studies, American Civilization, Anthropology, Classics, Economics, History, International Relations, Philosophy, Public Policy, Religious Studies, Sociology or Urban Studies may apply. The concentration advisor may approve a course from another department if it clearly meets the intent of the outside course requirement. |
To obtain an advisor contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Wendy Schiller.
Honors
Students wishing to undertake the honors program need to complete the same requirements as shown for the concentration. Completion of the methods requirement is required prior to applying to the Honors program. Students must also complete an honors research project and take POLS 1910 and POLS 1920 during the senior year. POLS 1910 and POLS 1920 will count as one credit towards the 10 required Political Science courses for the concentration.