Guidelines
POL 100 is recommended for all further work in political science.
A major in political science consists of at least nine units.
Courses at the 100-level may be counted toward the major, but not toward a
subfield distribution requirement (see below).
The Department of Political Science divides its courses beyond the
introductory level into four subfields:
- American Politics and Law (POL1)
- Comparative Politics (POL2)
- International Relations (POL3)
- Political Theory (POL4)
In order to ensure that political science majors familiarize themselves with
the substantive concerns and methodologies employed throughout the discipline,
all majors must take one 200-level or 300-level unit in each of the four
subfields offered by the department.
Recommended first courses in the four subfields are:
- American Politics and Law: POL1 200
- Comparative Politics: POL2 202
- International Relations: POL3 221
- Political Theory: POL4 201, 240, 241
In addition to the subfield distribution requirement, all majors
must do advanced work (300 level) in at least two of the four subfields
; a minimum of one of these units must be a seminar, which normally
requires a major research paper. (Courses fulfilling the seminar requirement
are denoted by an "S" after the course number.) Admission to department seminars
is by permission of the instructor only. Interested students must fill out a
seminar application, which is available in the political science office prior
to preregistration for each term. Majors should begin applying for seminars
during their junior year in order to be certain of fulfilling this requirement.
Majors are encouraged to take more than the minimum number of required
300-level courses.
Transfer Credits
Ordinarily, a minimum of five units for the major must
be taken at Wellesley, as must the courses that are used to fulfill at least
two of the four subfield distributions and the seminar requirement. The
department does not grant transfer credit at the 300 level for either the major
or for College distribution or degree requirements.
Although Wellesley College does not grant academic credit for participation
in internship programs, students who take part in the Washington Summer
Internship Program may arrange witha faculty member to undertake a unit of
350, Research or Individual Study, related to the internship experience.
Students may receive units of College credit if they achieve a grade of
4 or 5 on the American Government and Politics or the
Comparative Politics Advanced Placement Examinations. Such AP credits do not
count toward the minimum number of units required for the political science
major nor for the American or comparative subfield distribution requirements for
the major. If a student does receive a unit of College credit for the American
politics exam, she may not take POL1 200 (American Politics). Students who are
uncertain whether to receive a College AP credit in American politics or to
take POL1 200 should consult with a member of the department who specializes
in American politics/law or comparative politics.
Honors
The only route to honors in the major is writing a thesis and
passing an oralexamination. To be admitted to the
thesis program, a student must have a grade
point average of at least 3.5 in all work
in the major field above the 100-level; the department may petition on her
behalf if her GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. See Academic
Distinctions. Majors who are interested in writing a senior honors thesis are
urged to discuss their ideas and plans with either their advisor or the
department chair as early as possible in their junior year.
Graduate Work
Students considering going to graduate school for a Ph.D. in political
science should talk with their advisors about appropriate preparation in
quantitative methods and foreign languages.
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