Politics Major
Major Requirements
Students majoring in Politics should complete 10 courses and Politics senior thesis.
Foundations
Complete at least three Politics courses at the 100-level.
This does not include Short Term courses. The department encourages students to complete these courses by the end of the sophomore year.
Exploration
Complete at least five Politics courses at the 200-level or higher.
A Politics course taken during the Short Term may count in this category. First-Year Seminars taught by Politics faculty, off-campus study courses, and one non-Politics course approved for Politics credit may also count in this category.
The approved non-Politics courses include:
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| AFR 302 | Black Feminist Activist and Intellectual Traditions |
| AMST 302 | Black Feminist Activist and Intellectual Traditions |
| ECON 284 | The Political Economy of Capitalism |
| EDUC 380 | Education, Reform, and Politics |
| EUS 290 | Political Sociology |
| EUS 312 | Populism in the Age of Globalization |
| EUS 314 | The European Experiment: Policy, Society, and Power |
| GSS 302 | Black Feminist Activist and Intellectual Traditions |
| PHIL 258 | Philosophy of Law |
| PHIL 268 | Capitalism and Its Critics |
| PHIL 324C | Liberty, Equality, and Community |
| PSYC 335 | Political Psychology |
| SOC 290 | Political Sociology |
| SOC 312 | Populism in the Age of Globalization |
| SOC 314 | The European Experiment: Policy, Society, and Power |
| SOC 380 | Education, Reform, and Politics |
Research Development and Application
Complete at least two 300-level seminars.
Complete at least one Politics Senior Thesis or Thesis Seminar.
Courses Taken Outside of Bates
Subject to the approval of the department chair, students may apply no more than two courses taken outside of the Bates Politics Department to the major. This may include up to two courses not taught at Bates (e.g., study abroad or summer study). To receive approval for these courses, students must provide evidence of their content and the work completed to the politics department chair. They can count for the Exploration category.
AP credits can count for general Bates credit or for prerequisites in the major. However, they cannot count for credit in the major.
For transfer students, up to four transfer courses can go to the Foundations category or the Exploration category. This is subject to the approval of the department chair.
Pass/Fail
Pass/Fail grading may be elected for one course applied toward the major. This course must be below the 300 level.
Restricted Declarations
Bates Default: Students who have declared this major/minor may declare any other major, minor, or general education concentration (GEC).
Other Considerations
One Politics Short Term course can be applied to the major in the Exploration category. Politics does not require a Short Term course.
The Politics major permits one Bates course that is not cross-listed with Politics to count toward the major. Doing so permits students to explore topics that overlap with concerns within political inquiry. This course may count for the Exploration category. The list of approved courses can be found on the Politics department website. This list is updated annually.
Students must take no fewer than two 300-level courses. All 300-level Politics courses must be [W2] tagged. All 300-level Politics seminars must be listed in or cross-listed with Politics.