Political Science

Political Science BA Learning Outcomes

The Political Science major has the following learning outcomes:

• Critical thinking about basic political processes, institutions, and concepts as they operate in different national and cultural contexts
• Impartial evaluation of arguments
• Application of mathematical and logical reasoning to political processes
• Use and evaluation of statistical and other types of evidence in arguments
• Recognition of limits of quantitative and non-quantitative analysis
• Knowledge of diverse theories of politics by engaging critically with texts, media, and contexts
• Employment of cultural, hermeneutical, normative, and historical approaches
• Location, evaluation, and use of information and scholarship needed to place particular political events in broader historical, cross-national, and theoretical contexts
• Demonstrated familiarity with various approaches to the study of politics, and their application to specific questions, puzzles, and debates
• Written and oral arguments using appropriate evidence, with sensitivity to opposing perspectives, about significant political processes, events, and concepts

All students intending to major in Political Science must enroll as Political Science premajors. After completion of preparation for the major courses, they need to petition to enter the major in the Undergraduate Office, 4269 Bunche Hall.

Required: Four lower-division courses from Political Science 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. Students must also take Political Science 6 or 6R. Statistics 10 or 12 may be substituted for course 6 or 6R.

Students must complete all premajor courses with a 2.0 grade-point average by the time they attain 135 units. Admission to the major is granted only after successful completion of all lower-division requirements.

Transfer applicants to the Political Science major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one statistics course and four courses from political theory, world politics, game theory, American politics, or comparative politics.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Required: Ten upper-division courses (40 units) selected from Political Science M105 through 199, each taken for a letter grade. Students are required to maintain a 2.0 overall grade-point average in all upper-division political science courses.

Upper-division political science courses are organized into six fields: (I) political theory, (II) international relations, (III) American politics, (IV) comparative politics, (V) methods and models, and (VI) race and ethnic politics.

In fulfilling the requirement of 10 upper-division political science courses, students must satisfy the following:

1. A concentration in one field consisting of at least three upper-division courses in that field
2. A distribution requirement of at least one upper-division course in each of three different fields outside the field of concentration; multifield courses from the concentration field may not satisfy a distribution field
3. Four additional political science courses to comprise the total of 10

Courses 191H, 195CE, 198, and 199 may not be applied toward either the concentration or distribution requirement.

The department honors program is open to seniors and to students who (1) have completed five upper-division political science courses (two of which are in one field), (2) have a 3.5 grade-point average in upper-division political science courses, and (3) are eligible for College of Letters and Science honors. Students should have substantial experience in writing research papers before they enter the honors program or course 191H.

Students wishing to qualify for graduation with departmental honors must complete courses 191H and 198, in which a senior thesis is written. Successful completion of the honors program is indicated on the transcript and diploma.