Political Science Major Requirements
To graduate with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, you are required to take a minimum of 40 quarter hours of courses in the Department. Twenty-eight of these quarter hours must be taken at the 2000 or 3000 level.
- Every major must take Introduction to American Politics (PLSC 1000), and Introduction to Politics: Power & Justice (PLSC 1610)
- Majors must complete at least one course at the 2000 or 3000 level in each of four sub-fields:
- Majors who first entered the University of Denver in fall 2010 or later (including transfer students) are required to take Political Inquiry (PLSC 2901), usually during the junior year, which prepares students for in-depth research in the Capstone Seminar in Politics (PLSC 3290) and prepares qualified students for Honors theses.
- Majors are required to take the Capstone Seminar in Politics (PLSC 3290).
- Credits in the major must be earned at the level of "C-" or better, and the grade point average in the major must be at least 2.0 to graduate.
Internships
- Students who seek academic credit for campaign internships must enroll in an internship seminar, typically offered fall quarter of major election years. For law or political internships during winter or spring quarters, speak to your advisor about options. No more than 4 credit hours earned in an internship may be counted towards the 40 credit hours needed for the major. If a student earns more than 4 credit hours in an internship, these hours are credited toward the maximum 60 hours in Political Science.
Honors
- The Departmental Honors Program is open to all qualified students with a 3.7 GPA in Political Science and a 3.5 GPA overall. Students who choose to write an honors thesis must complete 48 quarter hours in Political Science.
Transfer/Study Abroad Credit
- A maximum of 20 transfer credits may be accepted towards meeting major requirements, including Study Abroad courses.
Please see our Portfolio page for more information.
