Political science is the systematic study of power. Whether power is exercised formally, as is the case between government and the individual, or informally, as is the case between individuals, it is the systematic study of power relationships that provides the subject matter for the discipline.
There are many approaches to political science: the analysis of governmental structures, influences on voter choice, the relationship between national governments, or the best form of government. Students studying political science develop an understanding of the workings of government and also important skills in critical thinking and analysis. These skills make them ideal candidates for careers in law; in government at the state, national, and international levels; in business; in journalism; and in politics.
What careers do Political Science students pursue?
Political Science students learn quickly, work well in teams, and have basic understanding of the policy process and the operations of government. Political Science students understand that for every endeavor, no matter how important, there is a mountain of ordinary grunt work that has to be done. Political Science students can be counted on to do the footwork, put in the face time, and endure the slog necessary of everything of consequence.
Political Science students go on to work in all levels of government. Local and state governments have a direct impact on the quality of life of all Americans. Courses on state and urban government, public policy, administrative law, and public administration are especially valuable. Quantitative and statistical skills developed in these courses and applied in internships provide a powerful combination.
Political Science students go on to work in a wide range of International careers, in business, Foreign Service, and nongovernmental organizations. Political Science offers a wide variety of courses in comparative politics, international relations and organizations, public policy, political development, and interest group politics. These courses are often taken in combination with economics, statistics, computer science, and international trade.
Political Science students pursue careers in campaign management, political polling, national political committees, and consulting. They will have taken multiple courses in the American political system, comparative political parties, elections, public opinion, and voting behavior; as well as committing themselves to developing their writing and data analysis. There are over half a million campaigns in the United States annually, and while entry-level jobs have long hours, low pay, and enormous demands, they are places where you can “cut your political teeth.” Local campaigns lead to statewide or national campaigns, and then perhaps to consulting and polling if that strikes your interest.
Political Science students have also traditionally gone into law. Some lawyers are litigators while others are employed by corporations, government, and other organizations. Political Science track fits nicely for students seeking law degrees as official credentials to “practice law” and those students who seek a law degree as an additional path to make positive impacts in their professional areas of interest. Some individuals with legal training work in other areas, such as corporate or public management. The department offers a wide variety of political theory, constitutional law, and public policy courses that will help you explore the interaction between law, politics, and society.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers. |
| Courses required to get in | None |
| GPA requirements to get in | None |
| Credits required to get in | None |
| Other | None |
Students declared in the Political Science certificate may not be declared in the Political Science major at the same time. Students who do wish to declare this major must first cancel their declaration in the certificate.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. Some courses satisfy more than one L&S degree requirement (visit College of Letters & Science: Requirements for details).
This major can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Communication | Complete both:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning | Complete both:
|
| Ethnic Studies | one 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation |
| Language | Complete either:
|
| L&S Breadth: Humanities | Complete 12 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation, which must include at least 6 credits with the Literature designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Social Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Social Science designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Natural Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Natural Science, Biological Science, or Physical Science designations, which must include both:
|
| Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) Coursework | at least 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | at least 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their School/College to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
30 credits are required in the following areas:
Distribution1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Three courses and three areas required: | 9-12 | |
| International Relations | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | ||
| The European Union: Politics and Political Economy | ||
| Theories of International Security | ||
| Conflict Resolution | ||
| Terrorism | ||
| Analysis of International Relations | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| Transitional Justice in World Politics | ||
| International Institutions and World Order | ||
| Principles of International Law | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Nuclear Weapons and World Politics | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: International Relations | ||
| Government and Natural Resources | ||
| American Government | ||
| Introduction to American Politics and Government | ||
| Introduction to State Government | ||
| Introduction to Political Psychology | ||
| Law, Politics and Society | ||
| Politics in Multi-Cultural Societies | ||
| Introduction to Public Policy | ||
| African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
| Mexican-American Politics | ||
| The Political Economy of Race in the United States | ||
| Elections and Voting Behavior | ||
| American Political Parties | ||
| United States Congress | ||
| Criminal Law and Justice | ||
| Legislative Internship | ||
| Beyond the Internship: Career Exploration & Development | ||
| Social Influence in Political Behavior | ||
| State Government and Public Policy | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| The American Constitution : Powers and Structures of Government | ||
| The American Constitution: Rights and Civil Liberties | ||
| The Supreme Court as a Political Institution | ||
| Community Power and Grass Roots Politics | ||
| The American Judicial System | ||
| Crime and Politics | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| The Political Psychology of Polarization | ||
| Legal Writing, from Counselor to Advocate | ||
| The First Amendment | ||
| Honors Seminar on Race and Politics in the United States | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: American Government | ||
| Campaign Finance | ||
| Public Opinion | ||
| African American Political Theory | ||
| Political Theory | ||
| Introduction to Political Theory | ||
| Left, Right, and Center | ||
| The Foundations of American Liberal Democracy | ||
| Contemporary American Political Thought | ||
| Athenian Democracy | ||
| Literature and Politics | ||
| Christian Political Thought | ||
| Machiavelli and His World | ||
| Continental Political Thought | ||
| Humans, Animals & Machines | ||
| Environmental Political Thought | ||
| Topics in Political Philosophy | ||
| Deception and Politics | ||
| Women and Politics | ||
| African American Political Theory | ||
| Theorizing Intersectionality | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: Political Theory | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics (Honors) | ||
| Politics in Multi-Cultural Societies | ||
| Introduction to Southeast Asia: Vietnam to the Philippines | ||
| Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey | ||
| Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey | ||
| Introduction to East Asian Civilizations | ||
| Latin America: An Introduction | ||
| Africa: An Introductory Survey | ||
| African and African-American Linkages: An Introduction | ||
| Governments and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa | ||
| Chinese Politics | ||
| Social Movements and Revolutions in Latin America | ||
| Politics of East and Southeast Asia | ||
| African Politics | ||
| Political Economy of Development | ||
| German Politics | ||
| Russian Politics | ||
| Social Identities | ||
| Democracy (and Its Uncertain Future) | ||
| The Civil-Military Paradox in U.S. Politics and Society | ||
| Non-Democracies | ||
| Israeli Politics and Society | ||
| The Russian War on Ukraine: Causes and Consequences | ||
| Global Access to Justice | ||
| Labor in the Americas: US & Mexico in Comparative & Historical Perspective | ||
| States in the World: Comparative Foreign Policy | ||
| Islam and Politics | ||
| Latino History and Politics | ||
| Gender and Politics in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Contentious Politics | ||
| Religion and Politics | ||
| The Politics of Human Rights | ||
| Politics of Gender and Women's Rights in the Middle East | ||
| Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | ||
| The Comparative Study of Genocide | ||
| State-Building: How States Are Formed, Function, and Influence Society | ||
| Honors Seminar on State-Building | ||
| Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| Comparative Politics of Sport | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in Political Science: Comparative Politics | ||
| Total Credits | 9-12 | |
Research Methods
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course from: | 3-4 | |
| Research Methods in Political Science | ||
| Political Data Science | ||
| Political Choice and Strategy | ||
| Analysis of International Relations | ||
| Introduction to Survey Research | ||
| Total Credits | 3-4 | |
Electives
Additional POLI SCI courses to attain 30 credits in the major.2
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all POLI SCI courses and courses that count toward the major
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level credits in the major, taken in residence3
- 15 credits in POLI SCI, taken on campus
Honors in the Major
To declare Honors in the Major, students must have at least one POLI SCI course for Honors, at least a 3.300 University GPA, and meet with the major advisor to discuss the requirements.
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy the requirements for the major (above) and these additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 or higher University GPA
- Earn 3.500 GPA or higher in all POLI SCI courses
- Complete at least 15 credits in POLI SCI for Honors to include:4
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of these Thesis sequences: | 6 | |
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis Seminar and Senior Honors Thesis Seminar | ||
| Additional POLI SCI courses taken for Honors 4 | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Footnotes
- 1
Courses may only meet one Distribution area. A course may meet both a Distribution and the Research Methods requirement, but will only be applied once toward the 30 credits required in the major.
- 2
No more than 6 total credits of Directed Study (POLI SCI 199, POLI SCI 698, POLI SCI 699) and Internship (POLI SCI 315) may count in the major.
- 3
POLI SCI courses numbered 300 and higher count as upper-level in the major.
- 4
A grade of B or higher is required to earn Honors credit.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop an understanding of and appreciation for the methods and approaches of diverse subfields in Political Science-‐American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory-‐and their relevance to important theoretical and pragmatic questions.
- Analyze different forms and practices of governance both democratic and non‐democratic.
- Argue effectively and defend propositions with intellectual integrity, while considering a range of alternative points of view and evidence.
- Analyze relations among individuals, civil society, political institutions, and states.
- Analyze the motivations and consequences of political decision‐making and activities.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| POLI SCI 104, 120, 140, or 160 | 3-4 | POLI SCI 104, 120, 140, or 160 (complete two) | 3-4 |
| Communications A | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 |
| Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Declare the major | POLI SCI elective | 3 | |
| POLI SCI/CHICLA 231, 297, or 355 (satisfies Ethnic Studies requirement) | 3-4 | Communications B | 4 |
| POLI SCI 270, 274, or 348 (satisfies Quantitative Reasoning B requirement) | 3-4 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Biological Science Breadth | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| I/A COMP SCI, MATH or STAT (if BS) | 3 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| POLI SCI course 300 and above | 4 | POLI SCI course 300 and above | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 6 |
| Apply for Senior Thesis (optional)1 | |||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| POLI SCI course 300 and above | 4 | POLI SCI course 300 and above | 6 |
| POLI SCI 681, 683, or 691 (optional)1 | 3-4 | POLI SCI 682, 684, or 692 (optional)1 | 3-4 |
| Elective | 9 | Elective | 6 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
- 1
Students wishing to write a senior thesis (with or without Honors) should apply in the spring of their third year.
Advising and Careers
Declare or Cancel This Major
Please follow the process described on the Political Science website.
Advising
The Department of Political Science has academic advisors who are available to meet with you to offer guidance on:
- course selection;
- program planning;
- internship opportunities;
- study abroad programs;
- scholarship opportunities;
- student research interests; and
- transfer and study abroad credits
Information about scheduling appointments can be found here. Please note that no advising appointments are scheduled via email.
Enrollment Information
Political Science students who wish to enroll in the following courses must obtain prior consent/authorization:
- Directed Study
- Thesis
- Proseminars (varies by specific course; check footnotes in the class schedule)
- Specific Topic
- Other advanced-level coursework with consent of the instructor in lieu of other required courses.
Information and course descriptions are posted on the department website prior to each enrollment period. POLI SCI 315 Legislative Internship is available by application only. Specific deadlines will be announced each semester. Students with a classification making them ineligible for certain courses due to retroactive or AP credits may see the instructor for possible permission to enroll on a space available basis. Students who wish to enroll in a course that is closed may use the wait list available through Course Search & Enroll. The number of credits for variable credit courses is determined by course format and contact periods for a specific semester as noted in the class schedule. For graduate programs, see the Graduate section of this Guide.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students