Information for First-Year Students

  1. Office & Department Directory
  2. Political Science (Government) Department
  3. Information for First-Year Students

Courses in Political Science acquaint students with a broad range of political values, theories and institutions. They range over the four subfields in the major: American politics, comparative politics, international politics and political theory. What binds courses in these subfields together is that they ask, What is politics? What is power? What ends does power serve and what ends should power serve? These are just some of the questions that the major in government addresses.

We recommend that first-year students enroll in any of our 100-level introductory courses to the political science subfields. First-year students interested in majoring in political science are encouraged to take the Writing Intensive version of the course (as all majors MUST take one of the core 100-level courses as a Writing Intensive section). Writing Intensive sections are designated by a “WI” before the name of the course.

GOVT courses available this fall and appropriate for first-year students, subject to the availability of seats, are:

  • GOVT 103: Introduction to American Politics (SS)
  • GOVT 103-WI: WI: Intro to American Politics (SS)
  • GOVT 105: Introduction to Comparative Politics (SS/DIV13)
  • GOVT 105-WI: WI: Comparative Politics (SS/DIV13)
  • GOVT 108: Introduction to International Politics (SS)
  • GOVT 108-WI: WI: International Politics (SS)

For additional guidance in planning for a major in political science, refer to this planning document: Political Science Major Planning for First Years.