FAQs About the Political Science Major

No. All students hoping to major in political science at Grinnell or to take a 200-level political science class must take POL 101. AP credits can be applied to the overall 32 credits for the political science major.

Yes. They can be applied to the 32 credits but do not replace POL 101.

No. We require that you take a statistics course at Grinnell to ensure that the course meets the expectations for the development of applied data skills required in our major curriculum.

No. The Registrar’s office determines which courses can be transferred for credit at Grinnell. Courses that the Registrar approves can be applied to a student’s overall credits for graduation, but we do not accept them for fulfilling major requirements.

No. We require that you take a statistics course at Grinnell to ensure that you are developing the applied data skills required in our major curriculum. STA 309 and STA 310 can be applied to meet the statistics requirement for students who, upon entering Grinnell, are encouraged to bypass STA 209. Students who transfer AP statistics credit are encouraged to discuss their specific case with the political science department chair to identify an appropriate course.

No. We require that you take a statistics course at Grinnell to ensure that you are developing the applied data skills required in our major curriculum. Students who find themselves in this situation should discuss their specific case with the political science department chair to identify an appropriate course. Depending on the material covered in the course that was transferred, as well as the student’s overall background in mathematics and statistics, we may recommend you take SST 115 or STA 209 at Grinnell. Alternately, STA 309 and STA 310 can be applied to meet the statistics requirement for students who, upon entering Grinnell, are encouraged to bypass STA 209.

Yes. Students may share 8 credits between a concentration and a major. If your concentration calls for political science courses, you may count 8 of your major credits toward your concentration.

POL/PST 220 will count toward the political science major if taught by a political scientist. In this instance, it can count toward both the concentration and the major and students should register for the course as POL 220. It does not fulfill any of the department’s 200-level distribution requirements for American, comparative, and international politics.

POL 320 or PST 320 will count toward the 300-level requirement for the political science major if it is taught by a political scientist and if the formal 200-level prerequisite for the course is met. In this instance, it can count toward both the concentration and the major and students should register for the course as POL 320.

Yes. With adviser’s approval, up to 8 of the 32 credits in the major may be taken in related studies at the 200-level or above.

Yes. Please read our section on Off-Campus Study and a Political Science Major for more details.

Yes. Students can earn up to 8 credits toward the political science major on Grinnell-approved OCS programs. For more details, see Off-Campus Study and a Political Science Major.

There are three primary steps:

1. Find an adviser in the political science department.
2. Draft a four-year plan in consultation with the intended major adviser. When the adviser is satisfied with the plan, they will sign it.
3. Bring it to the department chair to review and sign.

Most students declare a major in the fourth semester. The political science department will begin reviewing and signing declaration paperwork from students after they have completed registration in the third semester. We encourage students to work with their tutorial advisors to plan for a broad liberal arts curriculum prior to declaring a political science major. Students who have already declared a major and want to add a second major in political science should do so as soon as possible to benefit from advising from political science faculty.

Students interested in majoring in political science should take POL 101: Introduction to Political Science. After completing POL 101, students may take any 200-level political science course that interests them. They should also plan on taking SST 115 or STA 209. We encourage students to focus on taking one political science course at a time prior to declaring the major. Students are welcome to visit the office hours of political science department faculty to guide them in their course selections.

While most faculty in the political science department advise majors, not all faculty are able to serve as major advisers or take on new advisees in any given semester. Typically, in the start of the spring semester, the political science department chair will send out a message to potential majors letting them know which faculty members are able to accept new advisees. Students planning to declare at a different point in time are encouraged to reach out to the political science department chair to inquire about possible major advisors.

The 300-level seminars in the political science department are research rich experiences. Research is embedded into all 300-level seminars, ensuring all political science majors develop research skills as part of the curriculum. Other opportunities may be possible through Mentored Advanced Projects, Directed Research, employment as a research assistant, or a Kathryn Mohrman Fellowship.

Mentored Advanced Projects are not a standard part of the political science curriculum and take place on an ad-hoc basis depending on faculty interest and availability. Occasionally students will undertake Mentored Advanced Projects or Directed Research projects that are related to faculty research or extensions of student research conducted in 200- or 300-level courses.

No. The department has no funding for student travel. Students traveling to give a presentation at a professional conference can apply for funding through the Dean’s office.

The department typically hires a student department assistant to support department faculty on administrative tasks related to teaching. Faculty will occasionally hire students as paid research assistants. All positions are advertised on Handshake.

Students are encouraged to make use of the resources at the Center for Careers, Life, and Service, to explore their interests, search for internship, employment, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities, and seek out internship funding.