Thank you for your interest in the Department of Politics at Princeton University!
This page provides a range of information about the Undergraduate Program which we hope prospective Politics majors will find useful.
Chair's Welcome
Welcome to the Politics Department!
My role as interim Department Chair is to provide general oversight for all our tracks and policies, manage the Department’s finances, and oversee all personnel (faculty, preceptors, staff) issues.
As you will see below, we have a lot of information we want to share with you about the Department. Among others, you will find information from:
| Professor Layna Mosley | Associate Chair (responsible for curriculum) |
|---|---|
| Professor Andrew Guess |
Director of Undergraduate Studies; |
| Professor John Kastellec |
Juniors Advisor; |
| Professor Jonathan Mummolo | Track in American Ideas and Institutions Advisor |
| Professor Germán Gieczewski |
Track in Political Economy Advisor |
| Professor Gleason Judd | Track in Quantitative and Analytical Political Science Advisor |
| Professor Corrine McConnaughy | Track in Race and Identity Advisor |
| Professor Guadalupe Tuñón | Study Abroad Advisor |
Before giving way to my colleagues, I wanted to share with you three reasons why I think Politics would be a good choice of major:
- With almost 60 faculty members, we are an unusually large department, both by Princeton standards and by standards of political science departments around the world. This might not seem like a very interesting or exciting fact, but from the point of view of an undergraduate it is actually quite significant. Princeton faculty around the University are often busy and over-committed. Because of our large size, our faculty/student ratios are very favorable for students, and many of our lectures and seminars are quite modest in size. I think you’ll find you get a lot of attention from faculty and staff.
- A second point is about the quality of the department. Princeton Politics is consistently ranked in the top three departments in the country, and is known for the deep and rigorous education we offer our students. A number of faculty in the department are prominent voices in national and international conversations about pressing political questions, and all are leaders in their scholarly fields. I don’t need to tell you that the world is facing a number of extremely important and difficult political challenges. But there are fundamental, longer-term issues that political scientists seek to study, as well: persistent racial and economic inequalities; the fraying of institutions of constitutional democracy; the fractures of international institutions like the EU; climate change; U.S. relations with China and Russia, just to mention a few. We have faculty experts who can help you to think rigorously and knowledgeably about all of these issues and problems and many others.
- Finally, the third point I would note is about the intellectual breadth of our undergraduate curriculum. In a sense, our program is a microcosm of a liberal arts education in which you are encouraged to sample from several different approaches to knowledge, and to specialize to some extent in one or two of them. Our courses cover a wide spectrum of different styles of political science, from country and area-specific studies based on history and language; to sophisticated quantitative analysis; to economics-style formal modeling; to intellectual history and political philosophy – and everything in between. So if you’re anything like me when I was your age – and you’re still exploring what you want to do after graduation – studying political science in the Politics Department is a good way of keeping your options open while getting a rigorous education at the same time.
Why Study Politics?
What WILL YOU LEARN AS A Politics MAJOR?
At the most basic level, studying Politics offers a deeper and more systematic understanding of the contemporary world. Many of the world’s most pressing challenges – from climate change and poverty to war and terrorism, as well as human rights and democratic governance – require solutions that are sensitive to politics. Without understanding local, national and global politics, economic analyses and scientific solutions are unlikely to succeed in addressing core problems. As leading researchers in their academic fields, our faculty apply sophisticated concepts and tools to better understand such problems, and they share their approaches and analyses in the classroom.
We offer courses that are geared to providing students with concepts, tools and methods that are useful for understanding a range of issues in (and beyond) political science. These tools will help you to analyze information about the political world in ways that are more sophisticated and nuanced (and ultimately more effective) than the analyses you might get from journalists, political pundits, and social media influencers. Moreover, these tools – including but not limited to normative frameworks, statistical techniques, game theory and qualitative analyses – are helpful not only in academic pursuits, but also in real world settings.
You’ll gain a deeper understanding, for instance, of how firms interact strategically with governments over environmental regulations; how race, gender and socioeconomic status influence voting and other political behaviors in the US and abroad; how geopolitical shifts affect the prospects for war, trade and global governance; or how political parties attempt to appeal to voters and interest groups. Many of our students apply their academic knowledge during their summer jobs, which have ranged from legal work for the American Civil Liberties Union or Human Rights Watch to internships with members of Congress, at the U.S. Department of State, or at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy. Many of our students also intern in the private sector, at places like Morgan Stanley. This diversity of options is also reflected in the post-graduation career paths of Politics majors; these have ranged from jobs at the State Department, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Pew Research Center and The Wilderness Society; to analyst careers at top investment banks and consulting firms; and to the pursuit of graduate degrees (including JDs, MPAs and PhDs).
What are differences between POL and SPIA?
While there is a fair degree of overlap between the Politics Department and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), there are two key differences. First, SPIA is much more focused on the policy side of things, whereas in the Politics Department policy implications are just one facet of our approach to studying politics. Second, SPIA is explicitly multi-disciplinary, and requires courses in several disciplines besides Politics; the Politics Department encourages you to explore a greater variety of topics and methods within Politics. Our curriculum also covers certain areas of the political science discipline that often receive less attention in the SPIA curriculum, such as political theory, law and judicial politics and formal methods.
What to Expect as a Politics Major
To declare Politics as your major, prospective students must have taken for a grade any two Politics courses by the end of their sophomore Spring semester. The first two courses in Politics taken are considered prerequisites. Students may still choose Politics as their major even if they have not taken any 200-level introductory POL courses.
When signing into the Department, you will be asked to designate a primary field from the following: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, or Political Theory. Please be aware that in choosing your primary field, you must be prepared to take 3 courses in that field and also will need to write your senior thesis on a topic related to that field. You may opt to change your primary field no later than January of junior year, however.
Politics majors must take eleven departmental courses, which includes two prerequisites and POL 300 (a required course that must be completed Fall semester of junior year).
Three courses must be in the primary field, two in a secondary field, and one in a tertiary field. We refer to this as the 3-2-1 field distribution. Learn more about departmentals and field distribution requirements on our website, where you can also view courses by sub-fields.
All Politics majors are required to take a course that satisfies the analytical requirement no later than the Fall semester of junior year.
For the remaining three departmental courses, students may opt to take only POL courses and/or seek approval for up to two cognates.
Cognates are courses outside of the Department that are not cross-listed with POL but have substantial political science content of more than 50%. To seek cognate approval, students must do so from the Cognate Approval Advisor, no later than the last day of classes within the semester they are taking the course. Cognate approvals are not retroactive to freshman or sophomore years.
Junior Independent Work
All Politics juniors will be required to take POL 300 (Conducting Independent Research in Political Science) for departmental course credit, in addition to being assigned to a Junior Practicum in which students will both learn more about a specific topic and write a Research Prospectus (roughly 12-15 pages). Students will need to block out the time that POL 300 is offered in order to complete this requirement. View the current list of Junior Practicums. Instructions on how to select practicum preferences will be sent soon after the sophomore declaration period and students will need to take their practicum selections into account when choosing the subsequent Fall semester courses.
In the Spring of junior year, every Politics major will write an independent research paper under the supervision of a faculty member. A Junior Paper (JP) is an essay of roughly 20-35 pages that is clearly focused on one – or a few related - political questions, problems, or issues. Some students may even opt to use their Research Prospectus as a starting point to expand upon ideas in their JP.
Learn more about our Fall and Spring junior independent work requirements.
Senior Thesis
During the senior year, each Politics concentrator writes a thesis. The senior thesis is expected to make an original contribution to broader knowledge in the field in which the student is working. The length of a senior thesis is generally between 80-100 pages.
NOTE: If you are unsure about Politics and/or haven’t taken the required number of prerequisites, please feel free to email Professor Andrew Guess to discuss your options.
How to Choose a Primary Field
Once you have taken a few Politics courses you will probably have an idea of what topics and world regions interest you most and are ready to choose a primary field. The Department organizes its undergraduate teaching into four fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. You will take at least three classes in your primary field (but you can of course also take as many in another field), and you will write your thesis in your primary field.
If you are interested in international politics, please note that International Relations tends to cover topics involving relationships and events between countries (e.g., Why do countries go to war with one another?; What explains trade openness?) while Comparative Politics is about domestic politics within countries (e.g., Why do some countries democratize while others don’t?; What leads to partisan polarization?). Some topics (e.g., civil war; the effect of domestic politics on trade policies) can be pursued within either field. For more information about the various primary fields, please contact Professor John Kastellec, the Juniors Advisor.
Why Departmental Tracks Might be a Good Fit for You
The Department of Politics offers four optional department tracks that provide more focused guidance to students who wish to address themes that bridge the sub-fields. They include the following: the Track in American Ideas and Institutions, the Track in Political Economy, the Track in Quantitative and Analytical Political Science, and the Track in Race and Identity. Students who pursue a track will still need to fulfill the requirements of a Politics concentrator. Courses may simultaneously fulfill both the track requirements and the Politics concentration requirements. Students must inform the Undergraduate Program Manager of their intention to pursue a track no later than February 1st of their junior year. Please note that unlike university certificates, a student's track will not appear on their transcript. Concentrators who successfully complete the track's requirements will receive a departmental attestation on Class Day.
Below you will find some information about each track and contact information for the track advisors:
Track in American Ideas and Institutions
The Track in American Ideas and Institutions is available for students who have a particular interest in the three branches of the American government and the ideas, principles and laws that undergird them. This specialized track within the Politics major easily meshes with American politics as a primary field. The track helps students navigate through this subject matter by specifying a set of courses that meet this requirement. Students are expected to take a total of five courses from the designated list, with at least one course in each of four topic areas: the executive branch, the legislative branch, the Constitution and the courts, and American political, legal and constitutional thought. In addition, the student’s senior thesis must incorporate a significant amount of content related to the themes of the track. Interested students should contact Professor Jonathan Mummolo.
Track in Political Economy
Political Economy (PE) is a cross-disciplinary field for students who wish to further their understandings of social phenomena and individual behavior by combining the perspectives of its two constituent disciplines. The Track in Political Economy allows and encourages students to use analytical tools from game theory, microeconomics and statistics to study political behavior, and to incorporate a thorough analysis of politics and collective decision-making into economic analysis.
If you are interested in pursuing PE, we encourage you to contact Professor German Gieczewski.
Track in Quantitative and Analytical Political Science
The Track in Quantitative and Analytical Political Science (QAPS) is designed for students who wish to deepen their understanding of quantitative and analytical methods to study key questions in political science.
If you are interested in pursuing the QAPS track, we encourage you to contact Professor Gleason Judd.
Track in Race and Identity
The Department of Politics offers the Track in Race and Identity (RI) for Politics concentrators seeking a deeper understanding of the politics of race and identity. Completion of the track attests to a student having successfully taken a range of courses examining the role of race and identity in politics. The RI track offers courses dealing with moral, ethical, and legal issues relating to race and identity in the United States and around the world, such as hate speech, discrimination, and civil rights. The track also encompasses courses in international relations and comparative politics focusing on human rights, ethnic conflict, and social movements.
Interested students should contact Professor Corrine McConnaughy to schedule a meeting.
Study Abroad
The Department encourages students to consider studying abroad during the Spring semester of junior year and/or the Fall semester of their senior year in any of the programs approved by the Office of International Programs. [NOTE: Students may not study abroad during the Fall semester of junior year, when they are expected to be on campus to take POL 300.]
Here are what we think are the top-5 reasons to study abroad:
#5 One can only learn so much in the setting of a classroom. The abroad experience is far more enriching;
#4 Cultural immersion and experience;
#3 Enhance second/third language;
#2 Establish and maintain new collegial/professional networks;
#1 Fun!
With pre-approval from the Study Abroad Advisor, a student may receive departmental credit for up to two, Politics-related courses in a given semester.
Email Professor Guadalupe Tuñón for more information.