Current Concentrators (Classes of '23 and '24)
Students may not P/D/F any Politics courses and/or approved cognates.
NOTE: In line with policies we introduced specific to the Spring 2020 semester, Politics courses that were taken in Spring 2020 on a P/D/F basis will count as departmentals provided that the student received a passing grade. In a case where a Politics major exceeded the two prerequisite courses to enter the Department and had taken additional Politics courses as P/D/F during the Spring 2020, we will also count those as departmental courses toward the required 10 needed. [This P/D/F exception applies only to Spring 2020 due to the disruption of the semester from COVID-19; it does not apply to Politics courses that were taken in previous semesters or to the Fall 2020 and beyond.]
Prospective Concentrators (Classes of '25 and '26)
Freshmen and sophomores interested in pursuing the major must take all Politics courses for a grade in order for it count as satisfying a departmental course requirement – not P/D/F. This includes the required two prerequisites to enter the Department.
Princeton University has one of the largest undergraduate programs devoted to the study of politics in the country. In a typical year, the Department of Politics offers approximately 50 regular courses to undergraduates and supervises independent work for more than 150 concentrators (juniors and seniors who are concentrating in politics).
The department organizes its undergraduate teaching into four primary fields:
American Politics
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Political Theory
There also is a strong concentration of courses in the area of quantitative analysis, political economy, and strategy in politics (drawing especially on the expertise of formal and quantitative methods faculty).
The department offers four tracks that provide more focused guidance to students who wish to address themes that bridge the sub-fields.
Whether you are a student thinking about taking a course in politics, a politics concentrator looking up a particular requirement or deadline, or just someone curious about what we are up to, you will find all sorts of useful information on the undergraduate program webpages. Please have a look around, and check out our brochure!
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Markus Prior
Undergraduate Program Manager, Gayle Brodsky