BA in Political Science
Political science offers great flexibility and a variety of courses each semester focusing on all aspects of the discipline. You may select from a broad range of courses that satisfy your personal interests and lead you closer to domestic and international careers in business, education, government, law, media, nonprofits, and politics.
Declaring Your Major
Please refer to the Undergraduate Advising page for more information on declaring a major in political science.
Requirements
A total of 36 political science credits are required to complete the major. Of these, 27 must be upper-division credits that include at least one course from three of the four focus areas. The four focus areas are political theory, comparative government, international relations, and American government.
Political science majors must also complete the POL 4991 capstone. For more information about the capstone, visit the Capstone in Political Science page.
Honors Course Requirements
We offer rigorous programming for high-achieving students admitted to the University Honors Program.
Students who have been accepted into the University Honors Program (UHP) are eligible to declare a political science BA at the honors level. The curriculum for the political science honors BA follows similar requirements to the general major with the following additional course requirements:
- POL 3108H Honors Tutorial: Thesis Preparation and Political Science Inquiry. POL 3108 is a required course for all honors students majoring in political science. This course is only offered in spring semesters and should be taken spring semester of your junior year. Contact Dr. Myers by email (cdmyers@umn.edu) in November or December prior to enrolling in POL 3108H to begin discussing your ideas for a thesis. Talk with your political science advisor during fall semester of your sophomore year if you will be unable to take this course spring semester of your junior year.
- POL 4993 Honors Thesis (1-6 credits): This individual opportunity requires at least one faculty mentor to approve an online POL 4993 contract form. This form must be initiated by the student and approved by all faculty readers, along with Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising Josie Kahlenbeck, for registration. Students should contact poladvis@umn.edu to request a link to the contract form along with instructions.
Students typically take two semesters to complete their thesis during their senior year. For this reason, students may repeat the variable credit opportunity one time only for a total of 3-6 credits overall. We recommend that you begin your Honors Thesis during the fall semester of your senior year. Be sure to follow the Honors Thesis Guide through UHP and review the Honors Requirements.
Students completing POL 4993 are NOT required to complete the POL 4991 capstone course.
Transfer Guide
Recommendations from the Department of Political Science
There is no specific course that students are required to take to prepare for the Political Science major. If you are considering the Political Science major, we recommend taking one or two 1xxx-level (lower division) Political Science courses that interest you. Different 1xxx-level Political Science courses will introduce you to the broad concepts for the different sub-fields of Political Science. The upper level major courses will take you more in-depth into specific areas.
It is rare that upper level courses in Political Science require a prerequisite. When they do, it is typically another 3xxx-level course.
A grade of C- or better is required in all courses approved to satisfy major requirements.
See the catalog for all courses in the major.
Remember, when using Transferology to plan courses for the major, look for courses that transfer as direct equivalents to UMTC major courses.
In CLA, each department has a process to declare the major. This is a necessary step for the major to be added to the student record. New transfer students do not declare their majors until after they attend orientation.
To declare a major in Political Science, transfer students who attend orientation's political science departmental session have the opportunity to declare the major. Students must respond to the email sent from advising confirming their interest. Otherwise, students attend a one-hour major declaration session with an advisor, or complete the online declaration module. Information about the major declaration session is available on the department website.
While there is no specific course that must be completed in order to declare the Political Science major, it is recommended that students take a Political Science course prior to declaring as a way to explore their interest.
We recommend that you declare the major as soon as you are confident you want to pursue the major. The declaration is designed to help you explore the opportunities within the major, which include internships, research, scholarships, study abroad and service learning options. You'll also receive personalized academic planning information before or after the session to help you stay on track in the major.
Lower division coursework – A maximum of nine credits of 1xxx-level courses are allowed to count towards major requirements. These nine credits will count toward the total number of credits required for the Political Science major.
Major residency requirement – The Political Science major requires a minimum of 15 credits of UMTC 3xxx-5xxx POL coursework.
It is best to email the Political Science Advising office if you are taking a course that may seem unusual or is offered through an institution with a strong bias in a particular direction. These may be more difficult to transfer.
The department evaluates transfer courses for use towards the major. Check Transferology to see if an evaluation already exists for the courses you would like to use toward the major. If you find a course that has not been evaluated you can submit the course for review. A copy of the course syllabus is required.
If you are planning to transfer to CLA to complete a BA in Political Science major, keep in mind the nine credit limit on 1xxx-divison courses in the major. The department recommends that you limit the number of 1xxx-level Political Science courses that you take prior to transferring.
The BA degree does have a second language requirement. Consider completing or starting your second language before you transfer to CLA. Be sure to talk with a CLA transfer advisor about any questions you have about completing the CLA Second Language requirement.
While a minor is not required, many students majoring in Political Science take courses or minor in Leadership, Sociology/Sociology Law,Criminology & Deviance, History, Economics, Psychology, Communication Studies, and Journalism. However, there are many other interesting options on campus and we encourage you to explore.
In this heightened political atmosphere, there are many passionate people who would like to get involved and/or make change. Political Science is a fabulous way to learn about how to make and defend policy, as well as to understand politics in all aspects. It is a great place to find ways to get engaged and be a change-maker.
Career Paths
All liberal arts degrees help CLA students develop their Core Career Competencies, and political science majors develop specific skills that are applicable to lots of different careers. These skills include knowledge of worldwide political systems and processes, strong verbal and written communication skills, the ability to work with diverse groups and analyze dense information.
Students who take the SuperStrong Interest Inventory receive a three-letter interest code, which identifies their top three areas of interest, work activities, potential skills, and personal values. The interest code "SEC" is often associated with this major, however, the SuperStrong assessment can help you understand how your interests connect to a variety of majors and career options. You can learn more about common employer types and occupations associated with this major. You can also see CLA specific examples of alumni careers below.
Internship & Job Search Websites
Student Groups
Professional Organizations
- American Political Science Association
- Association for Political Theory
- National Association of Paralegal Association
Graduate Programs in Political Science
This is a small sample of programs alumni have gone onto, to find graduate programs in this field, search the Grad School Directory or Peterson's Guide.
- University of Minnesota, PhD, Political Science
- University of Wisconsin, PhD, Political Science
- Georgetown University, MA, Government
Alumni Career Examples
Below is a small sampling of what alumni with this major have pursued, organized by the most common career fields they go into (although, keep in mind that there are political science alumni in all eight of the career fields). For more career information for political science majors, utilize these additional resources
Click to expand each accordion panel below for opportunities pursued by alumni in this major!
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Senate Intern, State Senator Kenneth Kelash
- Congressional Intern, Office of Congressman Keith Ellison
- Intern, Adult Prosecution Division, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office
- Field Coordinator, Wisconsin Republican Party
- Intern, Senator Klobuchar’s Office
- Intern, Office of Senator Al Franken
- Communications Intern, Women's Foreign Policy Group
- Rail Operations Intern, Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities
- Court Monitoring Intern, WATCH
- Legislative Intern, Minnesota State Senate
- Political Intern, Republican Party of Minnesota
- Constituent Services Intern, Office of Governor Mark Dayton
- Finance/Field/Communications Intern, Ilhan Omar Campaign Office
- Senate Intern, Minnesota State Senate
- Congressional Intern, Congressman Erik Paulsen
- Campaign Fellow, Angie Craig for US Congress
- Field Fellow, Jacob Frey for Minneapolis Mayor
- Government Support Intern, Hennepin County
- Legislative Intern, US Senate
- Policy Intern, Ramsey County
- Operations Assistant, Democratic National Committee
- Communications Intern, Smith Partners
Entry-Level
- Associate Attorney at Robins Kaplan LLC*
- Consumer Analyst, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
- Deputy Scheduler and Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff, U.S. Senate
- Staff Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives
- Legal Assistant, Johnson Becker PLLC
- Deputy Campaign Director, Ilhan Omar for State Representative
- Research Assistant, United States Congress
- Assistant Hennepin County Attorney, Hennepin County Attorney's Office*
- Attorney, State of Minnesota*
Experienced
- Youth Program Coordinator, Hennepin County Library
- Consumer Advocate, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
- Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Specialist, Export-Import Bank of the United States
- Attorney and Partner at Stinson Leonard Street LLP*
- Commercial Litigation Attorney | Partner, Lindquist & Vennum*
Graduate Programs
- Juris Doctor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
- Juris Doctor, University of Minnesota Law School
- Juris Doctor, University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Juris Doctor, Harvard University
- Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Human Rights, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Assistant High School Debate Coach, Edina High School
- Urban Scholar, Minneapolis Public Schools Intern
Entry-Level
- Development Associate, National Forensics League
- College Coach, College Possible
- Americorps Promise Fellow, Minneapolis Public Schools
- Latino Outreach & Success Specialist, North Hennepin Community College
Experienced
- High School Social Studies Teacher, Reading Public Schools*
- College Program Coordinator, College Possible
- National Director, Public Policy & International Affairs Fellowship Program
- Dean of Students, Roosevelt High School
- Translations Specialist, Saint Paul Public Schools
- Communications and Public Affairs Specialist, Minneapolis Public Schools
Graduate Programs
- Master of Education, University of Minnesota
- M.Ed, Secondary Education, Lesley University
- Master of Arts (M.A.), Higher Education Administration, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- 48 Hours Intern, CBS News
Entry-Level
- Writer, Alpha News
- Advertising Sales Executive, St. Paul Pioneer Press
- Editorial Assistant, The Associated Press
- Assistant Account Executive, Goff Public
Experienced
- Communications Director, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault
- Editorial Writer and Columnist, Star Tribune
- Director of Media Analysis, McCann Minneapolis
- Reporter, Minnesota Public Radio
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Wealth & Investment Management Intern, Wells Fargo
- State Governmental Relations Intern, Cargill
- Communications Intern, University of Minnesota Office of Admissions
- Business Analyst Intern, Assurant
- Intern-Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual
- Communications Intern, Thomson Reuters
- Marketing Intern, Coca Cola
Entry-Level
- Business Development and Technical Services Assistant, DAI
- Analyst, Best Buy
- Research and Analysis Associate, Life Time Fitness
Experienced
- Manager of Marketing, Vertical Marketing, Capella University
- Sr Business Analyst- Site Search and Navigation, Best Buy
- Director, Corporate Development, Life Time Fitness
- Leadership & Management Consultant, Target*
Graduate Programs
- MS, Psychology, University of Wisconsin
- Ph.D., Operations Management, Economics Minor, University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Human Resource and Social Media Intern, The Fund for the Public Interest
- Resource Counseling Intern, Tubman
- Development Intern, Arc Minnesota
- Intern, The Advocates for Human Rights
- Policy Intern, National Immigrant Justice Center
- Project & Development Intern, Women’s Foundation Minnesota
- Intern, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change
- Civil Rights Intern, CAIR - MN (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
- Political Leader of Tomorrow Intern, Women Winning
Entry-Level
- Policy & Community Engagement Manager, United Way
- Match Support Coordinator, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Minnesota
- Education Organizer, African Immigrant Services
Experienced
- Director of Community Impact, Women’s Foundation Minnesota
- Team Leader, Feed My Starving Children
- Associate Director of Equity and Community Engagement, Urban Homeworks
Graduate Programs
- MA, Public Administration, Hamline University
- Master of Social Work, University of Minnesota
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- 1-HELP Technical Support, University of Minnesota
Entry-Level
- Technical Support Analyst, Capella University
- Data Analyst, University of Minnesota
- Helpdesk Technician, Redpath and Company, Ltd.
Experienced
- Senior Peoplesoft Developer, Hennepin County
- Senior Developer, Accenture
- VP, Analytic Consultant at Wells Fargo
- Technology Consultant, Accenture
- Salesforce.com Data Analyst, Amazon Web Services
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Home Health Aide, Carefree Living Of Burnsville
Entry-Level
- Consultant, Minnesota Department of Health
- Eligibility Coordinator & Pharmacy Benefit Coordinator, HealthEZ
- Health Policy & Government Relations, Allina Health
- Product Manager - Hennepin Health, Hennepin County*
Experienced
- Healthcare Analyst, Minnesota Management and Budget
- Community Health Worker, Livio Health Group*
- Healthcare Specialist, 3M
- Health Strategy Director, Hennepin County*
- Corporate Health Engagement Director at American Heart Association
Graduate Programs
- Master of Public Health, University of Minnesota
- Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Certification, Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- MPA, Public Administration, University of Delaware
- Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), Health Policy, University of Oregon