Majors and Minors

UC Davis Department of Political Science academic programs are designed to give students a foundation in the mechanisms of politics and political systems at the national and international levels; knowledge that is applicable to careers in government, urban planning, writing, teaching, law, administration; and preparation for graduate studies in numerous fields. Our department offers students a choice among three majors: Political Science (POL), Political Science - Public Service (PPS), and International Relations (IRE). The department also offers a number of minor programs for students.

Political Science Major

The Political Science major is intended to give students a broad understanding of political concepts, political institutions, political behavior and political processes.

political science public service thumbnail

Political Science - Public Service Major

The Political Science - Public Service major is for students who wish to concentrate on the means by which policy is formulated, implemented, evaluated and interpreted.

International Relations Major

The International Relations major is a multi-disciplinary curriculum in which students take courses in a variety of areas, including political science, economics, security, history, sociology, and ecology.

Minor Programs

These undergraduate minor programs are available through the Department of Political Science.

Note about double majoring: Per College of Letters & Science policy, students are not permitted to double major within the same department. As such, these major combinations are not permitted:

- Political Science & Political Science - Public Service double major

- Political Science & International Relations double major

- Political Science - Public Service and International Relations double major

Students are permitted to double major within the same College, or cross-Colleges, pending meeting requirements for declaring other majors. If you are looking for other majors to pursue, check out the list of all majors offered by UC Davis here.