The Political Science major is intended to give students a broad understanding of political concepts, political institutions, political behavior and political processes.
Students who earn a B.A. in Political Science at UC Davis will be able to:
- identify and explain key behavioral and institutional characteristics of political systems, including those within countries and the international political order;
- understand and assess systematic forces that underlie political processes in the United States and abroad;
- analyze and critically assess political theories and concepts, including theories developed both in the history of political philosophy and in contemporary social scientific approaches;
- employ scholarly standards to assess the quality of political science research;
- effectively write about political systems, processes and theories in a rigorous manner.
- POL Major Requirements
- Download the Political Science Major Checklist
- Student Learning Objectives
- Lower-division coursework includes contemporary political science and the historical foundations of modern politics. In upper-division courses, students are exposed to a broad range of topics encompassing political theory, American government and institutions, public law, and international relations and comparative political systems.
- Three-year Major Plan
- Most students complete the curriculum in the traditional four years. Students who seek an accelerated path to graduation may wish to examine our sample three-year graduation path.
Download the Political Science Major 3 Year Plan