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Home > Undergraduate Studies : Major/Minor Requirements

Major/Minor Requirements

The Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota has a strong tradition of providing undergraduate instruction of the highest quality. Whether you are just taking a class or two, or are planning to major in Political Science, you will find that the department and its faculty are committed to undergraduate teaching and students. The department offers a wide range of classes, from lecture-based instruction to smaller seminars as well as an internship course. The diversity of the faculty means that the department is able to offer a broad range of courses every semester.

The study of political science at the undergraduate level is divided into four subfields: Political Theory, Comparative Government, International Relations, and American Government.

Political Theory is the systematic study of the explanations, reasons, and rationales offered for actual or proposed practices, institutions, and courses of action: from the work of Plato to the present.

Comparative Government focuses upon similarities and differences in political institutions, attitudes, and behavior viewed both trans-nationally and cross-culturally.

International Relations is the study of relations among nations, centering attention on problems of foreign policy, international trade, international cooperation, and war and peace.

American Government deals with domestic political behavior, institutions and processes ranging from local to state to national levels. American Government focuses on the causes and consequences of behavior within political parties, interest groups, and complex organizations as well as political psychology, public opinion, and voting behavior. This subfield also looks at changing institutions, processes, and procedures that comprise the evolving legal system in the United States.

Major Requirements & Honors Program Requirements (PDF)
Minor Requirements (PDF)

Contact Info

Undergraduate Adviser
Rose Miskowiec
1482 SocSci
612-624-8517
r-misk@umn.edu

Internship Director

Paul Soper
1480 SocSci
612-626-1002
psoper@umn.edu

Director of Undergrad Studies

Scott Abernathy
Assoc. Professor
1246A SocSci
612-624-3308