Courses & Requirements

Course Inventory by Subfield

Ready to declare the political science major? Please contact psci-major-advising@sas.upenn.edu.

For Fall 2022 Course information, check here: 

/sites/default/files/Fall%202022%20Crosswalk%20Spreadsheet.xlsx

0200    Introduction to American Politics (previously PSCI-130; satisfies Society Sector requirement)

1103    Dilemmas of Intervention (previously PSCI-243)

1121    U.S. Intervention in Latin America (previously PSCI 250; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1200    Public Policy Process (previously PSCI-236; cross-listed as PPE 3200)

1201    Public Opinion and American Democracy (previously PSCI-230; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)  

1202    Changing American Electorate (previously PSCI-234)

1205    Constitutional Law: Public Power & Civil Rights to 1912 (previously PSCI-271; satisfies Cultural Diversity US requirement)

1206    American Constitutional Law (previously PSCI-272; satisfies Cultural Diversity US requirement)

1207    Who Gets Elected and Why? The Science of Politics (previously PSCI-320; cross-listed as URBS 3200)

1208    The Politics of Food and Agriculture (previously PSCI-135)

1209    American Campaigns and Elections (previously PSCI-247)

1290    Race & Ethnic Politics (previously PSCI-231; satisfies Cultural Diversity US requirement)

1404    American Foreign Policy (previously PSCI-131)

1602    Political Action and Dissent (previously PSCI-287)

1800    Introduction to Data Science (previously PSCI-107; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

1801    Statistical Methods PSCI (previously PSCI-338; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

2201    Polarization (previously PSCI-241)

2203    Healthy Schools (previously PSCI-335; satisfies Cultural Diversity US requirement)

2204    Congress, Elections and American Democracy (previously PSCI-241)

2206    Race, Ethnicity, and Constitutional Law (previously PSCI-380)

3800    Applied Data Science (previously PSCI-207)

3802    Political Polling (previously PSCI-333)

4200    Political Psychology (previously PSCI-436)

4290    Race & Criminal Justice (previously PSCI-437)

4291    Social Movements (previously PSCI-433)

4292    Modern Presidency & Race (previously PSCI-434)


5000-level courses may also count toward subfield requirements, but students must have permission of instructor to enroll.

0100    Introduction to Comparative Politics (previously PSCI-110; satisfies core and Society Sector requirements)

0101    Comparative Politics of Developing Areas (previously PSCI-116; satisfies core and Society Sector requirements)

0401    Russia & Eastern European International Affairs (previously PSCI-267; cross-listed as REES-1570; satisfies Society Sector requirement)

1100    Ethnic Conflict (previously PSCI-226; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1101    The Politics of Slow Moving Crises (previously PSCI-220)

1102    Political Economy of Development (previously PSCI-224)

1120    Latin American Politics (previously PSCI-213; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1121    U.S. Intervention in Latin America (previously PSCI-250; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1130    Contemporary African Politics (previously PSCI-210; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1140    Politics in the Contemporary Middle East (previously PSCI-211; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1150    Contemporary Chinese Politics (previously PSCI-219; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1160    Democracy and Development in India (previously PSCI-212)

1170    Politics of Post War Western Europe (previously PSCI-218)

1171    European Union (previously PSCI-215)

1172    Russian Politics (previously PSCI-217; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1173    Comparative Health Politics (previously PSCI-221)

1180    Sex and Power (previously PSCI-225)

1181    Gender and Elections in American and Beyond (previously PSCI-111)

1800    Introduction to Data Science (previously PSCI-107; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

1801    Statistical Methods PSCI (previously PSCI-338; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

2103    Information Communication Technologies for Development (previously PSCI 102)

2120    Democracy in Latin America (previously PSCI 314)

2121    People of the Land: Indigeneity and Politics in Argentina and Chile (previously PSCI 313)

2160    Modern India (previously PSCI-313)

3150    China’s Political Economy (previously PSCI-229; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

3800    Applied Data Science (previously PSCI-207)

4100    Power Sharing in Deeply Divided Places – BFS (previously PSCI-395)

4170    Comparative Politics of the Welfare State (previously PSCI-414)

4180    Issue Comp Pol/Gender (previously PSCI-223)

4181    Representation & Identity Politics (previously PSCI-416)

5120    Latin American Politics (previously PSCI-513)


5000-level courses may also count toward subfield requirements, but students must have permission of instructor to enroll.

0400    Introduction to International Relations (previously PSCI-150; satisfies Society Sector requirement)

1121    U.S. Intervention in Latin American (previously PSCI-250; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1171    The European Union (previously PSCI-215)

1401    International Security (previously PSCI-151)

1402    International Political Economy (previously PSCI-152)

1403    International Law & Institutions (previously PSCI-153)

1404    American Foreign Policy (previously PSCI-131)

1405    America and the World (previously PSCI-235)

1406    International Human Rights (previously PSCI-258)

1407    Ethics and International Relations (previously PSCI-260)

1408    War, Strategy and Politics (previously PSCI-252)

1440    International Politics of the Middle East (previously PSCI-253)

1141    Arab Israeli Relations (previously PSCI-251)

1800    Introduction to Data Science (previously PSCI-107; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

1801    Statistical Methods PSCI (previously PSCI-338; satisfies Quantitative Data Analysis requirement)

2401    Emerging Technologies and the Future of the World (previously PSCI-261)

2420    Diplomacy in Americas (previously PSCI-328; cross-listed as LALS-3020; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

2490    Topics in Race and International Relations (previously PSCI-355)

3400    The Causes of War & Peace (previously PSCI-255)

3401    International Law (previously PSCI-358)

3800    Applied Data Science (previously PSCI-207)

4400    Security & Anxiety at International Borders: Turkey & USA in Global Perspective (previously PSCI-353)

5400    Borders & Boundaries in IR (previously PSCI-550)

5401    Human Rights (previously PSCI-558)

5800    Game Theory (previously PSCI-552)


Other 5000-level courses may also count toward subfield requirements, but students must have permission of instructor to enroll.

0600    Ancient Political Thought (previously PSCI-180; satisfies History & Tradition and core requirements)

0601    Modern Political Thought (previously PSCI-181; satisfies History & Tradition and core requirements)

0602    American Political Thought (previously PSCI-183; satisfies Humanities & Social Science requirement)

0680    Feminist Political Thought (previously PSCI-280; satisfies Society requirement)

1205    Constitutional Law: Public Power & Civil Rights to 1912 (previously PSCI-271; satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement)

1206    American Constitutional Law II (previously PSCI-272; satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement)

1600    Contemporary Political Thought (previously PSCI-182)

1606    Freedom, Power, and Equality

1640    Islamist Political Theory: from al-Banna to bin Laden (previously PSCI-286)

4600    Meaning of Democracy (previously PSCI-281)

4680    Feminist Politics, Feminist Theory (previously PSCI-280)


5000-level courses may also count toward subfield requirements, but students must have permission of instructor to enroll.

0101    Comparative Politics of Developing Areas (previously PSCI-116; satisfies Society requirement)

1100    Ethnic Conflict (previously PSCI-226)

1102    Political Economy of Development (previously PSCI-224)

1103    Dilemmas of Immigration (previously PSCI-243)

1120    Latin American Politics (previously PSCI-213; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1121    U.S. Intervention in Latin America (previously PSCI-250; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1130    Contemporary African Politics (previously PSCI-210; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1140    Politics in the Contemporary Middle East (previously PSCI-211; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1150    Contemporary Chinese Politics (previously PSCI-219; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1170    Politics of Post War Western Europe (previously PSCI-218)

1171    The European Union (previously PSCI-215)

1172    Russian Politics (previously PSCI-217; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

1208    The Politics of Food and Agriculture (previously PSCI-145)

1402    International Political Economy (previously PSCI-152)

2103    Information Communication Technologies for Development (previously PSCI-102)

2120    Democracy in Latin America (previously PSCI-314)

2121    People of the Land: Indigeneity and Politics in Argentina and Chile (previously PSCI-313)

2160    Modern India (previously PSCI-327)

3150    China’s Political Economy (previously PSCI-229; satisfies Cross Cultural Analysis requirement)

4170    Comparative Politics of the Welfare State (previously PSCI-414)

4800    Evidence Based Policies of Economic and Political Development (previously PSCI-413)

5180    The Political Economy of Gender (previously PSCI-530)

5290    Inequality & Race Policy (previously PSCI-535)

5800    Game Theory (previously PSCI-552)

6104    Political Economy of Development (previously PSCI-615)


Other 5000-level courses may also count toward subfield requirements, but students must have permission of instructor to enroll.

(One of the following courses offered by other departments may be used as major related courses. Other major related courses are identified on a case by case basis, depending on the extent of complementarity with substantive topics covered in a PSCI course taken by a student)

ANTH 002     Intro to Cultural Anthropology

ECON 001    Intro to Economics - Micro

ECON 002    Intro to Economics - Macro

SOCI 001      Intro to Sociology

SOCI 135      Law and Society

PSYC 001     Intro to Psychology

PSYC 170     Social Psychology


This is NOT an exhaustive list; new or "special topics" courses are offered each semester.

Note that some courses (e.g. PSCI 1404, 1205) may be listed under more than one subfield.