The Government Department offers courses in four different concentrations of study within political science: American politics and public policy, comparative politics, international politics, and political theory. We offer a comprehensive Introduction to Political Science (GOVT101), introductory courses to each concentration (numbered 151-159), a range of upper-division courses (200-368), and research seminars (369-399). In addition, we offer courses in research methods in political science, tutorials, and education in the field. Courses numbered 200-368 are ordered according to field of study, not level of difficulty.

If a statement on the major in this catalog is inconsistent with a regulation on the Government Department Web site, the Web site is authoritative.

Major requirements. To complete the major requirements, a student must take a minimum of nine approved government credits, of which at least eight must be upper division (courses numbered 201 or higher). At least five of the eight upper-level credits for the major must be earned in courses taken in the Government Department at Wesleyan (these courses are numbered between 201 and 399). The remaining three credits can consist of a combination of nonthesis tutorials (a limit of two), a thesis tutorial (a limit of one), a course taken in a cognate discipline (a limit of one, with your advisor's approval), an internship or education in the field (a limit of one, with your advisor's approval), nonintroductory courses taken at other institutions (a limit of two), or additional Wesleyan government courses in the range 201-399. Teaching apprenticeships and student forum courses are not counted toward the fulfillment of major requirements. Under certain circumstances and with your advisor's approval, all three of the non-Wesleyan upper-division courses can be from a program abroad. See the Government Department regulation on Approvals of Credits from Study Abroad Programs on the department Web site.

Concentration. Majors must also complete a concentration program. Four courses are required within the concentration. Each concentration has different requirements for the major. Some courses may count toward more than one concentration. For a list, see the Government Department Web site.

Admission to the Major. Admission to the major requires that students have completed at least one government course (preferably an Introductory level course, including GOVT101) with a grade of B- or better and have completed, additionally, Stage I of the General Education Expectations. Students who have NOT satisfied these requirements may apply for the Government major, provided that, at the time they apply, they are enrolled in their first government course and/or in a course that satisfies Stage I Expectations. Students will not be formally admitted to the major, however, unless they successfully complete the requisite course or courses by the end of the semester in which they apply.

In addition to all of the stipulations above, majors must also meet the following requirements:

• Depth in and breadth across the concentrations. The minimum number of introductory and upper-division courses required to complete a concentration is four, with the stipulation that no fewer than three of the four courses counting toward the concentration must be completed at Wesleyan. Majors must take at least one upper-division course in three of the four concentrations.
   
• General Education Expectations. Satisfaction of Stage 1 the General Education Expectations is required for admission to the major. Students who are currently enrolled in classes satisfying the expectations at the time of application to the major may be admitted to the major provisionally. Note that satisfaction of both Stages 1 and 2 of the General Education Expectations are required to receive honors in government.
   
• Pacing of courses in the major. Students who have not completed at least four courses for government credit by the end of their junior years must drop the major.
   
• Double majors. No student with a university GPA below B+ (88.33) may declare or maintain a government major if he or she also has another major. This requirement will be enforced through the end of the semester before the student is scheduled to graduate, i.e., normally through the end of the fall semester of the senior year.

American politics: GOVT151, 201-259, 366, 369-380. This concentration includes the introductory course, (GOVT151) and the following set of upper-division courses: survey courses (GOVT201-209), advanced upper-division courses (GOVT210-259); and seminars and tutorials (369-380, 401-412). The concentration requires GOVT151. GOVT366 An Introduction to Quantitative Analysis may be credited toward the concentration. Ideally, prospective majors in American politics and public policy should take GOVT151 in their first year. One or more of the survey courses, GOVT201-209, should be taken next. The survey courses require either GOVT151 or sophomore standing. It is strongly recommended that concentrators take at least one course each in American history and in economics.

Comparative politics: GOVT157, 260-305, 381-385. The comparative politics concentration consists of an introductory course (GOVT157), survey and intermediate courses (260-305), and seminars (381-385). A concentration in comparative politics requires GOVT157. Students are encouraged to design a program that will provide depth in a particular subfield: modern liberal democracies, one-party socialist regimes with developed economies, or Third World developing societies. Courses for the concentration should include one or two survey courses and two or more intermediate courses and seminars.

International politics: GOVT155, 306-336, and 386-390. A concentration in international politics requires GOVT155. Students are encouraged to distribute other department courses required for the major among the other concentrations. They should also consider the Certificate in International Relations awarded by the Public Affairs Center.

Political theory: GOVT159, 337-360, and 391-399. A concentration in political theory requires four upper-division political-theory courses; two of these should be drawn from the GOVT337, 338, 339 sequence, which provides a survey of major political theorists in the Western tradition. GOVT159 is strongly recommended.

Honors program. Departmental Honors in Government may be awarded through one of two tracks: the Thesis Track or the Exam Track.  This dual track system is effective beginning with the Class of 2011 and is described in more detail below and on the Department’s Website. 

I.  Entry into the Government Department Honors Program 

Early in the spring semester of each year, the Department of Government’s Committee on Honors will identify and nominate approximately 20 students as potential candidates for Departmental Honors.  The nominations will be submitted to the entire Department faculty for amendment and approval.   

Students designated as Honors-eligible will be informed by the Department and invited to apply to write an Honors thesis.  All Honors’-eligible students may apply but this Track will only be open to a limited number of students who submit a compelling research statement and have the support of a faculty mentor. To apply students must submit an application and a prospectus in late March which will be forwarded by the student’s thesis advisor to the Department for its review and approval.

Honors-eligible students who do not apply to write theses and students whose theses proposals are not approved by the Department remain eligible to pursue Departmental Honors via the examination track and will be thus informed. 

The schedule for determining eligibility for the various Honors’ Tracks will be made in a timely fashion and in advance of the spring semester pre-registration period. 

A second “late” entry into the Exam Track will occur after the fall semester of the senior year. At that time, the Department Chair will identify students, if any, who were not eligible for Honors in the second semester of the junior year.  The “late” entry is designed to accommodate those students whose performance improves significantly during junior year (spring semester) and fall semester of the senior year.  “Late“entrants are restricted, however, to the Exam Track.

II. The Thesis Track: 

Students approved for the Thesis Honors Track will be required to enroll in the Capstone Thesis Seminar during spring pre-registration for the fall semester.  The seminar will be a “Permission of Instructor” course to accommodate students other than those approved to write Department theses (see below) should space be available.

Before departing for the summer, students will expand on the March prospectus in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor/thesis advisor.  As part of this process, the student and mentor/advisor will develop a summer reading list/research activity schedule.  

The Capstone Thesis Seminar will meet on a weekly basis during the fall semester of the senior year. Successful completion of this seminar will require one or two chapters of high quality which at a minimum contain the following:

• An articulation of the central question of the thesis

• A review of the literature that addresses that question

• A research design statement

• An articulation of the theory/argument of the thesis

• A detailed outline of the thesis

Students who fail to meet this minimum requirement, or who otherwise do not perform satisfactorily in the seminar, will no longer be eligible to pursue the Thesis Honors Track.  They would, however, be allowed to pursue the Exam Honors Track. 

During the fall semester, the usual function of thesis advising will be divided between the instructor of the Capstone Thesis Seminar and the actual thesis advisor.  During this fall semester, the instructor will work closely with the student to develop the thesis literature review, methodology, and structure.  The thesis advisor will act as a "consultant" during the fall semester meeting as needed to advise the student on these matters (likely 3-4 times in the fall).  In the spring semester, the instructor's role in the thesis would end.  All of the thesis advising duties would revert to the thesis advisor (who would enroll the thesis student in the 410 tutorial). 

On a space available basis (defined as a class size not exceeding 15), non-Government students may, at the discretion of the instructor, be allowed to enroll in the Capstone Thesis Seminar.  Maximum thesis length will normally be 100 pages (plus the bibliography). 

III. The Exam Track 

Students wishing to take this option may enroll in a directed reading seminar, Capstone Seminar in Political Science, during the spring semester of their senior year.  Only those students eligible for honors will be allowed into this course. 

The Capstone Seminar in Political Science will focus on the exam readings for the general portion of the exam, many of which will overlap with works in the various subfields in which students concentrate.  A list of both general political science readings and more specialized readings in each of the concentrations will be created and posted on the Government website.   The exam will consist of five questions of which the student will be required to answer two.  The page limit is five double-spaced, typed pages for each part (10 pages total on the exam).  The grade for the seminar would be a function of the evaluation of the exam taken at the end of the second semester.  High Honors, Honors, and no Honors will be granted separately from the grade in the course (i.e., two separate determinations by the reader).  The task of grading will be divided among the Department in a manner to distribute the work load equally among active faculty.

IV. Class Cancellation 

If a Capstone Seminar does not have enough students to meet the Academic Affairs minimum requirements for the course to count as a “class” (5 students) that course will be cancelled and:  

• The thesis track would revert to the traditional process of the student enrolling in 409 in the fall and 410 in the spring, provided that an advisor is available and willing to advise the student.  Failing that, the student remains eligible for the exam track. Maximum thesis length would remain approximately 100 pages. 

• The exam track would revert to a student-directed preparation effort to read and interpret the material on the reading list.  The exam would take place as planned above. 

The decision to cancel the thesis track seminar will be made at the end of registration in the spring.  The decision to cancel the exam track seminar will be made at the end of registration in the fall.  

V. Review:

The Department will evaluate this new system in its third year, after it has been in operation for two full years. 

Department activities. Please see the Government Department Web site for more information, www.wesleyan.edu/gov