Consists of 31 hours, of which, in all but exceptional cases, at least 21 hours must be completed at Wake Forest. Where students take politics courses abroad, they have to be in Wake Forest approved programs and/or must have been certified by the department chair. The required courses for the major include the following:

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The methods course is a prerequisite for the senior seminar and students are expected to take the methods course prior to the end of their junior year and, in any case, prior to the senior seminar.

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Must be completed prior to or in concurrence with POL 280.

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Majors may not take the introductory courses during their senior year. 

Highly motivated students who would like to further expand or apply their study beyond the normal course of offerings can undertake internships, individual studies, or directed readings if they fulfill the minimum overall GPA requirements of 3.0.

No course taken on a pass/fail basis can count towards the major. Transfer hours toward the major are awarded on an individual case-by-case basis at the discretion of the department chair. Students who receive a score of 5 on political science Advanced Placement (AP) exams may count the hours towards major credit. These credits may not be used to satisfy sub-field requirements. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all courses completed in politics and international affairs at Wake Forest is required for graduation with the major.

The senior seminar provides an opportunity for majors to experience something comparable to a graduate seminar. As such, it is conducted more by discussion than by lecture and enables students to read and reflect upon advanced scholarly material. The seminar also offers students the opportunity in their final year to create a research paper of greater length and sophistication than is customary and to develop the research and writing skills appropriate to the task.

I. American Politics

II. Comparative Politics

III. Political Theory

IV. International Politics

Students who are interested in the requirements for honors in the major should consult the honors guidelines, which are available at www.wfu.edu/politics. Students who meet these requirements will graduate with “Honors in Politics and International Affairs.”