Course Requirements
Introductory Courses
Of the ten courses required for the Political Science major, three must be introductory lecture courses at the 1000-level, or selected 3000-level courses, in three of the four subfields. These courses are designed to provide an introduction to the main subject matter and major theories of each subfield. They also serve to familiarize students with the analytic approaches that political scientists use. After taking lecture courses in the relevant subfields, students are eligible to take the three required colloquium courses. Any student taking a four introductory course may use that towards their elective requirement.
The subfields are:
- Political Theory (PT): the study of the conceptual foundations of political systems and behavior. Corresponding introductory course: POLS-UN1101, Intro to Political Theory
- American Government and Politics (AP): the study of all aspects of the American political system, including its development, institutions, procedures, and actors. Corresponding introductory course: POLS-UN1201, Intro to American Politics
- Comparative Politics (CP): the study of the political systems of other countries and regions, including the use of comparisons across cases in order to gain a broader and deeper understanding of events, institutions, and processes. Corresponding introductory course: POLS-UN1501, Intro to Comparative Politics
- International Relations (IR): the study of relations between countries and the dynamics and development of the international system. Corresponding introductory course: POLS-UN1601, Intro to International Relations
Advanced Placement Credit:
A student granted Advanced Placement (AP) credit by the College in either American Politics or Comparative Politics with an exam score of 5 will have fulfilled the prerequisite for courses that require the prior completion of POLS UN1201 or UN1501, respectively. If the student wants to take the introductory American Politics or Comparative Politics course, she may do so, but she then will forfeit her corresponding AP credit.
AP credit does not count toward the number of courses required for the major or minor, in other words, the student still needs to complete the ten courses for the major or the five for the minor. Majors who wish to use their AP credit in American Politics or Comparative Politics do not need to take POLS-UN1201 or POLS-UN1501 to take upper-level CP or AP classes. They may then use any 3000-level lecture course (not a colloquium or seminar course) offered at either Barnard or Columbia in the corresponding subfield, as a substitute for the intro course requirement in that subfield or as an additional elective course.
Approved Introductory Course Substitutes
Majors may substitute any of these selected 3000-level political science lecture courses for the required 1000-level course in the same subfield, in the subfields of Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. No substitutes are allowed for the American Politics subfield introductory course (UN 1201). No petitions for alternative courses to those listed below will be considered.
Comparative Politics:
1) BC V3401: Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe
2) BC V3620: Introduction to Contemporary Chinese Politics
3) BC V3560: The Politics of Urban Development in Latin America
International Relations:
1) UN 3625: Rising Great Powers in International Relations
2) UN 3604: War and Peace in Africa
3) BC 3605: Global Politics of Climate Change
Political Theory:
1) UN 3100: Justice
Elective Courses
In addition to the three introductory courses and the three colloquia, political science majors choose four electives, normally at the 3000- or 4000-level. These courses are designed to deepen and expand students’ knowledge base and encourage them to apply social scientific reasoning and theories to the analysis of a broad range of political issues and problems. Any POLS class taken at Barnard or Columbia counts, as well as any class we have cross-listed to our department; you can see all of those courses here.
Please use the Major Audit to plan your program and to track your courses.
What fulfills the Four-Course Electives requirement:
- All courses offered at Barnard or Columbia in political science with a POLS prefix satisfy elective course requirements, including introductory lecture courses, colloquia and cross-listed courses.
- The Independent Study Option POLS BC3799. Students who wish to do an independent study project (ISP) should first speak to a political science faculty member willing to sponsor it and consult with this instructor as to workload and points of credit. The student must then apply to the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS), which must approve all Independent Study requests. Once the request is granted, the Registrar creates a section and assigns a call number, and the student is notified of the call number so she can enter the course on her program. (Each instructor has a separate section and call number. Each instructor is limited to sponsoring one independent study per semester.) Independent study counts as a course for the purpose of the political science requirements, provided the project is approved for 3 or 4 points of credit. A project taken for 1 or 2 points does not count as a course toward the major, the minor, or the concentration requirement. A student may use no more than one instance of POLS BC3799 towards her major requirements. This course is typically used for seniors who wish to conduct advanced independent research (for instance, to further explore topics they studied in their capstone projects). It cannot be used to get academic credit for an internship or a job experience.
- With pre-approval, first from the individual Major Advisor and then from the Department Chair, student may substitute a course in another department for one of the four elective courses. This course cannot be an introductory course and it must have significant political science content (use the Course Approval Request Form and include a brief email from your adviser recording their approval and briefly stating their rationale for approval). Approval after the fact will not be granted.
- Seven of the ten courses for the major must be taken from courses offered at Barnard or Columbia with the POLS prefix (see #1 for specifics). Within the three-course limit of courses taken elsewhere, the following caps traditionally apply: three transfer courses; two Reid Hall courses; two study-abroad courses from one semester away or three study-abroad courses from a full year away; one summer session course. With the exception of transfer courses, these courses need pre-approval from the department. All of these courses, including transfer courses, also require approval after completion from the department to count toward the major, minor or concentration. Please use the Course Approval Form.
What does not fulfill the Four-Course Electives requirement:
- The Independent Study Option POLS BC3799 does not satisfy the course requirement if the project is for 1 or 2 points.
- College-granted AP credit for American Politics or Comparative Politics does not count as major course credit. (See Advanced Placement Credit.)
- Courses taken at other colleges, in summer sessions, or abroad, which are not equivalent in rigor and workload to Barnard courses, as determined by the department, will not count toward the major, minor or concentration requirements.
Please use the Major Audit to plan your program and to track your courses. Please email polisci@barnard.edu if you have any questions.
Colloquia
Every Barnard Political Science major must take three colloquia. The third colloquium integrates the senior capstone requirement.
The colloquium format involves weekly discussion of readings, and development of research skills through completion of a 25- to 30-page research paper, constituting the major piece of written work for the course. See the course catalogue for a detailed description of the colloquium requirement. A colloquium, as with any course used for the major or minor requirement, cannot be taken Pass/D/Fail.
Prerequisite: Please make certain that, before enrolling, you will have successfully completed one lecture course in the relevant subfield or have received special permission from the instructor for that requirement to be waived. Colloquia are not suitable for first-year students. Sophomores will be admitted as room permits. When making your third colloquium selection, please keep in mind that it is to your benefit to choose one in the field of your anticipated senior essay topic.
Columbia seminars do not fulfill the colloquium requirement for political science (however, they do provide elective credit).
Each political science colloquium is limited to students who are assigned by the department, not by individual instructors. Preference is given in the following order: senior Barnard majors; junior Barnard majors; sophomore Barnard students who have declared the major and will be studying abroad during junior year; senior and junior majors from other undergraduate divisions of the University; non-majors from all undergraduate divisions of the university.
Application Deadlines
For fall colloquia, Barnard Political Science majors must submit their applications by 5:00 p.m. on April 1.
For spring colloquia, Barnard Political Science majors must submit their applications by 5:00 p.m. on November 1.
Students will receive an email notifying them of their placement.
Please note that students are assigned to a colloquium by the Department and not by individual instructors. Be sure to attend the first class session in order to secure your place in the course.
Colloquium Application Process
Applications for Fall 2023 Colloquia are now CLOSED. Please e-mail polisci@barnard.edu with any questions.
Applications were due Saturday, April 1, 2023 by 5:00 PM EST.
Please note that we ask you to submit three colloquium choices. To the degree possible, the Department will try to honor one of your first two choices. If you list fewer than three choices, you will be assigned to a colloquium at random.
The number of semesters you have left at Barnard plays a role in the selection process. Therefore, if you are planning to study abroad or to participate in S.I.P.A.'s Joint Degree Program, be sure to indicate this.
Colloquium Placements
As of Spring 2017, we are no longer publicly posting colloquium placements. If you did not receive an email with your colloquium placements, you can email polisci@barnard.edu to follow up.
Fall 2023 Colloquium Offerings
| Professor Autesserre |
POLS-BC3411 Building Peace. How can we build peace in the aftermath of extensive violence? How can international actors help in this process? This colloquium focuses on international peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts in recent conflicts. It covers general concepts, theories, and debates, as well as specific cases of peacebuilding successes and failures. Cross-listed with Human Rights. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1601 Introduction to International Relations or Proposed Time: Tuesdays 2:10 - 4:00 PM with one special Friday session in lieu of a regular meeting, date TBD |
|---|---|
| Professor Battistoni |
POLS-BC3120 The Politics of Nature. Nature and politics have often been counterposed in political thought: politics is understood to be a distinctly human activity, perhaps even the defining human activity, while nature describes the material world as it operates independently from human action; politics concerns the realm of decisions about how things will and ought to be, while nature names that which simply is and cannot be changed. What, then, does it mean to think about the politics of nature? We will begin by examining the ways that political thinkers have understood nature in general before moving into specifically ecological thought and ending with reflections on the central challenge of nature and politics today: climate change. Themes addressed include the role of science in politics, the challenges of politics on a global or planetary scale, the political and moral status of nonhuman nature, and the relationship between nature and economics. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1101 Introduction to Political Theory or Proposed Time: Wednesdays 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM |
| Professor Berman |
POLS-BC3505 Making Democracy Work. Beginning in the mid-1970s a democratic wave swept the globe. It started in Southern Europe, spread throughout Latin America, parts of East Asia and Africa, and engulfed the former Soviet bloc. In all, dozens of new democracies emerged during the late twentieth century and by the early 21st century there were more democracies in the world than there had ever been before. Over the last decade and a half, however, a democratic undertow has sent in. Many new democracies have slid back towards dictatorship and many old democracies have experienced significant problems as well. This colloquium will exam the literature on democratic consolidation and backsliding, providing students with an overview of the most important theories about what makes democracy work—or not. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics or Proposed Time: Thursdays, 2:10 - 4:00 PM |
| Professor Cooley |
POLS-BC3367 Transnational Kleptocracy (New Colloquium). The term “kleptocracy” literally means “rule by thieves” and refers to the extensive grand corruption that elite rulers, allies and their family members engage in to privately enrich themselves at the expense of their populations. Traditionally, kleptocracy has been viewed as a scourge on developing countries, associated with greedy authoritarian rulers in conflict-prone, resource rich and/or aid dependent states. However, in recent years scholars and policymakers have increasingly become aware of the critical role played by international actors, institutions, legal structures and professional service providers that facilitate kleptocracy at a global level. Unlike other transnational illicit sectors such as narcotics trafficking or terrorism, many aspects of kleptocracy networks are publicly visible and perfectly legal. Overall, these networks function to enable the domestic plundering of these elites, the whitewashing of their reputations, and the exacerbation of vast inequality, both within the countries that kleptocrats systemically plunder and between the Global South and the West which receives and benefits from many of the proceeds of these corrupt activities. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1601 Introduction to International Relations or Proposed Time: Mondays, 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM |
| Professor Gündoğdu |
POLS-BC3410 Human Rights in a Diverse World. Examination of human rights within the context of international migration. The course covers topics such as citizenship, state sovereignty, border control, asylum-seekers, refugees, and undocumented immigrants. (Cross-listed by the Human Rights Program.) Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1101 Introduction to Political Theory or Proposed Time: Mondays 2:10 - 4:00 PM |
| Professor Krimmel |
POLS-BC3019 American Political Development. In this survey of American political development, we will discuss how and why major institutions and policies emerged, why they took certain forms, when and why they have changed over time, and what kinds of factors limit change. We will also discuss how policies, in turn, shape citizens and institutions. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1201 Introduction to American Politics Proposed Time: Mondays 2:10 - 4:00 PM |
|
Professor Lü |
POLS-BC3500 Political Economy of Corruption and Its Control. Comparative political economy course which addresses some important questions concerning corruption and its control: the concept, causes, patterns, consequences, and control of corruption. Introduces students to and engages them in several key social science debates on the causes and effects of political corruption. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics or Proposed Time: Wednesdays 2:10 - 4:00 PM |
| Professor Marten |
POLS-BC3060 Politics of the Arctic. The Arctic region is warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, and greater portions of the Arctic Ocean are becoming ice-free much faster than anyone had expected even a few years ago. This is having a huge impact on the politics of the region, and is what social scientists call a “natural experiment” (even though it is the result of human activity) or an “exogenous shock” to the status quo. The fact of climate change has implications for virtually every realm of politics and policy: from local governance to cooperative international institutions, from commercial trade to military security, from environmental disasters to economic windfalls (including for indigenous communities). In this colloquium we will explore these changes and their implications, relating each of them to enduring concepts in political science. Each student will choose one case (or a set of related cases) to explore in depth, in an original, argumentative, independent research paper. Prerequisite Course: POLS- UN1601 Introduction to International Relations or Proposed Time: Tuesdays 10:10 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Professor Miller |
POLS-BC3325 The Politics of Bad Behavior. This course explores the politics of what happens when people, institutions, or states deviate from expected behavior. The course will span all subfields of political science, engaging issues such as lies, scandal, corruption, campaign finance, election fraud, racism, and incarceration. Proposed Time: Wednesdays 4:10 - 6:00 PM |
| Professor Moncada |
POLS-BC3543 Non-State Governance in Contexts of Crime and Civil War. The conventional wisdom is that crime and civil war are linked to disorder. But these are far from disorderly and ungoverned spaces. Unpacking these settings reveals complex forms of non-state governance constructed by a range of actors, including rebel and guerillas, gangs, vigilantes, and protection rackets – sometimes facilitated by the state. Prerequisite Course: POLS-UN1501 Introduction to Comparative Politics Proposed Time: Wednesdays, 2:10 - 4:00 PM |