Requirements for the Major:

Politics majors must take a minimum of 10 Politics courses.

• Three required foundational courses, taken in any order:
  • Politics 110: Introduction to Global Politics (prerequisite for 300- and 400-level courses in the Global Politics Track)
  • Politics 120: Introduction to American Politics (prerequisite for 300- and 400-level courses in the American Politics Track)
  • Politics 130: Great Political Ideas (prerequisite for 300-level courses in political theory)

• Politics 200: Methods of Political Research
• One course in political theory at the 200 or 300 level
• The makeup of the remaining five courses depends upon each student?s learning objectives:
  • Majors who concentrate their studies in American politics must take four additional courses at the 200 and 300 levels: three courses in the American Politics Track and one course in the Global Politics Track.
  • Majors who concentrate their studies in global politics must take four additional courses at the 200 and 300 levels: three in the Global Politics Track and one in the American Politics Track.
  • Majors must take the 400-level senior studies experience (i.e., senior seminar, senior research project, senior thesis) that corresponds to their track concentration.? The Department of Politics offers eight senior seminars, five in American Politics (Politics 480, 482, 484, 485, 487) and three in Global Politics (Politics 481, 483, 486).? Politics majors in the Global Politics Track can substitute the senior seminar of the International Relations Program (International Relations 480 or 481 or 482) for Politics 481 or 483 or 486.

Regardless of the concentrations they choose, all politics majors must take at least four of their ten courses at the 300 and 400 levels.

College policy prohibits a student from taking more than 15 courses in any one department. ?

Requirements for the Minor:

Politics minors must take a minimum of 6 Politics courses.

• Two of the three foundational courses (Politics 110, 120, and 130)
• Four courses beyond the foundational courses, at least two of which must be at the 300 or 400 level

Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the minor.

Transfer and Advanced Placement (AP) Credits ?

Courses transferred from other colleges and universities may be substituted for Lake Forest College courses in politics after consultation with a student?s advisor and with the permission of the Chairperson of the Department of Politics.? The Department of Politics gives automatic credit for Politics 110 to any student who scores a 4 or 5 on the Comparative Politics Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, and credit for Politics 120 to any student who scores a 4 or 5 on the United States Politics Advanced Placement (AP) Exam.