Pre-Political Science Major

Students are classified as Pre-Political Science majors while they are completing the lower division preparation courses. Students are eligible to declare the Political Science major when they have completed all five preparation courses with a 2.0 GPA or when they have completed four preparation courses and enrolled in the fifth one in the current term. Please submit the following form to declare the major: https://forms.gle/U79oy4PdEZfhRHUF7.

Preparation for the Major

Complete four courses from:

POL SCI 10 Introduction to Political Theory
POL SCI 20 World Politics
POL SCI 30 Politics and Strategy
POL SCI 40 Introduction to American Politics
POL SCI 50 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POL SCI 60 Diversity and Disagreement

Complete one statistics course from:

POL SCI 6 Introduction to Data Analysis
STATS 10 Introduction to Statistical Reasoning

The Major Requirements

Starting Fall 2024: Ten upper division courses (minimum 40 units) selected from Political Science M105-199. These courses must be taken for a letter grade and be a minimum of 4 units each. Students are required to maintain a 2.0 overall grade-point average in all upper division political science courses.
Note: Political Science majors should be aware that the upper division course requirements in the major (40 units) do not meet the upper division requirement of 60 units (effective Fall Quarter 1997) for graduation. Additional upper division units must be taken to reach the 60-unit total.

Prior to Fall 2024: Complete ten upper division courses (minimum 4 units each and letter graded) by satisfying the following:

A concentration in one field by completing the lower division course and at least three upper division courses in that field
A distribution of one upper division course in each of three other fields (three upper division courses)
Four additional elective courses in political science to comprise the total of 10

POL SCI 195CE, 191H, 198, and 199 may not be applied toward the concentration or distribution requirement.

Political Science Fields

I. Political Theory: POL SCI M111A to 119, 191A & M107.
II. International Relations: POL SCI 120A to 139, 191B.
III. American Politics: POL SCI 140A to 149, 191C, M191DC & M107, M114A, M114B, M115A, 120A, 120B, M120C, 121A, M121B, 171C.
IV. Comparative Politics: POL SCI 150 to 169, 191D, M104 & 118.
V. Methods and Models: POL SCI 170A to 179, 191E & M105, 124C, 128A, 128B, 132A, M132B, 135, 141E, M142D, 166, M167C, 167D.
VI. Race, Ethnicity and Politics: POL SCI 143C, 163B, M180A to 186, 191F.

Undergraduate Seminars

The department offers seminars (Political Science 191A through 191F) in each field. The requisites are two upper division courses in the field in which the seminar is offered, a 3.25 average at the upper division level in political science, or discretion of the instructor. These courses may be applied toward either the concentration or distribution requirement (for students who declared the major prior to Fall 2024), and students who qualify are encouraged to take them.

Honors Program

Click here for information on the departmental honors program.

Admissions

First year and transfer applicants should complete the general UC application on the Undergraduate Admissions website.

To be admitted as Political Science majors, transfer students with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one statistics course and four courses from political theory, world politics, political economy, American politics, or comparative politics.

Declaring the Major

Eligibility: Students are eligible to declare the Political Science major if they meet one of the following criteria:

Completed all five lower division major preparation courses with a minimum 2.0 GPA.
Completed four preparation courses and enrolled in the fifth course in the current term.

To declare, submit the major declaration form (https://forms.gle/U79oy4PdEZfhRHUF7) and allow three to five business days for processing. Students are responsible for running a new audit on DARS (https://dars.ucla.edu/) to confirm that the change has been applied.

Unit Limits: Students admitted to UCLA as first years may declare Pre-Political Science or Political Science before reaching 150 units using any of the declaration options above. If you have 135 units or more, consult your college advising unit before declaring.

Transfer Students: Students who transferred to UCLA under another major must meet the eligibility requirements below to add or change to the Political Science major.

A 3.7 minimum GPA in UC transferable courses.
A 3.7 minimum GPA in all UC transferable courses that will be used for the major including lower and upper division courses.
Completion of at least three preparatory courses by the spring before transfer.
Completion of all remaining preparatory requirements with a UC GPA of at least 3.3.

Students who meet these requirements may submit the following petition to switch to Political Science or double major once they’ve established a UC GPA: https://forms.gle/4yyKLcmUZShPXidt9. Petitions will be processed within 3-5 business days.

Note: If you are taking any preparation courses at a community college, you must first verify that the course(s) will transfer as an equivalent. Additionally, this will not count as “in progress” until you have officially sent your transcripts to UCLA and added them to your DARS.

The Major Check Sheet

Download Political Science Undergraduate Major Requirements

Political Science Major Requirements (2)

Major Course Substitutions

Course Substitutions

The Political Science major requires students to complete 10 upper division courses. At least eight out of the ten courses must be departmental. Students can apply up to two non-departmental courses to their upper division major requirements. There is no limit to the number of lower division courses that may be substituted.

What is a departmental course?

All courses offered by the UCLA Department of Political Science during the academic year and summer sessions.
The following courses taken at the Quarter in Washington Program in Washington, D.C.: POL SCI M194DC and POL SCI 195CE (prior to Fall 2025), and CESC 155DC (Fall 2025 onwards).
The following courses taken at UC Center Sacramento through UC Davis: Political Science 195 and Political Science 196E.

What is a non-departmental course?

Any course taken outside the UCLA Department of Political Science including:
- UCLA courses in other subjects.
- Study abroad courses, including those classified as “Political Science” by UCEAP.
- Courses taken in political science departments at other universities in the United States.

Course Substitutions Database

Please click here to view the departmental course substitutions database.

“Approved” courses have been petitioned and don’t require a new petition to be applied towards the major requirements. These courses are non-departmental unless otherwise noted.

How to have an “Approved” course from the substitutions database added to major requirements on DARS.

Please contact a Political Science counselor via Message Centerwith the information below and the course will be added to your major requirements.
- Institution
- Course department
- Course number
- Course title
Note: Substitution courses must be taken under the same course title, number, and instructor (if applicable) that is listed on the database.

Note: Courses taken prior to Fall of 2020 are credited based on rules in place at that time, i.e., if the Political Science Department granted major credit for a class, even if it exceeded two classes in a non-departmental category at that time, that credit will be respected.

Submitting a Petition

Petitions are considered on the basis of content, demonstrated engagement of original texts, and the level of rigor of the course.

Submitting a petition with substantial evidence that addresses how the course resembles an existing political science course and demonstrates that it has significant political science content, will increase the odds of your petition being approved. Please provide a half-page to one-page request that addresses these elements.

Petitions should be submitted via Google Form (https://forms.gle/WCQhB6eRqAGsMEkM7) and contain a PDF file with the documents below.

Request form: https://ucla.box.com/s/hhnc2v4tlh27mdkm0wpxnn0ubkk2j0pd
Course syllabus

A petition may be denied if the syllabus does not include most, or all the information listed below. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

Course Description
Required Assignments
Required Readings
Course Schedule

Additional notes:

Petitions are processed within 6-8 weeks of submission. No exceptions.
Petitions are not reviewed during the summer term.
Incomplete petitions will be returned or instantly denied.

Undergradaute FAQs

How do I declare Pre-Political Science?

First year admits: First year admits can switch into the pre-major as long as they have a feasible plan to complete all degree requirements within time to degree.
Transfer admits: Students admitted as transfers to another major may declare the pre-major if they meet the following requirements:
- Complete at least three preparatory courses by the spring before transfer.
- A minimum 3.7 GPA in all UC-transferable courses used for the major, including lower and upper division courses.
- A minimum 3.7 GPA in all UC-transferable courses.
- Complete all remaining preparatory requirements with a UC GPA of at least 3.3.
- Students who meet these requirements may submit a petition via Google Form (https://forms.gle/4yyKLcmUZShPXidt9). Petitions will be processed within 3-5 business days.

How do I switch from Pre-Political Science to the Political Science major?

Eligibility: Completed all lower division major preparation courses OR completed four preparation courses and enrolled in the last one in the current term. Please refer to the major guide for major requirements.
Declare: Declare the Political Science major via Google Form: https://forms.gle/U79oy4PdEZfhRHUF7

How do I enroll in upper division Political Science courses?

Only students who have completed the preparation courses and have declared the Political Science major can enroll in upper division courses during their first enrollment pass.
Restrictions on upper division courses are lifted during the second enrollment pass and any student, including Pre-Political Science students, can enroll in upper division Political Science courses.

How can I double major with Political Science?

You must be eligible to declare Pre-Political Science (see above).
Complete all lower division courses and at least two upper division courses for each major.
Fill out a Departmental Approval for Double Major/Minor form and Degree Plan Contract, have it signed by the counselors for each major and minor that you intend to pursue, and submit it to your College Counseling Unit.
For more information about double majoring at UCLA, please click here.

Can I get receive major credit for courses outside the Department of Political Science?

You can apply up to two non-departmental courses towards the upper division major requirements. There is no limit to the number of lower division courses that may be substituted. Please review the course substitutions guidelines here.

How do I access my Degree Audit Report?

Please visit http://dars.ucla.edu/ to access your degree audit.

How do I check my enrollment appointment times?

How do I check if a community college course will transfer to UCLA?

Use Transferology to see how past coursework has transferred to UCLA. Transferology is an advisory tool only and does not guarantee transferability. Actual course transferability is subject to change without notice, at the discretion of the UCLA Registrar’s Office and Undergraduate Admission.

What are my rights on campus?

UC Know Your Rights Card – Here
General Know Your Rights Cards from the Immigration Legal Center- ***https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas***(Printable and available in 19 languages)
Updated UC Statement of Principles in Support of Undocumented Members of the UC Community:https://undoc.universityofcalifornia.edu/files/uc-principles-in-support-of-undocumented-members-of-the-uc-community.pdf
Updated FAQs on possible federal immigration enforcement actions on UC property:https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/frequently-asked-questions-university-employees-about-possible-federal-immigration-enforcement

Undergraduate