Policies

Students who completed coursework at another institution are encouraged to petition for the inclusion of that coursework into the Political Science requirements when declaring the major. Credits successfully accepted by the University Registrar will be evaluated course-by-course by the Director of Undergraduate Studies for credit toward degree requirements. A maximum of 25 units completed outside the Department of Political Science may be credited with the major. Transfer credits, study abroad units, and courses from other departments at Stanford are all considered out-of-department units.

• No more than two 3-unit Stanford Introductory Seminar courses or Sophomore College courses can be applied toward the 70 unit major requirement.

• No more than 5 units of directed reading units may count toward the Political Science major. Directed Readings require a petition.

• Student Initiated Courses (SIC) must be petitioned in order to apply to the major using the petition form. If a petition is approved, a maximum of 2 units of Student Initiated Courses may be applied to the major. Student Initiated Courses may only be applied to the Additional Related Coursework requirement for the major.

Counting non-Political Science Courses Toward the Major

• Students may count up to 25 units of coursework from outside the Political Science Department toward the Political Science major. Pre-approved non-Political Science courses opens in a new tab can be applied directly to the major. Courses outside the department that have not been pre-approved can be petitioned toward the major using a petition form opens in a new tab. Course petitions are reviewed and, if appropriate, approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Petitions must be submitted to the Undergraduate Student Services Officer, within one quarter of course completion or within one quarter of declaring the major.

  • BOSP and SIW courses, including Oxford tutorials, are non-Political Science courses and count toward the 25-unit limit listed above. Some have been pre-approved, while others require a petition opens in a new tab. All Oxford tutorials require a petition.

• Pre-approved and petitioned courses, including BOSP and SIW classes, may be applied to the major in any combination of the following ways:

  • Up to one pre-approved or petitioned course may count toward the primary track.

  • Up to one pre-approved or petitioned course may count toward the secondary track.

  • One pre-approved course may count toward the methods course requirement. STATS60 opens in a new tab, STATS101 opens in a new tab, ECON102A opens in a new tab,  CS106A opens in a new tab, and CS 106B are courses outside the Political Science Department and count toward the 25-unit limit. POLISCI150A opens in a new tab does not count toward the 25-unit limit.

  • Pre-approved and petitioned courses may count toward the additional coursework requirement.

Double Counting Courses

• Students pursuing a double major opens in a new tab may not double count any courses in the Political Science major aside from POLISCI1 opens in a new tab, The Science of Politics, and the Methods courses: CS106A opens in a new tab, CS 106B , POLISCI150A opens in a new tab, STATS60 opens in a new tab, STATS101 opens in a new tab.

  •  ECON102A opens in a new tab may be taken to fulfill the methods requirement but may not be double counted.

• Students pursuing a primary/secondary major opens in a new tab may double count up to 30 units in the Political Science major.

• Students pursuing a minor in another department may not double count any courses in the Political Science major aside from POLISCI1 opens in a new tab, The Science of Politics.