AP and Transfer Credits
No. All students hoping to major in political science at Grinnell or to take a 200-level political science class must take POL 101. AP credits can be applied to the overall 32 credits for the political science major.
Yes. They can be applied to the 32 credits but do not replace POL 101.
No. We require that you take a statistics course at Grinnell to ensure that the course meets the expectations for the development of applied data skills required in our major curriculum.
No. The department does not have the resources to assess whether summer courses taken elsewhere are parallel to our curriculum. The Registrar’s office determines whether summer courses can be applied for overall College credit, but we do not accept them for fulfilling major requirements.
Concentrations and Cognate Credits
Yes. Students may share 8 credits between a concentration and a major. If your concentration calls for political science courses, you may count 8 of your major credits toward your concentration.
POL/PST 220 will count toward the political science major if taught by a political scientist. In this instance, it can count toward both the concentration and the major and students should register for the course as POL 220. It does not fulfill any of the department’s 200-level distribution requirements for American, comparative, and international politics.
POL 320 or PST 320 will count toward the 300-level requirement for the political science major if it is taught by a political scientist and if the formal 200-level prerequisite for the course is met. In this instance, it can count toward both the concentration and the major and students should register for the course as POL 320.
Yes. With adviser’s approval, up to 8 of the 32 credits in the major may be taken in related studies at the 200-level or above.
Off-Campus Study and Political Science Major
Yes. Please read our section on Off-Campus Study and a Political Science Major for more details.
Yes. Students can earn up to 8 credits toward the political science major on Grinnell-approved OCS programs. For more details, see Off-Campus Study and a Political Science Major.