The Global Politics and Policy concentration is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills to analyze political relationships between and within countries and to pursue careers in international affairs. Students will learn about different systems of government, state-society relations in various parts of the world, the ways that public and private actors interact through international institutions and the global economy, as well as the causes of and responses to domestic and international conflict. Global Politics and Policy students are strongly encouraged to study a foreign language and to complete some of their coursework in one of CSU’s many study abroad programs.

Learning Objectives

Students majoring in Political Science shall demonstrate the following:

  1. Ability to reason through political claims and assertions by political actors.
  2. Skill in recognizing and responding to diverse ideological perspectives.
  3. Ability to locate political issues and controversies within their relevant institutional and historical contexts.
  4. Familiarity with the institutional processes of politics in numerous global and domestic political arenas.
  5. Confidence in expressing opinions and presenting analyses of political problems and their solutions.

Potential Occupations

Graduates may work for government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, international businesses, consulting firms or non-profit organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

To change your Major to Political Science, Global Politics and Policy Concentration, you can either call the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center at 970-491-3117 or send an email to cla_advising@colostate.edu. More information is available on https://advising.libarts.colostate.edu.

Effective Spring 2025

Political science majors must achieve a minimum grade of C (2.000)​ in each of the political science (POLS) courses counted toward meeting the requirement of the major.

Freshman
AUCCCredits
CO 150College Composition (GT-CO2)1A3
POLS 101American Government and Politics (GT-SS1)3C3
Select one intro-level course from the following: 3
Introduction to Public Policy and Service (GT-SS1)3C 
Politics of Power, Justice, and Democracy (GT-SS1)1C 
Arts and Humanities3B6
Biological and Physical Sciences3A4
Historical Perspectives3D3
Quantitative Reasoning1B3
Electives 5
 Total Credits 30
Sophomore
 
POLS 232International Relations (GT-SS1)1C3
POLS 241Comparative Government and Politics (GT-SS1)1C3
Select one course from the following: 3
Writing Arguments (GT-CO3)2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities (GT-CO3)2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3)2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3)2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3)2 
Writing in Digital Environments (GT-CO3)2 
Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3)2 
Specialized Professional Writing2 
American Politics and Law & Public Policy and Administration (300-level courses only; see list below)1,2 0-3
International Relations and Comparative Politics (300-level courses only; see list below)1,2 3
Support Option (see list below) 3-12
Biological and Physical Sciences3A3
Electives 3-15
 Total Credits 33
Junior
 
Political Theory: Select one course from the following: 3
History of Political Thought4A,4B 
Contemporary Political Theories4A,4B 
Democratic Theory4A,4B 
American Political Theories4A,4B 
American Politics and Law & Public Policy and Administration (course not taken previously; see list below)1 3-6
International Relations/Comparative Politics (course not taken previously; see list below)1 3-6
Support Option (see list below) 6-12
Electives4 3-15
 Total Credits 30
Senior
 
POLS 4925Capstone Seminar4A,4B,4C3
International Relations/Comparative Politics (courses not taken previously; see list below)1 3-6
Support Option (see list below) 6-12
Electives4 6-15
 Total Credits 27
 Program Total Credits: 120

American Politics and Law & Public Policy and Administration Course List

Code Title AUCC Credits
AMERICAN POLITICS AND LAW PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
Select 6 unique credits (two courses), with one course being from each of the two different subfields below, taken in the sophomore, junior and/or senior years. 2,3 6
American Politics and Law
POLS 302 U.S. Political Parties and Elections 3
POLS 303 Politics of Organized Interests 3
POLS 304 Legislative Politics 3
POLS 305 Judicial Politics 3
POLS 307 Media and Politics 3
POLS 308 Political Psychology 3
POLS 320 Empirical Political Analysis 3
POLS 405 Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Politics 3
POLS 410 American Constitutional Law 3
POLS 413 U.S. Civil Rights and Liberties 3
Public Policy and Administration
POLS 351 Public Administration 3
POLS 361 U.S. Environmental Politics and Policy 3
POLS 364 Air, Climate, and Energy Policy Analysis 3
POLS 367 Power, Equity and Inclusion in Env Justice 3
POLS 451 Public Policy Design and Governance 3
POLS 459 Program Evaluation for Public Administrators 3
POLS 460 Public Policy Process 3
POLS 462 Globalization, Sustainability, and Justice 3
POLS 465 Public Policy Analysis 3

International Relations/Comparative Politics Course List

Code Title AUCC Credits
Select 12 unique credits, with at least one course from each of the two subfields below, taken in the sophomore, junior and/or senior years 1,2 12
International Relations
POLS 331 Politics and Society Along Mexican Border 3
POLS 332/ECON 332 International Political Economy 3
POLS 362 Global Environmental Politics 3
POLS 431 International Law 3
POLS 433 International Organization 3
POLS 435 United States Foreign Policy 3
POLS 436 Comparative Foreign Policy 3
POLS 437 International Security 3
POLS 440/GR 440 Political Geography 3
Comparative Politics
POLS 341 Western European Government and Politics 3
POLS 345 Russian, Central, and East European Politics 3
POLS 347 Comparative Authoritarianism 3
POLS 441 Comparative Indigenous Politics--Americas 3
POLS 442 Environmental Politics in Developing World 3
POLS 443 Comparative Social Movements 3
POLS 444 Comparative African Politics 3
POLS 445 Comparative Asian Politics 3
POLS 446 Latin American Politics 3
POLS 447 Politics in Mexico, Central America, Caribbean 3
POLS 448 Comparative Racial/Ethnic Politics 3
POLS 449 Middle East Politics 3
A maximum of six credits from the following may be used to fulfill the International Relations and Comparative Politics requirement:
Washington DC Semester Seminar
Practicum: Legislative Politics
Practicum: Government
Internship – Washington DC Semester
Washington DC Semester Colloquium Group Study

Support Option

Political Science majors must complete one of the following five Support Options.

Minor or Interdisciplinary Minor Support Option

Select a minor or interdisciplinary minor in consultation with advisor.21-24

Student-Selected Course Group Support Option

A program of courses proposed by student and approved by advisor containing a minimum of 21 credits, of which at least 12 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).21

 Second Major Support Option

Select a second major in consultation with advisor. This option may require as much as 36 credits. Credit range shown is approximate, and may require more or less, depending on the second major chosen.27-36

Foreign Language Support Option

A minimum of 5 courses totaling at least 15 credits in a single foreign language, including at least 2 courses of language instruction or in the language at the upper-division level.15-22

Methods Support Option

Methods Course Option21
POLS 320Empirical Political Analysis3
STAT 301Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods3
Select two from the following:6
History and Philosophy of Scientific Thought (GT-AH3)
Philosophy of Behavioral Sciences
Logic and Scientific Method
Select one from the following:3
Sampling Techniques
Select two from the following:6
Method in Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to Econometrics
The Power of Numbers--Statistics in Sociology
Sociological Research Methods
Statistical Data Analysis I
Statistical Data Analysis II
1

Courses selected to fulfill American Politics and Law, and Public Policy and Administration requirements may not also fulfill International Relations/Comparative Politics requirements, and vice versa. 

2

Sophomores are advised to only take 300-level courses.

3

Students must complete one upper-division course in each of four of the five departmental subfields (American Politics and Law, Political Theory, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Public Policy and Administration) prior to taking POLS 492

4

Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:

Political science majors must achieve a minimum grade of C (2.000)​ in each of the political science (POLS) courses counted toward meeting the requirement of the major. Students may enroll in either the standalone major or (at most) one of the concentrations under the Major in Political Science.

Upper-Division course in at least four subfields of political science required to register for POLS 492.
 

Freshman
Semester 1CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
CO 150College Composition (GT-CO2) X1A3
POLS 101American Government and Politics (GT-SS1) X3C3
Arts and Humanities  3B3
Biological and Physical Sciences  3A4
Elective   2
 Total Credits   15
Semester 2CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
Select one intro-level course from the following:X  3
Introduction to Public Policy and Service (GT-SS1)  3C 
Politics of Power, Justice, and Democracy (GT-SS1)  1C 
Arts and Humanities  3B3
Historical Perspectives  3D3
Quantitative ReasoningX 1B3
Elective   3
CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2.X   
 Total Credits   15
Sophomore
Semester 3CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
POLS 232International Relations (GT-SS1) X1C3
POLS 241Comparative Government and Politics (GT-SS1)  1C3
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3
American Politics and Law & Public Policy and Administration (See Department list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   0-3
Biological and Physical Sciences X3A3
Elective   3
 Total Credits   15-18
Semester 4CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
Select one course from the following:   3
Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) X2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities (GT-CO3) X2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) X2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) X2 
Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3) X2 
Writing in Digital Environments (GT-CO3) X2 
Strategic Writing and Communication (GT-CO3) X2 
Specialized Professional Writing X2 
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   0-9
International Relations/Comparative Politics Course (300-level only; see list on Requirements tab)   3
Electives   0-12
 Total Credits   15-18
Junior
Semester 5CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
American Politics and Law & Public Policy and Administration (See Department list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
International Relations/Comparative Politics (See Department list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
Elective   0-9
 Total Credits   18
Semester 6CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
Political Theory (Select one course from the following):   3
History of Political Thought  4A,4B 
Contemporary Political Theories  4A,4B 
Democratic Theory  4A,4B 
American Political Theories  4A,4B 
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
Electives   3-6
 Total Credits   12
Senior
Semester 7CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
International Relations/Comparative Politics (See Department list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)   3-6
Elective   0-6
 Total Credits   12
Semester 8CriticalRecommendedAUCCCredits
POLS 492Capstone SeminarX 4A,4B,4C3
Support Option (See option list on Concentration Requirements Tab)X  3-6
ElectivesX  3-12
The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study.X   
 Total Credits   15
 Program Total Credits:   120