MIT Political Science

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS  |  Undergraduate Studies

Engage with the world:

the Minor in Political Science

Perhaps you are an urban planner with a strong interest in sustainable technologies and you want to understand how Chinese government incentives promote the development of green technologies. Maybe you are a chemist and you want to deepen your grasp of how healthcare policy in the European Union influences pharmaceutical R&D. Or you are an anthropologist who wants to combine a study of feminist political thought with insights into contemporary American media practices.

Whether you are drawn to political economy, comparative politics, social theory, or another of our seven subfields, a minor in political science will increase your level of engagement with emerging issues in the real world. Through our research and teaching, we combine a strong theoretical base with robust analytics and high-impact fieldwork to make a consequential impact on societies around the globe.

Read the requirements for political science minors.
See sample subject combinations.
Review HASS guidelines for all minors.

Requirements.

1. Six subjects.
To complete a minor in political science, you must take six subjects in any of these seven subfields.

Political Philosophy/Social Theory
Political Economy
American Politics
Public Policy
International Relations
Comparative Politics
Methods and Models

2. Tier I and Tier II subject distribution. Subjects in each subfield are divided into two tiers. Your minor must include at least one but no more than two Tier I subjects and at least four but no more than five Tier II subjects. You can take one of your required subjects from another department within MIT or from another school like Wellesley or Harvard, or you can transfer political science credit from another university.

Tier I—Introductory subjects that provide you with broad theoretical and empirical overviews. Tier I subjects have two-digit numbers and include topics like:

17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process
17.40 American Foreign Policy
17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics

Tier II—Advanced subjects that provide you with an in-depth understanding of specialized topics. Tier II subjects, designated with three-digit numbers, include:

17.195 Globalization
17.405 Politics and Conflict in the Middle East
17.811 Game Theory and Political Theory

See the full list of subjects offered by MIT Political Science.

Sample minors in political science.

The subjects you choose should focus on a particular theme or set of related themes within political science. Drawing from the full range of subjects taught within the department, your options are limited only by your creativity. If you are interested in policymaking, you may also want to consider the HASS Minor in Public Policy.

Here are just a few examples of minor courses of study in political science.

Example A—focus on political theory and U.S. politics and policy with exposure to U.S. foreign policy

Tier I


17.01J Justice

17.40 American Foreign Policy

Tier II


17.249J Law and Society
17.281 Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
17.317 U.S. Social Policy

17.483 U.S. Military Power

Example B—focus on U.S. politics, democracy, race, and ethnic conflict

Tier I


17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process

17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics

Tier II


17.265 Public Opinion and American Democracy

17.391J Human Rights Theory and Practice
17.405 Seminar on Politics and Conflicts in the Middle East
17.523 Ethnic Conflict in World Politics

Example C—focus on technology, policy, and methodology

Tier I


17.30 Making Public Policy

Tier II


17.181 Sustainable Development

17.303J Methods of Policy Analysis
17.309J Science, Technology and Policy
17.477J Technology and Policy of Weapons Systems

17.811 Game Theory and Political Theory

HASS (Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) minor guidelines.

As you plan your minor in political science, keep in mind that a number of general requirements apply to all minors in the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Here are a few of the most important for political science minors:

• Of the six subjects in your political science minor, you can use no more than five to fulfill the Institute HASS requirement.
• Of the five subjects used to fulfill the HASS requirement, you can use only one to fulfill the Distribution (HASS-D) requirement.
• You cannot use the junior/senior pass/fail option for any of your political science minor subjects.

Review the full list of HASS minor requirements.