Government Department

Major Requirements

Department/Program Description.

Wesleyan's Department of Government is dedicated to exploring "who gets what, when, and how," as Harold Lasswell defined political science in 1935. The Department might well be called a department of political science or a department of politics; it is called a Department of Government for historical reasons. Department faculty today uphold a tradition, more than a century old, of distinction in scholarship and teaching. Each tenured or tenure-track Government Department faculty member is affiliated with a concentration representing one of the four major subfields of political science: American politics and public policy, comparative politics, international politics, and political theory. We offer introductory courses to each of these four concentrations (American is 151, international 155, comparative 157, and theory 159), a range of upper-division courses (201-368), and specialized research seminars (369-399). In addition, we offer courses in research methodology, individual and group tutorials, and tutoring of senior honors theses. Courses numbered 201-368 are ordered according to field of study, not level of difficulty.

If a statement on the major in this catalog is inconsistent with a regulation on the Government Department website, the website is authoritative (it is updated more frequently than the description here).

General Education.

• Stage 1 must be complete to become a Government major
• Stage 2 must be complete to receive Honors in Government
• For more information about General Education Expectations and the Government major, please visit the majoring page of the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/majoring/index.html

Courses for Non-Majors.

Many students take Government courses without majoring in Government. We sometimes offer First Year Initiative (FYI) seminars, but demand for our regular courses is high, so we cannot offer as many FYI courses as we would like. Frosh and sophomores are welcome, however, to take the introductory courses we offer in each of our four concentrations. Another option is Applied Data Analysis, the social science methodology course, which is offered by the Quantitative Analysis Center and crosslisted as GOVT201 (it counts toward the Government major). Most of our survey courses are open to sophomores and frosh, although majors usually have preference. If you navigate to Wesmaps and click on "Government" (a red link under the heading "Social Sciences") you'll see a link to Government courses this year that are "Appropriate for First-year Students."

Major Description.

A Government major will give you the opportunity to acquire broad knowledge of political science and to undertake in-depth study in a particular concentration, either American politics, comparative politics, international politics, or political theory. Each concentration has its own introductory course, survey courses, and advanced seminars. Concentrators are usually required to take the introductory course and three of the upper-division elective courses in the chosen subfield. In addition to taking these four courses within the concentration, majors are required to take at least one course in at least two of the three subfields outside the concentration. This requirement assures that majors acquire breadth across the discipline as well as depth in at least one subfield.

Student Learning Outcomes.

If you major in Government you will learn about "who gets what, when, and how" and get better at critical thinking, clear writing, and effective speaking. The substance of what you learn, together with the skills that you will acquire in the learning process, will prepare you for a life of contribution in public service, education, law, business, journalism, and other fields. 

Admission to the Major.

To be admitted as a Government major, your academic history must show that you have completed at least one Government course with a grade of B- or better, and your General Education Report must confirm that you have already -- by the end of your third semester at Wesleyan -- formally completed Stage 1 of the General Education Expectations. You can be admitted as a provisional major if and only if, at the time you submit your application, you are enrolled in a course which, if completed successfully, would result in your satisfaction of Stage I of the General Education Expectations. If at the time of your application you are enrolled in your first Government course and if the instructor certifies by email to the Department chair that you are earning a B- or better, you can also be admitted as a provisional major, pending your successful completion of the course with a grade of B-or better as well as of Stage I of the General Education Expectations.

Major Requirements.

Basic requirements

• To complete the major requires 9 approved Government credits
• You may count toward the major only one introductory course (151, 155, 157, or 159)
• 5 of the 8 remaining courses must be upper-division Wesleyan GOVT courses in the range 201-399
• The remaining 3 courses numbered 201 or higher may be:
- Tutorials in the Department of Government (maximum 2, only 1 thesis tutorial may count)
- A course in a "cognate" discipline (maximum 1; must be approved in advance by your advisor)
- Political science courses at other US institutions or abroad (maximum 2; or 3 in a year of study abroad)
- Additional Wesleyan Government courses in the range 201-399 

The following may not count toward the major

• Student forum courses
• Teaching apprenticeships
• First year seminars (FYI versions of 151, 155, 157, or 159 may count as the one introductory course)
• Internships either in the USA or abroad
• Advanced Placement credits

Majors must choose and complete a concentration

• Four courses, at least three of which must be taken at Wesleyan, complete a concentration as follows:
- American politics: GOVT151 and three upper-division American politics courses
 - International politics: GOVT155 and three upper-division international politics courses
 - Comparative politics: GOVT157 and three upper-division comparative politics courses
 - Political theory: Any four political theory courses

General Education Expectations 

• Stage 1 must be complete to become a Government major
• Stage 2 must be complete to receive Honors in Government

Pacing

 • Majors with fewer than 4 Government courses by the end of the junior year must drop the major

Double/multiple majoring

 • No student with a university GPA below 88.33 may be a Government major if he or she has another major

For more information please visit the majoring page of the Department web site:

http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/majoring/index.html 

Study Abroad.

For more information about deciding to study abroad, applying to study abroad, and getting faculty pre-approval for study abroad courses, please visit the study abroad page of the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/studyabroad.html

Up to 2 courses on an approved study abroad program may count toward the major. Majors on full-year programs may count a third course with the approval of their major advisor. No credit toward the major will be approved for internships, introductory courses, or certain School for International Training courses.  No credit toward graduation will be approved for internships. A student seeking major credit must give the pre-approving faculty member a course title and written course description before the first day on which the course meets, either in person before departing (preferable) or by email from abroad (if the title and course description are unavailable before departure).

To get credit for study abroad courses, either toward the major or toward graduation, requires pre-approval (before the end of the study-abroad program's pre-registration period) either from your faculty advisor (if you are a Government major) or from the Department chair (if you are not a Government major).

Students may count toward the major no more than two credits earned in courses taken away from Wesleyan, whether in a study abroad program or in another US institution, except in the case of a full year of study abroad, in which the faculty advisor has full discretion as to whether to authorize credit for a third course toward the major and toward graduation.

The Department will not authorize course credit during study abroad for internships or introductory courses. We don't have the resources to supervise internships, and it's a waste of potential synergy with the experience of living abroad to take a general introductory course when you could be taking a specialized course that would allow you to engage more intensively with the society in which you are living.

Independent study projects may be included among the two courses that may be counted toward the Government major (up to three if you study abroad for a whole year). Your advisor may choose to give tentative approval for an independent study project, subject to a review of your written work after you return.

Capstone Experience.

The Government thesis involves one-on-one tutorials (GOVT409/410) with a supervising faculty member for a full year, culminating in the submission of an honors thesis, many of which are about one hundred pages long. Seniors seeking a capstone experience lasting a single semester can choose either an individual undergraduate tutorial (GOVT 401/402) or a survey course or seminar that requires a final independent research paper at least fifteen pages in length whose topic is chosen by the student. It is not unusual for students to take several such courses during their junior and senior years, sometimes exploring related topics from a variety of different angles. In some advanced survey courses or seminars students may engage in a “capstone” experience that culminates in a work of “non-traditional scholarship” -- service learning, public blogs, civic engagement, etc. -- rather than a standard research paper.

Honors.

For more information on honors at Wesleyan in general, university honors regulations, evaluation of honors theses, and recipients of honors in Government in previous years, please visit the honors page of the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/honors.html

To be eligible for Honors in Government you must (1) be a Government major on track to complete the major requirements in a timely fashion; (2) achieve a university grade point average of 90.00 or above, calculated at the end of the spring semester of the junior year; and (3) have completed Stage I of the General Education Expectations.

To become a candidate for Honors in Government, you must meet the three eligibility conditions and also seek out a Government faculty member (tenured, tenure-track, or full-time visitor) to become your thesis tutor. Each Government faculty member decides for whom he or she will serve as a thesis tutor. 

You may count either GOVT409 or GOVT410, but not both, toward the eight upper-division courses you need to complete the Government major. Only one thesis tutorial credit may count toward the major. 

Actually to receive Honors in Government, you must (1) complete the Government major; (2) complete both Stage I and Stage II of the General Education Expectations; (3) write a thesis judged to be of honors quality; and (4) maintain a university grade-point average of 90.00 or above through the end of the first semester of your senior year.

Advanced Placement.

Advanced Placement credit may not count toward the Government major.

Prizes.

In addition to Honors and Phi Beta Kappa nomination, the Department offers five prizes to students who excel in the Government major. Recent winners of these prizes are listed on the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/studentachievements.html

Davenport Prize: to senior majors who show excellence in the study of political science.

Parker Prize: To a sophomore or junior who excels in public speaking.

Rich Prize: To a senior whose orations are judged best in composition and delivery.

Skirm Prize: To the best research or writing project completed by a Government major in his or her junior year.

White Fellowship: To majors who show excellence in the study of political science.

The Department is also formally represented in the Public Affairs Center on committees that award Davenport Grants and the Hallowell Prize in the study of social science, as well as on the committee that awards the Carol A. Baker '81 Memorial Prize for the development and recognition of the accomplishments of junior faculty. For more information please see the Public Affairs Center web site at http://www.wesleyan.edu/pac/

Transfer Credit.

For information on how to apply for Government Department authorization to transfer credit from US academic institutions, please visit the transfer of credit page of the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/transfercredit.html. For information on how to apply for Government Department authorization to transfer credit from approved study abroad programs, please visit the study abroad page of the Wesleyan Government Department website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/gov/studyabroad.html

Requests for Government Department-approved transfer of credit from US academic institutions must be made before the first class meeting of the course whose credit you wish to transfer.

Approval will be granted if and only if the course for which you wish to transfer credit is:

  • Upper division. Introductory courses may not be counted.
  • In the field of Government (Department of Political Science; Department of Politics).
  • Equivalent in terms of contact hours, content, and requirements to Wesleyan courses.
  • Offered at a four year, accredited institution.
  • Graded. Credit/No credit courses may not be transferred.
Related Programs or Certificates.

Civic Engagement Certificate

Environmental Studies Certificate

International Relations Certificate

For a list of all certificates please visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/acaf/dept.html and search for the word "certificate." As of 2013 Wesleyan had eleven certificates. Government courses count toward several of them, and Government Department faculty are involved in several of them in addition to those listed above.