Political Science Major Transfer Guides

What you need to know about the Political Science major as a transfer student

The Political Science major requires two prerequisites and then completion of 30 credits at the 300 level or above.
Between the prerequisites and 30 credits you must take at least one course in four of the following five subfields: political theory, American government, comparative politics, world politics, and methodology.
You can transfer in up to 18 credits to count toward the 30 credits.
At least 12 credits – including both 400 level courses – must be taken on the Ann Arbor campus.
To see all the details on the Political Science major visit the department's website.

For more information on transferring to complete a Political Science degree and to learn more about how to have transfer classes evaluated for major credit visit the department's transfer page.

Recommended Transfer Pathway

Prerequisites: Complete the equivalent to two of the following prerequisites

POLSCI 101: Introduction to Politcal Theory
POLSCI 111: Introduction to American Politics
- A score of 3 or higher on the U.S. Government & Politics AP exam earns credit for POLSCI 111.
POLSCI 140: Introduction to Comparative Politics
- A score of 3 or higher on the Comparative Government & Politics AP exam earns credit for POLSCI 140.
POLSCI 160: Introduction to World Politics

Courses that Count Toward Major Requirements

If you are at a four-year school check the Transfer Credit Equivalency page to see if any courses from your current school transfer as equivalent to 300-level U-M courses.

Sample 2-year Completion Pathway

The Political Science major does not have specific course requirements beyond the requirement for subfields and the two 400 level courses. Therefore, a plan to complete the major really just involves completing the 30 credits, which can be accomplished by taking two classes each semester as indicated below, assuming you compelted the prerequisites before transferring.

Semester 1: Two 300 level courses (to total 7-8 credits)
Semester 2: Two 300 level courses (to total 7-8 credits)
Semester 3: One 300 level course and one 400 level course (to total 7-8 credits)
Semester 4: One 300 level course and one 400 level course (to total 7-8 credits)

Completing General Degree Requirements as a Political Science Major

Quantitative Reasoning. Political Science offers two courses that count for Quantitative Reasoning so you can complete the QR requirement with courses that also fulfil the requirements for your major if you choose. This not a requiremnt for the major just an option.
Courses that transfer with the U-M subject POLSCI cannot be used for Area Distribution for Political Science majors. This means you will have to take social science courses outside of the Political Science department to count for the social science area distribution.