Best Political Science Programs in Massachusetts for 2027

Harvard calls its political science major Government, and it opens with Gov 97, the sophomore tutorial. You'll meet the methods requirement with one statistics course, usually Gov 50: Data, and you can keep climbing through Gov 51 to the graduate course Gov 2001 before you graduate. Breadth comes from one course each in political theory, comparative government, American government and international relations. The standard track runs 10 courses and includes a Gov 94 seminar. The honors track runs 13, adding a Research Practice Course, two terms of the Gov 99 senior tutorial and a senior thesis. Seniors who want hands-on policy work can take Gov 98, the Senior Capstone, which ends in an applied policy analysis project.

Methods Sequence

Gov 50: Data, with Gov 51 and Gov 2001 open as next steps

Honors Track

13 courses, including two terms of Gov 99 and a senior thesis

Senior Capstone

Gov 98, a policy analysis project for seniors

Program Sources: Concentration Requirements – Department of GovernmentMethods Requirement and Course Sequencing – Department of GovernmentSenior Capstone Project – Department of Government

Boston College starts you with classic texts: every major takes either Fundamental Concepts of Politics or How to Rule the World, then one more introductory course. From there you take one course in each of four subfields, American, comparative, international and theory, plus four electives, for ten courses in all. Course numbers tell you where a class sits, since a 3 in the second digit means American politics, 4 comparative, 5 international and 6 theory. Seminars are usually limited to 19 members and open to juniors and seniors, and the department says its courses put special emphasis on writing.

Introductory Sequence

Fundamental Concepts of Politics or How to Rule the World, plus one more introductory course

Subfield Requirement

One course in each of four subfields

Seminars

Capped around 19 members, mostly for juniors and seniors

Program Sources: Undergraduate - Political Science Department - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences - Boston College

Holy Cross requires the department’s introductory course in each of the four subfields and encourages you to finish all four by the end of sophomore year. You then take at least six upper-division courses, for a minimum of 10 courses and a maximum of 14. There is no minor, because the faculty believe students are served better by completing the whole major. Honors students add two thesis supervision courses, and POLS 204, Performing Research in Political Science, or an equivalent methods course is the prerequisite for a faculty thesis advisor. Many majors spend a semester in Washington, D.C., with an internship, a weekly policy seminar and a thesis.

Introductory Courses

One introductory course in each of four subfields

Honors Thesis

Two thesis supervision courses, with POLS 204 or equivalent methods first

Washington Semester

Internship, weekly public-policy seminar and thesis

Program Sources: Political Science | College of the Holy Cross

UMass Amherst asks for at least 14 courses and 45 credits. You open with three survey courses, one from each of three categories: American politics, comparative or world politics, and political theory. Then come eight courses at the 200 level or above, at least four of them at 300 or higher, and primary majors fit Junior Year Writing (377) and an Integrative Experience course into those eight. The last piece is three courses in global knowledge and skills, which you can meet with global-designated courses, a certificate, approved study abroad or a sequence of language courses.

Survey Courses

Three, one each from American, comparative or world, and theory categories

Writing and Integration

Junior Year Writing 377 and an Integrative Experience course

Global Knowledge

Three courses through global courses, certificate, study abroad or language

Program Sources: Political Science Major : Department of Political Science : UMass Amherst

Harvard’s government PhD requires three seminar-style research papers and an individual plan for acquiring research tools. Students take field seminars across political science and build methods or language training around their intended research. The second-year oral examination covers two substantive fields. American politics, comparative politics and international relations students also prepare an individual focus field. Ongoing workshops include applied statistics, political economy, and race and ethnic politics, providing settings to present work before the dissertation reaches its final form.

Early Research Papers

Three seminar-style papers build independent research experience before the dissertation

Individual Tools Plan

Students plan methods or language preparation around their research interests and can develop work in specialized workshops

Program Sources: Government PhD

MIT’s political science PhD requires preparation in two fields, with choices including political economy, security studies, and models and methods. Students take statistics, empirical methods and political philosophy. Additional preparation can involve foreign-language reading proficiency or advanced statistics, with a language exemption for international students whose native language is not English. An article-length paper and related workshop are required in the second year. Students may take courses elsewhere at MIT and use cross-registration arrangements for approved study at Harvard.

Second-Year Paper

An article-length paper and related workshop are required in the second year

Field Combinations

Students prepare in two fields, choosing among American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political economy, security studies, and models and methods

Program Sources: Political Science PhD

BU’s doctoral program is small, with around four new students a year and about 25 in residence at various stages. Year one is built around four core seminars in American politics, international relations, comparative politics and political theory, and you take three methodology courses as well. A Research Workshop runs in years two and three. The qualifying exam has three parts: a second-year paper and two timed exams. You then write a prospectus and a dissertation, and you are expected to reach a minimum level of competence in five of six fields and a high level in two. Nine degrees were conferred in 2023–24.

Core Seminars

Four first-year seminars in American, IR, comparative and theory

Qualifying Exam

Second-year paper plus two timed exams

Field Competence

Five of six fields, with high competence in two

Program Sources: Ph.D. Program | Political ScienceGraduate Program | Political Science

Boston College’s Ph.D. takes fourteen courses if you arrive without graduate work, or at least ten with a master’s degree. You choose a major field from political theory, American, international or comparative politics, built from eight courses, and a minor field of four. A foreign language proficiency exam comes before the comprehensive exams, which are written in the major and minor fields and followed about ten days later by an oral exam. After that you submit a dissertation proposal within six months, join the Dissertation Seminar while you write, and finish with a public defense. The 2023–24 count was 5 degrees.

Fields

Major field of eight courses and minor field of four

Comprehensive Exams

Written major and minor exams plus an oral exam

Language Requirement

Proficiency in one foreign language

Program Sources: Doctoral Program - Political Science - Boston College

Bunker Hill’s Political Science Concentration is a transfer-focused associate degree that touches the four main fields in the discipline. The milestone courses are PSC-101 Government/Politics in US, PSC-150 Introduction to Political Theory, PSC-211 Introduction to Comparative Politics and PSC-220 Introduction to International Relations. You add MAT-181 Statistics I, two U.S. history courses and an approved PSC 200-level elective. PSC-211 serves as the concentration capstone for students who skip HON-200 or an internship. The catalog names the University of Massachusetts campuses at Boston, Amherst and Lowell, Simmons University and Salem State among its main transfer destinations, and you can earn World Studies Emphasis certification at the same time.

Core Courses

Government and politics in the U.S., political theory, comparative politics and international relations

Capstone

PSC-211, HON-200 or a Community Engagement internship

Transfer Pathway

UMass campuses, Simmons University and Salem State

Program Sources: Program: Political Science Concentration, A.A. - Bunker Hill Community College

Cape Cod’s Political Science Concentration is an Associate in Arts of 60 to 61 credits, designed so you can transfer into a bachelor’s program. The government sequence is spread across the first three semesters: GOV111 American Government, GOV101 Comparative Politics and GOV102 International Relations. U.S. history comes in the third and fourth semesters, with HIS103 and HIS104, and GEO104 adds a geography course on culture and environment. Two political science concentration electives round out the final semester. The catalog describes a range that covers national institutions, political thought, other governments and international relations.

Government Sequence

GOV111 American Government, GOV101 Comparative Politics, GOV102 International Relations

History Courses

HIS103 and HIS104 U.S. history

Concentration Electives

Two political science electives in the fourth semester

Program Sources: Political Science Concentration | Cape Cod Community College