What is the typical path for an undergraduate politics or political science major at the University of Chicago?

At UChicago, the undergraduate major is called Political Science, and the typical path is a theory-heavy, research-oriented social science curriculum rather than a pre-professional government track. Students usually begin with the Core, especially Social Sciences sequences, then move into foundational political science coursework and upper-level classes in areas like American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. The department is especially known for emphasizing analytical reading, argument, and close engagement with classic and contemporary texts.

After the Core, majors generally build through introductory and mid-level courses before concentrating through electives. A common pattern is to take survey or gateway courses across multiple subfields early on, then narrow into the areas that interest you most. Many students mix empirical courses, such as elections, institutions, public opinion, or conflict, with more interpretive or philosophical courses in political theory.

Methods also matter at UChicago. Students interested in research often take statistics or methodology courses, especially if they want to write a strong BA thesis or do faculty-led research. The major often culminates in substantial independent work, and the department has a well-established BA thesis option that is a natural fit for students considering grad school, law, public policy, journalism, or research-oriented careers.

What stands out at UChicago is that politics is usually studied as a rigorous academic discipline, not just as current events or policy debate. You would likely spend a lot of time reading primary texts, writing analytical papers, and discussing big questions about institutions, democracy, power, rights, and state behavior.