Bachelor of Science in Political Science

2.7 Minimum GPA

Note: CAPS is designed for students with adult responsibilities who may require part-time and flexible course schedules. Current high school students and recent graduates seeking a traditional WashU college experience should apply through the undergraduate admissions office: admissions.wustl.edu.

Below is a list of requirements for an application to the undergraduate degree in Political Science. Applications will be reviewed once all requirements are received.

Application Deadlines

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis and typically take four to six weeks. An application is incomplete and will not be reviewed until all of the application requirements have been received or processed. Applicants are encouraged to submit all materials by the following dates:

• Summer 2023: April 30, 2023
• Fall 2023: July 31, 2023
• Spring 2024: Dec. 31, 2023

Completed Application Form

The online application is available on our Apply page. Applications are ready for review when all fields on the application form are completed and the required documents have been received.

Transcripts

Official (issued directly from the college or WashU) or unofficial (student-issued) copies of transcripts from the three most recent years of college-level work. If you have fewer than six units of transferable credit or CAPS course work, then proof of high school completion, General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency (HSE) must be submitted. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar to the WashU School of Continuing & Professional Studies. Electronic transcripts should be forwarded to washucaps@wustl.edu. For transcript questions, please contact our Admissions Coordinator, Patricia Agnew, at paagnew@wustl.edu.

Non-United States course work transcript verification
If the transcript you submit for consideration is from a college or university outside the United States, a course by course transcript evaluation is also required. Evaluations will be accepted from World Education Services (WES), Spantran or another member institution of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For Spantran evaluations, you must use this form. 

Personal Essay

Tell us about yourself in a brief essay (about 250 words). Why are you applying to WashU School of Continuing & Professional Studies? What are your goals, both academic and professional? Is there additional information we should know about you when considering your application?

All CAPS undergraduate students must satisfy the same general-education requirements.

REQUIRED COURSES: 30 UNITS

To major in political science, students must complete a minimum of 30 units of political science course work, including at least 6 units of introductory course work and the Introduction to Quantitative Methods (U25 323) course.

Of the remaining 21 units of elective course work in political science, at least 18 units must be at the 300- or 400-level. The 18 advanced units for the major must include at least one 3-unit course from three of the following five fields:

• American politics
• Comparative politics
• International politics
• Political and social theory
• Methods of political research and analysis

The department encourages students to explore a wide variety of courses in political science. Your program should be planned in close consultation with an academic advisor.