Political Science

A man riding a bicycle down a city street passes small displays in front of stores.

Storefronts along a street in Pingyao, China. (Photo by PhD student Jonas Nahm. Used with permission.)


Political Science was formally established at MIT in 1955 as part of the Department of Economics and Social Science.

The department today provides high-quality graduate training emphasizing research and apprenticeship relations with faculty members; excellent in international relations and comparative politics; an orientation toward issues of public policy both domestic and international; and a chance to interact with scientists, engineers and other social scientists at MIT.


Political Science Courses

Course # Course Title Level
17.007J Feminist Thought (Fall 2014) Undergraduate
17.01J Justice Undergraduate
17.021J Philosophy of Law Undergraduate
17.03 Introduction to Political Thought Undergraduate
17.037 American Political Thought (Spring 2004) Undergraduate
17.045J Power: Interpersonal, Organizational and Global Dimensions Undergraduate
17.125 The Politics of Global Financial Relations Undergraduate
17.181 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy (Spring 2009) Undergraduate
17.195 Globalization (Fall 2005) Undergraduate
17.199J Working in a Global Economy Undergraduate
17.20 Introduction to American Politics Undergraduate
17.20 Introduction to the American Political Process Undergraduate
17.245 Constitutional Law: Structures of Power and Individual Rights Undergraduate
17.249J Law and Society Undergraduate
17.251 Congress and the American Political System I Undergraduate
17.261 Congress and the American Political System II (Fall 2005) Undergraduate
17.263 U.S. National Elections (Fall 2012) Undergraduate
17.264 U.S. National Elections (Fall 2012) Undergraduate
17.265 Public Opinion and American Democracy Undergraduate
17.267 Democracy in America Undergraduate
17.30J Making Public Policy Undergraduate
17.315 Comparative Health Policy Undergraduate
17.317 U.S. Social Policy Undergraduate
17.32 Environmental Politics and Policy Undergraduate
17.391 Human Rights: At Home and Abroad Undergraduate
17.40 American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, Future Undergraduate
17.405 Seminar on Politics and Conflict in the Middle East (Fall 2003) Undergraduate
17.407 Chinese Foreign Policy: International Relations and Strategy (Spring 2009) Undergraduate
17.407 Chinese Foreign Policy (Fall 2005) Undergraduate
17.411 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations (Spring 2006) Undergraduate
17.42 Causes and Prevention of War Undergraduate
17.433 International Relations of East Asia (Spring 2011) Undergraduate
17.441 International Politics and Climate Change (Fall 2007) Undergraduate
17.445 International Relations Theory in the Cyber Age (Fall 2015) Undergraduate
17.447 Cyberpolitics in International Relations: Theory, Methods, Policy (Fall 2011) Undergraduate
17.460 Defense Politics Undergraduate
17.471 American National Security Policy Undergraduate
17.473 The Politics of Nuclear Proliferation: Nuclear History, Strategy, and Statecraft Undergraduate
17.483 U.S. Military Power (Spring 2015) Undergraduate
17.50 Introduction to Comparative Politics Undergraduate
17.507 The Rise and Fall of Democracy/ Regime Change (Spring 2002) Undergraduate
17.509 Social Movements in Comparative Perspective Undergraduate
17.523 Ethnicity and Race in World Politics Undergraduate
17.53 Democratization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America Undergraduate
17.537 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan (Spring 2009) Undergraduate
17.541 Japanese Politics and Society (Fall 2008) Undergraduate
17.547 Government and Politics of China Undergraduate
17.55J Introduction to Latin American Studies (Fall 2006) Undergraduate
17.55 Introduction to Latin American Studies (Fall 2005) Undergraduate
17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform (Spring 2003) Undergraduate
17.559 Comparative Security and Sustainability (Fall 2004) Undergraduate
17.561 European Politics Undergraduate
17.565 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, and Identity Undergraduate
17.57J Soviet Politics and Society, 1917-1991 Undergraduate
17.581 Riots, Rebellions, Revolutions Undergraduate
17.869 Political Science Scope and Methods Undergraduate
17.871 Political Science Laboratory Undergraduate
17.881 Game Theory and Political Theory (Fall 2004) Undergraduate
17.905 Forms of Political Participation: Old and New Undergraduate
17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy (Spring 2007) Undergraduate
17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Intelligence and National Security Undergraduate
17.910 Reading Seminar in Social Science: International Political Economy Undergraduate
17.914 International Politics in the New Century - via Simulation, Interactive Gaming, and 'Edutainment' Undergraduate
17.918 New Global Agenda: Exploring 21st Century Challenges through Innovations in Information Technologies Undergraduate
17.922 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. IAP Design Seminar Undergraduate
17.S914 Conversations You Can't Have on Campus: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity Undergraduate
17.THT Thesis Research Design Seminar Undergraduate
17.000J Political Philosophy: Global Justice Graduate
17.006 Feminist Thought (Fall 2014) Graduate
17.038 American Political Thought (Spring 2004) Graduate
17.042 Citizenship and Pluralism Graduate
17.100J Political Economy I Graduate
17.148 Political Economy of Globalization Graduate
17.158 Political Economy of Western Europe Graduate
17.176J Economic Development, Policy Analysis, and Industrialization Graduate
17.182 Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy (Spring 2009) Graduate
17.184J Economic Institutions and Growth Policy Analysis Graduate
17.188J Labor and Politics Graduate
17.196 Globalization (Fall 2005) Graduate
17.202 Graduate Seminar in American Politics II Graduate
17.262 Congress and the American Political System II (Fall 2005) Graduate
17.312J Integrating Doctoral Seminar on Emerging Technologies Graduate
17.406 Seminar on Politics and Conflict in the Middle East (Fall 2003) Graduate
17.408 Chinese Foreign Policy (Fall 2013) Graduate
17.408 Chinese Foreign Policy: International Relations and Strategy (Spring 2009) Graduate
17.408 Chinese Foreign Policy (Fall 2005) Graduate
17.410 Globalization, Migration, and International Relations (Spring 2006) Graduate
17.418 Field Seminar: International Relations Theory Graduate
17.420 Advances in International Relations Theory Graduate
17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy Graduate
17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies Graduate
17.428 American Foreign Policy: Theory and Method Graduate
17.432 Causes of War: Theory and Method Graduate
17.434 International Relations of East Asia (Spring 2011) Graduate
17.436 Territorial Conflict Graduate
17.442 International Politics and Climate Change (Fall 2007) Graduate
17.446 International Relations Theory in the Cyber Age (Fall 2015) Graduate
17.448 Cyberpolitics in International Relations: Theory, Methods, Policy (Fall 2011) Graduate
17.462 Innovation in Military Organizations Graduate
17.466 Organization Theory and the Military Graduate
17.478 Great Power Military Intervention Graduate
17.482 U.S. Military Power (Spring 2015) Graduate
17.484 Comparative Grand Strategy and Military Doctrine Graduate
17.486 Japan and East Asian Security Graduate
17.504 Ethnic Politics I Graduate
17.506 Ethnic Politics II Graduate
17.508 The Rise and Fall of Democracy/ Regime Change (Spring 2002) Graduate
17.522 Politics and Religion Graduate
17.524 Nationalism Graduate
17.538 Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan (Spring 2009) Graduate
17.543 Japanese Politics and Society (Fall 2008) Graduate
17.544 Comparative Politics and China Graduate
17.550J Property Rights in Transition Graduate
17.552 Political Economy of Chinese Reform (Spring 2003) Graduate
17.554 Political Economy of Latin America Graduate
17.556 Political Economy of Development Graduate
17.560 Comparative Security and Sustainability (Fall 2004) Graduate
17.582 Civil War Graduate
17.584 Civil-Military Relations Graduate
17.586 Warlords, Terrorists, and Militias: Theorizing on Violent Non-State Actors Graduate
17.588 Field Seminar in Comparative Politics Graduate
17.812J Collective Choice I Graduate
17.872 Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy Graduate
17.874 Quantitative Research Methods: Multivariate Graduate
17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods (Fall 2007) Graduate
17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods (Spring 2005) Graduate
17.882 Game Theory and Political Theory (Fall 2004) Graduate
17.950 Understanding Military Operations Graduate
17.951 Nuclear Weapons in International Politics: Past, Present and Future Graduate
17.951 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy (Spring 2007) Graduate
17.951 Special Graduate Topic in Political Science: Political Behavior Graduate
17.951 Intelligence: Practice, Problems and Prospects Graduate
17.951 Special Graduate Topic in Political Science: Public Opinion Graduate
17.953 U.S. Budgets for National Security Graduate
17.955 Civil Society, Social Capital, and the State in Comparative Perspective Graduate
17.959 Organizational Analysis Graduate
17.960 Foundations of Political Science (Spring 2005) Graduate
17.960 Foundations of Political Science (Fall 2004) Graduate

Archived Political Science Courses

Some prior versions of courses listed above have been archived in OCW's DSpace@MIT repository for long-term access and preservation. Links to archived prior versions of a course may be found on that course's "Other Versions" tab.

Additionally, the Archived Political Science Courses page has links to every archived course from this department.