Course Numbering Guide

Course Prefixes and Suffixes

  • The Department of Political Science offers courses in the fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, and political theory.
  • Course numbers ending in "x" (e.g., GR6101x) are offered in the fall semester. Course numbers ending in "y" (e.g., GR6403y) are offered in the spring semester.
  • Courses designed exclusively for undergraduates have the prefix "UN" and are numbered 1000-3999. Undergraduate courses are not open to graduate students.
  • Graduate courses carry the prefix "GR" and are numbered 4000-9999. Qualified undergraduates may enroll in graduate courses with instructor permission. (See instructions under "cross-registration" below.)
  • Mixed-level courses carry the prefix "GU" and are open for registration by both undergraduates and graduate students.
  • Courses carrying the suffix "x" are offered in the fall semester.
  • Courses carrying the suffix "y" are offered in the spring semester.

Course Numbers

  • The first digit of the course number indicates the level of the course. The second digit of the course number indicates the subfield of the course. The pattern of course numbers is as follows:
Numbering Scheme for Undergraduate Courses

1. Lecture Courses

X2XXAmerican Politics 
X5XX — Comparative Politics
X6XX — International Relations
X7XX--Methodology
X1XX — Political Theory 

2. Undergraduate Seminars

Undergraduate seminars are numbered 39XX, with the third digit indicating subfield:

UN3921 and UN3922--American politics
UN3951 and UN3952--Comparative Politics
UN 3961 and UN3962--International Relations
UN3911 and UN3912--Political Theory

Numbering Scheme for Graduate Courses

X2XX — American Politics
X4XX — Comparative Politics 
X8XX — International Relations
X7XX--Methodology
X1XX--Political Theory

Methodology Courses

The third digit in the course number indicates the type of methodology covered in the course:

X70X — basic tools (math and methods of inquiry)
X71X — introductory statistics
X73X — game theory
X76X — applied empirical methods
X78X — qualitative methods
X79X — advanced statistics

  • With one or two exceptions, courses at the 6000-level are graduate "field surveys." These courses are intended for Ph.D. students in Political Science. Other students should obtain the permission of the instructor before registering.
  • 8000- and 9000-level courses are graduate colloquia and seminars; enrollment in these courses requires instructor permission.