A major in politics requires 33 hours of coursework in politics, including an 18-hour core:

POL 101 The U.S. Constitution
POL 202 American Political Thought
POL 210 Regimes: Classical and Modern
POL 211 Classical Political Philosophy
POL 212 Modern Political Philosophy I: Social Contract Theory
OR
POL 214 Modern Political Philosophy II: Idealism, Historicism and Nihilism
POL 220 Introduction to American Foreign Policy

*Politics 101 is prerequisite for all other politics courses.

Of the 15 additional hours required, at least six must be taken at the 400 level and at least one elective must be chosen from the American Politics offerings.  Otherwise, students may choose electives in any order or combination from the sub-fields of American Politics, Political Philosophy, and World Politics.

Senior politics majors must also complete a comprehensive politics examination covering coursework completed while at Hillsddale and achieve an acceptable score as determined by the politics faculty. In addition, exceptionally competent students may, at the discretion of the politics faculty, write a thesis under the supervision of the politics faculty. Students writing a thesis will register for Politics 575; the three credits earned in Politics 575 may not be included in the 33 hours required for the politics major. A student must either complete the thesis project or earn an exceptional grade on the comprehensive examination, as determined by the politics faculty, in order to graduate with departmental honors.