Political Science
Student Resources
This page includes access to resources useful for political science students at Reed College, including information on Events and Opportunities, Research Assistance, and Department Policies.
Events and Opportunities
The Public Policy Lecture Series
The PPLS is an annual series of invited speakers hosted at Reed. In conjunction with other social science departments, the Political Science department plays a large role in attracting influential academics such as Nobel Prize winner Joesph Stiglitz to come to speak to the Reed community. These lectures are free and open to the public.
The Ducey Fellowship and the Corbett and Goldhammer Grants
Political Science students often receive these grants; the Corbett and Goldhammer Grants fund student work with professors during the summer, while the Ducey Fellowships fund student summer internships outside of Reed.
The Student Conference on US Affairs (SCUSA)
Each year, the Political Science department sends a student to SCUSA, a four-day conference in the fall bringing students to West Point to discuss security issues. An internal application, consisting of a resume, a brief two-page statement of why you want to attend SCUSA, what you will bring to the event, and how you will represent Reed, is due to Lois Hobbs in CC 112 by noon the first Monday in October.
The Political Science email list
If you are interested in Political Science, or are majoring in Political Science, it's important that you subscribe to our departmental listserv. Many important announcements are made through this list regarding classes, events, and opportunities for students.
Research
For Majors: The Public Policy Workshop (PPW)
Political Science majors have access to the Public Policy Workshop (PPW), a 24-hour computer facility specialized for social science work, which is hosted and administered by the Political Science department. The facility is located in Eliot 110; apply to the PPW Manager, whose name and e-mail address are posted on the door, for access.
For Juniors: The Qual Guide
To become a senior in Political Science, a student must pass the department junior examination offered in the second semester of the student’s junior year. The exam consists principally of a literature review, a research design, and an annotated bibliography.
For Seniors: The Thesis Guide (PDF)
Please note the Political Science Short Thesis Policy. Many resources are available for seniors writing theses in political science; we recommend that seniors also look at the general resources offered by the CIS thesis page and the Reed Senior Handbook (PDF).
For all students: Research links for Political Science
This is a small collection of links some students may find useful.
Department Policies
Transfer of Credits and AP and IB Credit Policies
If you are looking to see what you can do with coursework elsewhere (whether abroad, before college, or during study abroad) or from pre-college exams, see these pages.
Interdisciplinary Ad Hoc Majors Policy (PDF)
As is outlined in this document, while we do not normally approve ad hoc majors, Political Science can be used as a home department for
International and Comparative Policy Studies or for
American Studies, among others; see the full list of college-wide Interdisciplinary Study and Dual Degrees maintained by the Admissions Office.
Waitlist Priority Policy
All Political Science courses are taught as conferences of 24 or less; this document describes our waitlist priority criteria.
