Politics is the study of systems of government. It aims to understand how humans create, sustain, change, and are affected by the systems that they choose or are forced to be governed by. As such, it involves the study of both individuals and the communities in which they find themselves; of people and families as well as nations, states, and international institutions. Its scope is broad and concerns everything from local political elections to international diplomacy. It is highly interdisciplinary and involves the study of economics, law, history, philosophy, and many other important disciplines that study human action and thought.

The core topics introduce the field of politics and give students the skills and understanding to choose and pursue their interests in the specialized topics. On completing the core, students will be able to independently read the historical and academic literature. The core topics are:

• Political Theory
• Economic Theory
• World History
• International Politics
• Statistics
• Game Theory and Strategy
• Political Philosophy
• Research Methods
• Ethics

Specializations should be discussed with the Director of Studies. On completing specializations, students will be able to independently read advanced literature and conduct a final project in that topic. Some suggested specializations are:

• Public Policy
• The European Union
• Social Rights
• Politics of War
• Global Justice
• Conflict Resolution
• Politics of Resistance and Protest
• Human Rights and World Politics
• International Politics of Energy
• Marxism and Capitalism
• Post-Colonial Theory
• Contemporary Issues in Political Theory
• Issues in International Politics
• Environmental Protection
• Democracy and Authoritarianism
• Culture, Identity, and Justice
• Economics of Crime
• Criminology
• Development Economics
• Behavioral Economics
• Liberalism
• International Institutions and Treaties