Degree Options

If you know you want to study politics but aren't sure which degree option is the best fit for you, that's not a problem. You can work with faculty, your academic advisor, and the career coaches at the Berry Career Institute to determine your terminal degree. Cornell students choose from a variety of options, including a single major, a double major, or a major with a minor. That can all be worked out once you've been on campus and spent some time exploring your options. 

Bachelor (B.A.) of Arts

If you have an interest in politics, you could earn your B.A. with one or some combination of majors and minors.

• Major in politics.
• Minor in political thought.
• Minor in American politics and public policy.

Bachelor in Special Studies (B.S.S.)

Or you could create your own individualized degree. A B.S.S. gives you the opportunity to design your own degree. Often, but not always, a B.S.S. is an interdisciplinary field of study that you develop with the advice of your academic advisor. You might decide to be an international political economy major, a human rights major, or something entirely unique to your career goals.