Political Science
Why Study Political Science?
At Caltech, our Bachelor of Science (BS) in Political Science degree program goes far beyond studying governments and elections. We invite you to unpack complex ideas, like the mechanisms behind voting by committee, the decision calculus of casting your individual ballot, or the physiological and emotional factors driving political attitudes. You'll apply rigorous analytical tools to understand information distribution among voters, strategic behavior in political institutions, and the design of electoral systems that shape democratic governance.
Here, political scientists dissect the paradoxes of politics and society: why rational citizens might skip voting entirely, how committees reach irrational decisions, and how neurological responses drive our politics. Our approach converts abstract phenomena we see in society into laboratory experiments and mathematical models, allowing you to interrogate politics, and humans, with precision.



Why Political Science at Caltech?
Caltech forged modern political science. Here, scientists first applied mathematical models to explain political behavior and used experimental approaches to understand political phenomena. Even the most experimental political science departments around the world build on Caltech's foundational contributions to social choice theory, formal political theory, and game theory, and from the psychology of voting behavior to technology for the political sector.
At the Ronald and Maxine Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences and the Center for Theoretical and Experimental Social Sciences (CTESS), you'll access a rich tradition of experimental economics pioneered by figures like Charles R. Plott. These resources and other ongoing work, like the MIT/Caltech Voting Technology Project, empower you to conduct original research about political institutions and processes, contribute to advances in a global network of scholars, and even develop solutions that could lead you to your own startup ventures.
What You'll Learn
Built on Caltech's rigorous math and science core curriculum, the political science major provides powerful tools to transform raw data into compelling arguments. Courses develop a sophisticated understanding of applied data analysis and the history and theory behind political institutions. Freedom in advanced electives means you could focus on psychological and neurological research, investigate political conflict and violence, or explore high-level computing and mathematical modeling to illuminate political behavior. In American Electoral Behavior and Party Strategy, students work with a state's real vote-by-mail data, including ballot rejection rates, and "curing" rejected ballots. They ask: Do different demographics experience varying rates of ballot "curing"?
Whether you're interested in political polarization or campaign strategy, the BS in Political Science program sharpens your ability to understand the underlying logic of political behavior through Caltech's uniquely experimental and interdisciplinary approaches. The curriculum culminates in research seminars where you'll design and execute original projects that prepare you for graduate studies and careers that demand high-level theoretical or analytical skills.
View the Caltech catalog for degree requirements and curriculum information.
Who You'll Learn From
At Caltech, you'll study under leaders in information and data sciences, psychology, and voter disenfranchisement, and influential political theorists whose work shapes academic discourse and public policy. Faculty like Jonathan Katz bring real-world impact to the classroom, having lent his statistical expertise to more than 50 election law cases, including several decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. You'll also encounter influential figures in theoretical political science, applied uses of advanced predictive modelling, and more.
By participating in co-taught courses with faculty from economics and other disciplines, you will explore interdisciplinary links among scholars at Caltech and other research institutions, ranging from the anthropological roots of market economies to the latest innovations in voting tech.
While conducting an independent computer science research project, we were inspired by an experimental study that found 'common ground' is a way to help improve political consensus. Most computer science literature on social networks looks at connecting two people on a graph with different opinions and modeling new opinions of each person to be the average of everyone connected around them. We thought it wasn't very realistic. So what we worked on was modeling a secondary topic, like a hobby, movies, or music. Then, you connect two people with the same opinion on the hobby but disagree on the primary topic, politics. We found that our common ground approach effectively reduced polarization in the network. It was encouraging to see this concept reflected so clearly in our findings. We argued that when people refer to 'finding common ground,' this abstract idea can, in fact, be modeled and analyzed directly.
Career Possibilities
Graduates of Caltech's political science degree program pursue diverse career paths, equipped with skills in high-level research, quantitative analysis, and the ability to communicate complex topics to different audiences. Many continue to pursue advanced degrees in political science theory, law, or fields that integrate engineering, computing systems, and technology related to political science, psychology, and behavior. Others apply their analytical skills directly in government positions, private sector consulting, or policy research institutes. Potential careers include:
- Academic researchers
- Consultants
- Government and regulatory specialists
- Policy analysts and researchers
- Political data scientists
- Risk analysts
Curriculum Components and Prerequisites
The political science option builds on Caltech's first-year core curriculum with specialized political science theory and methods coursework. Key requirements include:
- Foundational courses in political science, formal political theory, and econometrics
- Political science electives
- Advanced mathematics preparation
- Scientific writing and communication courses
- Additional courses in advanced political science, social science, economics, psychology, engineering, or mathematics
This flexible structure allows you to pursue interdisciplinary interests while developing core competencies in formal political theory and quantitative methods.
Pursue a Bachelor's in Political Science at Caltech
How does an individual or a society make decisions? In Caltech's BS in Political Science, join a program where mathematical precision intersects with real-world political questions. You'll learn to quantitatively understand complex social phenomena and develop evidence-based insights into voting behavior, institutional design, and political strategy using cutting-edge methods. Transform your understanding of politics from descriptive to predictive, and prepare for a career at the crossroads of governance, data science, and policy innovation.