Political Economy Electives

All students must take two (2) electives in Political Economy (PECO). All students must also take the Senior Capstone in Political Economy (PECO-4980).

Examples of approved PECO electives are listed below. The list is not comprehensive, and not every course is taught each semester. Current lists of courses will be maintained by the registrar. Courses that students wish to count toward their electives that are not on the list must be presented for review to the Field Chair for Political Economy in the Government Department or the Field Chair for Political Economy in the Economics Department before the student takes the course.

During registration, students can find an available list of courses  by searching with the “X-list: PECO” attribute in the online schedule.

Additionally, students can also view a list of currently approved electives for the PECO major.

Electives and Capstone Instructions

• If a student believes a non-listed class qualifies as a PECO elective, they can email the co-directors with the course syllabus along with a one-line explanation of how it meets the program’s goals.

• As an alternative to the Capstone Course (only for non-Honors students), students may take a PECO elective that requires a final research paper of at least 20 pages, provided the instructor agrees to grade it and include it as part of the overall course grade. If a student wishes to choose this option, they should forward the email from the instructor confirming their agreement to the co-directors.

Study Abroad

Up to two electives in support of the Political Economy major can be taken abroad with prior approval by either the Field Chair for Political Economy in the Department of Economics or the Field Chair for Political Economy in the Department of Government. To obtain approval please submit a syllabus for the course for which you wish to receive credit.