Building the department map…
Building the department map…
Department paths
Courses with no prerequisites inside the department that unlock the most downstream work.
The shortest canonical route from each entry point to a gateway course.
Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate POLS coursework.
Generated from Iowa State University’s catalog, prerequisite, and concentration data. Spotted an error? Departments can adjust labels, ordering, and notes without a code change, so contact us.
Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate POLS work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.
Showing the 8 POLS and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 125 more POLS courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.
The concentrations and majors that build on POLS, and how their requirements are structured. Expand a program to see which courses satisfy each group, then plan it in the Planner.
2 courses from2 required · verify with the official sheet
At least two subfield-introduction courses; At least two career-gateway courses; At least one research-methods course; Additional POLS 3000-level and above coursework to complement other course choices and to meet the minimums required for the major; At least 18 credits of POLS courses numbered 3000 or above, of which at least 9 credits are numbered 4000 or above; A capstone experience (The POLS c
Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.
The deepest prerequisite chains in POLS. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.
2 courses deep, ending at POLS 3110
2 courses deep, ending at POLS 3190
2 courses deep, ending at POLS 3220X
2 courses deep, ending at POLS 4900H
All POLS courses in the Iowa State catalog
Grade medians are for verified students. Sign in with your school email to see them.
Use your school emailNo section schedule with instructor names for POLS yet.
No clubs or organizations on record under POLS yet.
This shows once five students share their club memberships.
Political Science does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Iowa State campus feed.