A department entered after arrival
Princeton says students apply to the University, not to departments, and A.B. students choose a major in the spring of the sophomore year.
Undergraduate · Princeton
Princeton Politics: prerequisites, optional tracks and independent work
Princeton does not admit applicants to Politics. They apply to the University and declare a department in the spring of sophomore year, after completing two Politics courses as prerequisites. What shapes the major afterwards is the department's optional tracks, which earn an attestation without being required, and the independent research every Princeton undergraduate carries out: junior independent work and a year-long senior thesis.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Princeton says about Princeton Politics
Taken from the Princeton Department of Politics' Majoring in Politics and Independent Work pages, Princeton Admission's Academics, Standardized Testing and International Students pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Princeton's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Two prerequisite courses
Sophomores must normally have completed two Politics courses, with a 200-level course recommended.
Tracks are optional
Students need no track to graduate, and a completed track earns an attestation.
A thesis for everyone
The department page describes junior independent work and a year-long senior thesis.
A senior thesis or independent project
Princeton says every senior writes a thesis or, in some engineering departments, undertakes a substantial independent project.
The SAT or ACT is required
Princeton says fall 2028 first-year applicants need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.
Official sources
- Princeton Admission: Academicsadmission.princeton.edu
- Princeton Department of Politics: Majoring in Politicspolitics.princeton.edu
- Princeton Admission: Standardized Testingadmission.princeton.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Princeton Department of Politics' Majoring in Politics and Independent Work pages, Princeton Admission's Academics, Standardized Testing and International Students pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Princeton's Undergraduate Announcement, the course lists, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The department
How the department describes the major
The department calls Politics one of the most popular majors on campus, with more than 150 juniors and seniors in a typical year. Students declare in the spring of sophomore year after two Politics courses, ideally including a 200-level course, and are advised to finish the analytical requirement in sophomore year if possible. Departmental tracks are optional specialisations that earn an attestation, and a special programme combining politics with another discipline can be arranged with the Cognate Approval Adviser.
Is it the right department?
Politics beside the School of Public and International Affairs
Princeton describes these separately, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Politics fits if
you want a department of political science with subfields, a recommended analytical requirement and optional tracks.
The School of Public and International Affairs fits if
you want a professional-school route to public policy. Avandy's Princeton SPIA guide covers it.
Economics fits if
you want formal economic analysis instead. Avandy's Princeton Economics guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Princeton application and the SAT or ACT
Princeton asks for an academic record that includes internal grades and marks from external exams such as A levels or the IB, with predicted or achieved results sent as they become available. It says first-year applicants for fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores. The department is chosen after enrolment, not applied for separately. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Princeton's.
Can you complete the prerequisites before declaring?
The department says two Politics courses are normally required by sophomore spring.
Would a track help or constrain you?
Tracks are optional and earn an attestation.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB?
Princeton says fall 2028 applicants need either test.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Princeton's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Princeton's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Princeton has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Princeton for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department page and the Undergraduate Announcement entry, and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Princeton University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Princeton University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Princeton Politics?
No. Princeton says students apply to the University, not to individual departments, programs or schools.
Do I need a track to graduate in Politics?
No. The department says students are not required to select a departmental track to graduate with a degree in Politics.
When do students declare Politics?
The department says students select a major in the spring of the sophomore year, normally after two Politics courses.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Princeton says first-year applicants seeking to enrol in fall 2028 will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.
Do A levels and the IB count?
Princeton asks for marks from external exams such as British A levels or the International Baccalaureate, with predicted or achieved results as they become available.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Princeton's wording with no entry-year label. Check Princeton's pages again when Princeton publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Princeton Politics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which tracks interest them, how they would plan the prerequisites and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.