Political Science Syllabus 2026: Check Semester-wise Subjects & Syllabus

Pallavi Priyadarshini PandaContent Writer
Political science as a discipline focuses on studying and analysing power and politics from varied perspectives such as domestic, international, and comparative. Through this, any student who wishes to understand anything related to politics; process, structure, behaviour, institutions, ideas, ideologies, war, law, diplomacy, strategy, groups, classes, and the government, can fulfil their wish.
- It can be pursued as an undergraduate course or a postgraduate course, i.e. either a Bachelor's or a Master's.
- The course should be pursued by people interested in and aspiring to make a career in the political domain.
- This discipline is offered by many top colleges and universities throughout India and is readily opted for right after the 12th if it interests them.
- The job roles vary from legislative assistant, political advisor, professor, researcher, IAS officer, IFS officer, public relations specialist, policy analyst, political campaigner etc.
Typical Core Subjects for Political Science
|
Subject title |
Subject details |
|---|---|
|
Understanding political theory |
This subject introduces political theory to students. Then it moves on to the traditions and approaches to political theory, explains the critical and contemporary trends, and winds up with political theory practice and its grammar. |
|
Constitutional Government and Democracy in India |
The subject discusses the constitution, assembly, government organs, federalism, and decentralisation. |
|
Political Theory and Concepts |
This subject deals with the importance of freedom, the indispensability of justice, universal rights, and concerns itself with major debates. |
|
Political Process in India |
This subject is a detailed compilation of content on the party system in India, religion, regionalism and politics, caste and politics, and the change in the nature of India along with the times. |
|
Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics |
Through this subject, students understand comparative politics, the historical context of modern government such as capitalism and globalisation, socialism, colonialism and themes of comparative politics. |
|
Introduction to Public Administration |
This subject introduces students to the public administration discipline, classical theories such as scientific management and administration management, neo-classical and contemporary theories such as human relations, ecological approach etc. and public policy and major approaches in public administration. |
|
Perspectives on International Relations |
The subject helps students understand international relations, various related theoretical perspectives, and an overview of the twentieth century. |
|
Political Processes and Institutions in Comparative Perspective |
This subject guides students with various approaches to study comparative politics about the system of election and parties, nation-state and democratisation in post-colonial societies. |
|
Public Policy and Administration in India |
This subject introduces everything about public policy and administration, explains decentralisation, budget and social welfare administration, citizen and Administration interface. |
|
Global Politics |
This subject gives insights on globalisation: concepts and perspectives and contemporary global issues such as terrorism, migration etc. |
|
Western Political Philosophy |
This subject gives an insight to students about the framing of the first political questions and goes back in time to Greek antiquity. This has text and interpretations of Plato, Hobbes, Karl Marx, etc. |
|
Indian Political Thought |
This subject speaks of the emergence and evolution of Indian political thought over different points of time, including traditional pre-colonial Indian political thought, Ved Vyasa and Manu, Kautilya, Barani and Aggannasutta, Kabir and Abul Faza. |
|
Contemporary Political Philosophy |
Political philosophies are introduced with this subject, including those of Lenin, Mao Zedong, Antonio Gramsci, and John Rawls. |
|
Modern Indian Political Thought |
This subject has insights into modern Indian political thought. It includes ideas such as Ram Mohan Roy's liberalism to JP Narayan's total revolution and everything in between. |
Typical Elective Subjects for Political Science
|
Subject title |
Subject details |
|---|---|
|
Introduction to Human Rights |
This subject deals with understanding human rights, i.e. three generations, universal declaration, rights in the national constitution, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. |
|
Development process and social movements in contemporary India. |
This subject explains the development process ever since Independence, development strategy, and its impact on social structure and various social movements. |
|
India Foreign Policy in a Changing world |
This subject describes the bases, determinants, post-colonial perspectives of India's foreign policy. It further explains India's relations with the USA, Russia, China and South Asia and India’s position as a global power. |
|
Women, Power and Politics |
This subject focuses on feminism, issues for women such as patriarchy, violence, women empowerment and development. |
|
Feminism: Theory and Practice |
This subject focuses on making students understand feminism, the various theories surrounding it, the issues and participation of women and families in contemporary India and women 's work and labour. |
|
Governance: Issues and Challenges |
This subject includes government and governance, good governance, local governance and good governance initiative in India. |
|
Gandhi and the Contemporary World |
This subject has key instances of Gandhi and his influence, his initiatives and legacy, for example, Satyagraha, Swaraj etc. |
|
United Nations and Global Conflicts |
This subject has an overview of The United Nations, other organisations such as the Security Council, the International Court of Justice and major conflicts in global space since the second world war. |
Detailed Syllabus for Political Science
|
Semester |
Subject title |
Subject Details |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Principles of Political Science I |
This subject has everything about political science, such as its definitions, nature, scope etc. The state's elements, nature, theories, and sovereignty are also discussed. |
|
1. |
Indian National Movement & Constitutional Development I |
This subject has everything about the history of the Indian National Movement, how the Indian National Congress came into existence, The Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, the Home Rule Movement, the Non-Cooperation movement, the Swaraj Party, the Charter Acts etc. |
|
2. |
Principles of Political Science II |
This subject has everything about political ideas such as socialism, justice, democracy, equality, liberty, nationalism, feminism, fascism and others. |
|
2. |
Indian National Movement & Constitutional Development II |
This subject explains the rise and growth of revolutionary movements in India, such as the Quit India Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and acts such as the Government of India Act, 1935, Indian Independence Act, 1947 etc. |
|
3 |
Comparative Political Institutions I |
This subject describes the nature and approaches of comparative political institutions, constitutionalism and rule of law, federalism and separation of powers, etc. |
|
3 |
Constitution of India |
This subject is comprehensive information about the composition, aims and objectives of the constituent assembly, preamble, parliament, judiciary, citizenship, fundamental rights and duties etc. |
|
4 |
Comparative Political Institutions II |
This subject describes the executive, legislature, and judiciary of countries such as the UK, USA, China, Russia, and the different political parties therein. |
|
4 |
Constitution of India II |
This one has all the information one needs on the governor, chief minister, union-state relations, amendment procedure, election commission and finance commission. |
|
5 |
Political Thought - Indian and Western I |
This subject is a comparative assessment of Indian thinkers such as Manu and Kautilya and Western thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. |
|
5 |
Indian Government and Politics |
This subject describes salient features of the Indian political system, federalism, parliament, Supreme Court, union government, fundamental rights and duties etc. |
|
5 |
Political Sociology I |
This subject has everything about political sociology, such as emergence, nature, scope and approaches. It also includes political socialisation, participation and power. |
|
5 |
Principles of Public Administration I |
This one describes all aspects of public administration such as nature, scope, public and private, etc. It also focuses on the concept of the organisation such as meaning, types, principles, units, and the concept, merits, and demerits of delegated legislation. |
|
5 |
International Relations I |
The different concepts of international business such as meaning, scope, approaches, power and ideology are studied in this subject. It also has national power, interest, Cold War, non-alignment, etc. |
|
6 |
Political thought: Indian and Western II |
This one continues from its predecessor, describing the ideals and studies of Indian thinkers such as Vivekananda Gandhi and Western thinkers such as Rousseau, Machiavelli, etc. |
|
6 |
Indian Government and Politics II |
ThIs one describes the political process and issues in Indian democracy. |
|
6 |
Political Sociology II |
Political culture, parties, pressure groups, public opinion, mass society, modernisation etc., form the content to be studied in this subject. |
|
6 |
Principles of Public Administration II |
This subject describes the types, functions and roles of the Chief Executive, personal administration, administrative corruption, financial administration and administrative improvement. |
|
6 |
International Relations: Concepts and Issues -II |
As a continuation to its first volume, this one describes Cold War politics, regionalism, foreign policy, and the United Nations. |
Specialisations offered in Political Science
-
Specialisation
Specialisation Subjects
Comparative Politics
Political change, comparative politics, party system, political institutions, terrorism, hybrid regimes
Electoral Politics
Parties, party system, voting behaviour, democracy and elections, survey methodology, religion and party politics in the west
Political Communication
Citizen politics, automated text analysis, political communication, social movements
Political Economy
Democracy, globalisation, inequality, devolution, decentralisation, autocracy, state and markets, business, Neoliberalism
Political Research Methodology and Social Analysis
Field research and data analysis, introduction to statistics, applied statistics, multivariate statistics, casualty
Social and Political theory
Political Institutions, populism, popular sovereignty, reinterpreting physical violence, manipulation, power and representation in legislatures.
Post-Communist Politics
Populism, democracy, nationalism, topics, trends and techniques of political research.
Books and Authors Related to Political Science
-
Subject
Book title
Authors
Understanding political theory
Political theory: An Introduction
Bhargava, R. and Ashok Acharya
Political theory
Modern Political theory
Verma, S.P.
The political process in India
Politics in India
Kaviraj, Sudipta
Comparative government and policies
World Constitutions
Bhagwan, Vishnu
Syllabus for Distance Program in Political Science
Students who wish to pursue political science but cannot attend regular college because of financial constraints, distance, eligibility, job, or other reasons, have another option, which is distance learning. The course structure remains the same, the only difference being that students do not have to go to college regularly.
There are options for colleges and universities which allow you to pursue political science in distance mode, such as:
-
Delhi University SOL
-
IGNOU
-
CU
-
University of Mumbai
-
Jaipur National University
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News & Updates
Student Forum
Answered 2 weeks ago
absolutely, LPU offers M.Sc. Public Policy which includes vital subjects related to policy analysis, governance and public administration. The programme aims to teach students the process by which public policies are formulated, executed, assessed, regulated and shaped by social, economic and politi
Y
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 3 weeks ago
You can find BA Political Science courses in many modes of education. You can choose the mode based on your accessibility & preferences. Some of the different types of BA Political Science courses that are classified based on their mode of education are mentioned below:
Types of BA Political Science Courses | BA Political Science Course Details |
|---|---|
Full-Time BA Political Science Courses | Regular or full-time BA Political Science courses are among the most popular options opted by students. Students attend the lectures and seminars in the college premises. It aids students in their holistic development. There is a lot of scope for extracurricular activities at the college or inter-college level. |
Distance BA Political Science Courses | The students do not attend regular college in the Distance mode of BA Political Science courses. They receive study materials and get access to the student portal. They would only have to appear in person for seminars and final examinations. |
Online BA Political Science Courses | An Online BA Political Science Programme can be pursued by candidates who wish to pursue BA Political Science courses without attending regular college or appearing for offline exams. The admission process, lecture delivery, submission of assignments, and semester exams are conducted online. |
B
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a month ago
Students interested in civil services, public policy, and governance can find the B.A. Political Science programme at LPU suitable because the curriculum covers political theory, the Indian Constitution, public administration, international relations, and current policy issues. Regular discussions,
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
Students in the B.A. Political Science programme at LPU develop practical skills that are useful beyond the classroom. The course improves critical thinking, public speaking, policy analysis, research, report writing and communication through presentations, projects and discussions. It also helps st
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
A B.A. Political Science from LPU can lead to careers in civil services, public administration, policy research, journalism, law, social sector organizations, political consulting and corporate public affairs. The course builds knowledge of governance, the Constitution, international relations and c
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
B.A. Political Science at LPU offers good scope for students who want to build careers in civil services, public administration, law, journalism, policy research, social development and higher studies. The course focuses on political theory, international relations, public policy and the Indian poli
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
The B.A. Political Science programme at LPU covers subjects that help students understand politics, government and society in a practical way. The curriculum usually includes Indian Political System, Political Theory, International Relations, Public Administration, Comparative Politics, Indian Const
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
Yes, LPU includes practical exposure in the B.A. Political Science course through internships, field visits, project work, seminars, and research based activities. Students get opportunities to understand public administration, governance, and policy making beyond classroom learning. Research assign
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
Placement opportunities after completing B.A. Political Science from LPU are available in both private and public sectors. Students can explore roles in public policy, research, content development, media, NGOs, government project support, corporate communication and human resources, depending on th
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
A B.A. Political Science graduate from LPU can explore opportunities in government departments through competitive exams, policy research organizations, NGOs, international development agencies and public affairs roles. The course builds knowledge of governance, public policy, international relation
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, BA Political Science (Hons.) at Galgotias University is a good option with experienced faculty a balanced curriculum seminars internships and opportunities to develop research analytical and communication skills
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 months ago
At Galgotias University, BA Political Science Honours is a 3-year undergraduate program designed as per NEP 2020 guidelines.
The general courses taught under the program include:
Core Discipline Papers:
1. Introduction to Political Theory - Covers basic concepts like liberty, equality, justice, and rig
A
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 2 months ago
It depends on cutoffs and quota. Getting Polotical Science (Hons) is tough with this score, but you may get English Hons in some off-campus DU colleges.
N
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 months ago
M.Sc. Public Policy graduates from LPU can explore opportunities in government bodies, public sector projects, NGOs, development organizations, policy think tanks and research institutions. Roles are available in policy analysis, programme management, governance, social impact assessment and researc
S
Beginner-Level 1
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Does the M.Sc. Public Policy programme at LPU include policy analysis, governance, and public administration?