Formal Theory Subfield Requirements

The Formal Theory field prepares the student to understand and work with formal models applied to the various subfields of political science. In order to prepare for certification in the subfield of Formal Theory, students must take:

Math Camp (during the last two weeks in August) (Andrew Bridy)
PLSC 529 Mathematics for Political Science (Andrew Bridy)
PLSC 518 Introduction to Game Theory (Alexandre Debs / Milan Svolik)

In addition to these courses, students must take at least two of the following:

PLSC 531 Formal Models of American Politics (Ian Turner)
PLSC 532 Formal Models of Comparative Politics (Milan Svolik)
PLSC 533 Formal Models of International Relations (Alex Debs)
PLSC 534 Theories of Distributive Justice: Formal Models of Political Theory (John Roemer)

There is no formal reading list for the field.  Students must take an exam in the field; there is no paper option.
 

Rev. 2019-07-16