For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Required
PSC 1001Introduction to Comparative Politics
or PSC 1003 Introduction to International Politics
PSC 1002Introduction to American Politics and Government
SMPA 2102Introduction to Political Communication 1
SMPA 2110WIntroduction to News Writing and Reporting
SMPA 2112Digital Media I: Introduction to Video Production
SMPA 2113Digital Media II: Introduction to Web Production and Social Media
SMPA 2151Research Methods
SMPA 2152Data Analysis for Journalism and Political Communication
SMPA 4199Senior Seminar
STAT 1053Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
Two political science (PSC) courses (6 credits) numbered 2000 or above.
Electives
21 credits (7 courses) selected from the following:
SMPA 2173Media Law
SMPA 3194Selected Topics in Political Communication 2
SMPA 3196Independent Study
SMPA 3197Internship 3
SMPA 3245WEditorial and Persuasive Writing
SMPA 3240WWashington Reporting
SMPA 3241WCampaign Reporting
SMPA 3333Media Organizations and Audiences
SMPA 3348Political Communication Ethics
SMPA 3350Public Diplomacy
SMPA 3352Principles of Public Relations
SMPA 3353Strategic Political Communication
SMPA 3354Political Campaign Communication
SMPA 3357WPolitical Speech Writing
SMPA 3358Strategic Practicum
SMPA 3428Media, Politics, and Government
SMPA 3450Social Media
SMPA 3459Language and Politics
SMPA 3460Race, Media, and Politics
SMPA 3469International Communication
SMPA 3471Media in the Developing World
SMPA 3472Media and Foreign Policy
SMPA 3476Media, Technology, and Culture
SMPA 3477Information Technology and Politics
SMPA 4198Special Honors Research Seminar

1Students must achieve a minimum grade of C in SMPA 2102 to remain in the major.

2SMPA 3194 may be repeated once for credit.

3Only one 3-credit internship taken under SMPA 3197 can be counted toward the major.

Students must achieve specified grades in some courses. Consult the School of Media and Public Affairs for particular grade and course sequencing requirements.

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, in order to be considered for graduation with Special Honors, students with a 3.7 GPA in all courses completed at GW and in all courses required for the major may declare for Special Honors in political communication at the beginning of the senior year. Students take SMPA 4199 Senior Seminar in the first semester of the senior year and SMPA 4198 Special Honors Research Seminar in the second semester. To achieve Special Honors, the student must maintain the required GPA and present a successful oral defense of a research paper prepared for the Honors Research Seminar before a committee that includes the seminar instructor and two other faculty members nominated by the student and approved by the seminar instructor.