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:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| PSC 1001 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| or PSC 1003 | Introduction to International Politics | |
| PSC 1002 | Introduction to American Politics and Government | |
| SMPA 2102 | Introduction to Political Communication 1 | |
| SMPA 2110W | Introduction to News Writing and Reporting | |
| SMPA 2112 | Digital Media I: Introduction to Video Production | |
| SMPA 2113 | Digital Media II: Introduction to Web Production and Social Media | |
| SMPA 2151 | Research Methods | |
| SMPA 2152 | Data Analysis for Journalism and Political Communication | |
| SMPA 4199 | Senior Seminar | |
| STAT 1053 | Introduction 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 2173 | Media Law | |
| SMPA 3194 | Selected Topics in Political Communication 2 | |
| SMPA 3196 | Independent Study | |
| SMPA 3197 | Internship 3 | |
| SMPA 3245W | Editorial and Persuasive Writing | |
| SMPA 3240W | Washington Reporting | |
| SMPA 3241W | Campaign Reporting | |
| SMPA 3333 | Media Organizations and Audiences | |
| SMPA 3348 | Political Communication Ethics | |
| SMPA 3350 | Public Diplomacy | |
| SMPA 3352 | Principles of Public Relations | |
| SMPA 3353 | Strategic Political Communication | |
| SMPA 3354 | Political Campaign Communication | |
| SMPA 3357W | Political Speech Writing | |
| SMPA 3358 | Strategic Practicum | |
| SMPA 3428 | Media, Politics, and Government | |
| SMPA 3450 | Social Media | |
| SMPA 3459 | Language and Politics | |
| SMPA 3460 | Race, Media, and Politics | |
| SMPA 3469 | International Communication | |
| SMPA 3471 | Media in the Developing World | |
| SMPA 3472 | Media and Foreign Policy | |
| SMPA 3476 | Media, Technology, and Culture | |
| SMPA 3477 | Information Technology and Politics | |
| SMPA 4198 | Special 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.