Advising

Declaring a Major or Minor

Students declaring a major or minor in Political Science (BA or BS) or International Relations (BA) should follow these step-by-step instructions. (Students interested in a major in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics will find separate instructions on that page.)

Cluster Exceptions

Students seeking a cluster exception should reach out to Professor Gerald Gamm.

Transfer Credit (including Study Abroad)

Use this form to apply for transfer course approval from the Political Science Department, whether it is for a major, a minor, or simply an elective. (For questions about clusters, where transfer courses are rarely approved, do not use this form; instead reach out to Professor Gamm.) Use one submission for each course for which you would like to receive credit. Generally, we only grant credit for courses taken in person. For additional questions about course approval for transfer courses, see Professor Kevin Clarke.

Year-by-Year Course Recommendations

Here you can find advice for planning a four-year schedule for the major in Political Science (BA or BS) or International Relations (BA).

Senior-Year Academic Progress

For graduating seniors, we conduct a systematic review of your Academic Progress page in UR Student in October or November of your senior year. If students see any problems with their Academic Progress after that date, they should work with a peer advisor on a new major checklist, which the peer advisor will send to Professor Gamm. (Before that date, students can follow this same process to update Academic Progress, but there is no requirement to do that.)

General Advising

For all other advising questions, students are encouraged to reach out to any of the department’s faculty undergraduate advisors listed below and our peer advisors.