Academic Policies

During registration period, please use insideND to add or drop a class. After that ends, you must fill out a form, available in the department office.

Speak to your advisor before making this decision. You must fill out a form and obtain the appropriate signatures.

Once you have discussed the requirements for the major with an advisor, you may declare the major by filling out a form and getting the required signatures.

  • Eligibility: Students with a grade point average of 3.30 or above
  • Signing up for Directed Readings:
    • Consider the topic you would like to research, building on your interests and previous coursework.
    • Speak to a faculty member with whom you would like to work. Present your idea and ask them if they would consider serving as your reader.
    • Complete a Proposal/Contract for Directed Readings from an advisor in the department office. This describes the arrangements for how often you will meet, the writing requirements, and what the grade will be based on. 

Please remember that a Directed Readings is not the same as a Senior Writing Seminar or a Senior Honors Thesis.

You must complete all ten course requirements of the Political Science major, even if you have a second, or supplementary, major.

As an alternative, consider taking courses in your second area of interest, without a formal major. Your decision should be based on strategic considerations regarding major-only courses, unique field opportunities, and accordance with your first major.

Permissions for restricted classes are given electronically by an advisor in the department office.

A PIN is required for course registration. If Political Science is your first major, you may obtain it in person from the Undergraduate Studies office.

  • If you have only recently declared Political Science as your major, we may not have it. Please visit the Arts and Letters Undergraduate Office in 104 O'Shaughnessy.
  • If Political Science is your second major, you will get your PIN from your first major.
  • Eligibility: Seniors with a grade point average of 3.5 or above
  • Benefits:
    • This two-semester course takes the place of one Senior Writing Seminar.
    • This is an excellent opportunity to do independent research, and eligible students are strongly encouraged to consider this option. Prizes are offered at the end of the school year for the outstanding thesis in the different fields.
  • Deciding on a Thesis:
    • Think about your area of interest and develop a research question.
    • Talk to several faculty members, with whom you might want to work. Present your ideas and ask if they would consider serving as your reader or if they can recommend someone.
    • Fill out a Proposal/Contract, signed by both you and your reader.  In it, you will summarize your proposal and specify the arrangements for the nature and amount of work you will do how often you will meet with your reader, and your grade criteria.
  • Begin planning your thesis in the early spring of your junior year. Consider taking Research Design to understand the research process and plan your work.
  • Students who will be abroad in the spring semester should begin planning their thesis in the fall before they leave.

Before going abroad, please keep in mind:

  • Junior year is an especially important time for thinking about your plans for after graduation. Think about where you want to be when you are a senior.
  • Remember course registration deadlines and requirements for the following semester.
  • You can keep in touch with the Department via email, though we cannot respond immediately during the busy registration period..
  • The College Undergraduate Office in 104 O'Shaughnessy must approve the transfer credits.
  • The Political Science department approves them as courses that will count toward the Political Science major. Any material you can provide, such as catalogs, course descriptions, or syllabi, can help expedite the approval process.

College of Arts & Letters