Academic Planning Tips for Political Science Majors or Minors Studying Abroad

The Department of Political Science endorses study abroad as an opportunity for personal and intellectual growth within an undergraduate liberal arts education. A student whose area of concentration is comparative politics or international relations may especially benefit from the opportunity to study in another country. The following information is provided for the benefit of political science majors and minors in order that they can best integrate study abroad with course work at UCSD.

Students are advised to take one to three upper division courses at UCSD before they leave, and to complete about six upper division courses upon their return. This is particularly important for students who must graduate in little more than four years, as well as those who anticipate writing a senior honors thesis (see #3 "Before Leaving").

BEFORE LEAVING

1) Students who plan to study abroad during junior year should take two or three upper division courses in political science before leaving UCSD, thus making it easier to evaluate political science courses abroad.

2) If a course on politics in the country or region of the world the student will be visiting is offered by the Department, the student should consider taking the course here before leaving (to become a more astute observer of politics) or abroad (to learn about politics from local sources). Courses taken abroad cannot duplicate work completed at UCSD.

3) Students who plan to write a senior honors thesis, but will be abroad during the spring quarter of their junior year, should plan ahead before leaving. This means completing some upper division courses at UCSD before going abroad, discussing possible thesis topics with faculty, and considering the possibility of using course work abroad as background for the thesis. For some students, it may be best to stay an additional two quarters of a fifth year during which they write the honors thesis. This allows more time to complete upper division courses in residence at UCSD and to work with faculty prior to the thesis.

MAKING ACADEMIC CHOICES ABROAD

1) Some study centers provide students with stronger political science training than others. In this situation, students should consider reducing work in political science at the foreign study center, and concentrating instead on the academic fields in which the study center excels. (Political Science majors should prepare for this before leaving UCSD by taking upper division political science courses as sophomores if they must complete within four years).

2) Students are encouraged to take full advantage of the breadth of options that exist because study abroad can be an opportunity to complement political science courses offered at UCSD (by taking courses abroad which are not offered at UCSD). But students might consider, as well, taking courses in archeology, anthropology, history, economics, literature, or other subjects, which may expand their liberal arts education without contributing directly to progress in the major. Eleanor Roosevelt College students will likely work both on their majors and on their regional specialization.

3) Although students can transfer as many as six courses toward meeting the requirements for the major from outside UCSD, the Department does not encourage students to try to complete half of the upper division course work for the major abroad. We recommend planning for a maximum of three to four courses transferred to the major. Study abroad can provide students who wish to go on to graduate school in political science with fluency in a foreign language and with commitment to research particular problems or regions of the world. But, students who wish to go on to graduate school will best be served by completing more than half of their upper division courses in the United States.

4) Courses taken abroad which are applied to the Political Science major cannot be taken pass/not pass. Students must also earn at least a C- in the course for it to count toward the major or minor.

5) Students do not need to limit their courses to subjects which duplicate courses taught at UCSD. The following general guidelines should help students select and evaluate courses to be transferred to the major:

• To be considered toward the major or minor, courses taken abroad must transfer as at least four units at UCSD. Courses for less than four units will not be considered.

• Courses must not duplicate work completed at UCSD. This is most commonly a problem with introductory, survey courses in international relations and comparative politics. In such cases, if the courses taken abroad cover the same material as political science 11 or 12, students may elect to have the course transfer in lieu of one of these. Students must still take one of the three lower division courses in residence at UCSD.

• Many courses taken abroad are about politics, but are not political science courses. Courses transferred to the major or minor must explicitly include an organizing conceptual or theoretical framework for analysis, or explicitly introduce students to a range of theoretical options, as part of the course material. Courses that transfer to the major must be analytic, not historical narratives nor journalistic treatment of current events.

• To transfer to the major or minor, courses must involve as much work in political science as UCSD upper division political science courses. Normally, this means a mid-term and final exam and/or a course paper, and on average at least four books or their equivalent required reading. Students need to be prepared to provide supporting evidence of their claim that the course was equivalent to one of our upper division courses

• When given the option of writing an essay or taking an oral exam, students should complete written work that would strengthen the case for the political science content of the course. In addition, given a choice, students should direct their written work toward political science rather than history or economics or sociology.

• Generally, courses taken abroad in business or business and politics, law or international law, organizational theory, and national culture and sociology ("Culture and Society of X") have relatively little political science content and are difficult to accept for the major. Political theory courses which require students to read original theory texts transfer relatively easily and are preferable to courses which survey philosophy of ideas. Courses on "Politics of France, Spain, etc." are usually transferable provided that these are not just current events courses. International relations courses must extend students beyond the material in Political Science 12. Many other kinds of course have transferred. Students should discuss prospects for specific courses with the faculty advisor.

• Remember that universities are structured quite differently in other countries. Students' responsibilities may be more ambiguously defined. Faculty may be more flexible in their attitudes toward attendance. Syllabi may not be available. Readings may not look like our readings. Administrative offices may be very decentralized. This does not necessarily detract from the intellectual, academic value of the experience. But it may limit the amount of work that you can transfer toward the major. To assure maximum possible transferability of courses, students should take academic responsibilities abroad seriously, remembering that however different their system is, students will be expecting credit in the UC system.

TRANSFERRING CREDIT TOWARD THE MAJOR OR MINOR

The Department allows students to transfer a maximum of six courses from outside UCSD toward completion of the major. This includes ALL courses (Advanced Placement credit, Political Science 10, 11, 12, 13, and twelve upper division courses). Thus, students who complete part for their requirements by transferring units from community colleges or other universities should commensurately reduce the maximum number of courses they anticipate transferring from abroad.

The Department cannot provide students with pre-departure guarantees of course transfers based on brief course descriptions. Many universities abroad are overly generous with credits, and students should NOT expect equivalent or nearly-equivalent UCSD credit.

The Department does not transfer courses based on a simple "four credits earned equal one course" formula. Thus, students should plan conservatively on credit transfers. In general, most year long courses are more nearly equivalent to two four-credit courses than to three four-credit courses (even when year long courses appear on transcripts as twelve quarter credits). Semester courses which transfer onto the transcript as six credit courses do not become the equivalent of one and one-half UCSD political science courses.

Education Abroad Program (EAP) - All courses taken through UC's EAP are considered UC courses for which UC credit is earned and grades are directly recorded on the transcript and are factored into calculations of UCSD overall or major GPA. The Department does not control the transfer of credits or grades. However, the Department of Political Science does independently determine which courses may be applied to the major or minor after the Admissions Offices' acceptance of course credits. Students must earn a C- or better for the course to be counted toward completion of the major or minor.

Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) - In the case of courses completed through the OAP, the Admissions Office is responsible for decisions on the transfer of credits into UCSD. Credits transferred through OAP will appear on UCSD transcripts with the host institution name, course titles, and units transferred. The Department does not influence Admissions' decisions about credit transfers. The Department does independently determine which courses may be applied to the major or minor after the Admissions Office's acceptance of course credits. Grades from OAP courses will appear on the transcript from the institution where the work was completed, but these grades are not recorded on the UCSD  transcript, nor are they factored into the cumulative or major GPA. 

GUIDELINES FOR REQUESTING ACADEMIC CREDIT EARNED ABROAD AFTER RETURNING TO UCSD

The following guidelines are provided in order to expedite the process for students to receive credit in the Political Science major or minor for course(s) completed abroad (after returning to UCSD). Any incomplete or inaccurate information will delay the evaluation process.

To apply coursework completed abroad toward a major or minor in Political Science, students must submit an Undergraduate Student Petition and a Political Science Study Abroad Checklist for each course. In addition to these, a signed departmental form (stating that you have read the Academic Planning Tips for Political Science Majors Studying Abroad on EAP or OAP and understand that full credit toward the major may not be approved) must be submitted. ALL FORMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SERVICES IN THE DEPARTMENT.

The Undergraduate Student Petition must include: a) name of the study center or university where coursework was completed; b) department course number and full course title in English, and c) number and level (upper or lower division) of credits granted at UCSD through Admissions or UOEAP. Students should attach evidence of credits granted and grades earned if it is available at the time the petitioning paperwork is submitted to the department.

The Political Science Study Abroad Checklist must be filled out completely for each course for which credit toward the major or minor is being requested.

A copy of the syllabus and copies of exams and papers must be attached. All supporting documents will be returned to students upon completion of the evaluation process.

REMEMBER, PLAN CONSERVATIVELY