Guidelines on Major Requirements, Colloquia, and the Senior Research Seminar
for Political Science Majors Studying Abroad
Before going abroad you must fill out the Dean of Studies' Study Leave Course Approval Form, listing the courses you plan to take. Please see our Department Chair and provide course descriptions from the study-abroad program or college catalogue. Note that this pre-approval does not guarantee you course credit from the department toward the major or minor. You get departmental credit when, upon your return, you complete our Course Approval Request and provide a copy of the syllabus or reading list or other course requirements. At the discretion of the Department, courses that do not meet Barnard standards for workload or intellectual rigor will not be granted major or minor credit. (If in doubt, while you are abroad, you should fax or e-mail reading lists at the beginning of the term to the Chair of our Department. The fax number is 1-212-854-3024.)
In addition to heeding the guidelines below, please visit the Dean of Studies' site for more Study Abroad information.
While the Political Science Department encourages its majors to study abroad, care must be taken to assure that major and monir requirements are filled in an appropriate and timely way. In particular:
I. MAJOR / MINOR REQUIREMENTS
The Department and the College allow a Political Science major to receive departmental credit for a maximum of four courses taken abroad, out of the total of ten courses required. A minor may receive credit for only one course taken abroad out of five required courses.
Students should consult with their major advisors or the Department Chair prior to going abroad to assure that the university, program, and when possible, the
specific courses the student intends to take are appropriate for major transfer credit. HOWEVER, final approval cannot be given until the student returns. Upon returning, students must submit a Course Approval Request along with supporting documents (a course description, syllabus, transcript, and, when possible, course work such
as papers or exams) for each course intended to fill major requirements.
II. COLLOQUIUM AND SENIOR SEMINAR REQUIREMENTS
The Department assumes that the three required introductory lecture courses will be taken at Barnard.
The two colloquia and both semesters of the senior research seminar must be Barnard courses. The colloquia -- limited-enrollment (sixteen students) courses -- are designed to guarantee small classes, to allow students to read about and discuss advanced topics in political science, and to engage in doing original research. As such they serve as important prerequisites for the senior research seminar (also known as the senior essay), in which students engage in a more ambitious independent research project on a topic of their choosing. Students must apply for a colloquium during the semester prior to taking it and for the senior seminar before the end of junior year.
While abroad you will be able to prepare for completing departmental colloquium and senior seminar requirements by keeping these reminders in view:
-- If you know you will be away for part or all of your junior year, plan to take a colloquium during the second semester of your sophomore year. This means applying for the colloquium before the end of your first semester of sophomore year (note on your application that you intend to be abroad).
-- If you will be away for your entire junior year, plan to take your second colloquium in the first semester of your senior year.
-- While abroad, check on-line for colloquium and senior seminar schedules with their down-loadable applications. (If you do not expect to have network access, make sure to take the necessary applications with you.) You should return completed application forms by the due dates before your return.
-- Use the Progress Report to keep track of your political science courses.
¡Buen viaje! Goede reis! Bon voyage! Have a good trip! Gute Reise! Buon Viaggio!
© 1996-∞ Department of Political Science at Barnard College
Last update by
Nell Dillon-Ermers.
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