Advising Plan
First year advising plan
Students in their first year take courses that meet a combination of requirements for the Political Science and International Relations major and the Liberal Arts Core, following a plan they make in consultation with an academic advisor. Majors should also meet regularly with Political Science and International Relations faculty members to discuss their plans. In particular, students in their first year should start planning study abroad and internship opportunities.
Students in the major beginning their college careers at Marymount begin with POL 101, offered every fall. That course provides an overview of political science and gets students immediately engaged in the opportunities of the Washington DC area.
POL 102 and POL 103 are required for the major but students do not need to take POL 102 and 103 in any particular order. Political Science and International Relations majors should, if possible, take 102 in a spring semester and 103 in a fall semester. So, if your first semester at Marymount is in the…
- …fall semester, you should take POL 103 that fall. If POL 103 is full, please contact your academic advisor to be let in. In the spring, your second semester, take POL 102.
- …spring semester, you should take POL 102 that spring. If 102 is full, please contact your academic advisor to be let in. In the fall, your second semester, take POL 103.
Other courses to take during your first year include:
- TRS 100
- PH 100
- EN 101 and 102
- A course meeting the Natural Science (NS) requirement
- MA 095 for students who are advised to take it
If you are mostly interested in…
- …American politics, you should consider taking an introductory social science course in economics, psychology, or sociology.
- …international affairs, you should consider taking SOC 203, which meets the introductory social science requirement while giving you the option to pursue the international studies minor.
Transitioning to the second year
Students in their second year in the Political Science and International Relations major typically take POL 210, 230, and 250, and often one or two additional elective courses in the major. Those courses do not need to be taken in any particular order. EN 102 is a prerequisite for all of those. Students advancing to their second year should consult with a faculty mentor in the program to discuss their plans. The second year can also be a good time to complete a semester-long study abroad program.
Sample degree plan for the Political Science and International Relations major
All students must consult with an advisor in making course selections that meet their individual needs. We strongly encourage students to complete at least one full semester abroad; students who study abroad for a semester typically do it sometime between the spring semester of their second year and the fall semester of their senior year.
| Year One | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring |
| EN 101 – Composition I | EN 102 Composition II |
| POL 101 – Power and Society | POL 102 – International Relations |
| POL 103 – Comparative Politics | TRS 100 – Theological Inquiry |
| Introductory History | Natural Science with a lab |
| PH 100 – Introduction to Philosophy | University elective |
| Year Two | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring (at Marymount or study abroad) |
| University elective | POL 210 – Theory of Democracy |
| POL 250 – Research and Writing | Introductory Literature |
| POL 230 – American Policy Process | Introductory Social Science |
| Mathematics | Fine Arts, Advanced Literature, or Advanced History |
| Political Science elective | University elective |
| Year Three | |
|---|---|
| Fall (at Marymount or study abroad) | Spring (at Marymount or study abroad) |
| Fine Arts, Advanced Literature, or Advanced History | Moral Reasoning Course |
| University elective | Introductory Social Science or Natural Science |
| Political Science elective | Political Science elective |
| University elective | University elective |
| University elective | University elective |
| Year Four | |
|---|---|
| Fall (at Marymount or study abroad) | Spring |
| POL 400 – Internship | POL 420 – Senior Seminar |
| Political Science elective | Political Science elective |
| Political Science elective | University elective |
| University elective | University elective |
| University elective | University elective |
