First Year 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. Politics majors should also meet regularly with politics faculty members to discuss their plans. In particular, students in their first year should start planning study abroad and internship opportunities.
POL 102 and POL 103 are required for the major and are prerequisites for many of the advanced courses you will take later. You do not need to take POL 102 and 103 in any particular order. You should try to 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.
You should also be sure to take EN 101 during your first semester (or EN 090 or 100 if you are advised to take it instead).
Other courses to take during your first year include:
- TRS 100
- PH 100
- EN 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 (SS) course in economics, psychology, or sociology.
- …international affairs, you should consider taking SOC 203, which meets the introductory social science (SS) requirement while giving you the option to pursue the international studies minor.
Transitioning to the second year
Students in their second year in the politics major typically take POL 210, 230, and 250, and often one or two additional elective courses in politics. 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 in the politics program to discuss their plans. The second year can also be a good time to complete a semester-long study abroad program.
