Undergraduate Advising

 A: 

1. Review your Academic Record

• Check your Degree Audit Report (DARS) to understand your progress toward graduation
• Note any incomplete requirements, repeated courses, or academic standing concerns

2. Reflect on your Goals

• Consider your academic interests, career aspirations, and personal priorities.
• Think about what you want to discuss. For example, adding a minor or certificate, internships, study abroad, or graduate school.

3. Prepare Questions

• Examples: Which courses should I take next semester? How can I balance my workload? What opportunities can help me reach my goals? Am I on track to graduate on time?

4. Bring Necessary Materials 

• Your Student ID
• Something to take notes with: Phone, Computer, Pen/Paper
• A list of potential courses
• Email any forms to the advisor prior to your appointment

5. Arrive Ready to Engage

• Arrive on time and minimize distractions
• Be open about challenges or uncertainties
• Take notes and clarify next steps before the appointment ends

A: 

• You will receive an appointment summary by email
• Make sure to review your advisor’s recommendations
• Follow up on any action items (e.g., register for classes, meet with another office, fill out forms, etc.)
• Stay in touch with your academic advisor through the semester and be sure to meet at least once per semester

 A: You can request to change your major to Political Science, Global Studies, or International Relations by completing the major change request form on the bottom right hand corner on this website.

A: Please review the certificate requirements to ensure you are able to complete those alongside your major requirements. To request to add the certificate, select the “Add Certificate” button on the certificate page and complete the information.

 A: Please review the minor requirements for Political Science or Global Studies. To request to add the minor, select the “Add Minor” button on the minor page and complete the information.

 A: Review the information under the “Petition to Pursue Concurrent Degree” section on this link to ensure you meet The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements to add a concurrent degree. Then, click the “Add Major” button on the Concurrent degrees website to submit the request.

 A: All Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences require intermediate proficiency in a non-English language (202 level proficiency). All language proficiency options can be found here.

Bachelor of Science (BS) majors are not required to take a language. Instead they must take four other courses not required for the BA degree. These courses include POS 401 (Political Statistics), an extra POS upper division elective (for Political Science majors) or an extra upper division Track Elective (for International Relations majors), and two Science and Society courses (more information can be found here).
 

 A: Before withdrawing from a course (or all of your courses), please reach out to an advisor to discuss this. Advisors cannot assist students with withdrawals after the withdrawal deadline has passed, so be aware of deadlines using the Academic Calendar. 

NOTE: Students dropping below full-time enrollment (12 credit hours) may face serious consequences (e.g. going off track for your major, financial aid/scholarships, housing, insurance, etc). It is your responsibility to contact the appropriate department(s) prior to withdrawing to understand those potential consequences and what your options are.

Complete withdrawals should be viewed as a last resort as there may be serious academic and financial consequences in processing a complete withdrawal.  For more information regarding the procedure for a complete withdrawal through The College of Liberal Arts and Science, visit this link. 

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal. Please visit this website to review eligibility, gather all necessary documentation related to your request, and submit your request. Approvals are granted on a case-by-case basis. If you have additional questions, please reach out to an advisor.