Study Abroad

While the Department of Political Science encourages its majors to study abroad, care must be taken to assure that major and minor requirements are filled in an appropriate and timely way. The Department and the College allow a Political Science major to receive departmental credit for a maximum of two courses taken while abroad for one semester, or three courses from a year abroad, out of the total of ten courses required. The two capstone colloquia must be taken in our department. A minor may receive credit for only one course taken abroad out of five required courses. The maximum amount of credit awarded for a one-semester course is 3 points.

Obtaining this credit requires the following two-stage process. 

1- PRIOR TO GOING ABROAD students should ensure that the university, program and, when possible, the specific courses the student intends to take are appropriate for major transfer credit. Please consult the Study Abroad website for instructions on how to request pre-approval for your courses abroad and, if you plan on counting any of these courses toward your major or minor, please submit this Slate form. 

Please note that this pre-approval does *not* guarantee course credit from the department toward the major or minor. Final approval cannot be given until the student returns. Also note that if you are studying abroad for one semester, you can use up to one course towards your major. If you are studying abroad for two semesters, you can use up to three.

2- UPON RETURNING, students must submit the course approval form to the Associate Department Chair over email. Make sure to include the course syllabus and any separate reading list; other supplemental material will be helpful as well (course description, transcript, completed assignments, etc.). You'll find a more detailed overview of this process on the course approval page. 

If your request is approved, submit the signed form to Taylor Doran, the Department Administrator, at polisci@barnard.edu. If you obtained approval over email, please forward that approval as well as the filled out form. 

Use the Major Audit to track your political science courses.

While abroad, students should apply for a Barnard colloquium. The schedules and application forms are online. Students who encounter any difficulty with the online form should email polisci@barnard.edu.

¡Buen viaje! Goede reis! Bon voyage!

Have a good trip!

Щасливої ​​дорогu! Gute Reise! Buon Viaggio!