Undergraduate Programs - Special Courses and Programs
The Department offers various opportunities for individualized studies. Special courses and programs are listed below.
Undergraduate Seminars and Special Topics Courses
Each year the department offers special seminars and courses in the study of politics. Some are offered as part of the departmental Honors Program. Enrollment is limited, as a rule, to 15 students, and such courses are normally open to juniors and seniors. Students in the departmental and/or UMass Amherst Honors programs will be given preference if pre-registration exceeds the enrollment limit. Students should speak with the instructor before registering. Seminars and Special Topics courses may be used to satisfy the department's elective requirement, and, if so stated in the official pre-registration guide or schedule of courses, they may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement. Seminars for a particular semester are listed in UMass Amherst's Schedule of Courses under the numbers POLSCI 291–295, 391–395, and 491–495. Special Topics courses are listed under POLSCI 397.
Independent Study
Political Science credit may be obtained through independent study on topics of mutual interest to students and faculty. Responsibility for such arrangements lies with the student, who should (a) identify a subject to pursue either through directed readings or research and (b) locate a member of the department faculty agreeable to supervise that work. The Independent Study numbers (POLSCI 296, 396, 496) should be used for this purpose. Ordinarily a student will receive no more than three semester hours credit for any such undertaking, although it is possible to receive up to six hours credit in a single semester. Credit earned through independent study may be used to satisfy one elective requirement in the department, provided that at least three credits are earned and a grade is given. No independent study course, however, may be used to satisfy an introductory or distribution requirement.
International Relations Club
The IR Club was formed in 2000 by a group of students interested in participating in on and off-campus activities. In its first year IR Club students participated in conferences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Model United Nations at McGill University in Montreal, and the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference at Annapolis. There were additional lectures and social events on campus. The IR Club, based in the Political Science Department, is open to any UMass Amherst undergraduate. Additional information is available at the IR Club website.
