Degree

• How do I declare my major or minor? Answer

  To declare a major or a minor, please make an appointment using Navigate with any of the political science advisors.

• Should I get a B.A. or a B.S.? Answer

  This is ultimately up to the student.

  Take into account:
  1. B.A. requires six hours of second year foreign language (usually means 10 hours of first year).
  2. B.S. requires 12 hours of formal science (math or math reasoning) which is six hours over the core requirement.
  3. B.S. requires eight hours of natural science which is two hours over the core requirement.

• Do I need a minor? Answer

  You may choose between a minor, double major, thesis or specific certification programs. Please see an advisor for more information.

• What can I minor in? Answer

  The political science department does not restrict students to certain minors. You may take any university approved minor. Please consult the Undergraduate Catalog.

• Where do I get a degree plan? Answer

  You have access to your own degree plan in your Student Center page in PeopleSoft. It is in the tab to the left of your current list of classes. Once you pull down the menu, click on “Academic Requirements." When you get to the next page, click on the tab that says “View Report as PDF.” You then will be able to see your degree plan. If you have difficulty accessing your degree plan, make an appointment with one of the political science academic advisors through Navigate. They will be able to demonstrate and review the degree plan with you.

• Do I need to take a foreign language? Answer

  If you are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must have six hours of sophomore foreign language (ie. 2301 and 2302). These classes generally have prerequisites, so be sure to check the catalog and/or schedule before registering. If you are pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), you are not required to have any foreign language.

• What is a formal science? Answer

  Formal sciences (as opposed to natural sciences) are sciences of concepts (as opposed to physical properties). Mathematics, computer science, formal logic and statistics are formal sciences at the University of Houston. Formal science courses for the B.S. degree are the math and math/reasoning core classes, plus continuations of those (i.e. Calculus II, Logic II, etc.). The explicit requirement is 12 hours of formal science, six hours of which MUST BE IN MATH. Your core college algebra and core math/reasoning cover six of the 12 hours, so you need two classes (six hours) beyond the core classes. Please see an advisor with any questions.

• What is "double counting"? Answer

  Double counting is when a certain course counts for two requirements. The extra hours, however, always must be made up with an elective.

• Can I finish my degree sooner by "double counting" classes? Answer

  It may seem so, but not really. You need a certain number of hours to graduate (120 for POLS), and it does not matter how you get there.

• Do GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306 (formerly POLS 1337 and 1336) count toward my major hours? Answer

  No, they do not count toward major hours, nor do they count toward the calculation of the major GPA. They are both required core courses.

Financial

• What happens if I do not pay my tuition bill on time and get dropped from my classes? Answer

  You will be dropped from your classes. By state law, you have until the 20th class day to pay your tuition. If you pay by the 20th class day, you will be reinstated. Only on extremely rare occasions can an exception be made. Please contact Financial Aid for questions related to financial issues.  https://www.uh.edu/about/offices/enrollment-services/financial-aid/.

Graduation

• How do I apply to graduate? Answer

  Applying for graduation is done through PeopleSoft.

• How do I graduate with honors? Answer

  Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last 54 hours (all of which must be letter-grade courses: A, B, C, etc.) completed at the University of Houston. Grades of S, U, I and W are not assigned grade point values and are not used in the computation of the grade point average.

  	Honors Grade Point Averages
  	3.90 to 4.0	Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors)
  	3.70 to 3.89	Magna Cum Laude (with high honors)
  	3.50 to 3.69	Cum Laude (with honors)

               Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final 54 hours was completed.

• What are the GPA requirements for graduation? Answer

  You must have a cumulative 2.0 GPA in all your work at the University of Houston. For the  POLS major, you must have a 2.0 in all your major coursework (average of all major classes). Although for many minors the GPA requirement is also 2.0, there are a number of minors that require higher GPAs. For example, the minors Law, Values and Policy, National Security Studies, and Quantitative Social Sciences require a 2.5 GPA. Please check with your minor department for the GPA requirements.

• What is a Graduation Application? Answer

  An application must be done through PeopleSoft.

Petitions

• Where do I go to submit a petition? Answer

  To change or declare a major or minors, make an appointment through Navigate with the department that you are declaring the major or minor. For all other petitions, it is best to either make an appointment with your major advisor or email them for further instructions.

  For transfer credit equivalencies, there is now a tab available to students in Navigate.

• How do I check the status of my petition? Answer

  Please check with your major advisor. The petition may originate anywhere, but it will always end up in your major advisor's office. 

• Where does my petition go when it leaves my hands? Answer

  Once the petition is submitted to the POLS department, it will generally be signed by the academic advisor or the faculty advisor. It is then forwarded to the chairperson of the department to be signed. Once this is done, it is sent to the CLASS office for final approval or disapproval. If it is a core question, however, it will be forwarded to the Office of the Provost for approval and then it will come back to the major department of the student.

Registration/Enrollment

• When is the deadline for registration? Answer

  The particular deadlines may be found in the academic calendar.

• How do I register? Answer

  During priority and regular registration periods, students may register online here. Please consult the schedule for actual dates and times and the catalog for prerequisites. Between the end of the enrollment period and the 12th day of classes, students may only be registered by submitting ADD/DROP forms with the appropriate signatures to Academic Affairs 320AH.

• I am trying to register for a POLS class, and it is full – what should I do? Answer

  Please see a political science undergraduate advisor. If you are trying to register for a full section of POLS 3311, 3313 or 3341, please bring proof that you are a graduating senior in the current semester. If you are not a current semester graduating senior, you will not be added.

Testing

• I have a CLEP, AP or other college test to take. Where should I go? Answer

  Please direct all testing questions to: University Testing Services (UTS),  713.743.5444     

• Do I need to take the TSI assessment? Answer

  For all information about the TSI, please refer to this website: https://uh.edu/ussc/tsi/.

Transfer

• How do I satisfy the writing intensive portion of the core as a transfer student? Answer

  The writing intensive component is not required in the evaluation of transfer classes for application to the core curriculum. Any core requirement satisfied by a transfer course is exempt from the writing intensive requirement, ie. if you transfer six hours of core social sciences, the writing intensive component is considered fulfilled.

• What are the residency requirements? Answer

  UH allows 66 lower level eligible courses to be used toward the 120 needed to graduate. There is no restriction on the number of eligible advanced hours. There is a 30-hour residency requirement for a bachelor's degree with the stipulation that the last 30 hours of the degree be taken in residence. The University does allow a limited number (six credits) of core courses or foreign language courses to be taken not-in-residence and not violate the last 30 hour rule. You must see an advisor before doing so for eligibility. For the major specifically, the department of political science requires 15 hours in residence, 12 of which must be advanced for a POLS major, and at least six advanced hours for a POLS minor. In residence means classes are taken at a University of Houston System campus.