Academic Planning

First-year students planning a major in Politics should keep in mind the following when making a four-year plan for the major:

1. You must pass two lower-division Politics courses (numbered 1-70) to declare the major, so this should be a top priority in your first year.
2. Your remaining 9-10 upper-division requirements are somewhat flexible; unless you save all of your classes until the last quarter, you have plenty of time and options to complete the major.

We encourage you to develop your academic plan by using the following resources:

1. The UCSC General Catalog, for specific major requirements: https://catalog.ucsc.edu/current/General-Catalog/Academic-Units/Social-Sciences-Division/Politics/Politics-BA
2. The Politics Department website, for academic advising and faculty information: http://politics.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/index.html
3. Our course menu, a yearly course schedule available outside Merrill 27
4. The academic planning form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iAMpvVzpbwxC-Q0iSTRhLkpbabg7TYIs2TUF8S6Y2I8/copy#gid=917770227/copy
5. The Politics Major Worksheet: http://politics.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/forms/index.html

Remember:

1. Most upper-division classes do not have pre-requisites (other than declared major during priority enrollment—see below).
2. Upper-division politics courses are open to declared majors only during priority enrollment (the first few days of the enrollment period); after that, courses are open to all students.
3. If you are ready to declare, review the steps on our website: http://politics.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/declare.html

If you have developed a four-year plan and you are looking for feedback, meet with the Undergraduate Adviser during advising hours. Questions? Email polimajor@ucsc.edu.