Study Abroad & Away

Advising Guide: List of Programs Abroad & Away for Political Science

Presentation(ppt): Political Science & Study Abroad/Away

If you have questions about participating in one of these programs, please visit the website for CC’s Center for Global Education, where you can learn how to apply, see a guide to credit transfer processes, and also search the course approval database to see previous approvals from past participants. For additional questions about credit transfer to your major, or specific questions about academic planning and goals, check with your academic advisor within Political Science faculty. Below you can also find the contact information for Heather Powell Browne (she/her/hers), the Associate Director of Global Education in the Center for Global Education & Field Study.

Armstrong Hall 214
hpb@coloradocollege.edu
(719) 389-6918

If you are interested in using a course taken while studying off-campus toward a major/minor in Political Science or one of the joint majors in which Political Science is a participant, you should: 

1. Declare your major and consult an advisor in the Political Science Department, if you have not already done so. 

1. Talk to your departmental advisor about courses in the intended off-campus study program that might satisfy requirements for the major or minor in Political Science or for Political Science requirements for one of the joint majors. 

1. While students can and should come up with a few options for courses to take while off-campus, please note that the Political Science department normally accepts only one unit taken on study abroad/away to fulfill (replace) a Political Science requirement, per semester away. 

1. Once you determine with your advisor which are the best course options for your time studying off-campus, you can submit an official course approval request using the Summit system, or add one of the pre-approved courses already in Summit. Please note, you are REQUIRED to upload a syllabus to new requests (a course description alone is not sufficient).  

Washington Semester Credit Transfer to CC Political Science Equivalencies 

Colorado College Political Science Department has a unique, longstanding relationship with the Washington Semester program through American University, and courses taken on this semester away program may fulfill more than the standard one-class-per-semester for study away transfer credit; up to a maximum of three courses total from the Washington Semester may be applied to fulfill CC Political Science major requirements. 

A typical full-credit term of study on the Washington Semester program is 15 semester credits, and will include: 2 seminar courses, both of which may be eligible to transfer back to your CC Political Science major if they apply to different subfields you need; one elective class at American University, which you may submit in Summit for review for Political Science credit (if not previously approved); and your Internship Course (which counts towards overall units for graduation from CC, but does not fulfill any PS major requirements). 
 
CHOOSE TWO SEMINARS, each one is worth 4 semester credits/1 CC unit; CC Political Science credit equivalency determination is listed below each seminar: 

• U.S. Presidency  
  Recommended; U.S. Politics subfield elective. 

• Political Communication  
  Recommended; U.S. Politics subfield elective. 

• Criminal Legal System: Mass Incarceration and Racial Disparity  
  Recommended; U.S. Politics subfield elective. 

• International Peace + Security  
  International Relations subfield elective; IPE elective. 

• Globalization in Crisis  
  International Relations subfield elective; IPE elective. 

• Re-ordering of US Foreign Policy  

International Relations subfield elective; IPE elective. 

• U.S. Public Policy  
  Not recommended, largely a duplicate of a required CC-taught PS course. 

ALL STUDENTS ALSO TAKE: 

• Internship + Internship course (4 semester credits) 

Credit towards 32-unit graduation requirement at CC, but no PS major requirements fulfilled. 

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ELECTIVE: 
To get full credit for your semester away, you will also enroll in one elective course from among American University’s available elective courses (3-4 semester credits). You will create and add AU courses to your Course Approval Form in Summit, to request credit transfer approval to CC and determine how credits will count. Explore American University's course catalog to see what may be available; you’ll work with your Washington Semester program advisors to ensure you meet any prerequisites.