Frequently Asked Questions

Howard students must complete a minimum of 120 credits. These credits fall into four categories:

• Major: Political Science (POLS) Major: 33 POLS credits

• A Minor: Students can choose a minor in COAS (College of Arts and Sciences), SOC (School of Communications), SOB (School of Business), or SOEd (School of Education). The minor requires 15-18 credits.

  • Different schools, like SOC, SOB, SOEd, have different requirements for Political Science (POLS) majors.

• General education courses (Divisional A, B and D, philosophy, speech, etc.)

• University course requirements (e.g., English, speech, health education, foreign language, swimming, etc.).

TAKE ALL THREE OF THESE CLASSES:

     +

TAKE ONE of the following POLS theory courses:

+

TAKE:

7 additional POLS COURSES, known as electives

NOTE: For POLS Majors:

See this link to the Political Science Degree Completion Map.

No, POLS majors do not choose a concentration; rather, the Department offers courses in the major subfields of Political Science: American Politics, Black Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, and Public Policy. Students can choose to take courses that focus in one area or take a variety of POLS classes from each of the fields. The current POLS course bulletin lists all the POLS courses in each subfield.

POLS Majors must take:

• 3 Divisional A courses (Humanities)
• 2 Divisional B Courses (Social Sciences & History; POLS 001: Introduction to Political Science counts as a Division B course)
• 0 Divisional C Courses (why? Divisional C is the POLS major)
• 4 Divisional D Courses divided into Math and Science courses:
  • Students must take 2 MATH classes (e.g., MATH 005 or 006: College Algebra I and MATH 010: College Algebra II or other MATH courses)
  • However, the two MATH classes do NOT have to be sequenced like the above examples. Students can take MATH 006: College Algebra I and MATH 007: Pre-Calculus
    • Exception: If a student comes in with AP Calculus credit or transfers in a Calculus class, which is the “highest” math course for non-MATH majors, students have to take 3 non-math Division D courses instead (e.g., science classes)
  • POLS Majors should consider taking non-lab Division D courses, such as, PHYS 010: General Astronomy I, PHYS 011: General Astronomy II, PHYS 012: The Astronomical Universe, or PSYC 050: Introduction to Psychology
    • Caveat: The non-lab Divisional D courses fill up quickly each semester and can be hard to get into during students’ first and second years (some get in, some don’t).
    • Students can take the non-lab classes at any time.
    • Students do NOT need to take their Division D non-lab classes their first two years.
    • POLS majors should consider taking their Division D non-lab classes when they can, and it is okay to delay taking Division D non-lab classes later in their career at HU.
  • POLS Majors do NOT have to take lab classes (i.e., Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Planetary or Life Sciences).

Follow this link to COAS Divisional Courses.

Swimming is a required class to graduate. Temporarily, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the swimming requirement was replaced with an alternative HHPL class. However, as campus will be opening this fall, the pre-covid rules to graduate and the swimming requirement may revert to the pre-covid rules. As swimming is a class outside of POLS, you need to contact Dr. Deborah Johnson, the interim chair of the Health, Human Performance, and Leisure Studies (HHPL) Department, and ask her about swimming classes being offered this year (djohnson@howard.edu).

All Political Science Independent Study Classes (POLS IS) are reserved for POLS majors. IS POLS courses require students to develop their own topic and related paper or project that must be completed in a single semester. It is important to know that an IS course does NOT meet on a regular basis, there is no reading list or traditional syllabus, and it is the student’s responsibility to choose the topics and readings. In other words, being enrolled in an IS POLS course means that you are taking a self-directed course. It is up to you to do the bulk of the work.

For you to successfully complete a POLS Independent Study course, you need to:

• Figure out what you want to study and why.
• Find a POLS faculty member that you want to work with the semester prior to taking an IS class.
• Email that POLS faculty member and ask them if they want to work with you on your proposed project (IS students must be matched with a POLS professor to take and complete an IS course).
• Once you have secured a POLS faculty advisor, register for the IS course, fill in the attached form, and email it back to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Dr. Norman Sandridge, nsandridge@howard.edu).
• POLS IS courses are graded on an A-F scale, like other classes.
• If you are not ready to do independent research, or enroll in the wrong class, be sure to withdraw/drop this class by the drop/withdraw date.

POLS IS Courses are as follows:

IS POLS 081, 1 credit

IS POLS 082, 2 credits

IS POLS 083, 3-credits

The number of credits for an IS course is directly related to the amount of work a student plans to do. In Spring 2021, these norms were established by the Department:

• For a 3-credit IS course, it is expected that a student will write a 25-30 page research paper, with a properly formatted bibliography.
• For a 2-credit IS course, students are expected to write a 12-15 research page paper, with a properly formatted bibliography.
• For a 1-credit IS course, students can develop an annotated bibliography with 5-6 sources on a singular topic of interest.

Once you have found a faculty member in political science who has agreed to work with you on your independent study course, fill out this form and email it to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), Dr. Norman Sandridge (nsandridge@howard.edu).

Yes, in order to graduate, you must take the POLS comprehensive exam. The Undergraduate Comprehensive Exam is offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. The test date is set by COAS. POLS provides a study session prior to the comprehensive exam.

Advising is a shared responsibility at Howard. Students have two advisors: one in the University Office of Undergraduate Studies/Center for Academic Excellence (OUS/CAE) and one in the department in which their major rests.  The departmental advisors are known as “faculty advisors.” This means that someone in the Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUS) as well as the POLS Department helps you choose courses that fit your major and graduation requirements. 

Transfer students are encouraged to meet with their OUS/CAE advisors first to ensure that your credits from other institutions have transferred over and to ensure that any placement tests or other general requirements are fulfilled. You can also check the status of your transfer credits by signing into Bison Web and finding your HU Transcript (transfer credits will be listed first).

To meet degree requirements, students are advised by professional staff and Political Science (POLS) faculty. 

Generally, yes; the admissions office will process your transfer courses and apply them to equivalent courses here at Howard University although some courses may transfer in as an equivalent class in other departments.

To declare POLS as your major, you will need to meet with your academic advisor and fill out the appropriate change of major form found on the Registrar’s form page here Forms | Howard University. For students transferring from within COAS, you will need to fill out the Change of Major/Minor form. Students transferring from schools/colleges outside of COAS must use the Intra-University change of major form.

You can find a list of all Advisors for POLS and other majors here: Academic Advising | Howard University Office of Undergraduate Studies.

As of Spring 2023, POLS majors who are Freshmen and Sophomores receive advising from Mr. William Heberlein in the Office of Academic Advising. POLS majors who are Juniors and Seniors receive advising from the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Norman Sandridge.

We do not classify our undergraduate classes by their fields of study. Generally, we try to make the general field(s) that courses fall within known with the course titles. For instance, Black Political Theory falls within both the Political Theory and Black Politics fields. 

If you have an internship applicable to Political Science, you may be eligible to take the Internship I or Internship II course as a POLS elective. Interested students must get their internships approved by the Internship Coordinator, Dr. JohnPatrick Ifedi, to be able to register for the course. You can only receive credit for an internship in the same semester that you are registered for the course. You will need to submit proof of your internship, such as with an offer letter or message from your supervisor, to be granted access to the course.

The Political Science major is a 33 credit major consisting of 4 required courses and 7 electives. Students must earn a “C” or higher in their Political Science courses to have them applied toward their major. Political Science majors must also have the COAS general ed requirements to graduate including 120 credits minimum, a declared and completed minor program, and all general education requirements. You can view the Fall 2022 Political Science scheme here.

Yes. You will get courses taken abroad approved for Howard University equivalents as part of the process for Studying Abroad.

It is possible to double major as a POLS student once you reach Sophomore standing, however your second major must be within COAS. Additionally, students who double major must complete the major AND general education requirements of that new major. Note that this will increase the necessary credits for graduation over the normal 120 credits. Students who double major do not have to declare a minor but may still do so. We highly recommend that students have at least a 3.5 GPA to pursue a double major. Please consult with your academic advisor if you are interested in double majoring. 

The POLS degree consists of 33 credits (4 required courses and 7 electives). All Howard University undergraduate students must have 120 credits to graduate.

Yes, all COAS students are required to declare and complete a minor program. You can find more information on minors here (link to minor form) or speak to your advisor.

Yes, all Political Science majors must earn a grade of “C” or higher for it to be applied to their major degree requirements.

POLS MINOR for COAS Majors: 1 required course AND 4 POLS electives for a total of 15 POLS credits.

POLS MINOR for SOC Majors: 1 required course AND 5 POLS electives for a total of 18 POLS credits.

Students are encouraged to pick a minor--or a second major--in their sophomore year. Every Political Science (POLS) major must choose a minor, and that minor can be in COAS, SOC, SOEd or SOB. Read up on the different COAS minors and the classes they offer here: https://coas.howard.edu/degrees-programs/majors-minors

POLS majors that choose a minor in SOC, SOEd or SOB must go to that schools’ respective website, find the information they need about declaring a minor outside of COAS, and contact the advisor in that Department for information about the minor.

Once a student chooses their minor(s) or a second major, they need to make it official by filling in the appropriate paperwork online. When a student makes a decision about their minor(s) or second major, they need to follow the instructions below to make their decision official:

• To change your major and/or minor, go to the Registrar's website and fill in the form online: https://www2.howard.edu/academics/registrar/forms
• Scroll down to the "Change of Major, Minor or Concentration" click on the link.
• Fill out the form.
• Write in your new major/minor. List the name of the person in your new Department (e.g., the Chair of the Department or Undergraduate Director for your new major/minor). If you are choosing POLS as a major or minor, write in the name and email of the POLS DUS
• Once you submit this change of major/minor form, the form will be routed to the designated signee, who will sign and submit it, and then once it is processed, your Degree Works will be updated with your new major/minor.

Yes, Political Science (POLS) majors can double major. If you choose to double major, you do NOT need to choose a minor (your second major counts towards your required minor). When you double major in COAS, only the first major is listed on your diploma.

To learn more about the Honors Program at Howard, please visit this site.  At Howard University, there are different types of Honors designations, including:

1. COAS Dean’s Honor Roll: This is determined by the College and is based on GPA and taking a minimum of 14 credits each semester.
2. HU Honors Distinction (at Graduation): HU Honors Distinction will appear on a student’s transcript, diploma, and will be noted in the commencement program:

• Cum Laude: 3.20-3.49
• Magna Cum Laude: 3.50-3.79
• Summa Cum Laude: 3.80-4.00

3. COAS Honors Program: Students must be invited to apply to become a COAS Honors Program student.
   • The COAS Honors Program sends out email invitations to incoming Freshmen and rising Sophomores who meet the Honors Program requirements. Invitations are sent out during the summer.

If a student receives an invitation, they are asked to fill out an application. Applications from POLS majors are reviewed and only a small percentage (under 10%) of applicants are accepted into the COAS Honors Program as POLS majors.

No, students cannot apply to the BA (POLS)/JD program after they have started at HU. The highly competitive program only invites incoming freshmen, who have been accepted to attend HU, have paid their deposit to start in the Fall, and meet the BA/JD requirements, are invited to apply to the BA/JD Program.

The pre-law program at Howard is a set of courses that students are encouraged to take in preparation for attending law school. The pre-law program is not a minor, a major, or a concentration – it does not show up on your transcript or Degree Works. The pre-law program is not an official credential. Instead, the pre-law courses are an interdisciplinary program and courses are taught by multiple departments, such as Political Science, English, Philosophy, and History. Below is a list of most, but not all, of the pre-law courses offered at Howard University. Pre-law courses are the type of courses that will help you develop your analytical and critical reading skills, writing ability, and oral expression.

Below is a list of courses; most of these classes are upper division and demanding courses, so you should take them in your junior and senior years. You likely won't take every course listed below so your goal should be to take many of the classes that fit your schedule and your major or minor.

• CLAS 112: Law & Politics in the Ancient World
• SOCI 001: Public Health and Society
• SOCI 003: Social Problem
• SOCI 071: Juvenile Delinquency
• SOCI 072: Juvenile Justice System
• SOCI-100 Social Theory and Society
• SOCI 170: Principles of Criminal Justice
• SOCI 172: Social Change and the Criminal Justice System
• SOCI 173: Deviance and the Community
• SOCI 174: Police Law & Society
• SOCI 175: Sociology of Law
• SOCI 176: Victimology
• SOCI 295: Restorative Justice
• ECON 174: Labor Law & Social Legislation

Please note, most of the pre-law courses have a prerequisite course. A prerequisite is a course that students must take prior to registering for an advanced or upper division course; many upper division courses have a prerequisite. Prerequisite requirements must be met before a student can enroll in an upper division course. It is your responsibility to take the prerequisite course prior to registering for an upper division pre-law course.

Many POLS students study abroad for a semester. Please contact the Ralph Bunche Center to help you decide the best program for you and your interests.

Click on this link to access information about registration:  Office of the Registrar | Howard University

The Academic Advisors in the Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUS) register all first-year incoming students in their first semester, regardless of the number of credit hours they are transferring into Howard. There are NO exceptions to this rule as this is a University wide process and all first-year students are treated the same.

After the first semester students select their courses on their own, with the advice of OUS and their POLS advisor. Registration for Spring semester takes place in Oct/Nov of the Fall semester. Registration for Fall semester takes place in March/April of the Spring semester.

If you go to register for a class, and you receive an error message, there are many reasons why an error message may occur. The common reasons you get an error message when trying to register for a class are 1. You do not meet the requirements for the class (e.g., there are restrictions placed on who can take the class based on the level – junior, senior or graduate level – it is restricted only to majors – the class has a prerequisite and you have not taken the pre-requisite class and 2. The class you want to take has a time conflict with another class that you have already registered for. In these instances, you will have to choose to take another class.

Other reasons why you may get an error message may be because the course is filled to capacity and there is no waitlist or the course has been cancelled. You might have a HOLD on your account (see below for more information on holds). Or, an error message may appear because some classes require students to get an instructor’s signature prior to registration (if an error message appears, you will need to make another course selection).

In a word, Degree Works. Degree Works is a web‐based course audit tool for you to monitor your academic progress towards degree completion and graduation, and also is used to identify courses you need to take towards fulfilling their degree, major and minor course requirements, and other requirements. Degree Works should be used for course planning & registration guidance.

Degree Works provides a listing of all requirements, including African American Cluster courses and Divisional courses that apply to your degree program (i.e., major and minor, as well as university and general education requirements). Degree Works lists all the credit and course requirements for a students’ degree program. Degree Works indicates what courses you must complete in order to graduate.

Degree Works is laid out in a block format that displays your requirements related to their official major and minor requirements. You must identify the “unchecked boxes” (where there is not a green check) to determine the courses you still need to complete.

Degree Works should be used in conjunction with the POLS Scheme, which outlines all of the degree requirements and provides a one-page snapshot of the courses you have taken and need to take.

Degree Works is where you will find most of the needed information for registration and course management. Degree Works also provides a list of courses you need to take for your declared major and minor. If you have not officially declared a major or a minor, then Degree Works will not provide much direction. Please see the above information on how to declare a major and/or minor.

In short, you MUST become familiar with reading your Degree Works.

If you are unable to access Degree Works via BisonWeb, it means that you have a hold on your account. Please see above on what to do if you have a hold on your account.

The transfer credit process at HU is a two-step process. When a student applies for admittance to HU as a new student or a transfer student, took courses at an accredited university or dual enrollment program, and wants to transfer those credits to HU, a preliminary evaluation of those courses is done by the Office of the Registrar. During this review, the Registrar's Office determines which courses you have taken AND are eligible to be transferred to HU.

Please note, only general education courses are evaluated as part of the preliminary evaluation of your transcript, and only courses with a grade of “C” or above are eligible for transfer credit. This review process matches similarly named courses (e.g., Intro to American History, from 1860 is matched to a course at Howard called, American History from 1860). If, after the first review, transfer courses are not accepted, it is usually due to the names or content of the transfer courts not lining up exactly with HU courses. Therefore, students must submit a Transfer Credit Form with the assistance of a faculty advisor. The courses you want to transfer were not accepted because the names did not match or did not come near to any classes offered at HU; it was not because of the rushed nature of your application.

To make sure that your Political Science (POLS) and other courses are transferred, follow the instructions below:

1. Check your HU transcript to see if your credits have been transferred in from the other universities by logging into your Bison Web account and looking at your unofficial HU transcript. Your transcript will list all of the transfer credits that HU has approved. If some transfer credits are NOT listed there, it is because the course names may not match courses offered at HU. When that happens, you have to start the transfer process.
2. Refer to this transfer form. You will submit this form online, but having a copy helps you know what information you need for the online application. On the transfer credit form, list all of the courses from the other university AND list the HU course equivalent (be sure to include DEPT ## and Title, e.g. HIST 005: Intro to Black Diaspora I).

1. If there are NON-political science classes that have not been transferred, or you don't know the HU equivalent course, contact the DUS, who can help you find the appropriate HU courses to list on the transfer form.

3. Go to this website and scroll down and click on the "transfer credit petition" link. You will need to include the attached completed transfer credit form, your transcript from the previous university, and a copy of ALL syllabi for the courses you want to get transfer credit.
4. As a POLS major, you can list the name of the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), currently Dr. Norman Sandridge and his email address (nsandridge@howard.edu) - as your academic advisor or whenever you are asked for an advisor.

Individual departments at Howard University do not review or approve International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement transfer credits. Howard University uses a standard system that is applied to all incoming first year students to determine transfer credit. Here is a chart that is used to determine what scores are required for transfer credit. 

The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) Staff in the Office of Undergraduate Studies can address students’ needs to get into certain classes that are full if they need that class in order to graduate. The POLS Department cannot add you to full classes.

Students are able to find course descriptions In the Howard University course catalogue here.

Yes, meet with your academic advisor to discuss the process of declaring a major, whether it is Political Science, or any other major.

Howard University will accept up to 60 Credits taken outside of Howard University. Additionally, your last 30 credits must be taken at Howard. These credits restrictions do not include Study Abroad credits taken and approved while at Howard.

At this time, we do not have Departmental scholarships for transfer students. Scholarship opportunities at Howard University can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

To request additional credit(s) to transfer over, the student will need to request that their advisor submit an advanced standing form for the course they believe is equivalent to a course offered at Howard University. The Registrar’s Office will determine whether the course can be approved and apply it to the student’s account after a thorough review has been completed. *The Registrar may request the student request an official transcript be submitted, if they do not have one on record with the information needed, to apply the credit(s) for courses to verified.

There is no set requirement for Political Science courses a student must transfer over. However, per the undergraduate transfer credit policy, students can transfer up to 60 credits at Howard University.

There are none. A course only transfers over as the equivalent to another course here at Howard University.

Transfer Students are given the list of their initial courses transferred over in their acceptance letter to Howard University. Students can request any additional courses to transfer over that are not listed in their acceptance letter by meeting with their advisor and requesting an advanced standing form to be submitted for them.

Yes. Before changing your major, you should consult with your advisor to find the right major that fits your career and academic goals. Some majors, programs, and schools/colleges have different requirements and timelines for accepting students; meeting with your advisor will help get you into the program that is the best fit as well as the proper procedures and contacts to transfer into that major.

Generally, you should take at least 15 credits worth of courses that apply to your POLS scheme to stay “on track” to graduate. To properly use the scheme, apply any courses that you have taken (or are currently registered for) into the appropriate requirement on your scheme. Any requirement that is not fulfilled is a course that can be potentially taken in your next semester’s schedule. For additional support on choosing classes or finding where they apply on your scheme, meet with your academic advisor.

It is highly recommended that you complete your POLS required courses (or core courses) in your first 2-3 semesters, before taking your POLS electives.  
 
Additionally, for General Ed. Courses it is highly recommended that you either take or transfer in credit for your 2 semesters of “Freshman Writing” in your first year at Howard. All other Gen. Ed requirements can be completed at your own pace before graduation.

While Political Science at Howard does not have official “focuses” to declare, the department offers courses in Black Politics, American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Theory, Political Science Methods, and Pre-Law.

Students must have at least 12 credit hours semester to be considered “full-time” status. Students under the 12 credit hour limit are considered “part-time” status.

Your assigned advisors are listed on the BisonAdvisor application, and on your BisonWeb account. Freshman & Sophomores are generally assigned to their academic advisor in OUS, while Juniors & Seniors are assigned to the department’s faculty advisor.  
 
A general list of advisors in each department can also be found on the OUS website here: Academic Advising | Howard University Office of Undergraduate Studies

For Freshman & Sophmores, we highly recommend meeting with your advisor once per semester for a 1-on-1 session, as well as attending the “pre-registration preperation” group sessions before each registration period.  
 
Juniors and Seniors may meet with their advisor as needed, although we still recommend checking in reguarly to ensure they are meeting graduation requirements.

Currently, the Academic Advising offices for OUS are located in the Banneker Modules (Building C) up the street from the Tower’s residences across from the Tennis courts.

You can schedule an appointment based on your advisor’s listed availability by clicking the “Schedule an Appointment” button in the BisonAdvisor application, then selecting the appropriate office, service, and staff. Please note that their hours may be subject to change due to University obligations and events so we highly recommned checking their posted office hours, drop-in hours, and/or microsoft teams groups for updated availability.

Before coming to an appointment please review the documents listed on the University & Department page, as well as those sent out by staff and your advisor – they may include information or instructions to proactively find solutions for your concerns. Please bring your device or laptop to a meeting as well as any research or documentation needed for your specific situation so your advisor can help you more efficiently.

Yes. The department offers a minor in Political Science consisting of 15 credits (5 courses). Of these 15 credits, POLS 001: Intro to Political Science (3 credits) is required and the remaining 12 credits consist of 4 political science electives.