UMass Amherst Department of Political Science

FAQ

  • Thinking about Legal Studies?
  • Already a Legal Studies major?
    • Declare your Global Education option - Make sure you are familiar with the Global Education Requirement. All students entering UMass September '99 and later, with a primary major in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (including Legal Studies), fall under the Global Education Requirement. When you change your major, you must fill out and submit a Global Educaction Declaration form with the Records Office in E-20 Machmer. They have advisors to help you figure out how best to meet this requirement. (Note, this is a 15 credit requirement, requiring 5 courses of college level work. There are no exemptions based on high school courses or fluency in another language).
    • Who is my major advisor?
    • I can't get the course I want, what do I do?
    • How do I find my instructor?
    • How do I know I've fulfilled my Legal Studies Requirements?
    • I'm thinking about Law School, who can I talk to?
  • Changing your major
    • Get a Change of Major form– Acquire this from your Academic Dean’s office / advising center or Registrar’s Office from 213 Whitmore.
    • Get Signed into Legal Studies - Go to the Legal Studies office in Thompson 222 and have yourself SIGNED IN to the Legal Studies Major. Pick up the major requirements sheets etc. If you fall under the Global Education requirements, pick up a booklet from us as well, and a declaration form. Make sure you have the appropriate signature(s) if you are doing a double major, or if you are doing Commonwealth College.
    • Get Signed out of your old major - Go to your current (old) Major Department and have them sign you out of your old the major. They will give you your undergraduate folder, please drop that off to us in the Main Office in Thompson 222 when you get a chance. 
      If you are undeclared, go to the College of Arts and Science undeclared advising office in 615 Goodell to be signed out of your old major. 
    • Drop off your Change of Major form – Bring your completed form to 213 Whitmore, you’re done!
    • Follow up on SPIRE - It would be wise to follow up in a few days to see that Whitmore has processed your Change of Major. Do this by checking your demographic information in SPIRE. Once in a while, they lose a form, or someone's major is changed to something unexpected.
  • Adding a second major
    • Get a Change of Major form and repeat the process -
      The form and the process are exactly the same, you are just "adding" a secondary major. Often you can just get the signature from the second major and take the form straight to 209 Whitmore.
    • Be savvy – research any changes in your requirements - You will have to fulfill requirements for both majors, and you may have requirements from more than one College, if your 2nd major is not in SBS. 

      Make sure you learn whether you can "double count" any courses. For example, we are happy to let you use your "law related" courses for other majors or minors. Other programs, however, may not let you double count and you can only do so with their permission. The same is true for Junior Writing. As long as you graduate with a 2nd major, we are happy to let you take Junior Writing in another department (just let your advisor know which course you're using for your other major's writing requirement). Other departments may not be willing to accept 450, however.

      Note also that the placement of your primary and secondary major can affect your College Requirements. Contact the Advising Office for each Dean's Office to find out more. The most common example of this is having a 2nd major outside of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. If you use your non-SBS major as your primary major, you will not have to fulfill the Global Education Requirement.
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