FAQ

What is the Senior Writing Requirement? What do I have to do to complete it?

The Fulbright College of Arts and Science requires all students to submit an acceptable research/analytic paper (or papers) to their major department in order to receive their degree. You are urged to consult with a faculty member about your Senior Writing Requirement paper no later than the first semester of your senior year.

Your Senior Writing Requirement may be derived from completion of an honors thesis, an internship paper, or another upper-level course in PLSC. You should consult the Senior Writing Requirement Guidelines to be sure your paper(s) meet(s) all necessary requirements, then complete the Senior Writing Requirement Declaration Form, obtain your professor's signature, and turn the completed form into the Political Science office in Old Main 428. This form should be submitted before Dead Day (submission after Dead Day may delay receipt of your diploma). 

How do I receive credit for an internship?

To qualify for credit for an internship you must complete the following steps: 

1. Secure your internship for an elected or appointed position before the semester begins (refer to the Registrar's Academic Semester Calendar for specific semester dates). Credit cannot be given after an internship has been completed!
2. Contact Political Science’s internship director, Dr. Josh Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell determines the amount of credits you can receive for you internship (typically for an all-summer 3-credit-hour internship, students should work about 20 hours per week and complete an academic assignment; for a part-time semester-long 3-credit-hour internship, students should work about 10-15 hours per week and complete an academic assignment)
3. Secure a notification in writing (generally via email) from the host agency or office that you are accepted, indicating likely work assignments and hours to be worked per week.
4. Complete the Independent Study Application form  with your professor and submit it to the main office (MAIN 428) in order to be signed up for your internship hour(s) (PLSC 300V for undergraduates or PLSC 592V for graduate students). Please save the file to your desktop before filling out and sending anywhere to ensure it saves properly. UAConnect will not allow students to sign up for internship hours on their own; the form must be submitted in order to be enrolled. 

NOTE: You may be able to use your internship paper to satisfy your Senior Writing Requirement, but you must check with your professor first!

If you're looking for information about how to obtain an internship, check out our Internships resource page!

Can I register for more than the allowed hours in any given semester?

You can register for more than the designated maximum number of hours determined by the registrar's office in any term with the approval of department administration. To apply for an overload petition, please fill out this form and submit it to administrative support. 

How do I get an override into a political science class?

Please email the instructor of the class and copy in the PLSC administrative specialist. In the email, include your name, student ID and the Catalog and Section numbers (Ex: PLSC 2003-001), along with a brief explanation as to why you need the override into the class. The instructor will reply to the email granting approval or denial. With approval (if room size permits), the administrative specialist will process the override and notify you via email; the course will then appear in your UAConnect account by the following day. 

Additionally, we now have the "Wait List" feature added to most of our classes. It is up to the instructor whether they will grant an override on a wait-listed class!

NOTE: This is the override process for PLSC. Other departments and colleges may process overrides differently.

Where do I go for advising?

Undergraduate advising for political science students is done through the Fulbright College Advising Center.

Graduate students in PLSC are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Geoboo Song. 

Advising for area studies is handled through those programs and not by department of political science advisers. Please consult the area studies links to identify the directors or specific programs. 

How do I make appointments with faculty and advisers?

UASuccess is the university's online appointment scheduling tool for faculty, staff and students. Through the UAConnect system, students can schedule online appointments with faculty, academic advisers, scholarship advisers, and other support offices on campus that are using UASuccess.

UASuccess is accessible though Blackboard or by logging in directly to uark.starfishsolutions.com with your UARK username and password. For more information about UASuccess, email uasuccess@uark.edu.

What is the department's communications policy?

You may find the PLSC communications policy for the 2022-2023 academic calendar year here.

What are the restrictions for taking online classes?

The Office of the Registrar has recently adopted the following policy regarding online courses for on-campus students: 

"Any student pursuing an on-campus (face-to-face) undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas may take up to 35 percent, of the total credit hours required to complete the degree, of regular online (semester/summer) and self-paced online (correspondence) courses for degree credit."

For more information on this policy and how it may affect your course scheduling options, please visit this link.

Does the department have a lost & found?

Old Main does not have an official Lost & Found. If you know you lost something in a particular building, you should check in at the nearby department office(s). Otherwise, check the University's online Lost and Found. 

Where can I get information about career development?

The Career Development Center provides career counseling, resume reviews, mock interviews, and job search strategies. Make an appointment with them today! 

How do I get a copy of my transcript?

Currently enrolled students can request an official transcript from their Student Center page in UAConnect and have the $5 fee charged to their student account. Instructions for this request can be found on the Student UAConnect Help website. 

In addition to the UAConnect transcript request option, all students can request transcripts, including electronic PDF transcripts, online at https://www.credentials-inc.com/tplus/?ALUMTRO001108, by mail, or in person at the Registrar's office in Silas Hunt Hall. Complete information on the transcript request process is available on the Registrar's website, or by calling their office at 479-575-5451.

What is academic probation?

A student's academic status at the university is determined at the end of each term of enrollment (fall, spring, or summer) on the basis of the student's cumulative and/or term grade point average and number of hours attempted. The student's academic status governs his or her re-enrollment status and determines any conditions associated with suspension, and dismissal can be found on the Catalog of Studies website.

How do I change my degree program?

If you require changes to your degree program (like your major/minor, catalog year, or Honors College designation), you may request those changes by completing this form. Please follow all directions carefully and reply to the confirmation email with your student ID.