Beyond the Classroom Requirements

PSCI/IA Beyond the Classroom Requirements

1. What the University Requires (General Education Requirements for BABS Degrees)

Beyond the Classroom. One faculty supervised experience involving a significant experiential learning component designed to challenge students to go outside of the bounds of the typical classroom. Beyond the Classroom is a UMW General Education requirement that students can choose, but are not required to, satisfy within their major course of study. Here are the options for satisfying the Beyond the Classroom requirement as a PS or IA major:

2. How to meet the Beyond the Classroom requirement in Political Science/ International Affairs (3 options)

1. URES 197 – Undergraduate Research,  http://www.umw.edu/cas/acaffairs/ures_197_projects/default.php
2. PSCI 491 — Individual Study in Political Science, 3 credit hours registerer                                               INAF 491 — Individual Study in International Affairs, 3 credit hours registerer
3. PSCI 499 — Internship, minimum of I credit hour registered                                                                      INAF 499 — Internship, minimum of I credit hour registered

o Note: To qualify for Beyond the Classroom, Political Science Internships must have a final project/paper evaluated by the sponsoring faculty member

o Note: Political Science and International Affairs majors who enroll in PS 499 and INAF 499 respectively are able to apply a maximum of 3 credits as elective credit to the Political Science or International Affairs major.

Useful links:

UMW Career Services Internships Page

International Internships website summer and academic year 

LinkedIn Group 

Virginia State Government

Federal Government — Note: Students interested in working for a particular Department (e.g., State Department) should go the department — specific website. The same is true for internships with United States Senators and Representatives. https://www.usajobs.gov/help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/

Recent Examples of PS/IA internships, Independent Studies (IS), AND Experiential Learning (EL) Opportunities:

• Bryce McAlpine, Global Dimensions
• Brittney Mattheson, Girl Scouts, Colonial Coast Service Unit, Chesapeake
• Sally Burkley, Study Abroad, Aix-en-Provence, France
• Alexander Elvir-Herrera, Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania
• Stephanie Turcios, Jennifer Carroll Foy (D) for Governor
• Benny Siegel, Stafford County Government
• Nina Burges, John Cabot University in Rome, SAI Rome, Italy
• Jason Ford, McGuireWoods Consulting
• Tyler Michaels, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
• Virginia Bixby, Free-Lance Star
• Selina Mueller, US Senator Tim Kaine (D)
• Stephen Lamm, US Rep. Rob Wittman (R)
• Harrison Vaughan, generated figures for Prof. Elizabeth Freund Larus, Politics and Society in Contemporary China, 2nd ed.
• Rachel McVicker “Allied Contributions to Post-9/11 Wars,” with Prof. Jason Davidson
• Aeriana Mann, assistance with Prof. Ranjit Singh’s project on private landowner attitudes towards land conservation in Stafford County, VA
• Zareen Emdad, “India-China interactions in trade, investment and economic cooperation,” with Prof. Surupa Gupta

More Beyond the Classroom experiences and opportunities can be found on our website here.

Last thoughts:

1. Start early — plan ahead for your internship and/or independent study

2. Be proactive — If you have an abiding interest that coincides with the research and/or teaching interests of a faculty member, ASK THEM about independent study and URES 197 opportunities.