Courses for credit

Students looking to take a Politics-related course at another academic institution for credit should contact Gayle Brodsky to discuss the Politics Department procedures for course credit approval. In general, for the Department to approve a course, three conditions must be satisfied:

1) Length: The course should have a minimum of 30 hours of instruction and be not less than 4 weeks in length.
2) Content: The course's academic content and reading assignments should be roughly as challenging as a Princeton course. 
3) Instructor: The course should be taught by a regular faculty member at the institution at which it is offered, NOT an adjunct professor or graduate student.
 
In addition, the College cannot approve for credit a course that is substantially the same as a Princeton course for which the student has received credit.
 
The form, which students must complete when seeking course approval, can be retrieved from their residential dean or by simply clicking on the links provided on this page. Students should be prepared to provide Gayle Brodsky with evidence that the course for which they are seeking credit approval satisfies all of the above-mentioned criteria. Obtaining a copy of the course syllabus is recommended.
 
Upon receipt, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will review materials and after careful consideration, notify students of her decision. The paperwork will then be forwarded to the student’s residential dean who grants the final approval. 
 
Please note that in rare circumstances, the Department may approve one outside course to count as a departmental.

Normally, the Department expects that applications for summer course approval be submitted by June 1.  Most course credit approvals will take 3-4 weeks to process.