The Politics Department strongly encourages students to begin thinking about your plans no later than Fall semester of sophomore year, especially if you plan to study off campus as a junior. The Center for Global Education requires major declaration before a study can apply to study away from Bates, and that deadline is often at least one month earlier than the March 1 deadline of a student’s sophomore year.

If you are interested in declaring a Politics major, we recommend you read the description of the major requirements appropriate for your graduating class under the “Major” menu on the department website. Note that the requirements differ if you are in a class no later than 2026 or in a class 2027 or later. In addition, a student in the class of 2025 or 2026 has the choice of opting for the newer or older major requirements, however anyone in those classes considering the new requirements must discuss the choice with their advisor.

The Procedure to Declare

When you are ready to declare, do the following:

1. Log in to Garnet Gateway and follow the menus to record your intention to major in Politics. This initiates the declaration process, but it is not complete until you take the remaining five steps. When you initiate the process, Garnet Gateway will ask you to choose a concentration in the major. Note: If you declare the “new” major, there are no Politics concentrations, so you should select simply “Politics” for the concentration-less version.
2. Fill out the Politics Department form, which you can find here. You will be asked to list the courses you have taken, are taking, and plan to take in order to satisfy the major requirements. It is not a binding contract. Rather, it is meant to help you plan your major toward graduation. Keep in mind that not every course listed in the course catalog is offered every year, so this plan will be tentative.
3. After the department receives your form, we will assign you a major advisor. You will be emailed when we do so. You should then schedule an appointment to meet with your new Politics advisor. There is no need for you to meet with the Politics Department chair (unless that person also happens to be your advisor). Note: This is separate from the assignment of your thesis advisor, which will occur late in your junior year. The assignment of your thesis advisor is based on the intended topic of your project, and the appropriate person to advise it may or may not be your major advisor.
4. When you meet with your new Politics advisor, the two of you will discuss your plan for your major, any plans for off-campus study, and how the major fits into your broader academic plans (MOIs, the “plus one,” etc.). They may make suggestions about alternatives for your planned courses. At that point, your advisor will confirm on Garnet Gateway that they will advise your major. Your advisor will also sign the Politics form electronically and both of you will receive PDF copies for your records. Note: Your Politics advisor will now replace your FYS advisor.
5. You’re not done yet! You have to return to Garnet Gateway yourself to confirm your major declaration. Now you’re done!

The Plus One

As part of your general education requirements toward a Bachelor degree, all students are required to declare a major “plus one” by March 1 of your sophomore year. That “plus one” may be another major, a minor, or a General Education Concentration (GEC).

While your major, minor, and GEC declarations must each begin and end on Garnet Gateway, each department and program has its own procedure for assigning advisors for a major or minor. Please consult the appropriate department or program chair or concentration coordinator for further information about the rest of your “plus one” general education requirements.

You will have an academic advisor for each major or minor you declare, each of whom will be the best person to advise you about that department or program’s requirements. Each time you register for courses, you should be in touch with all of your academic advisors.