• polisci,  Transferring

    i don’t link stuff just for the heck of it y’know

    November 3, 2014

    Hey there! I’m a 2nd year student currently registered at UTSC studying Political Science. I’m seeking some help regarding internal transfer to UTSG. I’ve been looking all over the U of T website, but couldn’t find the minimum CGPA/ annual GPA requirements for Political Science. I’ve seen your previous posts and you mentioned a solid B average should suffice to apply for a transfer; but I don’t see that written anywhere on any of the websites. Looking forward to your reply! Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    that may have something to do with the fact that you didn’t click on the link. the stuff i link to isn’t just funny gifs of people falling down (though they’re important, too).

    if i cite something like a mark cutoff for a faculty, campus or program, i WILL link to the page that provides that information. so when stuff is linked, please, CLICK ON IT. and if i forgot to link it somewhere, then TELL ME, and i will fix it. because not citing stuff is just not cool, man.

    anyway. the solid B refers to what is needed to transfer to UTSG generally (see that? now click on that link). political science has its own set of requirements (click on that link, too) (don’t click on this one).

    so if you want to transfer into poli sci. at the downtown campus, you have to pass two hurdles: one, you need to actually get into the university. that’s going to require a “solid ‘B’ average.” then, you’ll need to get into poli sci. the poli sci specialist, major and minor are all type 2’s, which mean that they require that you’ve completed certain courses and achieved certain marks in those courses to get in.

    if you were a UTSG student applying to a UTSG poli sci subject POSt, and you had all the required marks in all the required courses, they would not be able to turn you down, because it’s a type 2 POSt.

    however, since you’re transferring, you do have to have at least a B average overall to be competitive, like it says on the transfer page. and then you have to have those poli sci requirements on top of that.

    note that because you’re applying after second year, you’ll need to meet the requirement listed for ‘applying after second year’ on the course calendar for poli sci: that is, any 2.0 POL FCE’s with at least a 70% in each.

    best, and i hope to see you on campus sometime soon!

    aska

    P.S. sorry for leaving this response so late. i usually have answers up within two weeks of when they’re sent, but aska was BROUGHT LOW by an EVIL and INFECTIOUS DISEASE which left me snotty and gross for a good three days. i hope you can forgive me.

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  • polisci,  sociology,  subject POST

    POSt rants: the SEQUEL

    June 3, 2014

    need advice- don’t know if i should do a major in sociology or political science? i’m going into second year….what if i want to switch after if i don’t like the one i choose? will it add time to my program?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, political science and sociology are both type 2 subject POSts, so if you haven’t applied to get into them yet, you’ll have to wait until the second request period to apply. which puts you in the same situation as this person. just a head’s up.

    you do have the opportunity to change subject POSts after second year – to a certain extent. if it’s a type 1 POSt, you can enrol at any time. additionally, quite a few type 2 subject POSts (including politics, by the way) will allow you to apply after second year. uoft’s good that way.

    whether you’ll have to do a few extra courses in the summer, or even during an extra term, to fulfil the requirements for whichever POSt you finally choose, really depends on which one it is. what i would do is sketch out a plan of all your undergrad years (including all the courses you’d want to take) for every possible combination of subject POSts you’re considering. then you can figure out which ones are doable, and how long it would take to do them. alternatively, you can make an appointment with your college registrar and do more or less exactly that together.

    regardless of how adamant you are about taking sociology or poli sci, both of them are type 2 POSts, which means you’re not guaranteed enrolment yet. so, if i were you, i’d make sure i was enrolled in two type 1 majors already, just so that you have programs to fall back on if either poli. sci. or soc. don’t work out.

    finally: which one should you pick? geez, man, i don’t know. i don’t know what you like, or what you’re good at. do you have another major your heart is set on? because otherwise, you could just double-major in soc and poli sci. if it’s just a matter of not knowing what you really want, yesterday i wrote a HUGE block of text advising someone on how to pick subject POSts, so i’d recommend you read that if you’re really feeling torn.

    i know there are so many POSts it can sometimes make your head spin, but don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • med school,  polisci

    a crisis of academic faith a.k.a. all of our lives.

    December 2, 2013

    Hello! Let’s say that you get accepted into social sciences (in first year), for political sciences. And, you know you want to go to medical school in the future, but would really like to study politics as well. As we know, medical school accepts students from all disciplines of studies. Though, for UofT’s medical school requirements you need at least 2 FCE of life sciences. How does that work? You study political sciences but take science courses at the same time? But I don’t have Highschool 12U chem or physics!!!!! Can I take night school or summer school during my UNIVERSITY YEARS to fulfil any of these requirements??Can I still pursue my dream of becoming a doctor? Thanks in Advance!

    ?????????

    hey there,

    ok, i don’t want to be presumptuous here. i know there are many brilliant young people who have multiple interests and can juggle them all equally. i know this because i used to be one of them. i was in the sciences, i was in the arts, i was in languages; i could do everything. however, university has this great effect on people where it both broadens your perspective and forces you to focus in on the things that really matter to you. it happened to me and it will probably happen to you, unless you’re hard on yourself now and force yourself to make a decision, which is what i would recommend.

    what i’m saying is: it would be in your best interest to ask yourself honestly, now, whether you truly want to pursue medicine or political science. both fields are academically rigorous and you kind of have to be fully dedicated in order to be successful in them.

    you can easily get 2 FCE of life science in university if you’re enrolled in political science, by doing a poli sci major and two life science minors. that would give you more than 2.0 FCE and fulfil those requirements for med school. however, you’ll be competing for entrance into med school and on the MCATs with people whose entire program has been focused around life science, and that’s tough.

    also, most life science courses in first year either require or recommend grade 12 chemistry?or grade 12 calculus. PUMP can be used to fulfil that calculus requirement, but unfortunately there’s no equivalent program for chemistry. doing night/summer school while in university won’t fulfil the requirement because you need to have completed grade 12 chem/physics before you actually take the university courses. there are some biology courses that don’t require any grade 12 chemistry, so you can look into those to get some of your life science credits, but most courses will require the grade 12 background in chem.

    all in all, yeah, if you’re really dedicated, it probably can be done, but i wouldn’t advise it. chemistry and physics are just as important for those studying medicine as bio, and if you want to study poli sci now but want to become a doctor in the future, that’s telling me that your real passion lies with politics. obviously, you should do what you want with your life, but just don’t compromise your real passion for something that feels safe, because lemme tell you, med school is hella expensive, and you’d better be sure that’s what you want to do before spending all that money.

    best,

    aska

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  • exclusions,  polisci

    poli sci? more like poli SIGH.

    September 23, 2013

    Hello aska,

    I am a second year student who has recently considered applying for the public policy major. However, a grave dilemma has occurred, in that one of the courses required for completion of the major (POL214Y1) is an exclusion to a course in which I am currently enrolled in (POL224Y1). Does this exclusion thus prohibit me from taking POL214 later on, and thereby prevent me from successfully completing the Public policy major? And if not, is there some mystic manipulation that the university can do that will allow me to take POL214, while having already completed its exclusion?? Thank you greatly for your guidance, oh wise aska senpai.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    Don’t worry your little face, wee one. Aska is here for you, mystical and omnipotent as ever.

    By which I mean I have done some snooping around on the Internet, and it looks like the Public Policy Major’s requirements do specify POL214, which makes me think that they’ve got their hearts set on that one.

    Still, it doesn’t hurt to go and talk to them in person. Maybe the sight of your worried wee face (tear-streaked, maybe?) will move them to make an exception for you.

    However, they might say no, in which case you’ll unfortunately have to take POL214 as well as POL224, even though there seems to be a lot of overlap between the two courses. I know, it sucks. Life is hard. I’m sorry. You know Spot? Yeah, he’s not on a farm, either.

    It is possible to take a course that is excluded by another course – you’ll just have to take it as an “extra.” This means that it doesn’t count for degree credit, or get factored into your cumulative GPA. The course and final mark do appear on your transcript though, and then you can be on your merry way.

    Good luck, junior. Hope it all works out.

    aska

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  • FLC,  international relations,  polisci,  trinity college

    trin trin…you got IN?

    July 11, 2013

    Is taking Trin one classes like really good for your efforts to get in IR or is it just a waste… PS, if I’m taking a FLC IR and a First year class, is trin one still a good thing to have even if it’s not going towards a major? FInally, I know it’s a bit late to ask, but is there a huge difference if I major International Relations or Political Science?

    Thanks.

    ———————————————

    Yo.

    Entry into the International Relations major is based on two things: (1) your grades in your first year economics course and your first-year history OR Trinity One course, and (2) a statement of interest.

    So basically, taking your Trin One course is a “good thing” depending on how dedicated you are to it. 🙂 But I suppose being able to tell the world you got into a 25-students ONLY sort of club will be nice. Also, it’ll probably look pretty on your statement!

    And is there a huge difference between IR and Poli Sci?

    Ummm well I’m going to go with yes since the former seems to deal with international relations and the latter seems to deal with politics.

    But I don’t see why this has to be an either/or situation.

    Here, you have to complete either (1) one specialist, (2) two majors, or (3) one major and two minors.

    So you can definitely complete a specialist in IR if that’s what you’d like, but keep in mind that there’s an additional requirement for entry in that case: either a language course or calculus.

    But you can easily double major in IR and Poli Sci, which would be great considering IR does include some Poli Sci courses, which will mean overlapping credits, which will also mean more time for electives you can play around with.

    xoxo,
    aska

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  • polisci

    Bill Nye the political guy

    June 21, 2012

    Hey,

    Is it possible to declare a political science major at the end of third year? The academic calendar only outlines the requirements for students applying at the end of second year. I was wondering if there really is a difference between enrolling after second year or third year.

    The reason why I haven’t enrolled in the political science major just yet is because I have yet to fulfill the requirements. I will have fulfilled them by the end of third year though. Can I still apply then?

    – UTM student 🙂

    ———————————————

    Yo Gee,
    You betcha! It seems that this is just a confusion of sneaky wording. Let’s break it down now:

    “Limited Enrolment” –Students enrolling at the end of first year (4.0 credits) must obtain a CGPA of at least 2.00 and a mark of at least 65% in 1.0 POL credit. Students applying to enrol after second year (8.0 credits) must obtain a CGPA of at least 2.30 and a mark of at least 70% in each of 2.0 POL credits. ”

    So you can apply at the end of first year or “after” 2nd year. If they had said at the end of 2nd year, then I don’t think you would be able to apply but because 3rd and 4th year are all after 2nd, then you can for sure apply!

    Happy political sciencing,

    forever watching Bill Nye … the science guy,

    aska

     

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  • commerce,  economics,  polisci

    Only Read This if You Are Willing to do Math – ie commerce shiz

    October 7, 2011

    Hi!

    I just started grade 12 and am trying to figure out what programs to apply to. I’m trying to look for the most effective way to combine business and political science- is it possible to double major in political science and some sort of business administration/commerce at U of T?

    Thanks a bunch,

    Janna

    ———————————————

    Hey hey!!

    You actually have a few options here!

    So for all the number combos I’m about to give you, remember that in order to graduate you must have 20 credits

    Rotman Commerce actually doesn’t offer majors, only specializations. There are three different fields that you can specialize in. Here they are:

    1)Accounting Specialist (B.Com) = 15 full courses or their equivalent out of 20 courses, for a B.Com

    2) Finance and Economics Specialist (B.Com) = 13.5 full courses or their equivalent out of 20 courses, for a B.Com

    3) Management Specialist (B.Com) = 12 full courses or their equivalent out of 20 courses, for a B.Com

     

    So that leaves you space to take courses in another field (ie Poli Sci) in order graduate.

    a) Political Science Major = 7.0 POL full courses or their equivalent

    b) Political Science Minor = 4.0 Pol full courses or their equivalent
    Here’s the basic formula for you:
    Option 3 + Option a = 19 credits (ie good to go)
    So it’s up to you if you would like to have a major or minor in poli sci and if it exceed the 20 credits or not depending on the Commerce Specialization you choose .

    Oh geez there are more options. If economics is the field that what to study you can choose a non-rotmans/commerce degree of economics, which has various specialists, majors and minors to choose from.

    So in short, yes, you can.

    To look all this info up yourself check out the Course Calendar

    love always,
    aska

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  • anti-calendar,  polisci,  sociology,  UTM

    why is there no UTM anti-calendar?

    July 30, 2010

    im wondering if you might have knowledge/some book guide that would talk of the ‘preferred’ courses that are taken in second year for political sci and sociology at UTM?
    any info would be helpful
    guide as in ‘best prof to take or course’

    thank you in advance

    ———————————————

    Apologies beforehand, as I am using your question as a jumping off point to discuss why UTM doesn’t have an anti-calendar. Normally I would be able to point you to the resource, which does offer criticism on instructors, easiness and cvetching with the course. However, UTM’s regular anti-calendar hasn’t been updated since 2005, and the only courses it does discuss are for programs in anthropology, biology, culture communication and technology and chemical and physical sciences. WTF?

    Your best bet might be to go on the dreaded Rate My Professor, and see if any of the courses you want to take also match a well-loved prof. (Bonus points if there’s a chili pepper next to their name.) Otherwise, maybe contacting the Political Science or Sociology programs is the best thing to do? Both have academic counsellors there.

    But hey Aska Readers, have you taken these classes? Any poli sci/sociology majors at UTM reading? Help a Aska out and comment with advice.

    xoxo, Askastudent

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  • polisci,  sociology

    Your daily dose of misogyny.

    August 8, 2008

    I know you are probably sick of these questions about courses however I have a serious (in my opinion) predicament. I was thinking of taking Sociology this year however my brother and father both told me it is a useless girly course and that I should take Politics instead. So I am currently signed up for POL108Y1Y, I was just wondering… do you have to write a lot of essays in that course? No can seem to provide me with an answer. Also is Sociology really that bad???

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  • criminology,  polisci

    a very special….ist.

    July 27, 2006

    hello lovely Askastudent folk.
    i have been wondering if it is possible to complete a major in criminology as well as a specialist in history and political science??? that would equal 21 courses, not including my science distribution requirement.. i guess there’s always summer school…….. there is alot of overlap in the requirements for criminology which i would have if i am taking HIS and POL courses. help! i need a sober second thought!

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