Welcome to Political Science Advising!

After you declare your major, you will be automatically added to the PS major email list to receive important announcements about department policies, courses, and registration. These emails will be sent to your Pitt email address, and we strongly recommend that you read them.

The PS department uses Navigate Student for scheduling of advising appointments. You can schedule advising appointments there by choosing the “4600 Posvar Hall - Political Science Advising" option.

For those that have not used the app yet, you can get the details here on the Pitt Pathways webpage. For right now, our hours will be generally about a week in advance, which may stretch a bit more as the term goes forward and as we work within the system. As always, if no time exists that works for you, you can always e-mail us directly to coordinate a meeting timing for advising.

What kinds of things should you meet with, or email, your advisor about?

There are many reasons to go see an advisor, including: getting your academic hold lifted so you can register for classes, discussing your progress toward graduation, outlining a plan of study for your undergraduate career, considering a minor or certificate program, interning, studying abroad, doing research, getting a permission number for a PS class, academic problems or concerns, letters of recommendation, considering graduate school, applying for jobs, reviewing your resume, and more. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you need to email your advisor, please include your full name and PeopleSoft number in the email.

Want to check out what is required for graduation?

• Print: Major Sheet Checklist

Faculty Mentors 

One of the resources our department offers our undergraduate students is the advice and expertise of our team of Faculty Mentors. Faculty mentors are professors in the department who have the experience and knowledge of the discipline, and can work with you to discuss career aims within political science, internship experiences and how to secure them, how to effectively pursue politically-relevant study abroad programs, and how to best apply for the types of graduate school that political science majors aim for: Law Schools, Ph.D.'s in Political Science, and Masters of Public Policy, Public Administration, and/or International Affairs. 

To make an appointment with your faculty mentor, you can use the following links: 

Dr. Tony Ocepek: Supports students with last names A-L for career and grad guidance, specializes in student internships. Pathways link: https://pathways.campus.eab.com/pal/my85ywU-f0

Dr. Andrew Lotz: Supports students with last names M-Z for career and grad guidance, specializes in study abroad. Pathways link: https://pathways.campus.eab.com/pal/v85D43dSX

Are there other opportunities, awards, talks, etc. that you can attend?

Yes! To find out about them:

Please visit our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitt_polisci/