Advising Wizard

Students can keep track of their progress by completing the IP&E Advising Wizard, and they should do so before meeting with their advisor or the director.

Access the Advising Wizard.

General Resources 

Beyond Middlebury

Frequently Asked Questions

A

The sooner, the better, since you have to complete 12 courses (as well as language study), and some of them are mandatory before going abroad. It is even more important if you are a Feb student and plan to go abroad for a year. Major/Advisor Declaration or Change Form

 

A

Because of the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the international politics and economics major, IP&E students are strongly advised not to pursue an additional major. In addition, IP&E majors may not minor in either economics or political science. Students are permitted to major or minor in their language of focus for the IP&E major; however, they may not double count courses for the IP&E major and the language major or minor.

A

No. You do not need to write a Senior Honors Thesis to obtain a degree in IP&E. We encourage you to consider doing one, however, as it can be an enriching research experience at the end of your college career. A thesis is required to graduate with departmental Honors and only those with an average GPA of 3.3 or higher in their IP&E-courses are eligible. 

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Yes, but only if they are specifically listed on the IP&E course listings.

A

In addition to the seven core IP&E courses listed in the requirements, students must complete five electives. Three of these must be political science courses, of which one must be a senior seminar (a course at the 0400 level taken at Middlebury); two must be economics courses, of which one must be a senior seminar (a course at the 0400 level taken at Middlebury).

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To see if a course has already been approved for elective credit, first check the Study Abroad Course page. If a course is not listed, complete a transfer credit form and submit it with supporting documents (course description and syllabus if available) to the IP&E Director for  pre-approval .

A

No, though we strongly encourage it. It is possible to study abroad elsewhere (for example in an English-speaking country) if you are particularly interested in a specific program. You must still fulfill the proficiency requirements for your language of study. At a minimum, this means achieving the level required by the language department to go abroad to a program in that language.

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Study abroad is a required part of the IP&E major for all students. All IP&E students must achieve the level of proficiency (set by the language department) that would permit them to study abroad in a language taught at Middlebury. Students who have achieved that level upon arrival at Middlebury through previous coursework or because they are native speakers are encouraged (but not required) to continue the study of that language and/or to learn a new language.

A

ECON 0211 is a useful course for IP&E majors considering careers that involve data-intensive projects. It can also be useful for seniors undertaking data-intensive senior seminar papers or theses. However, it is not a requirement for the major. Moreover, MATH 0121 or its AP or IB equivalent is a prerequisite for taking ECON 0211.

Student Advisory Council (SAC)

The goals of the International Politics and Economics Student Advisory Council (SAC) are include giving IP&E majors a voice in their program and serving as a resource for current and prospective majors.

  • Tayyaba Akhtar ‘25
  • AJ Byambasaikhan ‘24
  • Eesha Narain ‘25
  • Meera Patel ‘25

See the handbook language for a more detailed description of departmental SACs.