<p>I haven’t seen any questions that asked about Politcal Science majors at these schools so heres one for you. I have been accepted to both universities and both of their honors program/college. I have also visited both and live in AZ. I could commute to ASU but not U of A. I want to go to law school and either focus in government law, a patant lawyer, or defense attorney. I know to be a good patent lawyer I should have a major physics or an engineering, and I would like that. ASU gives me a good engineering background as well as Barrett, and the Excellence Program (you can take a law class as an undergrad to get the experience of law school, apparently one of the only colleges to do that in the nation). I also could save money in the long run by commuting. U of A gives me PPEL (philosophy, politics, economics, and law) a good major that would set me up nice for law school, but I also have to apply for that after sophomore year, so no gurantees. </p>
<p>I am also thinking about minoring in music performance (double bass) if anyone has experience with that at either school. </p>
<p>Please help if you know anything about the political science programs at either school, or any opinion of the Ecellence Program or PPEL major.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>My son does PPEL, you can get accepted they take 30 per year, it is by far the best non "pre-Law’ program in AZ, you could consider global studies at ASU?, but it’s not really a pre-law and not fully accepted by proper law schools, if you are keen on considering law school PPEL is the way to go. To get the real undergrad experience you should NOT commute, if your in-state don’t make the mistake of saving money by living at home, get the full campus experience, PPEL is excellent, even outstanding, if you have Q’s pls ask</p>
<p>ASU just added a music performance minor this year. You need to audition into it. It’s a very good opportunity. he music school is excellent and has great facilities. But I have no knowledge of double bass. You can see the minor requirements here:
<a href=“http://music.asu.edu/students/undergrad/nonmajors.php”>http://music.asu.edu/students/undergrad/nonmajors.php</a></p>
<p>If you are interested in law and live near ASU, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’Connor are speaking soon at ASU:
<a href=“https://sst.clas.asu.edu/calendar/2014-05-06/conversation-ruth-bader-ginsburg”>https://sst.clas.asu.edu/calendar/2014-05-06/conversation-ruth-bader-ginsburg</a>
I agree with Englishman. If cost is not a binding constraint then it is better to live on or near campus to get the full experience. Barrett is an awesome place to live and meet people. Don’t know about UA, but it’s probably good too. But if cost considerations dictate, it is better to have a place to commute to than not to get to attend college and students do manage to participate in campus life as commuters.</p>
<p>Englishman: Do you think the education at Barrett with its variety of classes is comparable to the PPEL classes?Because it seemed like both Politcal Science majors are about the same at each college, so it would be these extra things that would help me make a decision. Also the commuting would be in my junior and senior year to save money for law school if I am still wanting to do that, so ASU at least gives me the option to commute where as U of A does not. Do you know about the different career opputunities or internships that either school provides? For example, would ASU have more oppurtunities because it is in a newer city that is still growing?</p>
<p>Celesteroberts: Thank you very much for that information:) I’ll look into those events and see if I can attend.</p>
<p>Look as @Celesteroberts will attest I am biased, however as I do teach at ASU I do have an insight! and I have a junior studying PPEL and planning on law school. So with that disclaimer, ASU is a State school with PoliSci as is UofA, both programs are good enough for undergrad, Barrett is honors just like UofA Honors both have great new dorms and smaller classes.<br>
However at UofA the PPEL program is designed and modelled on the Oxbridge PPE degree, thats what UA gives you a Pre-Law major without being just pre-law, it is one of the only such programs in the US, I have found perhaps a dozen such programs in the US, for perspective I studied PPE at Oxford!</p>
<p>If you are doing Fresh/Sopho in state and plan to dorm thats fine, at ASU thats what most students do live off campus after the first year even in Barrett you have the option to live off campus after the first year, at UofA you state you cannot commute I guess since you’re in Phx, fine, my son lives in off campus housing 5 minute bike ride to campus, has done for 2 years, he is FULLY involved in every on campus activity and greek life event! I’m sure you will have a wonderful undergrad in Tucson, believe me.</p>
<p>With regard career opportunities, if Law School is a possible, look to UA also they just dropped the tuition for the Law School specifically, I was on the East Coast last week and one college said Law School applicants across the country are down like 25% over the past 5 years as Law Grads have flooded the market and there just aren’t enough jobs for them, so think long and hard about that. Phoenix is a bigger market than Tucson but few grads stay in Tucson after graduation, more Phx/ASU students do because there are more opportunities, both schools grad and undergrad have plenty of internships and opportunities, I don’t think one is any better than the other in that respect. I was at the UA law school week before last for a lecture and the building is really nice and thats where PPEL grads spend alot of time, north of Speedway. ASU is different Law is not as much a focus as pre-business with WP.Carey on Tempe and Carey does overwelm other schools including Barrett, FYI I teach at Carey. </p>
<p>Finally Phx and Tucson are way different cities Phoenix is big but really does not have many great employers at least I dont think so, Tucson has fewer still, most UA grads go to SoCal or head east as I some ASU alums do but because ASU/Phoenix is bigger, there are more opps in town, my personal opinion is that alot of ASU alums sell real estate!, my realtor graduated from ASU!</p>