The political science program, part of the Social Sciences Department, believes that knowledge of political science is a requisite for responsible citizenship and a necessity for anyone expecting to enter a career in law, public administration, law enforcement, civil service, or teaching.
Unique features of the program include American Legislature and Judiciary, a May Term course that offers study of national government for several days on location in Washington, D.C. An international political intern program with the German parliament, Deutsche Bundestag, is supervised by an arrangement with the University of Bonn in Germany.

Program Requirements (PDF)
Course Descriptions (PDF)

Program goals:

• To instill a basic understanding of what constitutes “political questions,” whether of a normative or empirical character.
• To develop a foundation of substantive knowledge with respect to basic concepts, institutions, and processes within American, comparative, and international relations.
• To foster the ability to think and act critically about substantive public policy issues.
• To develop, through application, the ability to formulate and undertake research on problems of political significance.
• To promote an awareness of political science as an academic discipline defined by diverse (competing) paradigms, strategies, and techniques of analysis.

What can I do with this major? - Career Options