Why are some governments stable and others unstable? How do formal government institutions and informal political resources affect the ability of leaders to govern effectively? What factors cause wars or contribute to a peaceful resolution of conflicts? How do public policies affect citizens lives and how can citizens affect those policies? In what ways do differences in the social characteristics of people, such as their race, religion, gender, or ethnic background, affect their political attitudes and behavior? And most important, who gets to decide who will decide these and other matters when conflicts over them arise? The department offers courses that address these questions and others-in international relations, American politics and comparative politics. The curriculum provides theories and concepts, relevant information and tools for investigation for students to develop their own answers.
For more information, please see the Political Science Departments website.
Internships and Study Abroad
Internships with local, state and federal government agencies, non-profit organizations, elected political officials, public-interest groups, and law firms can earn students Political Science major credit. Study abroad may also fulfill major requirements. To receive Political Science major or minor credit, a student must be supervised by their faculty adviser or another faculty member in the department.
Nonmajor Concentration and Minors
Certain fields of study can be taken as concentrations or minors in addition to and complementary to the Political Science major. Some concentration and minor requirements may also fulfill political science major requirements. (See specific catalog sections on these concentrations and minors.)
Student Handbook
The Political Science department publishes a handbook, which has a more extensive description of major requirements, programs, courses and faculty, as well as other information relevant to the major. This information can be found online on the department home page or a hard copy can be picked up in the Political Science department office, Jefferson 302.