91AV

Our mission is to cultivate in our students a passion for understanding and solving political problems. Students work closely with faculty throughout their coursework, culminating in a major independent research project. Through this work, students will develop the imagination and skills in analysis and communication that prepare them for life after college.

Political science is the study of the problems and opportunities that arise when people live together in communities of all sizes. Political scientists study government, citizenship, relations among nation-states, and theories of politics. Political science addresses fundamental issues confronting modern society — globalization, war, inequity, poverty, the environment — and seeks to evaluate the processes, policies, and theories that have been devised to deal with them. The Political Science program provides courses in theory, methods and case studies within the four sub-fields of political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and American politics, as well as many courses that cross subfields. 

The political science major emphasizes the development of skills in effective writing and speaking, as well as creative problem solving — some of the most useful skills in a wide variety of careers in the public, non-profit and private sectors. These skills are also crucial to success in graduate school. Our small classes and abundant individual attention from faculty give students ample opportunity to hone those skills. Political Science is also an excellent choice for students planning to study politics, public policy or law at the graduate level.

The department also offers Political Science majors the opportunity to select all of the EDU secondary education certification courses (listed below) as their electives in order to become middle or high school teachers (grades 7–12) in the area of social studies.

Pre-Law Emphasis

The pre-law emphasis allows students interested in studying law to receive special advising and to develop a liberal arts program of study appropriate as preparation for admission to law school and success in the legal profession, and careers and jobs in various areas such as government, media, business, international affairs, foreign service, non-government organizations and teaching. The study of law involves many aspects of social life and integrates many fields of study. Judges and lawyers are expected to handle different litigations, ranging from social to medical, environmental and other applications. Thus, law schools encourage students to have diverse undergraduate majors. 91AV students who are majoring in any department can take advantage of the pre-law program.

Although the choice of major is open, law schools expect students to have acquired skills that enable them to think critically, reason logically, and speak and write effectively. The Pre-law Advising Committee will help students build their interdisciplinary program of study that includes not only humanities courses, but also courses in biology, environmental studies, psychology, and management.

Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Political Science can complete a double major with Political Science and Secondary Education or a major in Secondary Education and a concentration in Political Science. For more information, see the Secondary Education catalog page.

Double majors or minors of all types are encouraged. All students can pursue internships and study abroad opportunities while majoring in political science.

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

At the completion of this major students will

1. Have developed a mature political imagination which includes an ability to envision what constitutes an important political question/issue and to understand the various ways in which a political scientist might address such a question/issue.
2. Have mastered essential facts relevant and necessary to the study of global political life. This involves a working knowledge of the key actors, structures, institutions and historical dynamics that constitute the contemporary political order. It also includes a broad familiarity with the historical roots of that order.
3. Be able to think critically, analytically and rigorously about the world of politics.
4. Have an informed sense of the historical dimension of the various political issues, developments, trends, theories and forms of inquiry relevant to the students’ interests.
5. Have an enlightened understanding of the multicultural nature of global (but especially American) political life.
6. Be able to convey information, analyze results and persuasively argue, in both written and oral form, clearly and effectively.
7. Be able to conduct sound and rigorous social inquiry using a variety of methodologies and techniques.
8. Be able to compete successfully for placement in graduate programs or employment relevant to the field of study.

Direct Measures of Student Learning

1. Capstone Course
2. Senior Thesis 
3. Oral defense of Senior Thesis 
4. Internship supervisor evaluations  
5. Symposium  Presentations 
6. Annual departmental review of graded assignments and exams and samples of student writing 
7. Performance on exams

Indirect Measures of Student Learning

1. Admission rates into graduate programs  
2. Alumni and employer satisfaction 
3. End-of-course student evaluation forms

A student with a major in another department may minor in Political Science with the approval of the Department of Political Science chair. 

The Department of Political Science offers another minor in Health Law and Policy.

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes a research project of significant ambition under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their major advisor. 

See Undergraduate Admissions.

See Undergraduate Admissions.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.