Overview of Political Science
What is Political Science?
Are you interested in American politics? Elections? Civil liberties? International relations? Conflict and war? Political systems in other countries? Democratization? Political science is the social scientific study of these issues and many others. If some of these topics seem interesting, majoring in political science might be ideal for you. Our interdisciplinary approach to learning provides students with a unique program emphasizing innovative ways to understand politics.
Areas of Research
- Morality, Justice, Convention, Elections
- Language and Politics
- Law and Social Policy
- Elections, Voting, Public opinion
Potential Careers*
- Activist
- Attorney
- Campaign operative
- CIA analyst/agent
- Congressional office/committee staff member
- Corporate advisor for government relations
- Foreign service officer
- Lobbyist
- Policy analyst
- Legislator
- Urban policy planner
* Please Note: Some of these carers might require education beyond a Bachelor's degree.
Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Political Science program demonstrate the following:
- Understand the processes, theories, and empirical regularities of political institutions and political behavior in the student’s chosen emphasis area: American politics, comparative politics, or international relations;
- Employ critical thinking and demonstrate social scientific literacy, including basic quantitative literacy;
- Utilize contemporary social science research methods to conduct rigorous research on political phenomena;
- Write effectively, particularly to convey complex concepts and information in a clear and concise manner;
- Apply abstract theory and research methods to understand contemporary political events and public policies.