Department Overview
Political Science is the academic discipline that studies power: how power is acquired; the challenges to retaining power; and the impact of power on the relations between and among institutions and individuals in society.  Our courses, in American politics, comparative politics, and international relations, are designed to engage students in discourse regarding the concepts, organizations, and models that are at the core of the study of power and politics in the United States and internationally.  Students will examine issues of control, freedom, gender, and influence as they study and assess the manner in which power and authority has impacted the development and organization of societies, relations between and among nations, and the management of war and conflict.

The Department of Political Science houses the major and minor in Political Science and the minors in Public Policy and Leadership, Pre-Law.  The Department is also home to advising services for pre-law, graduate and professional study in political science and public policy, as well as internship placement and programming related to careers in government, law, and public policy.

The Study of Political Science
The political science major and minor are designed to achieve the following objectives:

• Provide students with a comprehensive background in the discipline
• Develop students’ capacities to think critically and mindfully
• Train students to become informed and reflective citizens
• Facilitate acquisition of tools for analytical reasoning, primary and secondary research, and oral and written articulation

Advising Worksheet for Political Science Major