Political Science

Faculty

Jean Wahl Harris, Ph.D., Chair
Michael E. Allison, Ph.D.
Leonard W. Champney, Ph.D.
Robert A. Kocis, Ph.D.
William J. Parente, Ph.D.
Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D.

Overview

Political science explores how governments are structured and how they resolve societal conflicts and provide for the public good. Political science also explores the roles that people can play in their governments and the actions people take to influence public policy to serve them and their communities.

Graduates have career options in fields as varied as government, nonprofit management, international affairs, campaigns, special and public interest lobbying, journalism, law and teaching. With its mix of theoretical and empirical approaches to studying politics, the field of political science prepares women and men for fulfilling careers, lifelong learning, and active and effective citizenship.

The Bachelor of Science program in Political Science imparts to students an understanding of:

The scope and purpose of governments in civil society;
The origins, goals, and limitations of democratic governments;
The structure and functions of the institutions of American governments;
The similarities and differences in the structures and functions of the governments of other countries;
The nature of the relationships among the many governments in the international community; and
The rights and responsibilities of citizens in a variety of governmental systems and as members of the global community.

The Political Science Department offers courses in the major subfields of political science: political institutions, political theory, international relations, comparative politics, public policy, and quantitative methods. In addition to the major in Political Science, the department offers a track in Public Administration and Public Affairs and a minor in Political Science.

Students in the major must take PS 130 , PS 131 , PS 212 , PS 217 , PS 240 , and either PS 313 or PS 314 . The remaining 21 Political Science credits required for the major are selected by the student.

Public Administration and Public Affairs Track

Political Science majors may concentrate in Public Administration and Public Affairs. This track is designed for students who may seek a career in government service at the federal, state, or local level. It develops analytic and quantitative skills, while providing substantive knowledge of a range of public-policy problems, and the management systems designed to implement policy decisions.

Students in this track complete the courses required for the Political Science major as well as PS 135 - (S) State and Local Government , PS 232 - Public Administration , and PS 480 - Political Science Internship I . For their remaining Political Science electives, students choose four courses from the following: PS 216 , PS 227 , PS 230 , PS 231 , PS 319 , PS 322 , PS 325 , PS 327 , PS 329 .

Students in this track would complete their cognate in one of two ways. For option one students complete HIST 110 -HIST 111 , HIST 120 -HIST 121 , ECO 153 , ECO 154 , ACC 253 , ACC 254 . Option two entails completing a minor, concentration, or another special program in consultation with Dr. Champney or Dr. Harris, the track advisors.