Political Science

Faculty

Michael E. Allison, Ph.D., Chair
Jean Wahl Harris, Ph.D.
JoyAnna S. Hopper, Ph.D.
Gretchen J. 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 political science research 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 120 , PS 121 , PS 212 , PS 217 , PS 210 , and either PS 313 or PS 314 . The remaining 18 Political Science credits required for the major are selected by the student.

Public Administration and Public Affairs (PAPA) Track

For more information, visit Public Administration and Public Affairs (PAPA track) .

Affiliated Programs

For information on agreements with Villanova University School of Law, Duquesne University School of Law, Boston College Law School, and Penn State Law, please visit our Law School Affiliation Agreements page.

For information on the CAS/MBA Five-Year Program, visit our CAS/MBA Five-Year Program page.

Course Information

Courses for Political Science are listed under the prefixes IS and PS. For more information on these courses visit the Political Science Department Courses page. For more information on all courses offered, visit our Course Descriptions page.

For more information about the Political Science department, visit its website.