Political science is the study of politics: government, law, political behavior, public policy, and political philosophy.  The political science curriculum is designed primarily to afford broad and modern training in the study of political institutions and political behavior for students in the liberal arts and majors planning graduate work.  It also affords career-oriented or pre-professional training for teaching, law, business, public relations, or work in the mass media, domestic and foreign government service, the military, teaching, and a variety of active roles in politics.

The B.A. in Political Science offers a concentration and minor in Security and Intelligence Studies.  The B.A. in Political Science with Concentration in Security and Intelligence Studies encourages students to gain a broad, well-rounded understanding of the ethics, processes, priorities, and outcomes of national security policy, with a focus on the role of information and intelligence in the policymaking process.  The concentration is designed to prepare students to work in a wide range of occupations in the government, private, non-profit sectors that deal with national security broadly understood, and for the obligations of state, national, and global citizenship in the 21st century.

The Minor in Security and Intelligence Studies encourages students to gain a broad, well-rounded understanding of the ethics, processes, priorities, and outcomes of national security policy, with a focus on the role of information and intelligence in the policymaking process.  The minor’s interdisciplinary approach enables students to select courses across a wide range of disciplines.  It is designed to prepare students to work in a wide range of occupations in the government, private, non-profit sectors that deal with national security broadly understood, and for the obligations of state, national, and global citizenship in the 21st century.

The Department, in collaboration with the College of Education, offers the B.A. in Political Science with Comprehensive Social Studies Teacher Licensure.  The coursework for this licensure includes nearly equal numbers of courses in political science and affiliated social studies supervised by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and education courses supervised by the Department of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education.  Students interested in the teacher licensure should declare their intent with the Department of Political Science and Public Administration to seek advising and academic progression.

Careers with Political Science

Political science majors gain analytical skills and communication abilities that are valued in a wide spectrum of potential career areas. An undergraduate degree in political science can lead to interesting careers in local, state, or federal government; law; private businesses; international organizations; the military; nonprofit organizations; political campaigns; journalism; teaching; public office; research and teaching at universities.

Graduate Programs

On the graduate level, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration offers the Master of Public Administration, a professional degree for persons seeking training in public administration with specialization in local government and non-profit management.  Students in the Gerald G. Fox MPA Program have the option to concentrate their studies in several specialized areas: Nonprofit Management, Urban Management & Policy, Arts Administration, Emergency Management, and Public Budgeting and Finance. (For more information, see the Graduate Catalog.)  The department is also one of the social science departments that offers an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Public Policy.  (For more information, see the Graduate Catalog.)

Programs

• Political Science, B.A.
• Political Science, Comprehensive Social Studies Teacher Licensure, B.A.
• Political Science, Security and Intelligence Studies Concentration, B.A.

• Political Science, Minor
• Public Administration, Minor
• Security and Intelligence Studies, Minor

• Political Science, Honors Program

• Public Administration, MPA, Early Entry