Program Overview

The Department of Politics offers a stimulating and cutting-edge curriculum that engages students with critical economic, security, environmental, and social policy debates; campaigns and elections; Congress and the presidency; democracy; authoritarianism; terrorism; humanitarian action; border politics; gender; class; race; and many other issues. The program prepares students to make a difference through leadership and civic engagement in a wide array of professions and teaches them the necessary skills to find solutions to the important challenges facing governments, international organizations, and communities at home and around the world. Through the study of politics, students gain skill sets and critical thinking abilities that prepare them for a wide array of careers in advocacy, business, consulting, government, international organizations, law, media, non-profits, and teaching, as well as graduate and professional degree programs in many fields.

The politics curriculum covers the discipline with foundational and elective courses in American politics, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. If they choose, students can organize their electives thematically under topics such as globalization and inequality, law and justice, and power and political action to support their interests and career goals. Majors complete their politics degree with a culminating seminar in which they work closely with a faculty member.

In its entirety, the curriculum of the department is designed to achieve the following student learning outcomes: (1) understand fundamental political science terms, concepts and major theoretical frameworks;  (2) demonstrate familiarity with core political institutions, governing systems, and their operation; (3) critically apply theories and concepts; and (4) utilize primary and secondary source material to support arguments and/or conduct research.

Politics students enjoy many opportunities to engage in professional development and broaden their horizons through experiential learning. This includes a wide variety of internship options as well as courses that involve service-learning, visits by and to government officials, inclusive classroom discussions and debates, and opportunities to acquire skills, master new research methods, gain practical knowledge, and build expertise in public policy, campaigns, public administration, humanitarian and disaster response, and other issues.