Program Overview

Political Science addresses some of the fundamental problems facing human society. Questions concerning world peace, government policies aimed at achieving economic stability and growth, the management of environmental quality, control over political competition, the possibility of using law to affect social and political change, and the gap between the rich and poor in the U.S. and abroad are all on the research agenda of contemporary political scientists. The general purpose of the major is to address these and other issues systematically, and, simultaneously, to raise the broad theoretical questions which can help students relate today’s political debates to those debates about politics which have kept a theoretical tradition alive for over 2,000 years. In addition the knowledge students gain from the major, the Political Science department at UNO also prepares students for a rich and rewarding career. Political Science graduates are well equipped for professions both at home and abroad in the fields of law, business, criminal justice, education, journalism, and government service at the local, state, and federal levels. In fact, many political science graduates have reached the pinnacle of their respective professions.

Knowledge and Skills Gained as a Political Science Major:

• Knowledge of political science, its various sub-disciplines, major themes, and analytical techniques
• International perspective on political science research, the nature of change in the global political community, and the complex character of processes such as globalization
• Understanding of human cultural and political variability in the U.S. and the global community, and an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and culture-specific attitudes, ideals and practices
• Intellectual framework for vigorous participation in civil society and public debate over the nature of the “good society”