Program Overview

Politics is everything. It is our identity, our society, and our government. Politics is our constitution, our democracy, and our foreign policy. Politics is the White House, the Capitol Building, and the United Nations. But political decisions aren’t just about who we vote for; the choices we make as individuals – about our schools and our environment, about the movies we watch and the music we listen to – are inherently political.

The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and the Bachelor of Arts in International Relations degree programs offered by the Department of Political Science are the ideal opportunity for students looking to become more informed about the political reality of the world around them and enter the job market with the outstanding qualifications necessary to a career path in top tier corporate and public sector institutions.

Students majoring in political science must complete a 30-credit course of study. The subfields of political science include American politics, political philosophy, comparative politics, international relations, and a host of related fields such as policy studies, political geography, political economy, popular culture and the media, and studies of particular countries or regions. There is also considerable room for student choice within the major, as the department offers ample opportunities for independent study, honors theses, and internships. Students may also earn a 15-credit minor in Political Science.

Students majoring in international relations must complete the 36-credit course of study in courses that address a broad spectrum of cutting edge issues in contemporary global diplomacy and security, including international law and human rights, international political economy, geopolitics, regimes and institutions, the environment and technology, non-state actors, and regional studies that focus on the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Credits for internships in international relations, including internships abroad, with the United Nations, and in Washington, D.C., may be counted toward the major upon prior approval by the International Relations Program.