Undergraduate Programs
| Majors (B.A. or B.S.) in... POLITICAL SCIENCE with General Focus Pre-Law Concentration Public Administration Concentration Teaching Licensure AND B.S. in International Relations Minors in.. Political Science Public Administration Paralegal Studies International Relations Political and Civic Engagement Interdisciplinary Minors (coordinated by Dept Faculty) African Studies (Dr. Tesi) Russian Studies (Dr. Korobkov) Urban Studies (Dr. Franklin) Upper Division Forms |  |
Political Science is an academic field of study which focuses on the institutions and processes by which people govern themselves or are governed and on the methods of resolving the issues which arise from the local to the international level. Political Science is concerned with actual functioning of governmental units, the behavior of voters and interest groups, the nature of public opinion and propaganda, forces operating in the world state systems, and the knowledge by which the political order may be improved. Its importance rests on the recognition that the major problems of society are essentially political problems and the basic approach used in solving them will be the political process. Political science and its sub-fields such as public administration, international relations, and public law, offer students a wide range of avenues through which an interest in public affairs can be fulfilled.
Who should study Political Science?
Those interested in careers in law... Law is a specialized branch of political science. Students who take pre-law preparation in political science get a head start in law school. Such areas as American government, Constitutional law, public administration, and political theory have particular relevance for future legal study.
Those interested in careers in government... Opportunities for political science graduates in government are good. Majors offered by the department provide a good background for a career in government. A Public Administration Emphasis (see below) concentrates specifically on preparing students for an administrative career.
Those interested in careers in the private sector... Studies show that many students of political science end up using their skills in the private sector, especially in the areas of international business and the trade and labor sectors.
Others:
- Those interested in teaching.
- Everyone who desires to carry out properly his or her role as a citizen.
- Everyone who desires to be a broadly-educated person.