The Political Science program offers its majors a broad understanding of political phenomena, including political institutions, political processes, political behavior, and contemporary political issues.

The program provides instruction so as to enable all students to complete as part of their general education requirements an introductory-level course in political science that includes material dealing with the United States Constitution.

The course of study for the major prescribes a set of core courses in the discipline’s traditional subfields of American government, comparative politics, international relations, political philosophy, and political methodology. Students elect the remainder of their primary work from a range of course offerings pertaining to foreign and/or domestic American government and politics. The flexibility of the curriculum permits students to pursue a program of courses tailored to their individual interests and career goals.

Graduates with a major in political science receive the broad training and develop the general competence in the discipline required to equip them for successful careers in journalism, politics, the military, public service, and quasi-public agencies, commerce and industry, teaching, and other occupations for which preparation in the field is desirable, or to undertake postgraduate professional study in political science, public administration, or related areas such as law.