Political Science

Faculty

William D. Rose, chair and professor.
B.A., J.D., University of Toledo; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Appointed 2001.

Milkessa Gemechu, visiting lecturer.
B.A., Addis Ababa University; M.A., Addis Ababa University; Ph.D., Addis Ababa University. Appointed 2021.

Eliska Schnabel, assistant professor.
B.A., Masaryk University, B.A., Masaryk University; M.A. Masaryk University; Ph.D. University of Illinois-Chicago. Appointed 2023.

Introduction

The department offers students the opportunity to pursue either a major or a minor in political science. In relatively small, discussion-oriented classes, students engage with questions fundamental to the academic study of politics. For example, how does a critical engagement with politics and political thought help us to understand power in contemporary and historical terms? What sorts of power relationships do we see at work in modern institutions such as states, global capital, and the media? And, how do subordinate groups and individuals resist and transform systems of power?

In our department, we explore these questions and more, by exposing students to multiple perspectives on the most consequential, often controversial, issues of our times. Such issues may include questions of war and peace, democracy and rule of law, the environment, the delicate human rights balance between security and freedom, and the evolving conception of what it means to be a citizen. Whatever the issue before us, the goal of the department is to cultivate in its students an ability to critically examine political questions from a variety of perspectives, and enable them to better interpret their own experience of the world. As measures of our success in meeting these goals, we expect students to: demonstrate knowledge of the interconnections of political institutions, movements, concepts, and events from multiple intersecting vantage points; identify important contested assumptions, ideas, and intellectual debates in the relevant scholarly literature; and pose critical questions about power relations as they investigate key political questions in a globalizing world.

Many of our students seek to translate what they have learned in the classroom to ‘real world’ experiences beyond the campus gates, in the form of internships and service-learning activities. Upon graduation, some of our students choose to pursue graduate study in political science and related disciplines. A significant number of our graduates opt for law school. Our graduates have been uniquely successful in obtaining admission to some of the finest law schools in the United States. Finally, many of our students seek out immediate employment upon graduation, pursuing careers in teaching, public policy, business, and government-related activities.

Political Science Department Website

Career Opportunities

An undergraduate major in political science is used by many students as a background for graduate study—and eventually employment—in such fields as law, public policy, public administration, political science, business administration and international relations. Other fields which may be directly open to graduates are public opinion and market research, social work, NGO careers, municipal management, secondary school teaching, TV and radio, journalism, lobbying, criminal justice, campaign management and legislative staff work.

Department Policy for Advanced Placement Credit

Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) exam in American government will receive one unit of credit as Political Science 190. This unit does not count toward the political science major but does count toward the graduation requirement of 32 units.

Student Learning Outcomes

Political science is fundamental to helping students understand and act more effectively in the world. We contribute to the college, university, region, and state by examining critical questions about power and public life from local, national, transnational, global, and comparative perspectives in partnership with students and members of the community. We do so to foster the capacities of engaged and critical citizens who actively pursue questions and meanings of political community and civic life.

Our faculty are scholars and teachers who devote themselves to making important contributions in their disciplines through teaching, scholarship, and service. We are committed to education of our students and strive to maintain the highest intellectual standards, to stimulate political discussion from the abstract and theoretical to the immediately practical, and to encourage students to incorporate critical political viewpoints into their everyday lives and careers. Students are thus prepared for further graduate study in political science or adjacent disciplines, or assuming careers in diverse fields, including government, law, nonprofit and business administration, journalism, teaching, and the private sector.

The Political Science Department strives to embody and cultivate the habits and skills of clear thought, rigorous analysis, and effective argumentation in writing and speech. Given this mission the Department is committed to achieving the following goals that promote a deep understanding of the practice of politics. Students will be able to:

[Major SLO’s]
1.) demonstrate substantive knowledge of the discipline
2.) exhibit analytical skills in the assessment of data
3.) exhibit critical reading skills in the interpretation of texts
4.) demonstrate writing competence
5.) engage in independent research
6.) demonstrate critical, independent thinking about politics and public life

[Minor SLO’s]
1.) demonstrate substantive knowledge of the discipline
2.) demonstrate writing competence
3.) engage in independent research
4.) demonstrate critical, independent thinking about politics and public life

Programs

Major

Minor