The Department of History and Political Science engages students in disciplines that are scholarly and humanistically enlarging. In History courses, the department extends to each student the opportunity to acquire the temporal perspective needed to understand and appreciate the varied activities and pursuits of human beings. In Political Science courses, the department extends to each student the opportunity for systematic study of the varied activities of human beings who as citizens seek to craft orderly and just societies and to discern the proper relation between the individual and the community. Through both disciplines, the department aims to develop in students the necessary perspective and critical capacities to be contributing members of their communities and to live enriched and enriching lives.

By engaging students in dialogue about the nature of human activity past and present, by developing their analytical abilities, and by working with them to effectively communicate their insights, the department at the same time strives to develop competent, self-confident, articulate individuals ready for productive careers. The programs of the department provide excellent preparation both for further study and for work in a variety of fields—teaching, business, civil service, law, journalism, library science, and archival work.

PO 231 Constitutional Law

PO 252 Topics in Political Science

PO 253 Topics in Political Science

PO 257 International Relations

PO 259 American Foreign Policy

PO 261 Politics of the Developing World

PO 322 Politics through Film

PO 323 Politics and Literature

PO 325 Democracy and Its Critics

PO 341 World Revolution in the Twentieth Century

PO 343 Imagining Heaven and Hell

The field of concentration in Political Science includes 36 credits in the discipline exclusive of PO 380 and PO 390. Students majoring in Political Science are strongly encouraged to continue to develop their foreign language competency at the undergraduate level as an essential prerequisite for further study.

Political Science Minor (18 credits)

The minor in Political Science consists of 18 credits chosen in consultation with the Department Chair and including PO 111.