The study of political science is current as today, as modern as tomorrow, and as ancient as the origins of the Western tradition that gave birth to the concepts of modernity, democracy, human rights and the individual. It is no accident that the contemporary English word governor is derived from the ancient Greek word, kybernite – steersman or helmsman. For the questions of how to realize the good life in a good society are no less pertinent today than two millennia ago.

Political science is a boundless discipline. Time or space do not limit political science. It draws upon historical experience to better understand the present. It examines how current political, social, economic, technological, and ecological trends could impact the future of humanity on this planet. Political science deals with politics of every culture on every continent, as well as with issues that range from the ocean's floor to outer space. It synthesizes the knowledge of many other disciplines – religion, philosophy, military science, nuclear science, ecology, economics, anthropology, literature, foreign languages, organizational studies, psychology and others – in its quest to understand and explain the many forms and levels of politics.

But political science also is focused. Its central organizing concept is power – who gets it, how, according to what values is it exercised, and whose good does it serve – are just some of its eternal questions. For whether one lives in a society where political inheritance is that of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln – or in a society where power is exercised by a Stalin, Hitler, or Saddam Hussein – can have profound consequences for the extent to which we can realize our human potential or even aspire to human dignity.

The major is designed to awaken in students an appreciation and an understanding of politics and government in the broadest and deepest sense.  It requires the completion of 36 credits, of which 27 must be earned through formal classroom instruction. The remainder can be earned through formal coursework or Political Science internships. 

Courses are offered in four major areas: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. 

Required Courses
PO 121 Introduction to American Government
PO 122 Introduction to International Relations
PO 301 Ancient and Medieval Political Thought
PO 302 Modern Political Thought
PO 395 Senior Seminar

Students are also required to take at least one course in Comparative Politics (PO 311-316). The remaining 18 credits can be taken as electives.