Political Science

Welcome!

Political science is more than just examining government structures and discussing elites currently in office. It is the study of who has the power to make laws for a society, the institutional structures that guide how this power is used, who benefits and who loses when this power is used, and the relationship between power and policy in a society. Political science students therefore study voting, elections, the structures of government institutions, and how governments around the world differ and interact.

Our diverse faculty hold degrees from some of the most prestigious universities in the country.  They are specialists in local, national, and international politics. Faculty have published research and teach classes on American politics, environmental politics, the philosophy of law, public policy, comparative politics, and international relations. See a list of recent faculty publications.

We offer a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration. Our students have gone on to work in city, county, and state government, and a variety of other careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Many now work in Washington, D.C. or around the world. Several have even been elected or appointed to public office.  Others have gone on to law school and doctoral programs in political science, including the following:

  • Cambridge University, UK
  • Columbia University
  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • London School of Economics and Politics, UK
  • Oxford University, UK
  • Princeton University
  • UC Merced
  • UC Riverside
  • UC Santa Barbara Graduate School of Education
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • Duke University School of Law
  • Georgetown University Law School
  • Michigan State University College of Law
  • Pennsylvania State University Law School
  • UC Berkeley College of Law
  • UC Davis College of Law
  • UC Hastings College of Law
  • UCLA College of Law
  • University of Pennsylvania Law School
  • University of San Diego Law School
  • University of Southern California Law School
  • University of Virginia School of Law

Direct all questions, comments, and complaints about this webpage to Dr. Holyoke.