The political science major integrates the traditional fields of American government and international relations in order to prepare students for a life and career in an increasingly globalized world. The major includes three tracks of study politics and life sciences, digital politics and organization, and political institutions. Students can study the influence of biology and biotechnology on how we understand ourselves as human beings and citizens, or they can examine the use of information technology for political purposes. The major prepares principled leaders and responsible citizens for careers in the public and private sectors.

Through exciting tracks in politics and life sciences, digital politics and organization, and political institutions, students study the influence of recent advances in biology and biotechnology on how we understand ourselves as human beings and citizens, or the use of information technology for political organization and communication. There are few undergraduate political science majors in the country that so fully incorporate both these fields into their curricula, including the opportunity to take courses from the biology and information technology departments as part of their program requirements.

Core courses

The major consists of four core courses designed to introduce students to the general themes of political science. The major culminates in a capstone course, which ties together the themes of the program through a seminar and significant writing project.

Program tracks

The overarching goal of the political science major is to prepare students for the challenges of life and a career in a world that is increasingly globalized, where the application of biotechnology and biomedicine have become common, and where social computing shapes and influences democratic government and the wider community. Students are required to choose one track for an in-depth study on the political impact of modern biology and biotechnology, the changing role of political institutions in a globalized world, or the development and implementation of technologies that increasingly influence political organization and communication.

Program electives

Students are required to take seven political science electives from the department’s American politics and international relations/comparative government offerings with a minimum of three courses from each area. The areas are (1) statecraft, emerging democracies, and global governance and (2) deliberative democracy and national government. This requirement recognizes the increasing interdependence of domestic and international politics in this era of globalization.