The mission of the Department of Political Science is to develop educated students who are responsible for recognizing and respecting diverse worldviews, capable of evaluating systems of oppression and power in communities, and motivated to engage in political action. To achieve this mission, the courses balance social, scientific analysis with a focus on the politics and values of community.
Students learn to:
- Become aware and informed of political processes and power
- Evaluate and construct logical accounts of political and social causation
- Take part in the process of social inquiry
- Reflect on immediate experiences in social, political and/or governmental activities.
The political science major introduces students to the systematic analysis of politics in the areas of political theory, comparative politics, international relations and American government.
Students in the major are required to complete an experiential learning program in the form of an internship, service learning course or political science course taken in Washington, D.C., or abroad. The capstone of the major is a senior seminar in which students engage major questions in political science and develop a sustained, independently conceived contribution to those questions in the form of a senior thesis project.
The department offers a political science minor that introduces broadly political dimensions to supplement a student’s major field of study. The department also supports a variety of other minor programs including philosophy, women’s studies, international studies, European Union Business studies, Latin American studies and Middle Eastern Studies.
The department supports the QU Seminar Series, with courses that cover political concepts and modes of inquiry that will develop their ability to understand and participate in the political world.
The faculty regularly reviews curriculum, including general education courses, for their relevance to its mission; conducts exit interviews with graduating seniors; and updates survey data from graduates that include GRE scores, admission to graduate schools and employment.
