Political Science, B.A.

Total Major Requirements 36 Credits

Other Requirements

Minimum Total Credits for The Degree: 120

Learning Goals and Assessment

Learning Goals:

• Students will understand how governments function, with the capacity to compare governments in terms of institutions, processes, and outcomes.
• Students will understand that politics is not always from formal governmental structures, and be able to explore the importance of civil society, political culture, ideology, religion, and other aspects of social life which impact power relations.
• Students will understand and appreciate diverse perspectives, listening to and engaging a wide variety of ideas and methods with respect and critical reflection.
• Students will have an understanding of the impact of race, gender identity, and ethnicity on politics, with an emphasis on the concepts of social justice and equality.
• Students will develop the capacity to craft effective research papers by using research sources appropriately, integrating social science methods, and using language in an effective manner.
• Students will have an understanding of the changing nature of world politics due to globalization, including but not limited to the impact of economics, history, religion and geography.
• Students will understand the nature of governance and politics in their own country, ranging from the political process to institutional functions and the philosophical and legal underpinnings of the United States system of government.

Assessment Criteria:

In order to assess whether we achieve the goals stated above, we have defined eight outcomes of objectively observable results. Students will be evaluated on these outcomes based on written work, public presentations, group work and presentations, class discussion, activity outside class in student clubs or community service, and by examination.

• Students will demonstrate a broad multidisciplinary knowledge base, integrating an understanding of political science with historical context, the importance of geography, social theory, and connection with culture and the arts.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of philosophy of science issues, as they relate to social scientific inquiry. These include various approaches to social science (positivism, interpretivism, hermeneutics, and critical theory).
• Students will understand basic social science methods, both quantitative and qualitative, and a) be able to identify them and critique them in reading social scientific work; and b) use these methods in their own research by their junior year.
• Students will be aware of ethical concerns surrounding political and social issues, and reflect this awareness in their writing and research.
• Students will demonstrate a solid knowledge base in political science. This includes basic knowledge in all the main subfields (covered in the required introductory courses), as well as specialized knowledge about content and methods in their concentration.
• Students will be able to integrate political science with other social science disciplines in thought papers and critical analyses.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of different cultures and subcultures, as well as methods of analyzing and understanding these differences.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of how political considerations are influenced by culture, society, history, location, personality and the economy as they develop strong analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills.