Political Science (POLS)

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The Department of Political Science offers the B.A. and B.S. degree with a major in political science with emphases in politics, public law, public administration and service, and international politics.

The emphasis in politics is designed for students who want maximum flexibility within their program of study or wish to create a particular specialization within political science, such as American government, biopolitics, or political theory.

The emphasis in public law is designed for political science students interested in public law, although students seeking admission to law school need not be political science majors nor must they follow any particular course of study. Students with an interest in pre-law should see “Pre-professional Studies.”

The emphasis in public administration and service is designed primarily for students seeking a career in public affairs in federal, state, or local governments; in voluntary social agencies or public interest groups; and for careers in business emphasizing the interaction between private enterprise and government.

The emphasis in international politics is for students seeking international careers, especially in governmental agencies and business.

Internship opportunities with academic credit are available through the department.  Interested students should contact the department’s internship coordinator.

The department also offers a minor for students with an interest in politics. In addition, it participates in the interdisciplinary minors in black studies, Chinese/Japanese studies, classical studies, environmental studies, gerontology, international studies, Latino and Latin American studies, public administration, Southeast Asian studies, urban studies, and women’s studies. Non-majors can use one of several lower-division political science courses toward fulfilling the university’s general education requirements in the social sciences area.

Department Restriction

A student may take no more than 15 semester hours in 100- and 200-level political science courses to be counted toward a political science major and no more than 9 semester hours in 100- and 200-level political science courses to be counted toward a political science minor.

Many of the courses offered by the department relate to more than one of the seven fields of political science. However, as a general guide to the student, the following numbering system is used.

–00 to –09, American government
–10 to –19, Public law
–20 to –39, Public policy/public administration
–40 to –49, Empirical theory and behavior
–50 to –59, Political theory
–60 to –79, Comparative politics
–80 to –89, International relations
–90 to –99, General

Political Science Faculty

Daniel R. Kempton, Ph.D., University of Illinois, associate professor, chair
Christopher M. Jones, Ph.D., Syracuse University, associate professor, assistant chair
Larry Arnhart, Ph.D., University of Chicago, professor
Andrea Bonnicksen, Ph.D., Washington State University, Presidential Research Professor
Barbara C. Burrell, Ph.D., University of Michigan, associate professor
Paul J. Culhane, Ph.D., Northwestern University, associate professor
Craig R. Ducat, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Distinguished Teaching Professor, adjunct
Morton J. Frisch, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, adjunct professor
Gerald T. Gabris, Ph.D., University of Missouri, Presidential Teaching Professor
Gary D. Glenn, Ph.D., University of Chicago, Distinguished Teaching Professor
Lynn Kamenitsa, Ph.D., Indiana University, associate professor
Dwight Y. King, Ph.D., University of Chicago, professor
Paul J. Kleppner, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Distinguished Research Professor, adjunct
Heidi O. Koenig, Ph.D., Syracuse University, adjunct associate professor
Lettie McSpadden, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, adjunct professor
Donald G. Menzel, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, adjunct professor
Clark D. Neher, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Distinguished Teaching Professor, adjunct
James Ockey, Ph.D., Cornell University, assistant professor
Michael T. Peddle, Ph.D., Northwestern University, associate professor
John G. Peters, Ph.D., University of Illinois, professor
Bruce A. Rocheleau, Ph.D., University of Florida, professor
Irene S. Rubin, Ph.D., University of Chicago, professor
Gregory Schmidt, Ph.D., Cornell University, professor
Matthew Streb, Ph.D., Indiana University, assistant professor
Brendon Swedlow, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, assistant professor
M. Ladd Thomas, Ph.D., Tufts University, adjunct professor
Daniel H. Unger, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, associate professor
Y. K. Wang, Ph.D., University of Chicago, assistant professor
Artemus Ward, Ph.D., Syracuse University, assistant professor
Curtis H. Wood, Ph.D., University of Kansas, assistant professor
Mikel Wyckoff, Ph.D., University of Maryland, associate professor

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