The study of the political formation, implementation, and evaluation of national, state, and local public policies. The Department of Political Science offers a liberal arts-oriented curriculum that leads to either a major or minor in Political Science at the bachelor's level. The goal is to provide a general rather than a highly specialized program. The academic discipline of Political Science introduces students to the study of government, politics, policies, and the state, with subfields in political theory and philosophy, international relations, foreign governments and comparative politics, public law, research methods, public policy, and American politics. As a student in Political Science classes, you'll gain not only a deeper understanding of the dynamics and processes of governance, policymaking, and world events, but also the analytical skills essential to long-term success, including thinking critically and synthetically, conducting thorough investigations, and communicating effectively.