Why Politics at E&H?

You will learn to articulate those opinions as clearly and persuasively as possible, subject those opinions (and those of your classmates) to a rigorous and critical examination, and revise your opinions according to the dictates of the arguments presented. 

We expect our students to graduate with a wide range of well-informed thoughts on the most pressing issues facing our nation and our world, as well as the practical skills necessary to translate their principles into reality.

The Political Science Department is devoted to excellence in teaching, and we challenge our students to master difficult concepts and to articulate what they learn in both written essays and oral presentations. Many of our classes are taught as discussion seminars in which students play a leading role in explaining and analyzing the issues under discussion. This approach becomes more pronounced during the third and fourth years of study when seminars and independent and directed studies gradually displace formal lectures. 

We always insist that students take an active role in their own learning, and we never expect you to listen passively to lectures or to simply regurgitate memorized lists of basic facts. We are committed to the idea that the study of politics and international affairs is the proper training ground for students who want to play a leading role in the political, public policy, and international affairs of their communities, their country, and an interconnected world.  

Program Options

The bachelor of arts degree in political science offers students two degree options, each designed to enhance students’ qualifications to pursue either further study or any number of varied career options.

• B.A. in Political Science: To prepare students for graduate study in political science and careers in teaching at the secondary level.
• B.A. in Law and Politics: To prepare students for entry into law school or to pursue other work in the legal profession.