Political Science, BA

Students of political science study governments: how they evolve, why they exist, the forms and social functions they assume, why they change, and who controls them. To understand governments, you will also study politics: how people behave in their relationship to government, what they do to influence government, and how government attempts to influence people's behavior and beliefs about what it does. You must also learn to appreciate how cultural, historical, and economic forces affect the evolution of governments and mass political behavior. Political science is one of the largest programs in the College of Liberal Arts. After completing core courses, you choose your direction by selecting advanced courses in a variety of areas, including American politics, public law, political theory, international relations, and comparative politics.