B.S. in Political Science

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In the Liberal Arts tradition associated with Jesuit education, all majors in political science at the University of Scranton are educated to live well. But since an integral part of living well is making a productive contribution to the world, our majors are also expected to bring this wisdom to bear on practical problems.

These double goals require, first, that our majors are exposed to the wide breadth of knowledge that all educated persons are expected to have integrated into their being, especially that humanistic body of wisdom associated with a way of life rooted in a belief that sound values transcend the materialism of today's world. They are trained to think clearly, logically, and critically.

Then, second, we seek to assure that our students are also well prepared for the work world. We strive to prepare our graduates for success in public service as well as for further study in legal, professional, and graduate programs. The skills acquired in our programs make our graduates valuable in governmental and other public service positions, in journalism, and in private industry. Many have gone on to respectable jobs in public service, others work in commercial and financial firms in the private sector, while still others have done well in some of the premier graduate and professional programs in the country. We continue to take pride in our success in preparing students for the legal profession and in placing them in quality law schools as well as in the success graduates of this University have had in seeking Fulbright grants for study abroad.

The bachelor of science program in political science at The University of Scranton develops students’ analytical and quantitative skills while providing substantive knowledge about:

  • The scope and purpose of governments in civil society;
  • The origins, goals, and limitations of democratic governments;
  • The structures and functions of the institutions of American governments;
  • The similarities and differences in the structures and functions of the governments  throughout the world;
  • The nature of relationships among the many governments in the international community; and
  • The rights and responsibilities of citizens living under a variety of governmental systems, and as members of the global community.
In the political science major at The University of Scranton, you will find:
  • a curriculum structured to give you enough flexibility in your academic studies to complement your political science major with a second major, minors, or interdisciplinary concentrations.
  • The foundations of all the major political science subfields, introduced in the six required political science courses: two courses in American National Government and one course each in western political thought, research methods, international relations, and comparative politics.
  • The opportunity to explore in depth the political science subfields that are of most interest to you.
  • The availability of a track in public administration and public affairs.
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