|
|
Political
science is the traditional major for those students interested in
attending law school. While there is no undergraduate discipline
that concretely prepares students for the case study method employed
in law schools, the political science major provides the background
to the political science system in which the United States' judicial
system operates. It is also the best preparation for that large
percentage of law students who are intent on a political career.
The
government plays a central role in the United States' economy: it
employs over 20 percent of the nation's work force. If you add to
this the number of private sector workers whose careers involve
direct dealings with government agencies in terms of contracts,
legislative lobbying, or bureaucratic rulings, fully one-third of
the labor force is involved in some form of public service. Political
science provides one of the best training, at the undergraduate
level, for employment in this vast sector.
The
M.A. degree has become increasingly necessary as a prerequisite
for executive-level employment in any sector of the economy, including
public service. Political science is adaptable as a suitable source
of undergraduate preparation for a variety of professional master's
degrees, including the Master of Business Administration, Master
of Arts in Public Administration, and the several master's degrees
in international relations.
Through
a rigorous research methods course and a capstone seminar, the Department
of Political Science also offers excellent preparation for those
students who would like to continue their political science studies
in graduate school. The honor's thesis is specifically designed
for students motivated to pursue doctoral degrees. Faculty members
in the Department of Political Science have expertise in numerous
areas, including the presidency, Asian politics, political ethics,
international security, polling, administrative law, international
terrorism, democratization, revolution and ethnic conflict, political
leadership, civil liberties, gated communities, and African and
Latin American development.
The
Department has an active Political Science Club as well as a Pi
Sigma Alpha chapter, the national political science honorary society.
Political Science majors are invited to the Christopher Colloquium,
a faculty workshop. One session each year is devoted to student
research presentations, usually an honor's thesis.
Students
majoring in political science participate in the Model UN, Model
Arab League, and Model OAU conferences, as well as West Point's
SCUSA conference.
A
special scholarship, the Sullivan Scholarship, is available to political
science students. The Sullivan Scholarship is awarded to a woman
from the St. Louis area who is majoring in political science.
|
|
|
