Quinnipiac Campus

The mission of the Department of Political Science is twofold. First, it provides intensive programs of study for students majoring in political science, which will prepare them for law school, graduate school, and careers in public service of the private sector. Second, it provides opportunities for all students at Quinnipiac to understand the ways that politics overlap with economics, gender, ethnicity and culture at local, national, and international levels. Thus, we strive to educate citizens who understand the links between and among political actors, processes, institutions and outcomes. The department is committed to civic education and experiential learning, which it supports through government internship opportunities in Washington and Hartford, a semester exchange program in Washington, DC, and Service Learning opportunities.

To meet this mission, the department offers both a major and minor course of studies in Political Science and supports a minor in International Studies. We provide a variety of courses in Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations and Political Economy.

The major in Political Science consists of 36 credits. Students begin with a core of introductory courses in the fields of American Politics, Political Theory, Comparative Politics and International Relations.Students then may select advanced courses and small seminars in specific areas of politics and government such as Constitutional Law, the U.S. Presidency,U.S. foreign policy, public policy or Latin American politics. In their senior year, majors do independent research and write a Senior Thesis.

Pi Sigma Alpha, The Political Science Honor Society, has an internet website,which can be accessed by clicking here.

The Political Science department offers internships for credit in the following areas: public opinion research, legislative politics at the state or national level, political parties, municipal government, and semesters of study and internship in Washington D.C.

Legislative Internship: Gain experience in the State Capitol at Hartford working on a legislative staff.

Congressional Internships: Work in Washington D.C. or in the local offices of the Connecticut Representative or Senator of your choice.

The Washington Semester at American University: A semester of intensive seminar learning from policymakers and practical experience as an intern. The program operates out of American University and all credit transfers to Quinnipiac.

Current labor trends show that Political Science majors continue to be in high demand on the job market as employers seek versatile professionals with critical reasoning, research and communications skills. We strongly recommend that all students select ambitious internships, study abroad opportunities and participate in small seminars.

Experience work as a pollster in our nationally respected "Q Poll." The poll hires students as interns and paid staff.