Political Science

Typically, 90-95% of University of Scranton political science graduates seeking admission to law schools are successful, compared to a success rate nationwide of about 75%.

Political science develops an understanding of the following:

• the scope and purpose of government in civil society
• the origins, goals and limitations of democratic government
• the structure and functions of the institutions of American government
• the similarities and differences in the structures and functions of governments of other countries
• the nature of the relationships among these governments in the international community.

Planning for College

The University of Scranton encourages a strong college preparatory program in high school with a minimum of four years of English, three years of mathematics, social science and science, and at least two years of a foreign language with additional units taken in acceptable academic areas. We strongly encourage our majors to plan for breadth in their college curriculum. Employers and graduate schools seek individuals with broad interests. Therefore, students with double majors, minors and/or concentrations, such as Women's Studies or Environmental Studies, are attractive candidates. Foreign language study is also encouraged, as are the various study abroad programs arranged through the University's Foreign Study Office. Similarly, we encourage our majors to become involved in extra-curricular activities at the University, as well as volunteer work in the community.

Political Science at The University of Scranton

You'll find:

• that our curriculum is structured to give you flexibility in your academic studies. It includes 13 political courses, 8 cognate (related) courses such as American and European history, 15 general education courses (required of all University students), and 6 free electives. The free electives may be coordinated in various ways with the cognate and general education courses to accommodate double majors, minors or concentrations.
• that all political science majors are required to take two courses in American national government, a course in western political thought, and another in political science statistics.
• room for nine political science electives, at least one of which must be in comparative politics and one in international relations. Elective courses cover all the major sub-divisions of the discipline including American government and politics, comparative politics (governments of other countries), international relations, public administration and public policy, political philosophy, and constitutional law. The law-related courses are, of course, popular among students planning on pursuing legal education upon graduation.
• that the facilities of the Political Science Department are located on the sixth floor of O'Hara Hall, which includes a computer laboratory and a political science library that contains professional journals and other resource materials.
• that we place students in internships each year in federal, state and local government agencies. Examples include the local offices of U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Richard Santorum, the local offices of the U.S. Social Security Administration, and the local office of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection (Office of the State Attorney General). Internships in Washington, D.C., are available through summer programs.
• that political science majors may take a concentration in public administration. This is designed for those seeking a career in government service at the federal, state or local level. It develops analytic and quantitative skills, while providing substantive knowledge of a range of public policy issues, and the management systems designed to implement policy decisions.

Outcomes

Many University of Scranton political science majors go on to law school or pursue master's degrees in public administration or related fields. Typically, 90-95% of our graduates seeking admission to law schools are successful, compared to a success rate nationwide of about 75%. Some of our graduates go directly into positions with government agencies at the federal, state and local level, while others go into business, public relations and policy research.

University of Scranton political science graduates are currently working at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the U.S. Congress. Graduates who take jobs in business tend to gravitate toward the financial services industry, including positions at Mellon Bank, MBNA Bank, Dun and Bradstreet, and Olde.

The American Bar Association has issued a statement indicating that no specific major is recommended as preparation for law school. Rather, it emphasizes self-discipline, hard work and the development of reading, writing, speaking and critical thinking skills. Political science is popular among those interested in law school, since the curriculum emphasizes these skills. In addition, the political science curriculum contains many courses relevant to legal education, such as constitutional law.

Finding Out More

Please feel free to contact the chairperson of the department, Dr. Leonard Champney, if you need more information. He can be reached at (570) 941-7438. His e-mail address is champney@scranton.edu. If you would like to visit the department, please call ahead and we will make the necessary arrangements. Our website is http://academic.scranton.edu/department/polsci.