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Central Michigan University offers a well-rounded political science program to prepare you for a career within the public, private, or nonprofit sectors and for continuing your education in graduate or law school. Central Michigan University is a nationally distinguished university that is centered on your success. CMU offers more than 200 professionally oriented undergraduate and graduate programs through its main campus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. CMU's friendly learning environment, career-focused programs, and close interaction between students and faculty make it one of Michigan's top institutions of higher education.

As you explore your educational options, consider these key features distinguishing the CMU Political Science Program:

• Classes taught by distinguished faculty members who are actively involved in political parties, campaigns, elections, interest group politics, and cutting-edge research

• The Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government, which enhances your political science education with special policy seminars, public policy issue forums, and more

• Internship opportunities with local, state, or national governments and nongovernmental agencies

• Professional enrichment activities through Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honors society

• International study opportunities

As a political science student at Central Michigan University, you will learn about the operation of government and the relationship of people to the political system.

You will study political processes, including how governments are structured, how they make decisions, and how they manage societal conflicts. You also will learn to analyze information to guide research or policy decisions.

Earning a degree in political science does not necessarily mean that you want to be a politician. In fact, your political science background can lead to a variety of employment opportunities in governmental administration, political office, education, law, and business or international relations.

Areas of Study

The political science major at CMU is designed for you to take courses in a wide variety of topics. These fields include comparative politics, political theory, international relations, American state and local government, American national political institutions, and research methods and processes. You also can focus your studies by selecting one of two specialized concentrations:

• International Relations/Comparative Politics

• Public Administration

In addition to these program majors, the Department of Political Science offers minor programs that complement a large number of academic majors, including foreign languages, management, sociology, and integrative public relations. Political science minors include:

• Political Science

• Public Administration

• Public Affairs

Political science is a social science concerned with describing and analyzing political institutions and processes. Political scientists study the origins of and preconditions for government, the rise and fall of governments, and the relations among nations of the world. Political scientists are interested in how governments are structured, how they make decisions, and how they manage social conflicts. Political scientists also study the behavior of individuals within political systems, both as individuals and as part of groups and organizations. Finally, political science encompasses normative inquiry into such larger questions as the best form of political order, the optimum relationship between the individual and government and the nature of the public good. Political scientists today study such phenomena as political parties and voting behavior, interest groups, bureaucratic organizations and administrative procedures, national security and international organizations, presidential and gubernatorial politics, legislative behavior, courts and the administration of justice, intergovernmental relations, political socialization, mass movements, revolution, ideologies, political philosophy, community organization and urban politics, and public policies.

Why Study Political Science?   
Students studying political science have a wide variety of background, interests, and career goals. A political science major provides students with the opportunity to obtain a broad education in liberal arts and politics as well as training for specific career paths. Students with career goals in law, administrative or executive positions in state, local or federal government, teaching political science at the secondary school and college levels, foreign service, international agencies or private business overseas, the mass media, television, radio , newspaper, internet and polling organizations, would be well served by a political science major or minor. Additionally, a political science education provides students with a variety of skills they may use in all aspects of their lives. Coursework in political science teaches students to think critically, write well and speak with confidence. Students are exposed to a variety of methods of examining information, from textual analysis to the use of statistical software to analyze data . Finally, students studying political science develop a better understanding of the functioning of government in order to better prepare them for democratic citizenship.

Political Science at CMU   
Faculty in the Political Science Department at CMU specialize in a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to American national political institutions and processes, American state and local government, public administration, public policy, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. The courses offered in the department reflect these research interests, allowing students to take courses on a wide variety of topics. The major is structured so that students may take courses in many areas of political science or they may focus their education by selecting a concentration in international relations/comparative politics or public administration . A political science minor is also complementary to large number of other majors at CMU, including management, foreign languages, history, military science, integrative public relations, journalism, philosophy, psychology, sociology, interpersonal and public communications, and recreation, parks and leisure services administration. The department participates in a number of interdisciplinary programs, such as those in public affairs, Latin American studies, women's studies, environmental studies and European studies. The Department also has a strong internship program, providing students with on-the-job training in real life settings throughout Michigan, at the national level and in international organizations. The department hosts the Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government. The chair holder focuses on stimulating political interest among CMU students as well as preparing future Michigan political leaders. The Griffin Chair, a person with a distinguished record of public service and an extensive background in Michigan politics, teaches courses each year focusing on Michigan state politics and policy and provides students with a behind-the-scenes look at current state politics.

Degrees in Political Science   
The Department of Political Science offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in political science. Students may choose the general major or a concentration in International Relations/Comparative Politics or Public Administration. The Political Science minor and Public Administration minor are also offered at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, the Department offers a Master of Arts degree in Political Science, a Master of Public Administration degree, and courses contributing to several other graduate programs, including a concentration in Public Administration in the Master of Science in Administration.
 

Graduate Studies
Some political science careers require an educational level beyond the bachelor's degree. Political science graduate programs offered at CMU include a master of arts in political science and a master of public administration.

These programs feature intellectually stimulating instruction, hands-on research opportunities, and graduate assistantships. To learn more about these and other graduate programs at CMU, visit www.grad.cmich.edu.

Career Options
Graduates from CMU's Political Science Program find a variety of career opportunities in many settings, Including state, local, and federal governments, law offices, high school and college classrooms, international organizations, colleges, and universities. Some of these careers may require additional education.    
                            

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