Political Science
Political science is the social science that studies how we govern ourselves. Political scientists investigate issues concerning how public policies are formed, how we organize ourselves for carrying out those policies, and how people compete and cooperate in deciding who shall hold public office.
Distinctive Features
Personal attention: While political science is a popular area of study at Miami, with 450 students majoring in it, the department has a faculty of more than 25 professors, which keeps your class sizes small. All faculty teach the introductory courses, which generally have about 40 students, an unusually small number for introductory courses. Upper-level courses average between 30 and 40 students. You'll have many opportunities for research, both with professors' projects and in your own studies.
Variety of courses: Because of the department's sizable faculty, we can offer a broad range of courses that reflect the diversity of faculty interests.
Flexible program: You can broaden your expertise by combining your political science degree with a second major. Because the program allows you to take a lot of electives, you can use those electives to complete another major while still graduating in a timely manner. Many students complete a second major in a complementary field such as history, communication, or economics.
Research: The Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs, operated by the political science department, gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity for internships and research. The center engages in applied research, training and education, data base development and information services, and technical assistance in local government management.
The Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies is not limited to studying politics but includes cultural interactions and studies in order to improve United States-Russian understanding and relations.
Your Program of Study
As a political science major, you can tailor your program to your own interests and career objectives by selecting courses from five major fields of study: political theory, comparative politics, international politics, American government, and public administration. You can prepare for a variety of careers, for law school, or for other professional and graduate education opportunities.
In your freshman and sophomore years, you take Miami Plan courses along with introductory political science courses. After your sophomore or junior year, you usually complete an internship, which may be with governmental or legal agencies, political parties, public office holders, interest groups, or nonprofit agencies. Political science advisers and the Career Planning and Placement Office can make recommendations and help identify contacts for these opportunities.
For students interested in extended study in the nation's capitol, Miami has agreements with other universities who have a Washington semester program. For example, American University recruits Miami students, usually in the junior year, for their Washington program.
During your junior and senior years, you focus on courses in your political science area of specialization as well as related electives.
Student Organizations
It's helpful to get experience in campus political organizations, student government, or the student newspaper. Miami has chapters of the College Democrats, College Republicans, and the Democratic Socialists of America Youth Section, as well as the Pre-Law Society and the Mock Trial Team. Pi Sigma Alpha is the national political science honorary where students get to know other political science majors and faculty.
After You Graduate
A degree in political science can prepare you for careers in fields ranging from the U.S. State Department to campaign politics, from environmental affairs to political journalism, from civic and interest groups to business and industry.
Of recent political science graduates, about a third pursue advanced degrees (law school or professional degree programs, or other areas including political science, city planning, and public administration).
For more information about law school, go back to the "majors" window and scroll down to the description of the pre-law program.
Another third obtain employment in government service, and the remaining third take jobs in business and industry, usually for special interest groups and for companies' governmental affairs offices.
Miami also offers master's and doctoral degree programs in political science.
Planning For Law School
Students of any major may be admitted to law school, but the biggest numbers, nearly a third, come from the political science department. Miami's pre-law advisers will help you plan your program and guide you through the law school admission and testing process. Our rate of acceptance to law schools is excellent, typically 84 percent.
The Pre-Law Society is a student organization open to students in any major. It meets regularly and sponsors such activities as Mock Law Classes, LSAT preparation sessions, and Law Career Day, when representatives of leading law schools come to interview prospective applicants.
Law schools require that you have graduated from an accredited college or university with a good grade point average and that you have a good score on the Law School Admission Test, which you usually take in the fall of your senior year.
In addition, some law schools require and all law schools recommend some accounting courses. Technical writing and economics courses are often recommended. Beyond that, you have no specific courses that you must take, but you'll find it helpful to take courses that develop your logical and expressive skills (both written and oral). Since a practicing attorney must draw upon a wide variety of knowledge, it's useful to have a good foundation in the liberal arts, which you receive through the Miami Plan curriculum.
For More Information
For general information about Miami University, please contact:
Office of Admission
301 S. Campus Ave.
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056-3434
513-529-2531 (v/t)
www.muohio.edu/requestinfo
For specific information on the Political Science major, please contact:
Department of Political Science
Harrison Hall
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-2000
www.muohio.edu/politicalscience
