Take a look at what past grads from Witt have done with their majors – internships, grad school programs, and first jobs after graduation.  It’s not always as cut and dried as you think; a Liberal Arts degree has a lot of flexibility!
Political Science

Create a focus

At Wittenberg, the study of political theory, foreign and public policy, international relations, governmental structures and political parties is broken down into four concentration areas: comparative politics, international relations, political theory and law, and American politics. As a student of political science, you will work with your adviser to choose electives from related academic areas (i.e. economics, history, social psychology, geography or sociology) to create the program that will complement the concentration you choose.

Many of Wittenberg’s political science students study abroad or participate in summer internships — in the United States and abroad. Many internship placements in Washington, D.C., available each year, are extremely popular and offer unparalleled experience.

Degrees offered

B.A.: Political Science
Minor: Political Science

Required classes

• 101: American National Government
• 102: Comparative Politics
• 260: Methodology
• Political Theory: either 211, 212, 215 or 216

Area I: Comparative Politics

• 202: Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy
• 204: Russian Politics
• 205: Chinese Politics
• 208: Moscow: Politics and Planning
• 209: Topics in Comparative Politics
• 210: East Asian Politics
• 302: North American Politics|
• 303: Politics in Developing Nations
• 305: West European Politics
• 309: Advanced Comparative Politics

Area II: International Relations

• 251: International Relations
• 252: International Organizations
• 259: Topics in International Relations
• 350: American Foreign Policy
• 352: Russian Foreign Policy
• 354: Chinese Foreign Policy
• 355: East Asian Foreign Relations
• 359: Advanced International Relations

Area III: Political Theory and Law

• 211: Ancient, Medieval Philosophy
• 212: Modern Political Philosophy
• 215: American Political Thought
• 216: Family Values: The Politics of Virtue, Care and Equality
• 219: Topics in Political Theory
• 227: Criminal Law and Politics
• 315: Feminist, Postmodern Thought
• 319: Advanced Political Theory
• 322: American Constitutional Law

Area IV: American Politics

• 221: State and Local Government
• 222: Urban Politics
• 223: Introduction to Local Government Administration
• 224: The Presidency
• 229: Topics in American Politics
• 230: Campaigns and Elections
• 232: Public Opinion
• 234: Black Politics
• 236: Media and Politics
• 320: Public Administration
• 321: Public Policy
• 323: The U.S. Congress
• 329: Advanced American Politics
• 332: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Other Courses

• 460: Political Science Seminar
• 490: Independent Study
• 491: Internship
• 499: Honors Thesis

Gain experience

Students may choose from a variety of internship opportunities:

• Local internships with the Common Pleas Court judges, the Planning Commission, the City Manager, police department, law firms, social welfare agencies or in political campaigns.
• Wittenberg Local Government Management Internship Program
• Internship experiences in the Lutheran College Washington D.C. Semester Program include: the White House, executive agencies, interest groups, media organizations and Capitol Hill. Recent sites include the White House, ABC - Primetime Live, the Attorney General’s Office, the Institute for Mental Health Initiatives and the D.C. Superior Court Social Services.
• Study/work abroad: Several political science majors have recently served as interns with members of the Irish and British parliaments and the U.S. Embassy in Belarus. Our political science students have also studied in academic programs in Austria, China, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Denmark, Sweden and other countries. About one-third of our majors participate in either the Washington program or an overseas program.

Get involved

Pre-Law Association: This group is for students interested in law school. Speakers discuss law and the law school application process.

Student Democrats and College Republicans: These political party organizations sponsor speakers and work on election campaigns.

Pi Sigma Alpha: This honors society is open to political science students. Its goal is to encourage scholarship in political science and organize activities for its members and the entire department, which bring about greater student-faculty interaction.

Placement

Many political science majors choose to pursue employment upon graduation. Some of their first jobs include:

• U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Officer
• National Republican Congressional Committee, direct response production assistant
• Westfield Companies, marketing manager
• Burke, Inc., data collections manager
• Congressman Dave Hobson’s District Office, caseworker
• Paine Webber, investment executive
• U.S. Department of Justice, information specialist
• Senator Richard Lugar, staff assistant
• Transportation Management Association, Delaware County, executive director
• Metropolitan Human Services Commission, human services planner
• Carnegie Capital Asset Management Co., securities analyst

Recent graduates have been accepted by law schools such as:

• Harvard University
• University of Arizona
• Emory University
• Indiana University
• The Ohio State University
• University of Pittsburgh
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Virginia