Hunter College Department of Political Science .

Choosing the Major:

Political science at Hunter College is a liberal arts department. This means that in addition to expanding your substantive knowledge, we as a department faculty are committed to your developing you critical thinking skills and improving your ability to communicate, especially your capacity for effective, analytical writing.

As you look around you at the world today, you will find most of the leadership positions in the public, non-profit, and private sectors occupied by people with a liberal arts background. They recognized the need to lay a broad foundation for their future careers: to expose themselves to wide knowledge of the discipline needed to explore problems from various angles. We believe the intellectual tools developed in the liberal arts will remain essential for leaders in a rapidly changing world. Graduate and professional schools continue to regard the liberal arts as the strongest basis for most advanced education.

We also stress writing in most political science courses. In our view, writing forces students to think in the most organized and systematic manner and to express their ideas in clear language. Writing assignments become more demanding as you progress from introductory courses through intermediate (200 level) courses to advanced seminars. Our graduates, especially those who go on to professional and graduate schools, often tell us that the attention they received on their written work made a major contribution to their success in the next stage of their education. Other former students who entered the job market directly after graduation have discovered that their writing skills have helped them advance more quickly in their organizations.

The department takes a strong interest in our majors' career plans. A significant percentage of our graduates go on to some form of professional or graduate education within two years of graduation. Popular choices for advanced study include law school, business school, Ph.D program in political science, and master's programs in international affairs, public policy, urban affairs, and public administration. Faculty members will help guide you through the process of preparing for graduate study. To help students identify interesting career possibilities, the department runs seminar/internship courses every semester. In addition to the internship opportunities available in New York City, we have placed students in Albany and Washington, DC.

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Political Science as a Discipline:

Political science in American universities is most often divided into four core fields, a practice we follow at Hunter College. These four fields are identified and described briefly in the following paragraphs:

American Politics: Focuses on the study of the framework of American politics (including the Constitution and constitutional law); American national institutions such as the presidency or the courts; political processes and behavior, notably elections and public opinion; and urban politics and subnational government. Courses at the more advanced level explore theoretical debates about such matters as state-society relations in the United States and current issues in American politics. Internships are a popular choice among students who concentrate in American politics.

Political Theory: Involves the critical study of political ideas, particularly those that entail ethical issues and/or the basis for social and political order. Political theory explores these ideas both analytically and historically. Most intermediate courses detail the history of political thought. Advanced courses are more varied--they may examine selected political ideas, new currents in political thought, or individual political theorists whose work holds great significance. Political theory in the department also includes courses on empirical and statistical methods used to study political phenomena.

Comparative Politics: How valid is any general statement about politics? Through the study of countries other than our own, we have the opportunity to ask about the degree to which political phenomena occur in different nations or in different types of political systems. Intermediate courses suggest comparisons within particular regions of the world such as Latin America or Western Europe. Advanced courses stress current scholarly debates and controversies.

International Politics: Courses in international politics or relations (sometimes referred to as IR) examine relations among nation-states, the sources of conflict, and the prospects for stability and order. We offer courses on international security issues, international institutions (organization and law), international political economy, and the foreign policy of the United States and other nations. Advanced seminars look in depth at theoretical issues surrounding international relations and at current topics in international politics.

In addition to the four core fields, political science at Hunter reflects new developments in our discipline and work done in other disciplines. For example, we offer courses in law, public policy, political economy, human rights, globalization and research methods that are listed within the four primary fields. Scholarship in such areas as women's studies is also reflected in a number of course offerings in the core fields. (Often you will see these courses listed as combined courses with other departments or programs. If you wish to use them as part of a political science major, you should register for them under the political science course number.)

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Completing the Political Science Major:

A political science major requires successful completion of 24 credits in political science courses. You must take at least one course in each of the four core fields described above. In each of these basic fields, we offer one introductory (100-level) course. If you take the introductory course in a field, you may use that to satisfy the requirement for that field. For example, POLSC 111 "Introduction to American Government" is an American politics course; if you take POLSC 111, you do not need to take another American politics course to complete the major, though you may choose to do so. To help guide you, courses are identified by field in the Hunter College catalogue. You should try to fulfill the four-field requirement as soon as possible after you declare the major. By taking a course in each area, you will get a better sense of the discipline as a whole and, just as important, you may discover new areas of interest beyond those you had when you began to study political science. You may satisfy the requirement with a course at any level.

We recommend that students begin with one or two introductory courses, then proceed to intermediate and advanced courses. You do not have to take all four introductory courses. Remember that graduate and law schools and employers will often take note of the difficulty of a student's program of study, and the find advanced courses more impressive than introductory ones. While only one 300-level course is required, we strongly recommend that you do more work at that level after you have sampled lower-level courses. The writing assignments in 300-level courses are most challenging and useful in developing your analytical skills. For students who wish to pursue particular topics in depth or who seek to graduate with departmental honors, the department offers independent study and honors courses. Since an instructor's approval is required for these courses, you should discuss independent study and honors work with a full-time faculty member with whom you have already taken a course.

If you declare the major early enough (before you reach sixty credits), you will not need to "overload" your program with political science courses. Unless absolutely necessary, you should never take more than two courses in the major in one semester. A balanced schedule can include courses for the distribution or general education requirements, the major, and the minor, plus electives of interest.

The Minor (for Political Science Majors at Hunter College):

If you major in political science, in addition to completing twenty-four credits in political science, you must complete a twelve-credit minor. At Hunter, the major department controls or defines the minor. Speak with the department advisor or chair about the appropiate selection of a minor. Note that you cannot "double-count" credits for both the distribution requirment and the minor. The political science department does not require students with a double major to complete a minor, but if you are considering a double major you must check with your other major department about its policy on minors. Students who wish to minor in a foreign language may not use the courses that satisfy their foreign language requirement to meet their minor requirement. Students who wish to minor in a foreign language must take an additional four classes that are not used to satisfy the college's foreign language requirement.

Writing Corequisites and Prerequisites:

Virtually all political science courses require significant expository writing. To assure that students are ready for these courses, they should be enrolled in ENGL 120 (or its equivalent) or have successfully completed the course. For all 200-level courses, ENGL 120 (or its equivalent) is a prerequisite or corequisite; for all 300-level and 400-level courses, ENGL 120 (or its equivalent) is a prerequisite.

Preparation for Law:

A substantial number of majors in political science intend to go on to law school. For information on law school requirements, and on relevant courses in political science as well as in other departments, students should read the department brochure, "Frequently Asked Questions about Law School", and consult the departmental advisor.

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Honors Work:

In order to graduate with honors in political science, a student must have a 3.5 GPA in political science and a college-wide cumulative index of at least 3.0, and must also complete a major paper of approximately 25 pages in length that reflects serious scholarship in a 300- or 400-level political science course or in an honors course (POLSC 492). Students are encouraged to enroll in POLSC 492 in order to conduct a significant independent research project or to revise a term paper or similar project begun in a political science course in a previous semester. Under some circumstances, with department approval, a student may substitute a paper from a 300- or 400-level course taught by a full-time faculty member as their major paper. As a general rule, a student who takes POLSC 492 must be supervised by a full-time faculty member with whom the student has done prior coursework and who has agreed to supervise the student's honors project. Thus, students seeking to graduate with departmental honors should begin to plan the sequence of honors work at least two semesters in advance of their expected graduation date.

Pi Sigma Alpha:

Students interested in joining this honor society should consult with Professor Walter Volkomer, HW 1701, 212-772-5495.

Seminar/Internship Program in New York Government:

This university-wide program is designed to bridge the gap between academic study and the practical world of government. Each semester about 20 to 25 Hunter students are admitted to this program by enrolling in POLSC 411 and 412. Students are advised to have completed atleast 60 overall credits and 12 to 15 political science credits with atleast one course in the subfield they are interested in taking the internship. Students should have atleast a 3.0 grade point average in political science before applying. Interns spend eight to ten hours a week in agencies, political offices, or community groups working on administrative or research assignments related to urban affairs and services. They attend a weekly classroom seminar at Hunter and monthly meetings of the entire program at the Graduate School and University Center. Prominent government officials, political leaders, community representatives, and academic experts participate in both the weekly and monthly meetings. Students may also arrange for internships in international relations as an independent study by enrolling in POLSC 498. Up to 6 credits in internship work (POLSC 411, 412, 413, 414, or 498) may be used to satisfy requirements for the major. As a general rule, a student who takes POLSC 498 must be supervised by a full-time faculty member with whom the student has done prior coursework and who has agreed to supervise the student's internship. Additional internship credits may be used as electives toward graduation. For further information, consult the Department of Political Science.

Public Leadership Program

Persons who had eminent public careers are in residence at the college for a short period during the semester. They give a public lecture and conduct a seminar for a select group of political science students. Past participants have included former President Bill Clinton (2002), Governor Mario Cuomo (2001), and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (2000).

Preparation for Graduate Study:

Many political science majors go on to graduate study. Students interested in considering graduate work should consult the department chair, advisor and members of the political science faculty specializing in the student's area of interest.

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Awards and Prizes:

The Political Science Department confers recognition on its outstanding graduates through prizes and awards: The Katherine Duffy Prize and The Edgar Dawson Prize presented annually to graduating political science majors, and the David E. Haight Memorial Award, a substantial fellowship to enable a graduating political science major to pursue graduate studies in political science. Check our Prizes/Awards here.

Scholarships:

The Political Science Department may award the Joan Pincus Scholarship to students majoring in political science who have achieved at least sophomor status, have an excellent academic record, and have demonstrated financial need. For additional information, see the department chair or the department advisor.

Department Resources:

We take our responsibility to guide students very seriously. The department chair and department advisor can answer questions about the curriculum, the rules governing the major, preparing for professional and graduate school applications processes. In addition, majors have faculty advisors within the department; you may select the advisor or ask the department to select one based upon your areas of interest. All our offices are on the 17th floor of the West building. The department office is in room 1724 Hunter West; our main phone number is 772-5500.

The department has a student lounge, located in room 1729 Hunter West. It is open all day when classes are in session. A popular gathering place for study and discussion of political issues, the lounge is almost always occupied by students. For those considering political science as a possible major, the lounge is a good place to hear student views about the department. In addition, the Political Science Student Association holds its meetings in the lounge. You will also find information there about law schools, graduate schools, summer programs, study abroad, and other educational and career opportunities.

We also have a 10-station student computer lab in 1729 Hunter West. The computers were acquired through Lucent Links Foundation Grants. You can study and do research in the lab.

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