Why major in political science?
A major in Political Science provides students with a variety of skills they will be able to use throughout their professional and personal lives. It combines the rigor and logic of natural science and mathematics with the aesthetic grandeur of modes of inquiry more characteristic of the humanities. Thus, students are exposed to different ways of thinking, and they develop the capacity to reason analytically, as well as the ability to write succinctly. Also, in studying politics, students wrestle with important questions about power and authority in human relations. Majors are required to read and analyze a broad range of exciting topics. The courses offered in the Political Science curriculum encompass major developments in the U.S. and throughout the world.
The Political Science Department has a long tradition of excellence in undergraduate teaching. Each semester the proportion of instructors who are named to the Incomplete List of Excellent Instructors ranks among the highest on campus. Five different instructors have won college or campus awards for excellence in undergraduate teaching; some have won more than one award.
A major in Political Science prepares you for a rich and rewarding career. Our graduates go on to successful careers in law, business, the media, government service, and education. Many of them have reached the pinnacle of their chosen profession. Indeed, Political Science has had more of its majors win the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Alumni Achievement Award than has any other department. Out of forty-two awards, political science majors have been recognized ten times. The accomplishments of these graduates are all the more remarkable when it is realized that LAS has more than thirty academic departments.
To learn more about some of our most distinguished alumni visit our Alumni Hall of Fame. To get more information about careers visit the homepage of the UIUC Career Center.