BA in Political Science and Economics

Political science teaches the art and science of politics in the United States and throughout the world. Study leadership with a former U.S presidential candidate. Spend seven weeks visiting the United Nations and other organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. Apply for the White House internship program or to the British Parliament. Develop aid programs in a Saharan village in Niger. Write opinion pieces for an outstanding student political journal. Compete to represent an Arab country as part of one of the top Model Arab League teams in the United States. Political science is a discipline and a subject of study that has worldwide applications and exciting and experiential job opportunities. Politics matter wherever there are groups of people trying to get things done. Political science majors start their journey with core courses on American government, comparative politics, international relations, and research methods. After that, students choose from a wealth of courses on specific topics from international security to legal studies to public policy. Economics is the study of how societies produce and exchange goods and services to satisfy material needs. Undergraduates may study economics as part of a broad interest in the social sciences to develop specialized skills useful in today’s complex labor market. The major in economics is also a good foundation for graduate studies in advanced economics, public policy, law, or business. Macroeconomics, which focuses on the overall economy, deals with such problems as inflation, unemployment, growth and instability, economic development, and governmental monetary and fiscal policies. Microeconomics examines the economic behavior of individuals, households, firms, industries, and trade among countries. It seeks to assess the economic effects of market power and environmental damage and analyzes the economic aspects of natural resources, poverty, health, income distribution, trade unions, crime, and government regulation. Courses in economics cover international trade; the behavior of families, firms, and industries in the market economy; the environmental costs of growth; and the economic aspects of natural resources, poverty, health, labor market discrimination, trade unions, crime, and governmental oversight. International and comparative perspectives are emphasized, most directly in courses in the economic development of the developing world and economic history. Graduates may find jobs in major corporations; financial institutions; nonprofits; NGOs; or federal, state, and local governments. Their work may involve planning and forecasting, assessing labor needs, and undertaking financial studies. They may estimate consumer demand for new products, conduct research, teach, or provide specialized consulting services.