Our lives are affected by politics every day, and political events are happening all around us. Political Science is the study of politics and power in its many forms, including protest movements and revolutions, law-making and criminal justice, war and international conflicts, human rights violations and efforts to stop them, campaigns and elections in the U.S. and around the world, and competing political ideas and ideologies.
Our courses provide the tools to analyze and understand all of these things and more, and they also help students develop skills in research, analysis, writing, and speaking that are necessary for success in a variety of professions. Our graduates work in nonprofit organizations, international affairs, law, business, education, advocacy groups, and in local, state, and national government.
The GVSU Political Science Department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Political Science. We also host an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.
October 8, 2024 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Join Christopher Rusche '08 and Casey Byers to learn the tools to understand what a credit score is, how to read a credit report and why it is so important. We will equip you with the tools to...
October 8, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Interested in intensive language study abroad? Join CLS Program Officers and an alumni ambassador to learn about CLS Arabic offerings. The CLS Program provides opportunities for American college...
October 8, 2024 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
The JET Program USA – The Experience of a Lifetime is a competitive, honorific fellowship (much like the Fulbright U.S. Student ETA program), administered by the Government of Japan. Might you...
October 9, 2024 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Fall Career & Internship Fair is an excellent place to kick off your job or internship search, or to begin networking with organizations looking to hire Grand Valley students and alumni of...
October 9, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Interested in intensive language study abroad? Join CLS Program Officers and an alumni ambassador to learn about CLS Chinese offerings. The CLS Program provides opportunities for American college...
October 9, 2024 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Democracy 101 is a series of civic engagement informational seminars. Our third event will educate students on how to vote, what a ballot looks like, how to get registered to vote, and other ways...
October 10, 2024 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
President Bill Clinton's 1992 (and 1996) campaigns reshaped modern electoral politics by implementing various innovative election tactics. In some ways, these tactics returned campaigns to...
Victor Cardenas' life has been characterized by service to the public and Grand Valley. Cardenas graduated from GVSU in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He earned a master's degree in public affairs from Indiana University and executive
Sep 30, 2024
Professor Zinman's new book, America's First Wartime Election, is set to release this November. This will be his second book published with the University Press of Kansas.
Sep 25, 2024
PLS Alum Charlotte Doran is one of the GVSU Political Science and International Relations alumni starting law school this fall. Charlotte is attending the University of Michigan Law School.
Sep 18, 2024
Andrea Haverdink, Digital Director at Americans For Tax Fairness and Creative Director for Unfiltered Media
Shaun Brodie, Senior Staff Attorney for the Benefits Review Board at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Natalie Cleary, Buyer for Meijer
Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Worldwide Digital Content, Advertising, and Corporate Development
Aids Refugee Relocation Efforts
Campaign Fundraiser Founds Consulting Firm
