Grand Valley Political Science Department

Welcome to the GVSU Political Science department!

Our lives are affected by politics every day, and political events are happening all around us. Political Science is the study of politics 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, 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.

Popular Pages

Events

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 22, 2020

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., - CEDRIC TAYLOR PRESENTATION - LIB 100/201 APPROVED!

January 22, 2020 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Cedric Taylor, associate professor of sociology at Central Michigan University, is the writer, director and co-producer of "Nor Any Drop to Drink: The Flint Water Crisis." Taylor...

The Washington Center Informational Meeting

January 23, 2020 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Interested in interning in Washington D.C.? Interested in an in-depth academic seminar that you could get credit for in a short time period? Join us to learn from The Washington Center representative...

STEVE LUXENBERG: PLESSY V. FERGUSON--RACE IN AMERICAN MEMORY - LIB 100/201 APPROVED!

January 23, 2020 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

In May of 1896, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Plessy V. Ferguson. Though the justices’ 7-1 decision created little stir among the public, it helped lay the foundation for racial...

THE GLOBAL EXPRESS: HIGHER EDUCATION AS A GLOBAL COMMODITY

January 29, 2020 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

The Global Express is a public forum on global affairs and current events on Wednesdays through the winter semester. Join us when Dr. Mark Schaub, Interim Dean for the Brooks College of interdisciplinary...

HRT Film Series: Blood Diamond

January 29, 2020 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Set during the 1990’s civil war in Sierra Leone, this film tells the story of two men, a white South African mercenary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a black Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou) who form...

View More Events

News

Professors Richards and Zhao Publish Study of the Chinese Legal System

December 20, 2019

Professors Mark Richards and Yi Zhao teamed up for a research project on how the legal concept of the public figure, central to libel cases in the U.S., has now spread to the Chinese legal system.

DEAN ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT MARSHALS FOR FALL 2019

November 26, 2019

Dean Fred Antczak is pleased to announce that serving as commencement marshals will be Professor Polly Diven of Political Science and Jeff Kelly Lowenstein of the School of Communication.