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.
April 22, 2026 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Winter & Summer 2026 graduates, you're invited to join President Mantella and GVSU Alumni Relations to celebrate your graduation and what it means to be a Laker for a Lifetime....
April 22, 2026 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Winter & Summer 2026 graduates, you're invited to join President Mantella and GVSU Alumni Relations to celebrate your graduation and what it means to be a Laker for a Lifetime....
April 30, 2026 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
This spring, we are thrilled to celebrate the newest class of Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy Fellows. As our 2026 graduates prepare to enter the next season of life, we will gather to celebrate...
May 6, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Come test out your trivia knowledge with fellow Lakers! Join us for a fun evening of trivia and connecting with other Grand Valley alumni. Question topics will cover both GVSU and pop culture. Two...
Olivia Robach (PLS and IR double major) earned a scholarship to join student scholars from around the US to attend the annual conference of the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC in November 2025.
Dec 3, 2025
This spring, Dr. Whitt Kilburn, Associate Professor of Political Science at Grand Valley State University, published Introduction to Political Analysis in R through Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Sep 12, 2025
Member Engagement Coordinator, Illinois Senate Republican Caucus
Economic Development Director, City of Coldwater
Aids Refugee Relocation Efforts
Digital Director at Americans For Tax Fairness and Creative Director for Unfiltered Media
Chief of Staff, Congressman John Moolenaar
Program Manager for the American College of Cardiology.
Lobbyist, Obsidian Advocacy Group
