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Prospective Students
Welcome to GVSU Political Science
While you are here:
- Courses taught by professors, not graduate students
- Small class sizes enable skill development
- Flexible major or minor
- Excellent General Education courses
- Internships in Michigan or Washington DC
Doors open to you:
- Many career options
- Excellent preparation for a wide range of graduate programs
More About Us
Quick links
Programs Offered
Click here for requirements for all of our programs
- Political Science major (BA or BS)
- Political Science minor
- Political Science teachable minor
- International Relations major (BA)
- International Relations minor
- LEAP (Legal Education Admission Program). Dual degree:
BA or BS from GVSU political science. JD from Michigan State University College of Law.
Spotlights
Lobbyist for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Jacob Simon
National Assistant Principal of the Year
Clerk's Assistant with Oakland Township
Greg Robinson
Greg Robinson
Internships, Jobs and Careers
Your career starts with you, develops in the classroom, and continues in the field. Political science is excellent preparation for a wide variety of jobs and careers. Many classes feature debates, simulations and real-world problem solving. Our small class sizes enable you to develop the skills needed to advance in your career and/or graduate school:
- Critical thinking
- Research
- Data analysis
- Digital literacy
- Writing
- Oral communication
We highly recommend internships for our students. Internships are available in Michigan and in DC through our affiliation with the Washington Center.
Political science is an excellent major for a wide range of graduate programs, including law school, business and public administration.
For more information:
Faculty
- The department is staffed with PhDs from top graduate programs.
- Our focus is undergraduate education.
- Multiple professors have won awards for their teaching.
- Professors are published experts in their subfields.
Meet our faculty
Contact information, fields of specialization, and faculty profiles.
General Education
The Political Science Department offers a wide range of courses in the General Education curriculum. Many students who are not political science majors find our General Education courses stimulating and provocative. Majors and minors are able to take these courses to simultaneously fulfill General Education and major/minor requirements.
Pre-law
Political science is a very popular major or minor for pre-law students (students who plan to attend law school). The Political Science Department has a pre-law faculty advisor. The Department offers a dual degree (BA or BA plus JD from MSU College of Law). For more information, visit the pre-law page.
News
January 25, 2021
Applications are being accepted for four named scholarships.
December 21, 2020
Mangala Wins Distinguished Contribution in a Discipline Award
December 15, 2020
PLS 221 students hold model EU meeting online
Retirement Tribute: Professor Richard Hiskes
November 11, 2020
The Political Science Department congratulates Professor Rich Hiskes on his retirement.
Events
Polish Club Meeting
January 28, 2021 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Come join us for our first club meeting this semester! We will be going over what we plan to do over the course of the semester and mainly get to know everyone! Hope to see you there. RSVP...
Virtual Mardi Gras Celebration
February 8, 2021 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Even though Mardi Gras is on February 16, we will be celebrating is this week by exploring what it actually is, how different areas celebrate it, and why it's important. A Kahoot (with a prize)...
Bill Barker: Presidents' Day Celebration--Man and Legacy
February 18, 2021 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
In times of great strife, Americans have often looked to our nation’s founding fathers for guidance. In doing so, we inevitably address the paradoxes they posed. The same Thomas Jefferson who...
Intercultural Meeting with Polish Club
February 22, 2021 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Just as we did last semester with Spanish Club, we will be hosting an intercultural meeting with the Polish Club!! This will include cultural comparisons about food, society, politics, and possibly...
Kelsey Perdue: Local Leadership from Global Experience
February 26, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Kelsey Perdue personifies the phrase “thinking global, acting local.” Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Perdue went on to graduate from Howard University in Washington D.C. and later receive...