Our Goals For You

We seek to develop the capacities and foster the knowledge of our majors in an effort to prepare them for active citizenship, employment and, more selectively, various forms of graduate education.

Through teaching and advising we strive to encourage the following among our majors:

• Thinking analytically; reading, writing, speaking, listening effectively and acquiring knowledge independently

• Analyzing quantitative data, evaluating historical patterns, assessing the relative merits of different cultures

• Demonstrating competency in any two of the following: normative theory, comparative political systems, international relations, human rights and constitutionalism, and human behavior and culture

For students who demonstrate appropriate talent and the desire to "go the extra mile," we encourage one or more of the following:

• International (cross-cultural) experience

• Pre-professional practical experience (e.g., an internship)

• Successful completion of an independent research project (a senior thesis—either Distinction or Honors)

• Relevant forms of subsequent graduate study