Contact Information
(541) 346-4864
(541) 346-4860 fax
http://www.uoregon.edu/~polisci
Undergraduate degrees: B.A., B.S.
Undergraduate minor
Creating Conscious Citizens
If you are interested in the analysis of the political process, the political science major at the UO is perfect for you. The Eugene community prides itself on its political activism, its many grassroots movements, and its passion for keeping the public politically informed. You will be pleased to discover that a wide range of ideologies exist within the university community.
But Left or Right, Red or Blue, it doesn’t matter what your political stance is. “We’re not about espousing a political ideology,” says department head Lars Skalnes. “We want to make people into critical thinkers, and to make them into citizens who will participate in politics.”
You will also have the opportunity to delve into comparative studies that explore political theory. These studies help build a solid foundation you’ll be able to apply to local, state, national, and international government careers.
While majoring in political science, you’ll study the inner workings of our own country’s political system, and you’ll learn how governments differ among countries. There are also numerous study-abroad programs available to supplement your academic learning with first-hand experience. “We send students all over the world,” says Skalnes.
The political science faculty strives to make subject matter relevant and exciting. “The department has a faculty with a very broad range of interests dedicated to both conducting research on and helping students to understand how politics operate at the local, state, national, and international level,” explains Professor Ronald Mitchell. In the past, significant political figures such as Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines, and UO President and former Oregon Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer have taught courses in the department.
In addition, the small size of the department means that “the faculty is more accessible than at bigger institutions,” says Skalnes. This kind of contact with political leaders makes the UO political science department a unique place to learn and prepare for a variety of careers.
Points of Interest
- The political science department specializes in Asian, comparative, environmental, Latin American, and Eastern European politics, as well as international relations and American political development.
- You can participate in internships at the local level, the Oregon Legislative Assembly in Salem, or even in Washington D.C. Every year, students work on senatorial campaigns and as constituent-relations representatives for U.S. senators and members of congress.
- By participating in one of seventy overseas study programs in forty countries, you will be exposed firsthand to the diverse political systems of other nations, a perspective that is increasingly important in our international community.
- You can receive honors in political science by completing a year-long senior thesis project that is reviewed by a departmental honors committee. Past topics have varied from the politics of interracial adoption to Egyptian water management policy to voter mobilization tactics.