Sample Courses
- Constitutional Law surveys how the U.S. Constitution works as a structure for government, and addresses how the federal courts interact within the U.S. system of government.
- Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation examines the causes and control of terrorism, especially preventing terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction, theories and policies of nonproliferation, and arms control.
- Political Power, Influence, and Control surveys the use of the concept of power in the social sciences, stressing diverse theoretical perspectives and empirical studies of political institutions.
- Campaigns and Elections focuses on campaign strategies and other issues pertinent to the election process.
- Human Rights—U.S. Foreign Policy follows the evolution of human rights as a political issue, the role of nongovernmental organizations, political uses of human
rights rhetoric, and contradictions in implementing policy. - Politics of Everyday Life examines how we try to influence each other’s behavior throughout the course of everyday life.
Hands On Learning
You’ll be able to participate in many forms of the political process at the UO. Each year, many UO political science students earn academic credit as interns for state and U.S. legislators, government staff members, and lobbyists in Salem, the Oregon state capital.
As a political science major, you might have a strong interest in student government or local politics. You might decide to get involved in local campaigns or discuss and debate important political issues and policies with fellow students, professors, and local government leaders. Other students with an interest in international issues may take their studies overseas, often with assistance from study abroad scholarships available through the department.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
Political science can easily be integrated with other disciplines. You can effectively complement a major in political science with studies in economics, environmental studies, international studies, history, sociology, or planning, public policy, and management. Political science can serve as a valuable and versatile foundation no matter where you plan to create change and progress.