Why Political Science?
What is Political Science and why should I study it?
Politics is everywhere, shaping not only governments but families, social organizations, schools and decision-making bodies of all types, from student councils to international institutions. Political science educates citizens, who are able to act and respond to national and global political changes in an informed way. Political science provides valuable social science training and prepares students for a variety of careers.
Socrates and Aristotle referred to the study of politics as the master science.
Some of the questions political scientists answer are:
- What explains the increasing polarization of American political life?
- Under what conditions do countries become and remain democratic? And when do democracies decline?
- What does reconciliation look like in settler societies?
- What explains international and domestic war and peace?
- How does living through violence influence post-conflict politics?
What can you do with a Political Science degree?
Ultimately, what you do with a political science degree is up to you, but a background in political science will benefit you throughout your life by giving you the analytical tools to understand and act on the politics affecting you.
From teaching, to law school, to careers in international politics, it’s all possible with a degree in political science from UAF.
Some careers political science majors go on to pursue are...
... and more!
Political Science at the University of AVÀÇÂÛ̳ Fairbanks
Degrees Offered:
Courses are offered in the following traditional subfields:
The department also offers a number of classes in environmental policy and politics and indigenous politics.
The political science department offers a series of courses related to environmental politics and policies examining the relationships between government, inter-governmental, and non-governmental decision-making and the natural world. Through this sub-disciplinary training, students will learn to identify public needs, collect data on controversial issues, compare alternative solutions to problems, and conduct evaluations of ongoing public programs. Additionally, they will learn about and apply different approaches to methodology in social science research.
How can I get involved?
Our students are highly active on campus and commonly participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, including the Associated Students of the University of AVÀÇÂÛ̳ Fairbanks (ASUAF), the model United Nations and Pi Sigma Alpha (the Political Science honors society).
Internship Opportunities
While pursuing their degree, students often choose to participate in an internship in AVÀÇÂÛ̳ or elsewhere in the United States, to gain valuable workplace experience. Many students chose to intern through the highly popular Senator .
Our faculty have expertise in their respective fields, and all have multiple interdisciplinary research interests. Faculty research has been funded by major granting agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Social Science and Humanities Research Council (Canada) and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. Faculty research has been published in highly recognized academic journals.
Ready to get started?