Prospective PSPS Students
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Why study political science and public service?
Why study political science and public service at UTC?
How to learn more
Why study political science and public service?
- Learn about what interests you. If you are interested in politics, public policy, international relations, law, foreign policy, or civil rights, a political science major or minor might be a good choice for you. If you are interested in learning about how to make the world a better place through the work of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, focusing on public administration and nonprofit management might be a good choice.
- Gain skills for effective civic engagement. You will learn how government works, how public and private organizations work together for common goals, and how to represent your interests in the public square. You can help shape our collective future.
- Prepare for meaningful careers. Political science, public administration, and nonprofit management students are prepared for a broad range of careers. Graduates go on to positions like attorney, lobbyist, advocate, government relations manager, nonprofit manager, volunteer coordinator, political journalist, campaign manager, policy analyst, community organizer, elected official, researcher, teacher, and professor.
- Build transferrable skills. Political science students gain skills valued everywhere: writing, research, data analysis, textual analysis, and critical thinking.
- Get ready for an advanced degree. PSPS students are especially well prepared to pursue advanced degrees in law, public administration, public policy, business, international affairs, other social sciences, and, of course, political science.
Why study political science and public service at UTC?
- Customize your program of study. Our major and minors provide opportunities to learn about political science very broadly or to select one or more areas of focus: American politics, international and comparative studies, public law, public policy, public administration, and nonprofit management.
- We love to teach! All of our faculty members are at UTC because they love to teach, and they love to see students learn. Our courses are enriched by professors’ active engagement in scholarship and professional service.
- Opportunities for engagement. All PSPS students have multiple opportunities to extend their education beyond the classroom through internships, mock trial, mock legislature, service-learning projects, student research projects, and multiple student clubs.
- Expert advising. All students are assigned to a professional advisor to help navigate the logistics of their programs of study and a faculty advisor to help students make the most of their time at UTC and to prepare for life after college. We provide robust resources for helping students explore and get real-world experience in career paths related to their majors. Beyond the formal advisor assignments, we strive to be a department where all faculty members are accessible to students and engaged in helping students refine their academic and professional goals and strategies.
- Big enough, but not too big. We are a big enough department to offer a wide range of political science courses and concentrations, but small enough where faculty and students can build a true learning community.
Learn more
We are always happy to talk to prospective PSPS majors and minors. To connect with one of our faculty members, request an appointment by emailing the PSPS Administrative Specialist. In your email, let us know what interests you about the program and what questions you may have, and we’ll get you in touch with the right professors.
The American Political Science Association provides useful guidance for students considering a political science major and information about careers in political science.
And while you’re here, explore the rest of this website to learn about our faculty and curriculum.