Program Description

Political science is known as the study of laws and governments, yet it includes much more. Why did the U.S. invade Iraq? Why do many U.S. citizens feel animosity toward immigrants? What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization for developing countries? In what manner are human rights abused around the globe, and what can be done about it? What are the causes and consequences of political violence and state terrorism? What are the political aspirations of citizens in Muslim-populated countries? These are a few of the many interesting questions that a political science student explores at Purchase College.

The political science program offers students the opportunity to engage in a variety of courses in American, comparative, and international politics. Students also study age-old political questions concerning equality, rights, and justice and learn how to conduct political science research.

The political science program closely collaborates with other interdisciplinary programs at Purchase College, including Latin American studies, environmental studies, and gender studies. Because politics are intertwined with economic and social issues, many students choose to double-major in economics, sociology, history, or journalism. Members of the political science faculty have broad and diverse backgrounds, have won numerous awards, and have published more than 50 books and articles.

The major in political science is particularly designed for students who (1) are interested in exploring different social and political issues by taking a range of American and internationally-based courses, or (2) want to have a focused study of human rights or Islam and the Middle East.

Program Faculty

Requirements for the Major

1. Introduction to U.S. Politics
2. Political Theory I or II
3. Research in Political Science
4. An economics course
5. Two courses in U.S. politics and law at the 2000 level or above
6. Three courses in comparative politics and international relations at the 2000 level or above
7. Political Science Seminar I and II
8. Senior Project in Political Science

Optional Concentrations:
Concentration 1: Islam and the Middle East
Concentration 2: Human Rights

For detailed information on these concentrations, please refer to the political science program site.

Representative Elective Courses

America on Film
American Constitutional Law
Citizens Living Under Islamic Laws
Constitutions and Rights: U.S. and China
Contemporary Revolutions
Courts, Judges, and Politics
Cuba and the U.S.
Development and Politics of Latin America
Environmental Justice
Gender and Health: International Issues
Gender Politics and Islam
Globalization, Development, and Poverty
Government and Politics Worldwide
Health Care Crisis
Human Rights
Immigration Debated: A Seminar
Immigration: Policy, Problems, and Politics
Introduction to International Relations
Islam: Culture and Politics
Money, Power, and Democracy
Political Protest and Ideologies
Politics and Memoir
Politics and Religion in America
Politics of South Asia
Presidential Politics
Race and Politics
Race, Gender, and the Law
Sex, Politics, and Health
The Dominican Republic: Between Latin America and the U.S.
The Middle East
United States/Latin American Relations
U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1945
West African Politics and Literature
Women and Politics
Women in Developing Countries
Women’s Rights as Human Rights

Representative Alumni

• Susan Isaacs Biro ’80, JD, Washington College of Law; chief administrative law judge, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
• Kat Callo ’81, MSc, London Business School; MS, Columbia School of Journalism; a leading international expert on leaseholder rights and issues; founding director and strategy consultant, Rosetta Consulting Ltd., London; trustee of Project Mosaic (www.projectmosaic.net)
• James Cruickshank ’86, research and development manager, Real Estate Assessment Center, U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• John Cruickshank ’86, senior program analyst, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.
• Anna E. Darr ’06, JD, Southwestern Law School; litigation associate, Vanderford & Ruiz LLP
• I. Braun Degenshein ’84, JD, University of California, Hastings College of the Law; entertainment and intellectual properties attorney, Oakland, Calif.
• Abel Ferrara ’73, noted screenwriter and director; his filmography includes King of New York, Bad Lieutenant, The Addiction, and The Funeral
• Regis Goodwin ’95, litigation paralegal, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
• Risa Bell Hoag ’85, president, GMG Public Relations, Inc., Nanuet, N.Y.
• Farah N. Bazai-Jan ’99, PhD candidate in political science (expected in 2013), Rutgers University
• Jeffrey W. Nesich ’77, director of administration, New York State Division of Parole
• Susan Spencer ’91, associate director for consumer relations—Asia, Procter & Gamble

For more information, please visit the political science program site.

Updated Dec. 12, 2012

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