Program Overview
Asbury University offers a major (39 credit hours) and minor (21 credit hours) in political science. The 18 hours of core or foundational courses in the program focus on the ongoing American experiment in republican government, the basics of political economy, and the areas of international relations and comparative politics. All students in the major or minor will develop proficiency in these topics, and these core courses will be offered on a regular basis by the department.
In addition to core courses, students in the major also complete six hours of elective political science courses.
Collegians who choose to minor in political science complete the 18 hours of core courses in the discipline, and then select six hours of elective courses in political science.
Asbury’s political science program enables the study of politics to take place in a middle ground context, meaning the program seeks broad understanding of the discipline and does not proselytize students in a right wing or a left wing direction. We focus much attention on helping students to become highly effective writers with strong argumentation skills, and these competencies can be used in many different careers and professional endeavors. Also, classes are generally small, and so students can develop deep relationships with faculty members, who are available for mentoring and advising.
Due to the versatility of political science, plus the structure of our programs, we expect students to be able to combine the study of politics with various other disciplines and programs across the University — and this is strongly encouraged. Programs that represent an especially good fit with political science include (but are not limited to):
Most students in this program participate in the PS 300 Washington Federal Seminar, and annual trip-course that features an eight-day visit to Washington in the context of a three-credit course on politics and faith. Numerous students can also participate in the semester-long internship program in Frankfort associated with Kentucky’s General Assembly sessions. The department also hosts trips to the United States southern border. Students may also receive extensive internship credit through involvement in local, state, or federal offices. Many political science majors are successful in law school applications and with various jobs for government agencies, as well as gaining entry to public policy and public affairs master’s programs, as well.
Many graduates of our program go to law school at schools like:
Graduates pursue careers such as:
admissions@asbury.edu
(859) 858-5000