Political Science

Address: 237 Graham Building
Phone: 336.334.5989
Web site: www.uncg.edu/psc

Majors & Concentrations

• Political Science (BA) U197
• Political Science (BA) (High Sch Lic) U199
• Pre-Law (BA) U198

Political Science students study the government, politics, and policies of the United States and other nations; levels of government, such as city and state, within those nations; and relationships among nations. They study the political behavior, attitudes, and ideas of groups and individuals.

Pre-Law concentration: Students can take a cluster of courses to prepare themselves for law school and a legal career.

What's unique about Political Science at UNCG?

• Choice of electives: Students can specialize in American politics, law, international relations, comparative political systems, public policy, and administration.
• Excellent and accessible faculty: Our graduating seniors regard our faculty as unusually strong in their subject materials, presentation styles, and accessibility outside of class.
• Small class size: Our upper-level undergraduate courses average around 30 students.
• Emphasis on research and writing: We believe that it is critical to develop strong research and writing skills for almost every career our graduates might pursue.

Academic Clubs and Organizations

• Political Awareness Club (the club sponsors speakers and pizza and movie nights)
• Model United Nations Club (club members participate in Model U.N. competitions)
• Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society)

Student Opportunities

• Internships in local government, state agencies, and nonprofit community organizations
• State legislative internships (Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA)
• Campaigns and elections internship class offered every other fall
• Internship programs in Washington, DC
• Washington Summer Study Session: Congress in the Washington Context, a course offered every other summer (2009, 2011) for three weeks in DC
• Undergraduate research assistantships to work with individual faculty or with the Center for Legislative Studies

Graduates/Careers

Examples of careers for political science graduates include:

• Deputy Director, Guilford County Board of Elections
• Assistant to the Australian Trade Commission
• District Liaison, Congressman Brad Miller's office
• President of The United Way of High Point
• Senior Officer for US Department of Justice
• Program Assistant, N.C. Environmental Defense Fund
• High School Social Science Teacher
• Analyst, FBI, U.S. Interdepartmental Intelligence Task Force
• Executive Director, Alamance County Dispute Settlement and Youth Services

Graduate study:

• Law school
• MPA/MPP (Master of Public Affairs, Administration, or Public Policy) programs
• PhD programs in political science, public policy, or public administration

Professional Organizations and Accreditation

• Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) is co-located with the department's Center for Legislative Studies
• American Political Science Association (APSA)
• The MPA program is accredited with the National Association of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)

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