The Department of Political Science offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide a thorough understanding of politics while providing a foundation for careers in government, law, education, business and other fields. Undergraduates benefit from the resources of its nationally recognized faculty and strong graduate programs. In addition to courses on political ideas, behavior, and institutions at the local, state and international levels, the department offers opportunities for students to participate in research projects, internship programs, scholarship competitions, study abroad, a political science honor society, and a program in law studies.

The political science curriculum is divided into four areas: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics, and Political Theory.

Honors and High Honors in the Major

Departmental honors are awarded upon graduation to students who achieve a 3.5 GPA overall in all UWM courses attempted and also in their advanced-level political science courses. Students meeting these GPA requirements will automatically be slated for graduating with honors in the major.

Students meeting the grade point requirements might also wish to be considered for departmental high honors. If a student wishes to be considered for departmental high honors, s/he should request that the faculty member supervising her/his substantial research paper nominate her/him for high honors. The supervising faculty member then will decide if the student should be recommended to the high honors committee, which is composed of three political science faculty members. The committee will determine if the quality of the nominee’s paper is sufficient to earn the high honors designation and, if so, will bestow the high honors accordingly. Do note that any student interested in receiving high honors needs to contact a Political Science faculty member to be considered; these high honors are not bestowed automatically.

Note: Students applying for and entering the major before Fall 2004 may use the old version of the high honors designation which reads as follows in pertinent part: “Departmental high honors are awarded to students who meet the GPA requirement for honors and also write a satisfactory senior paper under the supervision of a department faculty member or earn a grade of B or better in an approved departmental seminar taken during the senior year.”

Questions about any of the above honors designations can be directed to any of the Political Science faculty advisors.