Susquehanna University Department of Political Science

The Department's primary goals are to foster the development of critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and communications skills that help students to build an educational foundation that will give them the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence necessary to succeed in whatever careers they choose and to contribute to society through leadership and service.

Expectations for Students
Students are expected to take responsibility for their own education and experiences at Susquehanna. While faculty members assist in many areas, the student bears ultimate responsibility for his or her major, course selections and ensuring that all university and department requirements are met. Each political science major has an assigned faculty advisor in the department, and majors should maintain frequent contact with their advisor during the course of their studies in order to discuss their program, their progress, and their post-graduate plans.

Along with academic growth and development, the study of political science allows students to explore a variety of post-graduate opportunities. Students can investigate a number of possible paths, try out various careers, and gain valuable practical workplace experience through off-campus programs and internships. While students differ in the pace at which they arrive at career choices, it is never too early to start thinking about post-graduate options; accordingly, the Department actively urges its students to maintain a consistent focus on this eventual goal. More broadly, the Department also embraces a more comprehensive view of “life after Susquehanna.” The Department encourages its students to investigate and experience a wide variety of campus opportunities, such as the student clubs and organizations discussed later in this handbook, that can facilitate the development of constructive and rewarding skills, commitments and contacts.

Expectations for Faculty
The Department's philosophy is that the primary function of its faculty is to serve as teachers, advisors and mentors to its students, both in and out of the classroom.

Faculty members in the Department of Political Science are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that helps students to achieve the goals listed above. Faculty are expected to be conversant with a broad base of information relevant to the political science major, the university core requirements and other degree-related requirements, and to be familiar with the location and sources of other information that may be required. Moreover, they are expected to serve as listeners and sounding boards for students and their concerns, both academically and otherwise. Finally, faculty members are expected to help guide and advise students in regard to post-graduate plans.

In order to productively guide and advise students with their post-graduate plans, Department faculty are expected to be broadly familiar with traditional and non-traditional career paths for political science students, and to be broadly familiar with department alumni who may be able to provide advice and opportunity for current students; such networking is frequently invaluable in helping students to secure internships or entry level positions. More specifically, several Department faculty have been designated as coordinators and contacts for post-graduate studies commonly pursued by political science graduates; Dr. DeMary is the University Pre-Law advisor, and Dr. Schwieder is the Department Graduate School Advisor.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROGRAM
Department faculty and students strive to achieve a variety of important goals and objectives, both to encourage student learning and growth while at Susquehanna and to prepare students for a productive and satisfying life and career following graduation. The Department emphasizes several comprehensive pedagogical objectives, both in its overall approach and its various programs:

Students should acquire a factual understanding of the American political-legal system, foreign political-cultural systems, the international system, and political philosophy. Students should understand basic concepts and principles relevant to these areas, and they should be able to discern both similarities and differences among a variety of political systems and movements.
Students should be critical thinkers and effective communicators. They should understand the process of analysis, be able to analyze claims and arguments, and to engage in and appreciate reasoned and constructive political debate. Moreover, students should be able to communicate ideas and information in a clear and direct manner, and to present a clear and coherent argument in both oral and written mediums.
Students should develop an ability to conduct original research in order to analyze and evaluate differing concepts, theories, arguments and policies. Students should be conversant with the sequence and steps of the social science research process, including problem identification, formulating a research question, devising theories and hypotheses, and testing them using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Students should show reasonable and consistent progress toward the above objectives. Accordingly, the Department requires all students to maintain a cumulative portfolio of their academic work in political science. Materials in the portfolio will include: a resume, research papers, essays or other assignments representative of the students’ academic work; and other relevant materials evidencing the students’ academic performance and growth. See the Department Portfolio Guidelines for more information.