To make change, understand power. 

Our lives are affected by politics every day, and political events are happening all around us. Political Science is the study of politics and power in its many forms, including protest movements and revolutions, law-making and criminal justice, war and international conflicts, human rights violations and efforts to stop them, campaigns and elections in the U.S. and around the world, and competing political ideas and ideologies.

Our courses provide the tools to analyze and understand all of these things and more, and they also help students develop skills in research, analysis, writing, and speaking that are necessary for success in a variety of professions. Our graduates work in nonprofit organizations, international affairs, law, business, education, advocacy groups, and in local, state, and national government.

The GVSU Political Science Department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Political Science. We also host an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.


Events

ENS Fall 2024 Sustainability Showcase (Nov 18 - Nov 23)

November 21, 2024 All Day

You're invited to learn about the research projects, innovative designs, and assessments that students in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENS) Program have been working on this semester.  Starting...

Secchia Breakfast Lecture - The Impact and Application of Artificial Intelligence

November 21, 2024 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM

PANELISTS: Dr. Anthony Chang, Founder and CEO, BAMF Health Mike Marsiglia, CEO, Atomic Object Danche Gjorghievski, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, ADAC Automotive MODERATOR: Keith...

3rd Thursday Alumni Pop-Up with Cuddle Buddys

November 21, 2024 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Stop by the Laker Store on Monroe Center on Thursday, November 21 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. for a special Alumni Pop-Up Shop with GVSU alum Amanda Morton, the owner of Cuddle Buddys. Cuddle Buddys...

Global Community Night

November 21, 2024 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Join us for the culmination of Global Horizons Week by enjoying international cuisine with other folks interested in global issues & cultures!

Gen Z Voices: If We Were President

November 21, 2024 6:00 PM

The 11th Annual Padnos/Sarosik Civil Discourse Symposium is planned for November 21, 2024 and will be led by Dr. Greg Warsen, Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse and Graduate Program...

ENS Fall 2024 Sustainability Showcase (Nov 18 - Nov 23)

November 22, 2024 All Day

You're invited to learn about the research projects, innovative designs, and assessments that students in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENS) Program have been working on this semester.  Starting...

ENS Fall 2024 Sustainability Showcase (Nov 18 - Nov 23)

November 23, 2024 All Day

You're invited to learn about the research projects, innovative designs, and assessments that students in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENS) Program have been working on this semester.  Starting...

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News

Victor Cardenas '00 2024 Alumni Service Award Recipient

Victor Cardenas '00 2024 Alumni Service Award Recipient

Victor Cardenas' life has been characterized by service to the public and Grand Valley. Cardenas graduated from GVSU in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He earned a master's degree in public affairs from Indiana University and executive

Sep 30, 2024

Professor Zinman Publishes New Book

Professor Zinman Publishes New Book

Professor Zinman's new book, America's First Wartime Election, is set to release this November. This will be his second book published with the University Press of Kansas.

Sep 25, 2024

PLS and IR Alumni Starting Law School

PLS and IR Alumni Starting Law School

PLS Alum Charlotte Doran is one of the GVSU Political Science and International Relations alumni starting law school this fall. Charlotte is attending the University of Michigan Law School.

Sep 18, 2024

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Spotlights

Lyndsey Kitson Banes

Lyndsey Kitson, Partner/Attorney at AsherKelly

Erik Lazdins

Lobbyist for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Jacob Johnston

Jacob Johnston

Derrick Mathis

Keeping the Community Warm

Erin (Meteer) Hendges

Campaign Fundraiser Founds Consulting Firm

Steve Smith

Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Worldwide Digital Content, Advertising, and Corporate Development

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Page last modified October 31, 2023