While you are here:

• Courses taught by professors, not graduate students
• Small class sizes enable skill development
• Flexible major or minor
• Excellent General Education courses
• Internships in Michigan or Washington DC

Doors open to you:

• Many career options
• Excellent preparation for a wide range of graduate programs

More About Us

Quick links

• Major and Minor Requirements
• Internships, Jobs & Careers
• Pre-law
• Faculty
• Courses in General Education

Programs Offered

Click here for requirements for all of our programs

• Political Science major (BA or BS)
• Political Science minor
• Political Science teachable minor
• International Relations major (BA)
• International Relations minor
• LEAP (Legal Education Admission Program). Dual degree:
  BA or BS from GVSU political science. JD from Michigan State University College of Law.

Internships, Jobs and Careers

Your career starts with you, develops in the classroom, and continues in the field. Political science is excellent preparation for a wide variety of jobs and careers. Many classes feature debates, simulations and real-world problem solving. Our small class sizes enable you to develop the skills needed to advance in your career and/or graduate school:

• Critical thinking
• Research
• Data analysis
• Digital literacy
• Writing
• Oral communication

We highly recommend internships for our students. Internships are available in Michigan and in DC through our affiliation with the Washington Center.

Political science is an excellent major for a wide range of graduate programs, including law school, business and public administration. 

For more information:

Internships, jobs and careers
Pre-law

Faculty

• The department is staffed with PhDs from top graduate programs.
• Our focus is undergraduate education.
• Multiple professors have won awards for their teaching.
• Professors are published experts in their subfields.

Meet our faculty
Contact information, fields of specialization, and faculty profiles.

General Education

The Political Science Department offers a wide range of courses in the General Education curriculum. Many students who are not political science majors find our General Education courses stimulating and provocative. Majors and minors are able to take these courses to simultaneously fulfill General Education and major/minor requirements.

Pre-law

Political science is a very popular major or minor for pre-law students (students who plan to attend law school). The Political Science Department has a pre-law faculty advisor. The Department offers a dual degree (BA or BA plus JD from MSU College of Law). For more information, visit the pre-law page.