Our faculty members provide political analysis in the media, consult with governments on policy issues, present research at conferences (sometimes co-authored with students), publish in and edit scholarly journals. Every year we feature a roster of distinguished guest speakers, and students have opportunities to meet with politicians, journalists, diplomats, and scholars over coffee or a meal to discuss their work, research, and career plans. Majors participate in campus politics, internships, research travel, and other practical experiences. Experiential learning opportunities are a component of many courses. Some students are invited by faculty members to conduct collaborative research. Some faculty members have networks of colleagues and organizations to where they sent selective students for independent internships or fellowships. Our graduates go on to work in public service, business, consulting, and other fields, or to professional schools like law or public affairs. Many have gone on to elite doctorate programs and academic careers.
The Department of Political Science conducts several off-campus study programs, which vary from year to year. Students in the Political Science in Washington DC program complete an internship in a Washington office and meet with legislators, journalists, lobbyists, and executive branch officials during a seminar. (Beyond) Nationalism and Xenophobia in Central and Eastern Europe allows students to learn, through immersion in the Romanian and Serbian cultures and classroom experiences, the complex relationship between politics and society/culture. Another off-campus study program, Political Economy and Ecology in Southeast Asia, emphasizes understanding and linking the theories and practices of political economy and ecology of Southeast Asia by experiencing life in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia.
Throughout the year, students and faculty enjoy getting together for the department picnic, trivia night, ice cream social, senior poster presentations and research talks. Our department’s diversity of fields and interests fosters lively debate about issues of public concern, not only in classes but also in the Carleton community as a whole.