In the spring of each year, the Department selects two students (juniors or seniors) to serve as Student Departmental Advisers (SDAs) for the following year (we chose five for 2023-2024!) from among those students who express an interest and whose major GPAs are above 3.00 (a college requirement). These SDAs advise first-year students and others about course offerings, the major, and other matters.
Political Science Department SDAs for the 2024-2025 academic year are:
- Sammie Ulicny ’25
- Social & Ballroom Dance
- Freier Karleton Klub (German Club)
- Student Worker, Student Financial Services
- Student Grader, German Department
- Phi Theta Kappa
- “As someone interested in a career in foreign policy and diplomacy, at Carleton I have had the opportunity to explore critical and exciting topics like geopolitics and international security, in addition to the role the intersection of ideas, place, and memory contribute to the way we imagine identity and the nation. In exploring the infinite social, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions of living in a political community, we are all able to become more active and well-informed citizens. I am thrilled to call the Political Science/International Relations Department my academic home at Carleton and excited to welcome other majors–potential or declared–as well as any student interested in taking any number of the amazing courses in the Department.”
- Semera Kimbel-Sannit ’25
- Music & Dance Assistant, Student Activities Programming Board
- “I chose to pursue Political Science because I cannot envision myself finding my niche in any other department or field. Political Science has afforded me the opportunity to delve into both the large-scale theories as well as the minutiae of politics, blending conceptual foundations with pragmatic applications. Politics is the arena in which the policies that guide our lives are shaped and implemented. The gravity of this mandate is not ignored by the professors in this department who never waver in their commitment to a comprehensive education grounded in reality. The interactions I have had with these professors, along with an unwavering desire to engage in civic life, have kept me firmly committed to this major.”
- Nicholas Nguyen ‘26
- Founder and Co-President, Carleton Club Recess
- Student Researcher, Department of Political Science
- Former Member, Academic Standing Committee
- “From the curriculum in an American history classroom to the healthcare we provide for seniors, the implications of political decisions touch every aspect of our lives. For me personally, as a pre-medicine and political science student, I am especially interested in the ways in which government policies influence patient care and our nation’s public health. I was fortunate enough to witness this firsthand as a healthcare and agriculture intern in Senator Tina Smith’s office. At Carleton, through taking political science and politics-aligned courses, we can analyze and comprehend the ramifications of the choices that were made in offices like the one I was part of. By doing this, we can partake in the incredible art of sharing wisdom and knowledge while also knowing a little bit more about the place we inhabit.”
