Political Science Major Learning Outcomes

• Disciplinary Knowledge: Students who complete the Political Science Program will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the field of Political Science and its subfields.

  Upon completion of a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, students will be able to:

  • Explain general theories in political science
  • Explain the workings of the political systems (domestic and international) with regards to institutions and inputs
  • Explain theories of political behavior and main political ideologies, including the importance of key social variables such as gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, and race
  • Identify key assumptions of disciplinary subfields

• Critical Thinking: Students who complete the Political Science Program should be able to apply critical thinking to the study of politics.

  Upon completion of a BA in Political Science, students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking by:

  • Analyzing and evaluating scholarly work in Political Science by:
    • Summarizing the arguments and findings of scholarly work
    • Analyzing the theories and hypotheses being tested in scholarly work
    • Explaining methodological approaches to testing hypotheses in scholarly work
    • Critiquing research designs
    • Explaining the conclusions of author(s)
  • Distinguishing between factual presentation and argument
  • Constructing propositions based on a set of facts and values

• Research Skills: Students who complete the Political Science Program will be able to conduct applied research appropriate to the field of Political Science.

  Upon completion of a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, students will be able to demonstrate research skills by:

  • Formulating a research question, drawn from an appropriate existing literature
  • Developing testable hypotheses
  • Conducting tests of those hypotheses by:
    • Applying the appropriate methodology to those tests
    • Distinguishing between different methodological approaches
    • Justifying the use of a particular methodology
    • Developing argument or an approach based on existing work.
  • Reporting results to empirical tests
  • Developing conclusions based upon tests conducted
  • Recognizing limitations in applied research

• Communication Skills: Students who complete the Political Science Program will be able to communicate political arguments and information.

  Upon completion of a BA in Political Science, students will be able to demonstrate communication by:

  • Engaging in discourse with the political science literature by explaining and interpreting the literature
  • Recognizing the target audience of communication
  • Use writing or speech to convey an intended meaning with clarity, concision, fluency, and without errors
  • Mastering the conventions of political science, including presentation, formatting, and style
  • Synthesizing and developing ideas with a structured, logical, and/or intuitive flow