Political Science and Public Service

Professor Michelle D. Deardorff, Head

The primary mission of the department is to provide UTC undergraduate and graduate students with high quality instruction in the fields of Political Science, Public Policy, and Nonprofit Management.

Students majoring in Political Science may earn a Bachelor of Science degree, choosing one of six concentrations: American Politics, International and Comparative Studies, Politics, Public Law, Public Policy, and Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. The department offers a minor in Political Science and a minor in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. Students may participate in a wide variety of public and nonprofit internships locally, nationally, and internationally.

The program is designed to achieve balance between theory and practice, helping students develop a life of the mind while gaining transferable skills that can assist with employment. Students in this major have the opportunity to be exposed to unique areas of knowledge and develop a wide variety of skills, acquiring a better understanding of domestic and international politics, the ability to analyze and evaluate policy issues, and becoming familiar with various theoretical approaches of the social sciences. The preparation is rigorous and equips students for advanced professorial and graduate study, as well as the world of work.