Political Science seeks to explain the world of politics and government. As the world becomes more complex, the importance of the discipline of political science grows. Politics is at the heart of social decision making; and the need for thoughtful, human interactions in the modern era is clear. Solutions to today’s problems revolve around individuals, institutions, and their respective activities. Political science is the discipline that brings together traditional and modern inquiries concerning the place of humans and their decisions in the world.

The Department of Political Science provides an educational experience that allows the student to develop an understanding of the essential features of the discipline and also to gain practical experience.

Each semester many political science majors pursue internships with one of the numerous municipal, county, state, and federal offices located in the area; additionally, some elect to pursue one of the state or national intern programs that take them for a semester to government offices in Washington, DC. or Harrisburg, PA. These programs have proven to be among the most popular and rewarding of all the opportunities the College offers. The young men and women who have participated in these internship programs return enriched in knowledge and with valuable job experience.

Over the past several years King’s students have completed semester-long research and writing on the presidency of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Ronald Reagan along with projects for local governments. Research using primary source material helps prepare students for law school, graduate studies, and research-intensive careers.

The Department of Political Science offers a pre-law program, with an enviable record of placing its students in top law schools. For students preparing for legal careers, the Department offers a multi-course sequence in Law and the Courts, and a senior year legal internship. Every fall the Department holds a Legal Career Day, bringing successful alumni and friends in the field of law to the college to talk to students about their experiences. Our students have been accepted to some of the finest law schools in the country, including Villanova, Boston University, Dickinson, Catholic, Case Western, and Syracuse. In addition to the legal profession, there are other career opportunities being pursued by recent King’s political science graduates. In the public sector our graduates have been successful in obtaining employment at the local, state, and federal levels in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. A number of our graduates have also been successful in gaining elected positions. Other recent graduates have entered careers in the private sector in education and business.

The major in political science provides a student with a foundation in the American political system and along with an introduction to traditional and contemporary methods of social research. An integrated survey of various fields within the discipline is included in the major. Students are also required to take at least three elective courses (9 credits) within the major.

The Department of Political Science has created four tracks of required and elective courses along with certain non-department courses. These tracks are intended to assist the student in planning his or her course of study and to give the student an opportunity to undertake a more intensive study of certain areas within political science. The tracks also provide the student an opportunity to develop a more individualized course of study that best fits his or her specific interests.

Degree Offered: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Compatible Minors

  • Business Administration
  • Communications
  • Computers and Information Systems
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Foreign Languages
  • History
  • Human Resources Management
  • International Business
  • Psychology
  • Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Special Features

  • Internships in municipal, county, state, and federal government offices and in law offices in the local area.
  • Full semester and summer-long internships outside the local area (e.g., Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and home district offices of members of Congress).
  • A pre-legal program with a strong record of placing its students in some of the finest law schools in the country, including Columbia, Penn, Dickinson, Temple, Georgetown, Villanova, Fordham, and Notre Dame. King’s pre-law advisor counsels prelaw students about entrance requirements for law school and the law school admissions process in general. The program also offers a comprehensive preparation for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).