Department of Political Science

West Chester University

Contact Info:
Tara Easterling
610-436-2743
teasterling@wcupa.edu


Undergraduate Mission and Program Learning Outcomes

The mission of the Department of Political Science is to promote scholarship and responsible citizenship among students at West Chester University. We provide a comprehensive curriculum that exposes students to the principal subfields of the discipline and encourages critical analysis and communication skills. The department prepares students for careers in government/public service, law, teaching, business and international affairs and admission to various advanced degree programs. Through internship programs, service learning, simulations, and other curricular and co-curricular activities, the Department offers students experience in politics, government and the law. Actively involved in research, teaching and applied scholarship, the political science faculty serves as mentors to students seeking academic challenge and civic involvement in an environment that values diversity.

Goals

  1. Knowledge: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the discipline of Political Science and its subfields in terms of content, purpose and methods.
  2. Critical Thinking and Information Literacy: Students will develop the ability to apply, synthesize, and analyze materials (e.g., data or texts) and to think critically. We pull apart complex issues into their basic components and then assess these issues or arguments on the basis of reasoned application of a variety of methodological approaches (e.g., quantitative or qualitative analysis, case studies, logical analysis, etc.).
  3. Communication Skills: Majors will demonstrate the necessary oral and written skills to convey their knowledge about political science to others.
  4. Applied Learning Environment: Students will be given the opportunity to apply theories and concepts in a non-classroom setting (e.g., European Union Simulation, Internships, the Research Center, Political Science Club activities, service learning, etc.)