Political Science

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Political Science defines, describes, explains, and evaluates phenomena such as war and peace, revolution and reform, stability and instability, voting and office holding, and crime and punishment. However, because many things apparently outside of “politics” can be made quite relevant to politics, political science also covers many other subjects, employs diverse methods, and interests a broad range of students. As a result, political science is one of the most popular majors at Middlebury College. Some students come to political science because they seek careers in politics or academics; others study political science to gain a greater knowledge of this central human concern. Consequently, the curriculum is designed to train students in a discipline, reveal the possibilities of politics, meet the demands of thoughtful citizenship, and prepare those students who intend to pursue further work in either graduate or professional school.

Course offerings are divided into four subfields: Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations and Foreign Policy. To familiarize students with the different topics, issues, and approaches in the study of political science, majors are required to take an introductory course in each of the four subfields (all 0100-level courses). We also offer an introductory course in Environmental Policy (PSCI 0211), which is required for the Environmental Studies Program. In addition, all 0200-level courses have no prerequisites and are open to students of all classes.

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