Department of Political Science
The Department of Political Science has three affiliated centers: the Wason Center for Civic Leadership, the Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, and the Center for American Studies. These centers provide countless opportunities for students to learn from the top experts in politics and research. Each year, the Wason Center brings students to the Virginia Capitol (shown above, students top right) in Richmond to speak with legislators and learn about the legislative process.
The Degree Plan
In political science, you’ll choose between two majors: political science and international affairs. In both, you get a basis in the discipline's subfields through required intro courses in political thought, American politics, and comparative and international politics, plus a required course in methods and a required senior seminar. Then, students can select the remaining seven courses that will make up their major from upper-level courses that build upon the required courses.
Structured like this, you can take some degree of ownership of your educational path and choose the subfield or subfields you wish to concentrate on. And because you’re not tied down to taking one specific upper-level course, there should be no issues with graduating in four years, given the variety of upper-level courses offered each semester.
Outside of the Classroom
Our students have:
- Earned internships at the White House, in Congressional and Senatorial offices in Washington, D.C., and several local offices and campaigns.
- Presented research at conferences and co-authored research with faculty that was published in leading political science journals.
- Studied abroad in the UK, India, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The opportunities are endless.
CNU's Political Science professors understood where I wanted to be when I graduated, and they helped me reach my goals. Ultimately I was able to Commission into the U.S. Army through CNU ROTC's program. CNU had a huge impact on my development as a leader. I would not be where I am today without this experience.”
Joshua McMillion
My classes at Christopher Newport challenged me to think critically and from a multitude of perspectives. They encouraged me to question my sources and ensure my arguments were supported and well-articulated, skills that have benefited me in both my masters program as well as my time working on Capitol Hill.”
Rachel Ricard
During my time in undergrad I learned everything from political theories and frameworks of thought, to international politics and obtaining a global perspective, all the way to the microscope of local politics and how our local governmental bodies and institutions directly affect our communities today.”
Michael Bush
