Political science is fundamentally about who has power in our society, why they have it, and how they use it. It is also about how people can become involved determining who wields power by learning to better understand and participate in political process locally, nationally, and internationally. Students working towards a bachelors degree take a wide variety of courses in American government, state and local government, protest politics, international relations, law, and political research methodology. Our students have gone on to find rewarding careers as lawyers, congressional aides, public servants, staff in international organizations, professors, and several have even been elected to public office (please see our home page for a list of especially notable alumni). They live and work here in the Central Valley, in Sacramento, in Washington, D.C., and all over the world.

Political science is more than just examining government structures and discussing elites currently in office. It is the study of who has the power to make laws for a society, the institutional structures that guide how this power is used, who benefits and who loses when this power is used, and the relationship between and policies in a society. Political science students therefore study voting, elections, the structures of government institutions, and how governments around the world differ and interact. Many of our graduates have served and do serve in Congress, in the state legislature, as city managers, as urban planners, as city council members, as judges, as mayors, as union leaders, as educators, as non-profit managers, as military officers, and as civic organizers. Numerous leaders in the San Joaquin Valley are our graduates. What You Can Earn: Public Relations Specialist I $47,107 (in our region) Urban Planner $43,943 (in our region) What You Can Do: Prepare for administrative positions in public agencies Pursue a career in public office or law.