Political Science

As a political science major at Marietta, you will take courses in wide-ranging fields such as American politics, public policy, international politics and political theory. You’ll learn to evaluate the controversial issues of political life and relate them to ethical decisions.

Along the way, you'll apply what you're learning through internships, study abroad and/or our Washington Semester program. What better place to study American politics and government than the nation’s capital? You’ll meet leaders in government and the private sector as you tailor your time in D.C. with internships and individual research projects.

Marietta students have also participated in Model United Nations, interned with the U.S. State Department in China and studied with State Department officials. Our program’s blend of theory and practice will prepare you for law school, graduate studies in public policy, or careers in business, government or education.

At Pizza and Politics, an informal discussion series, faculty with expertise on current events answer student questions and lead informal discussions about current topics, such as European attitudes on U.S. foreign policy and the State of the Union Address.

Sample Four-Year Schedule

First Year (Fall Semester)

Political Science 103	American National Government	3 credit hours
Writing 110	Writing Composition	3 credit hours
General Education	Fine Arts	3 credit hours
General Education	History	3 credit hours
General Education	Science (with lab)	4 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		16 credit hours

First Year (Spring Semester)

Political Science 120/130	Comparative Politics/International Politics	3 credit hours
Political Science elective	200-level course	3 credit hours
General Education	Fine Arts	3 credit hours
General Education	Literature	3 credit hours
General Education	Science (with lab)	4 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		16 credit hours

Second Year (Fall Semester)

Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Political Science elective		3 credit hours
General Education	Social Analysis	3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		15 credit hours

Second Year (Spring Semester)

Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Political Science elective		3 credit hours
General Education	Writing	3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		15 credit hours

Third Year (Fall Semester)

Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Mathematics 123/223	Statistics	3 credit hours
Political Science internship		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		15 credit hours

Third Year (Spring Semester)

Political Science 320	Research Methods	3 credit hours
Political Science elective		3 credit hours
General Education course	Writing	3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		15 credit hours

Fourth Year (Fall Semester)

Political Science 420	Senior Capstone	3 credit hours
Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

Fourth Year (Spring Semester)

Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Political Science elective		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Elective of your choice		3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

* Remember that this schedule should just be seen as a guide toward your Political Science degree. Your schedule can be adjusted to accommodate a second major and/or minors at the College. You will work with your academic advisor to ensure that you graduate on schedule and with classes that most interest you and lead you toward the career path that you are working to achieve.

** Pre-Law students should also be aware of Political Science 313 and Political Science 314. These are our Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties course. They are taught in an every-two-year rotation. Pre-Law students are recommended to take them in either their Junior or Senior years.

Featured Courses

Issues in International Politics

Political Behavior in the United States

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Successful Alumni

"I took for granted the analytical, reasoning, organizational and writing skills I was taught as an undergraduate at Marietta, assuming they were irrelevant and that I wouldn't need them after graduating. But after comparing myself to my law school classmates, most of whom come from bigger institutions, I realize just how valuable my education at Marietta College was."

-Chanell Cornett ’16, Law Student, Howard University

"Marietta taught me to think deeply about issues, to apply abstract theories and facts from textbooks to solve real problems, and not to be afraid to speak my mind. I can think of no better set of skills for a law student to have."

-Ben Reese ’13, Law Clerk, Chief Judge Edward E. Carnes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Montgomery, Alabama

“My liberal arts education was key to creating solutions to the unique obstacles that exist in teaching underserved students.”

-Emma Vierheller ’12, Math Instructor, Penta Career Center in Perrysburg, Ohio

“I joined the Political Science program a bit late in my college career but it was one of the best decisions I've ever made! The program instilled a love of policy in me that I carry to this day and taught me to be a creative and analytical thinker, a skill I have found to be invaluable in my professional life.”

-Alexandra Ratie ’07, Program Manager and HR Specialist, National Institutes of Health

“My training at Marietta College allowed me to react to the daunting challenges as a seasoned practitioner beyond my years.”

-Phil York ’10, Director of Development, Habitat for Humanity, Carroll County, Maryland

“The unparalleled access to world class professors at MC provided me with an immediate and significant competitive advantage in the highly competitive world of corporate finance.”

-Brian Dobis ’03, Senior Vice President, Market Executive and C&I Team Leader for S&T Bank

-Chanell Cornett ’16, Law Student, Howard University

As an undergraduate, Chanell served as an intern for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation with U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge. She was also a standout member of the forensics team and was determined to go to law school. "During my time at Marietta I never quite understood why professors like Dr. Mark Schaefer, Dr. Jackie Khorassani, or others were so hard on us. Upon my first weekend before law school, I gained that understanding. I was assigned about 100 pages of reading four days before classes started and while my classmates were panicking I was laughing. I remembered the time I was assigned 50 pages on the first day in a 100-level class. I feel fully prepared and equipped to tackle the great challenge of being a first year in law school."

-Ben Reese ’13, Law Clerk, Chief Judge Edward E. Carnes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Montgomery, Alabama

Ben Reese worked as a Summer Associate at Cohen, Milstein, Sellers & Toll, a public interest firm in Washington, D.C., where he worked on a variety of complex class action cases. Previously, he spent a summer in the Special Proceedings Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. There he assisted Assistant U.S. Attorneys in responding to collateral attacks on criminal convictions by performing research and drafting memoranda and pleadings in a variety of cases. While an undergraduate, Ben worked as a grant writer and student intern at the Marietta Municipal Court where he obtained funding from the State of Ohio for a $40,000 program to provide case management services for probationers struggling to deal with mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and unemployment. "When I arrived in Ann Arbor for my first year of law school, many of my classmates, including some from ‘big name’ college and universities, would comment on how different the law school classes were. And I remember thinking: ‘Really? I’ve done this for the past four years.’ ”

“My liberal arts education was key to creating solutions to the unique obstacles that exist in teaching underserved students.”

-Emma Vierheller ’12, Math Instructor, Penta Career Center in Perrysburg, Ohio

Emma Vierheller earned a Master of Education in Educational Policy and Leadership from Marquette University in 2014, while working as a teacher. She was also the first recipient of the Robert E. and Sally S. Evans Civic Engagement Internship Program award. “Because Marietta College encouraged me to double major in political science and math and pursue a teacher leadership certificate, I feel prepared to present mathematics content to my students, advocate on their behalf in systematic conversations on equity in schools, and pursue justice for my students.”

-Alexandra Ratie ’07, Program Manager and HR Specialist, National Institutes of Health

Alexandra Ratie earned a degree in Political Science and minors in Literature and Environmental Science from Marietta College before heading off to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., to earn a Master of Public Administration. As an undergraduate student at Marietta, she was also involved in Concert Choir, Circle K, Theatre, and the academic honor societies Pi Sigma Alpha, Sigma Tau Delta and Beta, Beta, Beta. She credits Marietta’s faculty for providing the education and support to succeed in her graduate studies as well as in her profession. “My professors always took a personal interest in my future and helped to shape my career and educational goals — I know I would not be where I am today without them!”

“My training at Marietta College allowed me to react to the daunting challenges as a seasoned practitioner beyond my years.”

-Phil York ’10, Director of Development, Habitat for Humanity, Carroll County, Maryland

“The MC classroom gave space for growth, success and even sometimes powerfully teachable moments of failure — vicariously through political case studies and directly through small group experiences at nonprofit service programs- so that the professional world was not the first time I was presented with a high stakes issue that had real consequences for a community I cared about.”

“The unparalleled access to world class professors at MC provided me with an immediate and significant competitive advantage in the highly competitive world of corporate finance.”

-Brian Dobis ’03, Senior Vice President, Market Executive and C&I Team Leader for S&T Bank

After graduating from Marietta, Brian Dobis went on to earn an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked at PNC for nearly six years after leaving Marietta, rising to Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking. He moved to F.N.B Bank as Vice President of Corporate Banking and eventually was promoted to Senior Vice President before leaving in 2015 to join S&T Bank. He is involved with Habitat for Humanity in Pittsburgh, as well as Blind & Vision Rehabilation Services of Pittsburgh.

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Sample Four-Year Schedule

First Year (Fall Semester)

First Year (Spring Semester)

Second Year (Fall Semester)

Second Year (Spring Semester)

Third Year (Fall Semester)

Third Year (Spring Semester)

Fourth Year (Fall Semester)

Fourth Year (Spring Semester)

Featured Courses

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Seen enough and ready to learn more?

Successful Alumni

What You Can Do With a Political Science Degree

Types of Careers You Can Expect

Recent Internships

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