UCLA Political Science Department
The UCLA Political Science Department in 2010 will celebrate its 90th year of teaching, public service and research in one of the most well-known and commended universities in the United States. Since the program began in September of 1920, the UCLA Political Science Department is among the most established in the entire country and has been highly ranked by the National Research Council within the top ten. UCLA is proud to name itself as one of the premier schools recognized for its excellent teaching in political economy, comparative politics within developing nations and political theory. So, what makes political science so important in schools such as UCLA?
Under the category of social science, political science is the theory and practice of everything related to politics. Political science studies and attempts to predict governments, public policies, and the processes involved with political practices, systems and behavior. Within the field of political science, there are several subfields including political theory, political philosophy, political ideology, international relations, political studies, comparative politics and political economy. Political science is considered a “soft science”, meaning that it does not use hard data, but rather its studies are very subjective in nature and are left up to interpretation. Political science classes help prepare students for a career in politics, but may also train students about political knowledge for use in another career.
What Puts UCLA Among the Top Political Science Schools?
UCLA and its political science program is recognized for its exceptional faculty staff. It has many valuable resources for teaching and research which continue to put UCLA in the front of the social science field. Also, the American Political Science Review has recognized the UCLA Political Science program as one of the leading schools in the entire country. In 2009, the UCLA Political Science department has consisted of a staff of 50 faculty members, 10 professors and 42 teaching assistants.
After all of the commendations it has received over the years, it still shows determination to remain at the top of its class by providing the best possible education for political science students who intend to develop their knowledge and expertise in the field. This is done by using quality methods of instilling skills of research and logical thinking in what is the second largest undergraduate program at UCLA.
The UCLA Political Science Graduate Program:
UCLA also has a graduate program that, according to the school’s website, is designed to focus on the creative aspects of political science and helps students explore new concepts and ideas. The graduate program at UCLA for political science is extremely competitive as well, helping students find career paths by placing them in well-known departments in areas relating to comparative and international relations.
The subfields of the UCLA Political Science Department include:
• American Politics;
• Comparative Politics;
• International Relations;
• Methods and Models;
• Political Theory;
• Race, Ethnicity, and Politics.
The department also employs six members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, along with other important honorees.
