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.

Political Science Programs

Many schools throughout the country offer political science programs both on the undergraduate and graduate level. Political science is an important field that offers students the chance at not only a career as a politician, but other opportunities as well. These include teaching careers, advisement careers and many more.

Political science is considered one of the most practical fields known in the science community. This is because political science delves deep into the issues that surround and have a great impact on our lives. A political science graduate will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze situations and interpret a government’s agenda, goals, structure and political beliefs. A firm understanding will also be established of the Presidency, Congress affairs, relations with other countries, political ideologies and theories. So, what exactly is political science?

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.

About Political Science Programs for Undergraduates:
Political science programs in universities and colleges will help a student interested in the subject understand rationale for political decisions. In addition, students will improve their mathematical skills, analytical thinking, and critical problem-solving skills not only to help further their career, but to also allow them to become a well-informed and balanced individual. Political science programs are generally provide a great deal of practical skills and information so that a political science graduate has a flexible set of options when choosing a career path.

Political science program participants are very diverse in their interests, which makes the field a very unique social science. They may either be interested in becoming an elected official or politician, or they may be more interested in the psychological aspects of politics. This can pose questions such as “How do politicians make decisions?” Some are interested in the structure of government and the way the entire system works together to maintain order. Others are primarily interested in the judicial process of politics, which involve asking questions starting with “why?” All political science program participants, however, do share a common need for a better understanding of the human society as a whole.

Political Science Programs for Graduates:
Graduate Political Science Programs generally have a more focused approach to the social science. While the structure of such programs are not universally defined, many schools divide it up into categories of focus, such as American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Method. Sometimes, students have an option of organizing their graduate program into a common area of interest, such as race dynamics of politics.

Political Science Books

Political science is an extremely broad category of social science that has been studied since the time of the ancient Greeks. Over the last few centuries, many political science books and pieces of literature have been published. Since political science is a field that is always changing and where new knowledge is learned every day, new books, magazines and journals are released all the time to keep up in such a dynamic field. It is also unique, because unlike many other fields of science, old material does not become outdated with new knowledge. Historical knowledge can be applied to many different aspects in the modern world of politics.

What is Political Science?
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.

Popular Political Science Books:
The following is a list of political science books that have been valuable to political science researchers, practitioners and students alike. Since political science is a ever-changing and dynamic field, it is not uncommon for a political science book to be amended and revised with newer editions. Well-known political science books and publications include:
The Anarchical Society:
Written by Hedley Bull, this political science book is considered the initial work of what is known as the English School of “international relations theory”. The title of the book refers to the anarchy of the international political system.

CQ’s Politics in America:
A piece of political science literature that profiles non-partisan members of the United States Congress. This work was compiled and written by a staff of about 36 members, consisting of reporters and editors working for Capitol Hill. The book contains detailed personality traits, political methods and ambitions and many other traits of each member of congress.

Democracy and Its Critics:
This highly commended political science book written by Robert Dahl details American politics. It was published in 1989 by Yale University Press and was responsible for making the term “polyarchy” popular. Polyarchy refers to a form of government in which power is given to three different persons.

The Machiavellian Moment:
A book that links republican political thought in 15th century Florence, English-Civil War Britain, and the American Revolution. The “Machiavellian Moment” refers to the moment when a brand new republic first confronts problems with its stability, leading to the attempts to correct the problem.

Political Man:
A popular and award-winning political science book, the Political Man was written by Seymour Martin Lipset. The book explores democracies that have been established throughout the world.

International Science Association

The International Political Science Association (IPSA), founded in 1949 through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is an international association that is focused on the advancement of knowledge pertaining to political science throughout the entire world. For the entire time it has been in existence, the IPSA has helped improve relationships between countries throughout the entire world and has helped collaboration efforts between scholars in all forms of democracies for the common good. The main goal of the IPSA is to create a common international political science community where experts in all parts of the world can contribute their knowledge for the advancement of the political science movement.

What is Political Science?
Before one can understand the agenda and goals of the International Political Science Association, one must know the fundamentals of political science and what it involves. 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.

History of the IPSA:
The International Political Science Association is the result of a collaborative effort to combine resources of many other smaller political science organizations from such countries as the United States, Canada, France, and India. By the year 1960, twenty four other countries contributed their resources of political science knowledge from their established associations. Even today, the IPSA is still expanding its membership and right now, the total number of contributing countries is at fifty one nations, all of which are regular members.

The Structure of the IPSA:
The IPSA has a group of representatives that make up what they call the Council. The duty of the Council is to enforce policies and rules that the association is required to follow. Also, the Council is responsible for electing members of the Executive Committee, the area of the IPSA that deals directly with governmental bodies.

Currently, the total number of individual memberships in the IPSA is about 3,600 members. It has made recent successful efforts to increase the percentage of female membership and involvement. The current percentage of women in the IPSA is about 34%. Institutions may receive an associate membership to the association if they are involved with or engaged in the education of political science. The IPSA has about 100 institutions under this membership right now.

The IPSA publishes a great deal of political science literature. It publishes International Political Science Abstracts, the International Political Science Review, and its own bulletin, the Participation.

Political Science Majors

Political science majors study a number of aspects about government, policy making, and political ideology. It is a very diverse subject of social science, including political philosophy, structuralism, behavioralism, pluralism, realism, and institutionalism. Students in the political science major generally allocate their focus on one of the subfields of political science, such as political theory, public policy, international relations, and comparative politics.

What is the Definition of the Political Science Major and Career?
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.

The General Focus of Political Science Majors
The main goal of a political science major is to gain a better understanding of the functions and structure of governments in both modern times and historical times. Also, the behavior and decision making patterns of rulers throughout history are also examined to paint a better understanding as to how and why decisions are made for certain situations. One of the typical career paths that a political science major will follow using this knowledge would be for public service through elections or as part of a staff in a political party. In addition, a person may also become a political adviser or consulting analyst.

Careers for Political Science Majors:
Students in the political science major do not necessarily all go into politics directly. Becoming an elected official is not for everyone, even in the political science community. As a result, many political science majors choose to pursue a career that distance themselves from firsthand politics. They may become a college professor or a high school teacher. Also, they may become a leader in a school faculty based on their exceptional skills of writing, public speaking, debating, and researching. They are quite skilled in organizing political affairs within organizations, and can easily encourage students to become involved in important issues.

What are Specific Tasks of Political Science Majors?
A political science major gains knowledge and skills through a blend of current and historical events, from not only one perspective, but from many. A political science student examines contexts of governmental decisions, based on circumstances, political climate at the time, possible agendas and the beliefs of political leaders in power. A political science major will typically focus on one general area, such as international politics, local governmental politics, or political structure. This microscopic focus is important for students aspiring to become an adviser so he or she can provide insight and knowledge to political leaders and decision makers.

Political Science Degrees

Political science is a concept that many historians believe originated from the ancient Greeks. Like the ancient Greeks, students in the field pursing a political science degree study the development and functions of a government and the behavior of people that are in position of power. While many people with a political science degree often chase a career as a politician, either on a local, state, or national level, many often study and analyze political structure from a distance. These political science graduates begin careers at colleges and universities to teach about political concepts or they may become political journalists, commentators or writers. In any case, political science degrees open a wide spectrum of different careers one may pursue.

What is Political Science?
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.

Bachelor Political Science Degrees:
When a student earns a bachelor political science degree, it opens doors to a fulfilling career in public service and education. They have a basic understanding of government and political structure and have developed their critical and analytical thinking skills through logic and writing. In addition, they are well versed in the history of political science, from ancient culture to recent history in contemporary politics. Some students who have earned bachelor political science degrees devote the majority of their focus on politics and their effects on culture and art. Finally, all political science graduates have either a basic understanding or a extensive background in advanced mathematical and logic concepts.

Typically, graduates who have earned a political science degree take about four years of full-time study to complete the undergraduate program. Some programs are available to full-time workers through traditional and online courses that allow for a five to six year completion of the bachelor program.

Master Political Science Degrees:
A master degree in political science use a person’s undergraduate knowledge and experience to delve deeper in political concepts and issues. Their knowledge is not only expanded on the dynamic structure of domestic policy but international policy as well. It is common for a graduate student to choose a specific subject to focus and specialize in, such as nonprofit law, labor management, public policy, and administrative theory. This master political science degree program generally takes about two to five years to complete, depending on the number of classes taken each semester.

Doctorate and PhD Political Science Degree:
Generally, students choose to pursue doctorate and PhD degrees so that they can have a career as a leader in private organizations or as a faculty member. This program generally gives a selection of choices for specific study, such as American politics, public administration, justice politics and policy analysis.

Political Science Careers

Political science careers are a lot more diverse then some people may think. Although political science is mostly concerned with the inner-workings of government and relations between several governments, the skills and knowledge acquired after receiving a degree in political science has the potential to prepare a student for a career other than in the political field. This is mostly due to the fact that the core political science courses generally are concerned with social interactions and processes, in addition to rational, logical and critical thinking. These skills are more than enough to allow a student to peruse a career not only in political-related fields, but also many others as well.

What is Political Science?
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 is 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 are Common Political Science Careers?
Political science majors study heavily about the successes and failures of the governmental decisions and the missions they have chosen to meet their social agendas. Generally, political science careers focus on one aspect of governmental affairs. This is mostly due to the fact that many political science careers involve political adviser duties, so they mostly focus on one area of knowledge. Political leaders are then given advise from advisers, on such subjects as policy reform and international affairs. In addition to this political science career path, many political science majors choose to pursue the following careers:

Teacher/Professor:
As a political science career, a teacher or professor would use their knowledge and skills to teach others about key concepts of internal political affairs, policies, decision making, etc. Many focused classes can also be taught by political science graduates, such as debate and journalism classes.

Campaign Manager:
Campaign manager is one viable political science career which is essential for political candidates to achieve success. While political figures take the spot light in their campaigns, the campaign manager is responsible for planning and other aspects of the campaign for the achievement of success.

Judge:
A graduate in political science can often pursue a political science career as a judge. The knowledge gained in their studies can help them place themselves in a position of power from appointments with mayors, governors and even presidents.

District Attorney:
Political science careers, such as a district attorney is perfect for a graduate interested in politics and the law. While a extensive knowledge of the law is required, a political science graduate is given an advantage to become district attorney because of their skills and know-how of political campaigns.

Political Science Courses

Students choose political science as a major to understand how and why people in power make decisions and how it affects society as a whole. Political science is not just concerned with government and politics, but also can help decision making in a vast corporation or research institution. These types of political science jobs are crucial because the wrong decision can mean the difference between success and failure.

What is Political Science?
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 is 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 are Some Common and Crucial Political Science Courses?
Each political science class in a curriculum is important to understand the basic internal workings of government and relations with not only the public, but other governments as well. In addition to political science courses, there are key courses that also must be taken outside of the political science department of most schools. These courses supplement the basic concepts of political science and allow a better general understanding of what decisions are made, along with how and why within the political science field. While these course requirements may vary from school to school, they generally include:

Economics:
A basic economics class will give a general overview of economics, how it works, the laws associated with the free market system, etc. This class is important because governmental decisions typically include those that will affect the economy of a country.

Debate Class:
Especially important in a political science class, this course will develop argumentative, thinking, and public speaking skills, crucial for a politician to have.

Next, the following political science courses within the department are generally required by most schools with a political science program:
International Relations:

This political science class is important because it gives a macro view of a political system
and the way that political systems are interdependent to each other, along with the challenges faced by governments in a globalize economy.

American Politics:
A political science class with a prime focus on the American government, and the interaction of the national government both to society and to the world as a whole. Usually covers subjects such as elections, Congress, courts, and components of the United States Constitution.

Political Thought:
A political science course that is dedicated to analyzing the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and others.

These are just a few of the core political science class studies that are required by most colleges in the United States with political science programs.