|
 Introduction
to the
Department
of Political Science
Political
science is the study of people’s
behavior as it relates to power and public organizations.
The discipline is normally divided into six subfields:
Political philosophy, which deals with normative
questions about how power should be used and distributed,
rights and obligations, the nature of justice and
the ideal state. American politics, which is concerned with campaigns
and elections, parties, elected executives, legislative
processes, and issues of public policy. Public administration, the role played by public
employees in policy making, planning, personnel
management, taxation and finance, and in responding
to the needs and problems of communities and the
nation. Public law, which involves the judicial process,
civil rights and liberties, and the significance
of such terms as equal opportunity and due process
in the United States. Comparative government, which raises the same
questions of politics, administration and law about
other countries, and moves toward conclusions based
on comparisons between them. International politics, which is concerned with
relations between the states and other international
actors such as multinational corporations and the
United Nations and with the underlying realities
of power, based on resources, wealth, military
preparedness and national security. A major in political science prepares students
for law school, government employment on the local,
state and national levels, foreign service, teaching,
business, journalism, or leadership in civic and
political activities. For prelaw students, the department provides a
series of law-related courses numbered in the 370
and 470 series (see course descriptions). There
is a prelaw adviser and an active Prelaw Society
which enables students to make close and direct
contact with the work of attorneys, judges, etc.
The department is closely tied to the College Legal
Clinic, which provides free legal advice for students
and others who cannot afford the usual costs.
Interested in a career in the Intelligence
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Introduction to the Department of Criminal Justice
Criminal
justice is the study of the causes, consequences
and control of crime. Like other
new and developing fields, criminal justice
is difficult to define as it draws from a number
of different disciplines, including psychology,
public administration, philosophy, political
science, sociology and law.
The
program leading to the Bachelor of Arts in
Criminal Justice is designed to acquaint pre-service
and in-service students with the principles
and
practices of criminal justice in America. Although
the department’s curriculum allows for
the development of depth in one of the subject’s
substantive subsystems (i.e., law enforcement,
courts or corrections), the overriding objective
is to familiarize students with activities in
all the above areas. The department is both academic and professional
in that it is an interdisciplinary attempt to relate
intellectual issues and practitioner perspectives
to the challenge of crime in a free society. In
this regard, the department provides preparation
for employment with a related agency and/or further
study (e.g., law school). |
