Rhode Island State Capitol

Political Science Department Objectives

Overview

Details

Intellectual Formation

• An active interest in national and world politics.
• An understanding of connections across established fields of study.
• Experience in investigating diverse value systems, ideologies, and cultures.
• Confidence to discuss ideas freely, both with the faculty and with other students.

Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills

• Ability to analyze and debate political events in a coherent manner, and form individual conclusions.
• Ability to think systematically, and construct logical arguments, about politics.
• Ability to critically assess and interpret political data.
• Ability to incorporate and apply theoretical insights in analyzing and explaining political problems.

Substantive Content

• Knowledge of basic factual information and analytical concepts concerning American, other Western, and non-Western political systems.
• Comparative knowledge of political systems, with particular regard to political institutions, processes, and ideologies.
• Basic understanding of political theory.
• Knowledge of essential basic information and concepts relevant to international relations, international organizations, and international political economy.
• Knowledge of important policy problems confronted by political systems at the domestic and international levels.

Transferable skills

• Writing skills necessary to write research papers and essays.
• General ability to think systematically and construct logical arguments.
• Effective verbal communication and public speaking.
• Knowledge of general library skills.
• Knowledge of basic research skills.
• Knowledge of basic statistical methods.
• Familiarity with relevant computer programs and with scholarly use of the Internet.