Program Overview
Asbury University offers a major and minor in political science. The major has five core courses which introduce students to the principal divisions of the discipline: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political thought, and a course in research design.
Students in the major also complete eight elective courses in the discipline, and students with specialized interests may also take independent study courses.
Faculty encourage students to take internships. In recent years, we have had students work internships with Kentucky’s Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky state government, and the Sexual Violence Resource Center of the Bluegrass.
Students also can pursue advanced opportunities to engage in rigorous research. In recent years, we have had students present their papers at academic conferences in St. Louis, Chicago, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since 2022, three political science students have won first place (and $1,000) in Asbury’s SEARCH Symposium paper competition for their research into such topics as the experiences of refugees in Greece, political discourses surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, and the maintenance of Palestinian national identity by refugees in Jordan.
Students who choose to minor in political science complete the four core courses in the discipline and three electives.
Asbury’s political science program enables the study of politics to take place in a middle ground context, meaning the program seeks broad understanding of the discipline and does not proselytize students in a right wing or a left wing direction. We focus much attention on helping students to become highly effective writers with strong argumentation skills, and these competencies can be used in many different careers and professional endeavors. Also, classes are generally small, and so students can develop deep relationships with faculty members, who are available for mentoring and advising.
Due to the versatility of political science, plus the structure of our programs, we expect students to be able to combine the study of politics with various other disciplines and programs across the University — and this is strongly encouraged. Programs that represent an especially good fit with political science include (but are not limited to):
Political science offers two travel courses that have been life-changing for students.
In PS300 Washington Federal Seminar, students spend a week in Washington DC in the context of a course on politics and faith.
In PS353 The Border, students travel to the US-Mexican border to better understand how the border influences the lives of the people that live or work there or who are trying to migrate to the United States.
Students have also participated in a semester-long intensive internship in Frankfort with Kentucky’s Legislative Research Commision assisting the General Assembly with its work in writing laws.
Other students have engaged in research projects or internships that have opened doors after graduation.
Many graduates continue their education. Recent graduates pursued graduate or legal student at these schools:
Graduates pursue careers in:
admissions@asbury.edu
(859) 858-5000