What Can I Study?

The Department of History, Philosophy, & Political Science offers the following Political Science degrees and minors.

Undergraduate Degrees

• B.A. in Political Science

Minors

• Political Science
• International Studies
• Canadian Studies

News

MU Political Science Majors Present Academic Papers in Harrisburg

Kristin Patterson, Lucas Haas, and Lillian Hines (not pictured) successfully presented papers at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association (PPSA) in Harrisburg on April 6th. The political science majors worked hard to revise and expand upon research for Dr. Bosworth's presidency course. Drs. Bosworth and Rothermel worked closely with the students and accompanied them to the conference. 

Kristin's paper, entitled "Decision Breakdown: Carter's (Mis)Management of the Iranian Hostage Crisis," was a multilevel analysis of factors that influenced decision making. In "George Washington's Executive Decision Making during the Whiskey Rebellion," Lucas used a comparative approach to highlight the significance of Washington's leadership as the first president of the United States. Finally, Lillian focused on one of President Roosevelt's major accomplishments during the progressive era in "Theodore Roosevelt and the Passage of the Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act."

Drs. Bosworth and Rothermel served as chairs and discussants on numerous panels. Additionally, they participated in a roundtable panel on teaching political science. Dr. Bosworth presented a paper on teaching without a textbook, while Dr. Rothermel shared lessons learned on using foreign policy simulations in class. This is the second year in a row that Mansfield has participated in the PPSA conference. The PPSA is the nation's oldest state political science association.

MU Political Science Alumus Played Critical Role in War on Terror

Ali Soufan, who graduated from Mansfield University with a political science degree, is considered by many to be a national hero. As an FBI agent, Mr. Soufan was the lead investigator in the aftermath of the USS Cole terrorist attack. Following 9/11, he interrogated numerous terrorists obtaining critical actionable intelligence and linking 9/11 to Al Qaeda. 

Mr. Soufan left the FBI in 2003 eventually starting his own global security consulting firm with offices in New York, London, Qatar, and Singapore. He has also been an outspoken critic of enhanced interrogation practices. He writes about his experience fighting terrorism in his book, The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War against al-Qaeda. 

In the book, Mr. Soufan fondly reminisces about his Mansfield University experience. It is noteworthy that it was Mr. Soufan's writing skills that brought him to the attention of his future boss and mentor, John O'Neill, who was the head of the FBI's Counter-Terrorism Office. Mr. Soufan has visited Mansfield University and spoken with political science majors.  

To view a CBS 60 Minutes interview of Mr. Soufan, click here.

Pol Sci Majors Studying Abroad Off the Beaten Path

Our program strongly encourages students to enroll in a study abroad experience. A semester-long experience in any foreign country teaches students about the target country, about the US, and about themselves. Political science majors Gerald Delaney, Scott Allis, and Morganne Pritchard studied at Volgograd University in Russia for a semester. The experience had a profound impact on our students. Scott Allis explained, "Living and studying in a foreign country was a transformative experience." In fact, Morganne decided to conclude her political science degree with a year-long study abroad program in Estonia. Another one of our majors, Carl Erich, became one of the first students from MU to do a semester-long study abroad program in India. Carl embraced and learned from the cultural differences he saw on a daily basis. Our majors study worldwide. Where would you like to book your flight?