Political science is the study of government, individual and institutional behavior in the public sector; relations among nation-states; and theories of politics.
Political science addresses the fundamental issues confronting modern society - globalization, war, inequality, poverty, the environment - and seeks to evaluate the processes, policies, and theories that have been devised to deal with them.
External Review Committee
The University of New England’s Political Science Department, located on UNE's seaside University Campus in Biddeford, Maine, has developed a unique program for its political science majors.
We have made it a priority to recruit professors whose research and teaching interests cross the traditional boundaries that divide many political science departments into separate groups studying American government, international relations, political theory, or comparative politics.
Political science majors at UNE study all these topics, but often in the context of courses that cut across boundaries to investigate crucial political issues like "The Politics of Power," "The Politics of Evil," "Globalization: Origins, Politics and Culture" or "Late 20th Century Social Revolutions.
- A general concentration, which provides wide exposure to the fields of political science.
- A pre-law concentration.
- An environmental politics concentration.
- A global politics concentration, which offers an opportunity to focus on foreign political systems and international relations.
Small Classes and Personal Attention
Political science classes at UNE range from 8-25 students. Our political science majors receive a great deal of personal attention from the faculty.
Our majors work closely with a member of the faculty to plan, research and write a senior essay on a topic of their choice. This essay provides tangible evidence to graduate schools and potential employers that our graduates have developed strong skills in critical thinking and writing.
Working closely with students on projects, such as senior essays, makes it possible for our faculty to write recommendations that speak convincingly to graduate schools and potential employers of the qualities our graduates will bring to a career or a graduate program.
Our students have a wide variety of choices for internships, study abroad, and other practical experiences outside the traditional classroom. In recent years, for example, our students have interned with Maine's U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Maine Congressman Tom Allen. Others have pursued studies in South Africa, Namibia, England, Germany, Jordan and Egypt. Other experiences linked to the classroom are attending the Model United Nations and representing UNE in a collegiate mock trial competition.
Alumni Spotlight
Amanda Clements '07
Psychology and Social Relations
"At UNE you are not just a number; your professors get to know you, are supportive, and genuinely ..."