Political science is the study of how societies are organized and how they change. Political scientists are, therefore, concerned with how public policy is made and the normative values that undergird political thinking.

For undergraduates, UNC’s Political Science program offers a major in Political Science and a minor in Political Science.

A number of courses of interest to a wide audience of undergraduates are available, including both general education courses and a fairly wide variety of courses of general interest that do not satisfy general education requirements but that many students who are neither majors nor minors in Political Science take anyway. Perhaps the best examples of courses of this latter type are U.S. National Government, Political Philosophy I and II, and Constitutional Law.

The group of students presently studying in the program consists of approximately 190 majors and 65 minors. We value serious discussion of political issues among faculty members and students and conduct many classes as discussions rather than as lectures. Most upper level classes are reasonably small; class sizes in introductory level classes are somewhat larger.

The program emphasizes the development of undergraduate writing skills, and it offers qualified students an opportunity to complete an internship with such organizations as Weld County government, the United States Congress and the Colorado Governor's Office. The program also supports, in a number of different ways, interdisciplinary collaboration and teaching.

The reasonably small size of the program is a strength. It makes for an intimate setting conducive to lively discussion. The main office and faculty offices can be found near the center of the UNC campus in McKee Hall.

Questions or comments? If so, please feel free to contact directly any of the members of our faculty or staff, or to write to the program coordinator at