Covenant's political science program is, by design, one part of the department of history, politics, and international studies. Our political scientists and historians work together closely, and sometimes team teach courses across our fields. We find that crossing disciplinary boundaries, and even the boundaries between the social sciences and humanities, serves to enrich our work and the delight we take in it.

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Non-majors can minor in political science.

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Students who are interested in teaching political science for grades 6-12 should complete the political science major or the history major and then enroll in the one-year Master of Arts in Teaching at Covenant College.

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Prospective law students need a broad educational background that provides the critical reading, thinking and writing skills that law schools expect. Students interested in attending law school are encouraged to consider a major that they both enjoy and that will foster these skills. Majors traditionally included, but are not limited to, history, political science, philosophy, English, or business at a liberal arts institution.

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The history, politics, and international studies department sponsors the pre-law society, a student organization designed to assist students with law school preparation, evaluation, and application.

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• HIS 305 History of Political Theory
• POL 210 International Relations
• POL 310 Public Opinion 
• POL 320 Latin American Politics
• POL 365 Civil Rights and Liberties

• “Polity and Development: Its Impact on Forced and Coerced Sterilization in South, Southeast, and Northeast Asia”
• “Comparative Study of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Regulations in the North Atlantic Ocean”
• “Analyzing Access: Abortion Clinics Proximity in Relation to Women's Health”
• “The Effect of State Ideological Policies on the Success of State Foster Care Systems”
• “Traditional Religiosity, State Marriage Laws, and the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage”

Guided Capstone Requirements

Most undergraduate political science programs have little to no opportunities for students to be trained in empirical research methods, yet political science is an empirical discipline, meaning research skills are the tools of our craft and we can't do our work without them. 

Our students start out with an overview research course that explores how the scientific method of inquiry is applied to the study of political phenomena through experimental, qualitative, and statistical techniques. Students then take a course in statistics, followed by opportunities to take upper-division coursework in quantitative and qualitative methods, and to further hone these skills through research practicums, internships, and workshops. The hard skills students acquire through this training is just one way our graduates stand apart.

Students with an interest in academic research may have opportunities to collaborate with program faculty on research in their field. Some students have worked with faculty designing experiments to test the ability of generative artificial intelligence algorithms to forecast coup events in Sub-Saharan Africa while others have researched the patterns of misconduct by peacekeepers against civilian populations in United Nations peacekeeping operations. 

Political science majors have earned co-authorship credit on a number of academic conference papers and in highly ranked scholarly journals reporting the results of these studies.