|
|
Mission Statement
Department of Political Science
University of Illinois at Chicago
Adopted 10 April 1995
The mission of the Department of
Political Science is to contribute to the teaching, research, and
service goals of the University, in an urban setting and with a diverse
student body and faculty, and to be one of the best departments of
Political Science in the nation. The Department offers a strong
undergraduate program as a central part of an interdisciplinary liberal
arts education, and graduate programs that enhance the University's
standing as a Research I institution. These programs prepare students
for active citizenship, careers, and advanced training in law, political
science, and other fields. At all levels, our curriculum provides
students with a broad understanding of politics and how it affects their
lives. Our goal is to teach stud ents how to think about politics, and
through this to develop their conceptual, verbal, and quantitative
skills. This prepares them for a lifetime of informed participation in a
complex world where success depends increasingly upon cognitive
abilities.
The study of politics is broad
and interdisciplinary, and resources are finite. This requires us to
focus our curriculum, and to strengthen our links to academic units
dealing with related subjects. The undergraduate program emphasizes
three substantive dimensions of politics--law and institutions; markets
and power; and identity and culture--each of which can be studied at the
global, national, and local levels. This approach is especially
appropriate in UIC's multicultural academic environment . The curriculum
offers bridges to other social science and humanities disciplines,
including economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, and
literature. To enhance our ability to make these connections, we are
committed to expanding the range of theoretical and methodological
perspectives presented.
At the graduate level, the
Department offers the Master of Arts and the Ph.D. in Political Science.
The doctoral program equips our graduates to compete on a national basis
for leading academic and related professional positions. These programs
are enhanced by the Department's expectation and re cognition of
high-quality research by faculty and graduate students. Our Political
Science graduate programs, while featuring continuity with the
undergraduate curriculum and offering a broadened disciplinary base,
reflect the department's long-standing strengths in American politics
and public policy. The theories and methods that political scientists
use to understand and critically evaluate policy choices distinguish our
discipline from, and offer a valuable connection with, other fields of
study in t he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Urban
Planning and Public Affairs, and the University as whole.
To these ends, we conceptualize
our discipline in a way that incorporates the research, teaching, and
service interests of current faculty, and helps us identify areas where
additional faculty are needed. 
Department of Political Science
Behavioral Science Building m/c 276
1007 W. Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Tel: 312-996-6853 | Fax: 312-413-0440
UIC home | LAS home
Contact Dept of Political Science webmaster | Internet Related Policies and Disclaimers
Copyright © 2008 Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago. All rights reserved.
|
|
