Overview
The word “politics” in ordinary conversations may refer to struggles for power or justice among antagonistic individuals or groups; the types of regimes by which people are governed; the ties that bind subjects to rulers or citizens to states; the election of representatives, passage of laws, and voicing of public opinion in democratic societies; and international relations among different polities, whether they be empires, multinational federations, or nation-states.
The phrase “international politics” encompasses the waging of war and conducting of peace, the pursuit of national interests in competition with other states, norms of interaction among sovereign states, projects of humanitarian intervention, and collective efforts to enhance state security, global order, and human rights.
The study of such a complex subject has traditionally been divided into four overlapping fields:
- Political theory tackles the contested meanings of freedom, equality, power, justice, community, and individuality, as well as the clashing ideological perspectives by which different people make sense of political life. It also explores the ideas of influential political theorists from Plato to Thomas Hobbes to Hannah Arendt.
- American politics studies the history and current organization of political institutions at the national, state, and local level in the United States. It also examines popular conflicts in America over private rights and material interests; racial, class, and gender inequality; and public goods, including the good of American citizenship itself.
- Comparative politics covers the spectrum of political histories, systems of government, public policies, political parties, and social movements across the world. It examines, for example, parliamentary systems, ethnic conflict, authoritarian regimes, immigration policy, and nationalist movements from Asia to Europe to the Americas to Africa and the Middle East.
- International politics investigates U.S. foreign policy, international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the World Criminal Court; the politics of population migrations; war, terrorism, and international security; and the political dilemmas sparked by economic globalization and such border-crossing problems as resource depletion and environmental decay.
The Department of Politics offers a Bachelor in Politics at Mount Holyoke College with courses within all four fields as well as courses that cross the lines between them.
Department Learning Goals: Politics
Students in the Politics major should:
- Understand political systems at the local, national, and international levels, and how they relate to one another
- Acquire the vocabulary with which to analyze historical and contemporary political thought and developments
- Demonstrate the ability to investigate political questions and to write and speak cogently about their findings
- Critically assess texts, speeches, and other forms of political communication, and the academic political science literature
- Understand what it means to be a thoughtful and active citizen, engaging in debates about justice and power
Get more details
Visit official programme websiteProgramme Structure
Courses Included:American politics:- American Politics
- Constitutional Law: The Federal System
- Civil Liberties
- American Political Thought
- Environmental Politics in America
- Comparative Politics
- Chinese Politics
- Contemporary Russian Politics
- East Asian Politics
- African Politics
- Middle East Politics
- World Politics
- International Law and Organization
- American Foreign Policy
- Introduction to Political Ideas
- Introduction to Feminist Theory
- American Political Thought
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 48 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before
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Language
Credits
Delivered
Disciplines
Public Policy Political Science View 1088 other Masters in Political Science in United StatesAcademic requirements
We are not aware of any academic requirements for this programme.
English requirements
Other requirements
General requirements
- Common Application or Coalition Application
- Mount Holyoke Writing Supplement (optional)
- Secondary School Report, including official high school transcript
- Counselor Recommendation
- Two Teacher Evaluation Forms (from core academic courses)
- Midyear Report (due February 15, as applicable)*
- Standardized Test Scores (optional)
- Art Supplement (optional)
- English Proficiency Requirements for non-native English speakers
- Early Decision Agreement (if applicable)
- Interview (optional, but strongly encouraged)
Tuition Fee
-
International
54400 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 54400 USD per year and a duration of 48 months. -
National
54400 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 54400 USD per year and a duration of 48 months.
Funding
Studyportals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.
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Check the official programme website for potential updates.