# Political Science

**Source**: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs/political-science-ab
**Parent**: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs

Political science explores big questions about the systems and societies that make up our world: What is democracy? Why and how does democracy flourish — or decline? How do emotions shape our political behavior? What does injustice mean and how does it manifest? Who calls the shots in a global economy? Political Science grapples with these and many other questions.

Degree Type

A.B.

department

[Department of Political Science](https://polisci.brown.edu/)

[More Information](https://polisci.brown.edu/undergraduate)

[All Programs](https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs)

CIP Code

45.1001ℹ

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to categorize educational programs in the U.S. for a variety of reporting purposes. Each program at Brown is assigned a CIP code that best matches its academic curriculum.

[Current STEM Eligible CIP Codes](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/stem-opt-hub/additional-resources/eligible-cip-codes-for-the-stem-opt-extension)

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# Political Science

Political science explores big questions about the systems and societies that make up our world: What is democracy? Why and how does democracy flourish — or decline? How do emotions shape our political behavior? What does injustice mean and how does it manifest? Who calls the shots in a global economy? Political Science grapples with these and many other questions.

The faculty and students in Brown’s Department of Political Science study how people — nations, regions, cities, communities — live their common lives; how they solve (or duck) their common problems; how they govern themselves; and how they think, talk, argue, fight and vote. Brown scholars seek to better understand the institutions, ideas, practices and relationships that constitute public life, and the modes of inquiry that promote citizenship.

Among the many questions Brown's political science scholars are exploring are:

- Why do Hindus and Muslims live in harmony in one city and fight bitterly in another just a few miles away?
- How does smuggling (of drugs, guns and people) reshape international relations?
- Why is the U.S. the only industrialized nation without national health insurance?
- What is the legacy of slavery in the U.S.?
- What explains the rise of China? and
- How does the Constitution shape governmental power in the U.S.?

- [List of requirements](https://bulletin.brown.edu/the-college/concentrations/pols)
- [Honors website](https://polisci.brown.edu/undergraduate/honors-program)

## Student Goals

Students in this concentration will:

- Gain an understanding of the nature and history of important issues in contemporary politics
- Grasp the major theories underlying political systems
- Learn the methodological approaches relevant to one or more subfields in political science
- Develop advanced rhetorical and writing skills
- Produce original research in the form of a seminar paper

## Department Undergraduate Group (DUG)

Student Leaders: Sophia Wotman, Sofie Zeruto, Molly Leubner, Lizaura Gomez Cabrera, Parsa Zaheri, Lily Robinson

## Graduating Class

| Class Year | Total Students | Honors Graduates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2021 | 78 | 12 |
| 2022 | 58 | 6 |
| 2023 | 58 | 8 |
| 2024 | 63 | 6 |
| 2025 | 55 | 6 |

Political Science has a wide range of applications and provides a useful preparation for a variety of career options. Our graduates have an excellent track record of securing jobs in fields that are related to politics, including public and government service, advocacy, journalism, think tanks, and consulting. Many of our graduates go on to attend graduate school in the areas of law, political science, international relations, and public policy.

What are Political Science concentrators doing…

The Director of Undergraduate Studies is typically the first point of contact for prospective concentrators. Once students have declared, they may be assigned a specific concentration advisor from within the department or program.

- [Alexander Gourevitch](mailto:Alexander_Gourevitch@brown.edu)

- [Peter Andreas](mailto:Peter_Andreas@brown.edu)
- [Mark Blyth](mailto:Mark_Blyth@brown.edu)
- [Corey Brettschneider](mailto:Corey_Brettschneider@brown.edu)
- [Jeffrey Colgan](mailto:Jeff_Colgan@brown.edu)
- [Alexander Gourevitch](mailto:Alexander_Gourevitch@brown.edu)
- [Jennifer Hadden](mailto:jennifer_hadden1@brown.edu)
- [Bonnie Honig](mailto:Bonnie_Honig@brown.edu)
- [Juliet Hooker](mailto:Juliet_Hooker@brown.edu)
- [Tyler Jost](mailto:Tyler_Jost@brown.edu)
- [Sharon Krause](mailto:Sharon_Krause@brown.edu)
- [Rose McDermott](mailto:Rose_McDermott@brown.edu)
- [Susan Moffitt](mailto:Susan_Moffitt@brown.edu)
- [Marion Orr](mailto:Marion_Orr@brown.edu)
- [Eric Patashnik](mailto:Eric_Patashnik@brown.edu)
- [Reid Pauly](mailto:Reid_Pauly@brown.edu)
- [Aditi Sahasrabuddhe](mailto:aditi_sahasrabuddhe@brown.edu)
- [Prerna Singh](mailto:Prerna_Singh@brown.edu)
- [David Skarbek](mailto:David_Skarbek@brown.edu)
- [Richard Snyder](mailto:Richard_Snyder@brown.edu)
- [Edward Steinfeld](mailto:Edward_Steinfeld@brown.edu)
- [Nina Tannenwald](mailto:Nina_Tannenwald@brown.edu)
- [Katherine Tate](mailto:Katherine_Tate@brown.edu)
- [Paul Testa](mailto:Paul_Testa@brown.edu)
- [Margaret Weir](mailto:Margaret_Weir@brown.edu)
- [Deva Woodly](mailto:deva_woodly@brown.edu)
- [Marques Zarate](mailto:marques_zarate@brown.edu)