Political Science & Geography Department

Political Science

Why Study Political Science?

Seattle Pacific’s political science program equips students to become leaders and citizens who influence politics and public policy informed by Christian faith and tradition. Political science majors at SPU wrestle with some of the most fundamental questions underlying faith and the political order:

• What is the relationship between Christian principles and public policy?
• How can Christians model both the character and truth of Jesus Christ in the public square?
• How should we all live in local, national, and global community?

To assist in the exploration of these questions, political science majors at SPU receive broad training in political philosophy, government, law, public policy, geopolitics, international relations, and the political behavior of individuals and groups. In addition, majors are provided with peer support and co-curricular activities through the SPU Political Union, a nonpartisan student group.

Political Science Careers

Study of political science is especially useful for careers in law, public administration, government service, international affairs, journalism, teaching, and several fields of business.

Faith & Politics

All our courses encourage students to explore the role that faith can play in domestic and international politics, but our department offers these three courses specifically designed to help students integrate their Christian faith with their understanding of the political world:

POL 2641 Christianity and American Politics
POL 2642 Christianity and World Politics
POL 3410 Moral Foundations of Democracy

Political Science Major Tracks

The political science major at SPU is divided into three tracks:

The General Track: Our broadest and smallest track is the most flexible.
The Public Policy and Law Track: This track helps focus students interested in policy and law.
The International Affairs Track: This track allows students who want to focus on international studies to do that.

Political Science Minor Options

Political Science Minor

Geopolitics Minor
SPU offers no baccalaureate degree specifically in geography, but studies in geography may be combined with political science for a geopolitics minor.

Geography, along with history, is a critical service component for students majoring in other disciplines such as social-science education, and it provides an important dimension to a liberal arts education.

For more information, contact professors Kathleen Braden or Ruth Ediger.

View our current geography course offerings

Leadership Studies Minor
Designed for student leaders, this interdisciplinary program draws on courses from political science, sociology, business, psychology, and philosophy.

Admission to the leadership studies minor is selective and requires an application submitted to the Office of Student Life. Contact Director of Student Programs Dale Anderson (dale@spu.edu) for application information.

Degree Requirements

For more details about the classes required and recommended for each track see the SPU Undergraduate Catalog or download either the major requirements PDF, or the minor requirements PDF.

Apply

• To qualify for admission to the major, a student must have a 2.5 minimum GPA in previous courses in the major.
• Students are encouraged to apply for the major by the end of their sophomore year.
• A student must complete the major or minor requirements in effect when the student is admitted to the major or minor.

Political Science Major/Minor Application (Word Doc).

Political Science Major/Minor Application (PDF Format)