Political Science

Available as a major or minor

Our program encourages you to examine the ideals of governance, politics and responsible citizenship — both in your own life and on the world stage.

Seminar-style classes allow you to take a proactive approach to problem-solving in governance, equipping you with both the insight and skill to affect public policy. Many of our graduates currently work as lawyers, judges, policy experts, professors and political advisors.

Request Information

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

POLI 202: Voting in Elections
POLI 222: Comparative Political System: Asia
POLI 261: Arab Israeli Conflict

All Courses

What Makes Roanoke Different?

Hear firsthand from world leaders

Roanoke's Henry H. Fowler Public Policy Program has hosted speakers ranging from presidents, prime ministers, national commentators, Supreme Court justices, renowned scholars and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Students have the chance to hear firsthand from global leaders and learn about issues facing the world.

Mara Liasson at Roanoke College — NPR national political correspondent and FOX News panelist Mara Liasson shared her insights about the landscape of the media and the electorate in a Nov. 2, 2022, talk entitled, "Implications of the Mid-Term Elections: A View of Democracy in America."

Jen Psaki at Roanoke College — Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki sat down with journalist Howard Kurtz for a conversation on "Civil Discourse and Democracy" on Nov. 12, 2019. Psaki served in high-level posts in two presidential administrations.

President Jimmy Carter at Roanoke College — The 39th president of the United States made a headline-generating visit to Roanoke College on April 10, 1984. President Jimmy Carter delivered a talk entitled, "Conflict and Consensus: America Today."

General Clapper at Roanoke College — The nation's fourth director of national intelligence offered his expertise on the complex and evolving field in a talk entitled, "Intelligence Needs for the Future." Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper's address took place on March 22, 2018.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at Roanoke College — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who made history as the first woman to serve on the high court, headlined Roanoke College's 2009 commemoration of Constitution Day. Her talk on the subject of judicial independence took place on Sept. 17, 2009.

Learn By Doing

We offer many firsthand learning opportunities for our students.

Washington Semester
Our Washington Semester gives you the chance to complete federal internships with agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service, the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This program allows you to live, study and intern while earning academic credit from Roanoke College. You will take two courses taught by professors from surrounding universities as well as complete an internship.
Washington Semester
Study Abroad
We offer semester- or year-long international exchanges with more than 50 schools around the world, including Egypt, Israel, Belgium, Chile, Morocco, France, Denmark, Germany, Australia and Japan.
Study Abroad Options
Model UN
Model UN brings together rising young leaders from around the world to step into the role of diplomats who must persuade, lead and build consensus to solve pressing problems. Roanoke has a Model UN Club and ususally goes to several events per year.
Model UN
Lectures
Roanoke's Henry H. Fowler Public Policy Program has hosted speakers ranging from presidents, prime ministers, national commentators, Supreme Court justices, renowned scholars and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Students have the chance to hear firsthand from global leaders and learn about issues facing the world.
Lecture Series
Teach-ins
The college regularly holds teach-ins with interdisciplinary faculty panels about what's happening in our community and world.
May Term
Roanoke students have the opportunity to travel broadly with faculty and most of our students take advantage of this. All of our faculty lead month-long trips where they teach and travel with students.
May Term
Public Affairs Society
The Public Affairs Society brings together passionate, curious students to consider current events from multiple perspectives. Through discussion groups and campus events, it aims to share ideas and encourage a robust civil discourse.
Public Affairs Society

Student Experiences

Live and Learn in the Center of U.S. Politics

Megan Onofrei ’24 got to dive into life in D.C. as part of Roanoke College’s Washington Semester program. The initiative puts students in the capital city for a full semester to take courses and tackle a professional internship.

Onofrei, a political science major, interned with The Normandy Group, a bipartisan government relations firm. The opportunity gave her hands-on experience working with teams that develop legislative proposals, track federal funding streams and engage with Congress.

“My internship was a perfect fit for me. It showed me the vital intersections of policy and law,” said Onofrei, who’s headed to law school after graduation. “I got to be behind the scenes of discussions on a variety of different issues, which deepened my understanding of our national policies.”

Learn more

Careers & Outcomes

Public service drives career calling for graduate

Andrew Sturmfels ’05 is fulfilling his call to public service. As Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs at the Department of General Services for California, Sturmfels said he likes to “work with stakeholders to solve problems and make it easier to do business in California.”

His interest in public service started at Roanoke where he helped launch the College’s first Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. “Roanoke instilled in me the belief that I could do anything, which gave me the confidence to go to graduate school so that I could pursue my master’s in public policy and my true calling to public service,” said Sturmfels, who earned a master’s degree from Sacramento State University in 2012.

man stands at a podium with stage curtain behind him

From Internship to Job

Zahava Urecki '16 set her sights on a career in Washington, D.C. as an 11-year-old watching "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report." The shows ignited her excitement about what was going on in the world.

Fast forward to Roanoke College where she interned for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, and lived and worked in D.C. through the College's Washington Semester program. Now she wants to write legislative policy.

"I saw a lot of the behind-the-scenes people," she said of her D.C. experience. "They were at the heart of everything, getting everything done. I really wanted to be a part of that."

After graduation, it was an easy transition to a job in Manchin's office. She is now a professional staff member at the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Zahava Urecki stands with Senator Joe Manchin of WV

Our grads work at great organizations

Faculty