Breadcrumb
Department of Politics
Shaping Change Through Politics, Justice, and Action
The Department of Politics explores how social justice, culture and the environment are interrelated, and how to effectively and equitably address social, political, and environmental issues.
Our classes focus on critical engagement with current political practices, which will give you the skills you need to go to graduate school or to pursue a career in political organizing, public policy, government, or law. With interdisciplinary program concentrations, you can tailor your learning in the career direction you want to take.
Undergraduate Degree
Political Science, B.A.
Learn the knowledge and skills to be an effective global citizen and achieve your career goals in diverse worlds, ranging from law to business to nonprofit to public policy. In addition to our small discussion-based classes, we emphasize the “hands-on” learning, such as internships, our Model UN and Moot Court programs, engaging in scholarly research projects, and study abroad.
Choose from three program concentrations:
- Global Politics
- Law & Policy
- Politics of Environment & Sustainability
Applied Learning Experiences
You will have a chance to participate in our Model UN and Moot Court programs, internships, research opportunities with faculty, and studying abroad. Extra credit opportunities include work placements in Sacramento or Washington, D.C.
Diverse Program Concentrations
Choose a concentration in Global Politics, Law & Policy, or Politics of Environment & Sustainability—or complete a major without a concentration.
Engaged and Passionate Faculty and Staff
You’ll develop lasting relationships with our faculty, who have interdisciplinary expertise in the environment, global politics, law, and policy, and our staff, who have deep knowledge of the department, college, and university.
Place-Based Learning Community: Dreamscapes
As a Politics freshman, you’ll participate in hands-on activities with your peers before classes even start and in some cases, have the opportunity to live in the same residence halls with your peers. Politics students will join four other departments for Dreamscapes, which examines the problems of today from the perspective that radical change is possible.
Career Options
With a Political Science degree (and the career-focused, hands-on skills that come with it) there’s so much you can do! Career fields include political organizing, public policy, government, and law.
- Attorney
- Elected Official
- Intelligence Analyst
- Journalist
- Legislative Assistant
- Marketing Research Analyst
- Nonprofit Leader
- Policy Analyst
- Political Consultant
- Public Relations Specialist
- Union Leader
Featured Alumni
Amber Rae Alvarez, Madison Henderson, Cruz Lopez, Lana Murillo, Veronica Patton, John Rutter, Kiera Sladen, Ruth Worthington, and Noah Zerbe
Politics
The Cal Poly Humboldt team representing South Sudan (Amber Rae Alvarez, Madison Henderson, Cruz Lopez, Lana Murillo, Veronica Patton, John Rutter, Kiera Sladen, and Ruth Worthington) at the National Model United Nations conference in New York took home an honorable mention award for their excellent work. Despite its name, the National Model United Nations conference draws 5,000+ students from more than 90 countries around the world. The recognition placed Cal Poly Humboldt in the top quarter of all schools competing at the international conference.
Model United Nations (PSCI 377) is taught every spring by Prof. Noah Zerbe and is open to any interested student.
Emma Feige, Kiera Sladen, Blake Benbow, Daniel Levine, Amanda Cawthorn, and Florencia Munoz, Noah Zerbe
Politics
The Cal Poly Humboldt Model United Nations program had a very successful year. At the regional Model United Nations of the Far West conference, the Humboldt delegation competed against more than 400 students from across the Western United States. The team representing Egypt (Emma Feige, Kiera Sladen, Blake Benbow, Daniel Levine, Amanda Cawthorn, and Florencia Munoz) won an outstanding delegation award. In addition, Amanda Cawthorn was the lead author in the best resolution at the conference, and Kiera Sladen was chosen as the best delegate in her committee.
Model United Nations is offered as a course (PSCI 377) every spring.
John Meyer
Politics
John Meyer, with co-author Sherilyn MacGregor of the University of Manchester, recently published an open-access article titled “How (Not) to Politicize the Climate Crisis: Beyond the Antipopulist Imaginary.” The article is part of a special issue on “The Antipopulist Moment” published by Politische Vierteljahresschrift, the German Political Science Quarterly.