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Mission
Political Science majors and minors at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley acquire a broad understanding of the political science discipline, while developing transferable skills in oral, written, and technological communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and research, including both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The Department of Political Science expects students to integrate the development of their knowledge and skills with other university and college programs, particularly those that facilitate active community engagement and informed citizenship.
These skills can lead to many fulfilling careers in politics and government, the civil service, teaching, law, policy analysis, journalism, non-profit sector management, and diplomacy. A degree in Political Science can also be the gateway to a law degree, a Master’s degree in many fields, or a Ph.D. degree in Political Science, Public Administration, or Public Policy.
Vision
The Department of Political Science is committed to providing undergraduate and graduate students with a high-quality university education that promotes and models active citizenship and community engagement in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. The Department will facilitate successful teaching and research by its faculty to support the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s goal of becoming an R1 university. The Department of Political Science will implement this vision while creating an intellectual climate that is methodologically pluralistic, theoretically diverse, and ideologically tolerant and by maintaining a critical engagement with the political science discipline and the social sciences generally.
Academic Programs
Bachelor's
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science (BA)
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Program Modality: Campus
The Bachelor’s degree in Political Science is designed to enhance understanding of the moral purpose of government, and how its political influence affects the communities it serves. Political Science majors acquire a broad understanding of the political science discipline while developing transferable skills in oral, written, and technological communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and research, including both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Courses are offered in four major subfields including U.S. Government & Politics, World Politics, Political Economy & Public Policy, and Political Theory.
Master's
Master's Degree
Political Science (MA)
Master of Arts in Political Science
Program Modality: Campus
The Master's degree in Political Science provides expertise in subfields such as Governance and Policy Process, World and Borderland Politics, and the Politics of Race, Gender, and Class. Students graduate with training in subfields of political science that are uniquely relevant to the Rio Grande Valley, such as World and Borderland Politics and Governance and Policy Process.