Understand the people, policies, institutions and organizations that shape public life. As a student of political science, you will gain essential analytical and organizational skills that can be applied to exciting careers in government, law, business, international organizations, nonprofit organizations, survey research, journalism and teaching.

The Political Science Department is devoted to the study of politics and government; this includes the study of:

political institutions that exercise government authority, including legislatures, courts and administrative agencies;
political organizations through which individuals and groups seek to reshape the political landscape, including parties, interest groups and social movements;
public policies that reflect governmental efforts to regulate the actions of individuals and corporations, including civil rights, immigration and environmental policy;
the interactions between and among nation-states and;
transnational organizations that shape patterns of trade and development, conflict and cooperation, war, and peace.

full-time faculty teaching and conducting research in political science

66%

of Maxwell faculty conduct research focused outside of the U.S.

graduate students in residence; fewer than 12 admitted each year

Undergraduate Studies

Studying political science will help you understand the workings of political life at the local, national and international levels and will prepare you for a lifetime of active and informed citizenship. The Department of Political Science at Syracuse University has more than thirty full-time faculty that teach a wide variety of courses in multiple subject areas. We will guide you as you explore the world of politics and hone your skills as a researcher, analyst and writer.

Graduate Studies

Master’s and doctoral students receive broad training in quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research, while also concentrating in two of the following substantive fields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, public administration and policy, law and courts, or security studies.

I am Maxwell.

My time as a student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School prepared me for my career in the music business in ways I never could have imagined. My passion for utilizing political and legal systems and structures to advocate for and protect people’s rights guides many of the most important decisions I make.”

Jacqueline Saturn ’90 B.A. (PSc)

President of Virgin Music Group North America, 2026 Maxwell | A&S Undergraduate Convocation Speaker

Read more.

Recent Faculty Books

Maxwell's Political Science Department faculty members publish award-winning books on a wide range of topics. Scroll a sample of recently published works below, or visit the Maxwell Faculty Bookshelf for more.

Reeher quoted in LocalSYR article on gun buyback programs

July 14, 2021

LocalSYR

Grant Reeher

Political Science Department

Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Crime & Violence

Law

State & Local

United States

LocalSYR

Grant Reeher

The City of Syracuse is partnering with New York Attorney General Letitia James on a gun buyback program this summer. Professor Grant Reeher says the amount of guns in the United States keeps growing. When it comes to homicides, he says money should be invested in programs in the places where gun crimes and gang violence happen the most. "Particularly in poorer areas of cities," Reeher adds. "Those are the people that suffer the consequences of this most heavily. Again, that’s a big investment. You’re talking about social programs, you’re talking about job programs, you’re talking about criminal justice initiatives—those all cost a lot of money." Reeher was quoted in the LocalSYR article, "A closer look at the effectiveness of gun buyback programs."

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BaoBao Zhang Joins First Cohort of AI2050 Early Career Fellows

One of only 15 scholars chosen from across the U.S., Zhang will receive up to $200,000 in research funding over the next two years. Zhang will use the funding to partner with the nonprofit, non-partisan Center for New Democratic Processes to test whether public participation in AI governance is increased through the creation of public assemblies, known as “deliberative democracy workshops.”