Students learn how to identify public needs, collect data on controversial issues, compare alternative solutions to problems, and conduct evaluations of ongoing public programs. The department also offers courses in political theory, with an emphasis on the history of Western political ideas from Plato to the writings of contemporary thinkers. These courses also present materials on the history of American political thought and examine the role of ideology in the modern world. Internships A distinctive part of the department's program is internship training in Fairbanks area government and private agencies for students interested in such experiences. We also supervise legislative internships in the state capitol in Juneau.
Students learn actual governmental roles and earn course credit for their first hand experiences.
The department hosts a chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Each year, student members sponsor a speakers' series on controversial topics and organize candidate debates during election cycles. Political science students also participate in model UN programs, both within the state and outside of Alaska. They have been active in meetings of the Western Political Science Association and the U.S. Air Force Academy American Assembly. The department each year sponsors the McLaughlin Prize for the best student paper on American government.