Political Science

Why choose political science at North Central College?

You’ll apply what you learn to your day-to-day life while you further your academic and career goals. Political science majors agree that our energetic faculty run one of the most rigorous, communication-intensive majors at North Central. These dedicated professors will challenge you to think critically about governments, public policies and political processes–whether you’re analyzing source materials, reading online news sources or preparing to cast a vote. You’ll start contributing to local and global communities right away.

You can also:

Work one-on-one with faculty on their research projects, whether authoring a textbook or monitoring political candidates.
Complete your own research projects, then present them at the Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research and other forums.
Apply for a Richter Independent Study Fellowship to fund your research anywhere in the world.
Attend at least one professional conference, such as the Midwest Political Science Conference in Chicago, and write a paper about your experiences.
Gain valuable practical experience in law and international relations through the faculty-led Mock Trial and Model United Nations organizations.

Meghan Steinbeiss earns 2012 Outstanding Major in Political Science Award

Meghan Steinbeiss of Naperville was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Major in Political Science Award during Honors Day May 15 at North Central College.

Jennifer Rieger ’13, political science major

Student wins top honors and tuition prize to law school

North Central College political science major Jennifer Rieger ’13 won second-place honors at contest and tuition waiver to attend John Marshall Law School.

Rima Gungor ’12 gave poster presentation at conference

Students attend Midwest Political Science Association annual conference

Forty North Central College students attend and senior presents at annual Midwest Political Science Association conference in Chicago.

more news

Internships

White House
Campaign for U.S. Representative Judy Biggert, Naperville
Coleman Group, Chicago
Office of Senator Richard Durbin, Chicago
World Relief, Aurora, IL
Illinois Physical Therapy Association, Naperville
Global Vision International, Esteli, Nicaragua
Keough and Moody P.C., Naperville
Chicago for Rahm Emanuel campaign, Chicago
Office of Media Relations, U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Batavia, IL
Office of Member of British Parliament Vicent Cable, London, England
Judy Baar Topinka for Governor, Chicago
Dianne McGuire for State Representative, Naperville
Office of U.S. Congressman Ray LaHood, Peoria, IL
Duckworth for Congress campaign, Wheaton, IL
Office of DuPage County Public Defender
Chicago for Rahm Emanuel campaign, Chicago
Office of Media Relations intern, U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Haster, Batavia, IL
Office of Member of British Parliament Vincent Cable, London, England

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates in political science have been accepted at:

The John Marshall Law School
University of Illinois-Chicago
Bush School of Government and Servic, Texas A&M University
George Washington University
St. Louis University School of Law
Chicago Kent College of Law
Fordham University
DePaul University
University of Chicago
University of Illinois-Springfield
University of San Diego
Loyola University-Chicago
University of Akron
Oregon State University
Appalachian State University
University of Michigan

Careers

Recent graduates in political science include:

Manager of federal government relations, Darden Restaurants, Orlando, FL
Associate Attorney, Wolfe & Stec, Ltd., Woodridge, IL
Government Soultions Consultant, CareerBuilder.com
Assistant State's Attorney, DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
President, Catalyst Strategies LLC
Vice President, Advocacy, Economic Growth and Quality of Life-Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
Research Analyst, Illinois House of Representatives Democratic Staff
Associate director of global operations, Peace Corps Assistnat State's Attorney, DuPage County
Community resource coordinator, Lupus foundation of America, Heartland Chapter

Feature

Megan Smith

Political science major

“When I took my first class in political science I fell in love with the field,” recalls Megan, who was named the College’s Outstanding Major in Political Science during her junior year. “I changed my original plans to include political science.”

Megan appreciates the way professors teach at North Central. “You learn both on a research level and a practical application level,” she says. For instance, in one course she and her classmates played the roles of House members and majority and minority leaders trying to pass legislation. And one summer, Megan helped a professor create a database of fundraising statistics for every congressional campaign since the 1960s. “That really broadened my horizons,” she says. “In fact, the experience may change my focus from political campaign management to research. But that’s what’s great about this major. As you define your interests and strengths, professors help you personalize and tailor your studies.”

Feature

Christopher Bilbro

Political Science

“I’ve always had an interest in forming policy and international relations but didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career. There is no better place than North Central to find those answers,” says Christopher. “The quality of the political science program is so high and the professors so compelling that it drew me out of my shell.”

For Christopher, the best part of his discovery was working with professors on their research. “They really know their way around the field, and I connected to the field in a way that most undergraduates don’t have opportunities to do.”

Getting to know professors on a personal level, Christopher says, is helpful if you’re pursuing graduate work. “When writing references for me, they could write specifically about my strengths, making me a stronger candidate.”

Those relationships and Christopher’s strong research and academic credentials led to his acceptance to The University of Chicago’s master’s program in international relations. “It says a lot about North Central to get accepted in this prestigious program,” he says.

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