Clusters and Certificates

Clusters

The Department of Political Science offers a large and varied set of clusters:

Bear in mind that clusters sometimes are not updated quickly enough to include new courses. Please contact Professor Gerald Gamm with questions about cluster exceptions.

Certificate Programs

Certificate programs are taken in conjunction with, not in place of, concentrations. They are meant to supplement a student's chosen area of study and to formalize into a coherent whole courses taken outside the area of concentration. They are administered through the College Center for Advising Services, Lattimore 312. The following certificate programs include coursework in the social sciences:

Legal Studies

Legal studies is an interdisciplinary program of study which gives students the opportunity to examine law from a variety of perspectives. While the minor should be useful for those who may be thinking of attending law school, it should not be considered a program in pre-professional training. To be more precise, the goals of this minor are: (1) to educate students in certain broadly relevant analytical skills; (2) to introduce students to what it means to study a social phenomenon from a variety of perspectives; (3) to help students obtain a better understanding of law and the multiple functions it plays in a variety of societies; (4) to encourage writing and the development of writing skills; and (5) to stimulate greater interaction among faculty interested in law and society. Depending on the selection of courses, students may use the minor or related clusters in legal studies to satisfy the curriculum requirement in either the humanities or the social sciences.