The Department of Political Science at the University of Utah
Political science studies the world of politics and government. Political scientists study the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, the uses and abuses of power, relations between nations, and many other important topics. Political science is a broad area of study that provides excellent preparation for a variety of career paths in business, government, and the non-profit sector.
Students
Why major in Political Science? Our students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a wide range of public, private,
and non-profit sector professions.
Learn more.
Why Pursue a Master's or Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Utah? Our students gain a versatile set of skills that can be applied in a wide range of
exciting careers.
Learn more.
A New Area of Emphasis: Community Involvement and Nonprofit Leadership
Political Science has a new area of emphasis in Community Involvement and Nonprofit
Leadership. This emphasis fits with both the department of political science and the
University of Utah's mission of fostering student engagement with the community and
educating students to be prepared for careers in the nonprofit and public service
sectors.
Three win Faculty Recognition AwardsCongrats to Brent Steele, Sharon Mastracci and James Curry, all from political science, who won Faculty Recognition Awards from the Career & Professional Development Center!
Team of Interdisciplinary Researchers Receives Grant from Korea FoundationIn partnership with Sun Kyun Kwan University, they will conduct training and implement research on key immigration policy themes.
Lobell awarded Minerva Research Initiative grantSteven E. Lobell, political science professor received a $1,179,073 Minerva Research Initiative grant to study near-crises.
Tabitha Benney awarded an ISA Catalytic Research GrantCongratulations to Tabitha Benney, assistant professor of political science, for her reciept of an International Studies Association Catalytic Research Workshop Grant!
Scholarships
Scholarship season is in full swing. Have you started your applications yet? Here are a few resources to get you started.
Department of Political Science Scholarships
College of Social and Behavioral Science Scholarships
Hinckley Institute Scholarships
University of Utah Scholarships
University of Utah Undergraduate Research Opportunities
University of Utah Honors Scholarships
University of Utah Alumni Association Scholarships
Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Promised Land’ still a dream for black University of Utah studentsBarbara Kufiadan, political science major, added her voice to that of other U students in a recent article from The Salt Lake Tribune. “I don’t feel like we’ve come that far,” she said. “We’re still fighting systematic oppression that keeps black people down.”
Ghost is ThereOn July 15, 2016, a faction of the Turkish military attempted to overthrow the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Hakan Yavuz, professor of political science said, "In Turkey, the Gulen movement as a structure is more or less finished, but the soul, the spirit of the moment is still alive."
Congress is old. Does it matter?Everyone knows elected members of Congress are generally older than most other Americans, but it may surprise some to hear just how old.
Can Olympic Games help thaw Korean tensions? The bigger question is what comes afterMatthew Burbank, associate professor of political science, has spent much of his time devoted to studying urban policy with an emphasis on the Olympics. He believes South Korea viewed these Olympics as another chance to host the world, like it did with the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.