Mission Statement and Learning Goals

Department of Political Science Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Political Science at Illinois Wesleyan University is to foster a vital community of citizen scholars committed to the study and understanding of politics. The department nurtures a culture of excellence that helps students to become active knowledge producers and to reach their career goals in the non-profit, public, or private sectors.

Political Science students are required to take both a research methods class and a senior seminar. In addition, they publish a research journal annually, join faculty in reading groups, and thrive in the social science lab they oversee. Regardless of their path, IWU political science students learn to take the liberal arts seriously and to strive to make the public good a reality at home and across the globe.

See also the Mission Statement of Illinois Wesleyan University.

Political Science Student Learning Goals

(Adopted July 15, 2022)

A graduate in Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University will:

• Know the theoretical traditions, debates, and methodological approaches used in the empirical study of political phenomena;
• Know the processes, institutions, and contexts that shape politics at local, national, transnational, and international levels in comparative perspectives;
• Be well-versed in the common strategies employed by advocates for change and their opponents concerning the great challenges facing humanity;
• Be able to analyze political phenomena critically, recognizing the implications of privilege, diverse perspectives, normative positions, and evidentiary claims;
• Be able to conduct rigorous and original political research, using appropriate analytical frames and methodological instruments to test hypotheses;
• Be able to communicate research findings and arguments in a clear, logical, and persuasive manner, whether in written or oral form.