Academics

Co-Op in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, cooperative education—or co-op for short—is a key component to the Experiential Liberal Arts, an educational model that integrates experiential learning with the rigorous study of society, culture, and politics. As a political science major, you will be able to bring your interests, your skills and what you have learned in the classroom to a wide variety of co-op opportunities. Conversely, you will bring what you have learned on co-op back to your academic setting, allowing you to deepen your knowledge about your major and yourself.

Service Learning As an urban university, service-learning is part of Northeastern’s ethical mission. But more than good works, service-learning at Northeastern is an academically rigorous experience. Through partnerships with schools, neighborhood agencies, health clinics, and nonprofit organizations, the university embeds service into academic coursework. Students engage in hands-on service to address community needs, learning by applying course concepts to their experiences, and reflecting on those experiences back in the classroom.

Student Research Pursuing research makes students knowledge creators and develops their teamwork skills. The discipline of mind that research requires is one of the best ways to learn to think critically. Also, graduate and professional schools often expect students to conduct research during their undergraduate careers. There are many opportunities for undergraduate political science majors to be a part of ongoing research or to launch their own projects in collaboration with faculty.

Dialogues of Civilizations are faculty-led programs, offered during the summer, that focus on critical issues facing students and their peers at both the local and global levels. The Department of Political Science encourages students to engage in international study.

Study Abroad Many political science undergraduate students participate in longer-term study abroad programs as a way to deepen their study of international and comparative politics, develop foreign-language skills, or simply experience the thrill of living in another cultural environment. More than 25 study abroad programs applicable to political science majors are sponsored by Northeastern’s Office of International Study Programs.

Internships As one of several experiential education opportunities, the Department of Political Science’s Internship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with academic credit for related work experience. An internship allows students to use the tools and concepts developed in a classroom in practical settings, reflect on the practical and academic lessons learned at their internship site, and experience the diverse careers political science majors pursue after graduation.