2. The Faculty
3. Administrative Structure of the Department
5. Planning a Coherent Program of Study
6. Declaration of a Political Science Major
7. Declaration of a Political Science Minor
8. The Political Science Major and Areas of Concentration
9. The Political Science Minor
10. Interdisciplinary Programs
11. Advising
15. Pi Sigma Alpha
17. Washington Semester Program
20. Conclusion
Political science is a broad discipline. Some political scientists are social researchers who want to understand why people behave politically the way they do. Some political scientists are students of institutions such as legislatures, courts, and bureaucracies. Some seek to know the whys and wherefores of judicial processes and constitutional issues. Some are students of foreign cultures who want to know how their political systems work, and why they are different from each other. Others are intellectual historians and social critics who are interested in understanding the quest for the good society. Still others are policy analysts. Some are omnibus students of American politics. Some are statistical theorists and specialists in surveying political attitudes. Some investigate the causes of war and the conditions for peace among nations.
Amid this apparent diversity of interests and approaches lies a common concern with anything that might be prefaced with the adjective "political": political issues, political institutions, political behavior, political power, political goods. Political scientists share a common enterprise, which focuses upon the public arena of human society, upon the uses of power and persuasion in that arena, and upon the ideas which shape it. The different pursuits and the varied methodologies of political scientists all are directed in one way or another toward promoting this common goal of understanding politics.
There are many reasons for studying political science. Foremost among them is the insight thus provided into the great issues of our time. What are the causes and institutional forces behind a conflict between the President and the chairman of a congressional committee? Are nations in a confrontation; what underlying reasons lie behind it? Is the mass media up in arms over a certain policy; why does it react this way and is it justified? Someone who studied political science should be able to answer these questions better than he or she could otherwise--thanks to an understanding of the presidency and Congress, of international relations, and of political ideologies. The knowledge and critical skills gained from the study of political science enable one to be a more rational citizen, a more constructive participant in public affairs, and a better professional in any vocation which deals with the public domain.
The faculty of the Department of Political Science in 1996 included thirty-two full time members, including six with joint appointments in other departments, as well as several distinguished visiting faculty and others who teach part-time in the department. Members of the faculty have published dozens of books and scores of articles which have appeared in every major journal in the discipline. One member was editor of The Journal of Politics, another was co-editor of the American Journal of Political Science, one is editor of Policy Sciences and others serve on the editorial boards of The Journal of Politics, The American Political Science Review, The International Studies Quarterly, The American Journal of Political Science, The Western Political Quarterly, American Politics Quarterly, Ethics, Latin American Research Review, Political Analysis, Policy and Law, International Interaction, Law and Contemporary Problems, Environmental Review, and International Organization.
Members of the department's faculty have won in national competitions grants and fellowships from: the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Fulbright Program, the Social Science Research Council, the Ford Foundation, the Lilly Foundation, the Olin Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Council on Foreign Relations. They have been fellows or guest scholars at the Brookings Institution, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Zentrum fur Interdisziplihäre Forschung, and the National Humanities Center.
The faculty includes: past presidents of the Southern Political Science Association, International Studies Association, National Academy of Sciences, the Southern Association of Public Opinion Research. Faculty members have served on the U.S. Circuit Judge Nominating Commission, the National Security Council, as Director of the Political Science Program at the National Science Foundation, and in the U.S. House of Representatives, advised federal agencies such as AID and the DOD, testified before congressional committees, and consulted with state governments and with foreign governments.
Undergraduate teaching has long been a pronounced characteristic of the Political Science Department. Teaching awards won by members of the department attest to the high quality of and importance accorded to undergraduate instruction. Beginning in 1978-79, five members of the department's faculty have received the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. This award recognizes faculty who are original, creative, and clear in thought and presentation, who provide a climate for learning which engages intellectual curiosity and promotes personal achievement, who have a willingness to be available to students, who learn to know students as individuals, who evaluate each students conscientiously and fairly, who are current in their field, and who see that goals and objectives are clear to the students.
Two faculty members have received the Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award established in 1984 to recognize faculty members' ability to encourage intellectual excitement, their knowledge of their field and the ability to communicate to students, their openness to students, their skill in organizing their courses, the commitment to teaching over time, and their willingness to invest substantial effort in meeting the College's institutional needs.
Another political scientist, as well as former chair of the department, won the Howard Johnson Distinguished Teaching Award, an award given those faculty members whose teaching is known to inspire confidence in and respect for the highest tradition of American democracy and free enterprise and Western civilization.
The current regular and joint faculty, grouped by primary sub-field and with major teaching interests in parentheses, include the following:
a) American Politics: John Aldrich (political parties and elections); John Brehm (public opinion and political organizations); Peter Fish (judicial process and constitutional law); Paul Gronke (elections, public opinion, Congress); James Hamilton (regulatory process, public policy analysis); Marion Orr (urban politics, African-American politics); David Paletz (media, the presidency, participation); David Price (Congress, American political philosophy); Steven Smith (nonprofit organizations, the welfare state, public policy); Karen Stenner (political psychology, political and election behavior).
b) Comparative Politics: Ronald Archer (Latin American politics, comparative political institutions and methods); William Ascher (development politics, public policy, Latin American politics); Donald Horowitz (comparative politics of ethnic and racial relations); Jerry Hough (politics of the former Soviet Union); Sheridan Johns (African politics, resource politics); Herbert Kitschelt (European politics and party systems, comparative public policy, social movements); Allan Kornberg (Canadian politics, parties, legislatures, and comparative political behavior); Peter Lange (European politics, comparative theory, comparative political economy); Margaret McKean (East Asian politics, environment and development); Jean O'Barr (African politics, women in politics); T.J. Shi (Chinese politics).
c) Political Theory: Romand Coles (modern and contemporary political theory, phenomenology, existentialism, Marxism and deconstruction); Kim Curtis (feminist theory, contemporary continental work); Michael Gillespie (political philosophy, American political thought); Ruth Grant (political philosophy, American political thought); Sanford Kessler (American political thought, modern political thought); Alasdair MacIntyre (political philosophy); Thomas Spragens (modern political theory, contemporary, liberal and democratic theory, ideologies).
d) International Politics: Albert Eldridge (international conflict, American foreign policy); Peter Feaver (national security, international ethics); Henk Goemans (international conflict); Joseph Grieco (international political economy, international organization); Ole Holsti (international politics, foreign policy); Emerson Niou (positive political theory and statistics, methods in international relations); David Paletz (international communication); Beth Simmons (international political economy, international law).
The department has three principal administrative officers, the Chairman, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is the administrative officer with primary responsibility for the undergraduate program. Students will need to see the Director in order to obtain: (A) permission to undertake independent study, (B) approval of transfer credit for courses taken at foreign and other domestic institutions, (C) academic credit for internship programs, (D) admission to the Washington Semester Program at American University. In addition, the Director of Undergraduate Studies is consulted for advice pertaining to the undergraduate program and its relationship to courses of study in satisfying requirements for a minor or major in Political Science. The Director of Undergraduate Studies is Professor Ole Holsti whose office is 302 Perkins Library. The Staff Assistant to the Director of Undergraduate Studies is Mary Frances Davis. Her office is 325 Perkins Library.
The department also has a Director of the Honors Program, who should be consulted by students considering pursuit of that program. A member of the departmental staff serves as Director of the Internship Program. All students interested in obtaining a political science internship should consult with Karen Feaver in 339 Perkins Library.
The political science curriculum at Duke is divided into four sub-fields: (a) American politics, (b) comparative politics, (c) political theory, and (d) international politics. In addition, there are several courses in methodology which deal with research methods and techniques for data gathering and analysis.
a) The American politics area includes almost all facets of the political system of the United States: elections, parties, the presidency, the legislatures, the courts, the media, state and local government, public administration, interest groups and the bureaucracy.
b) The comparative politics area includes general comparative analysis of political systems, comparative topics such as women in politics, revolution, militarism, and political development, and the study of politics in specific areas: Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, Japan, China, and Canada.
c) The political theory area includes political philosophy and its history, contemporary political ideologies, democratic theory, political ethics and evaluation. This area also contains the department's offerings of positive or empirical theory courses including those related to methodology and quantitative analysis.
d) The international politics area covers all areas of interaction, cooperation, and conflict among nations. It includes theories of international relations, great power politics, foreign policy, defense policy, international law and organizations and international political economy.
In each of these areas, courses are offered which fall into four major categories:
1) The 49S and 60S-level courses, in various sub-fields, are open only to First year students in the case of 49S courses and to First year and Sophomore students in the case of 60S Introductory Seminars in Political Science. Both are intended to acquaint students with specific issues in Political Science considered in larger contexts.
2) The 90-level courses, one in each area, are open to all students without any prerequisite. They are intended to provide a solid introduction to and/or overview of the different sub-fields of the discipline, without presupposing previous knowledge on the part of the student.
3) The 100-level courses focus on more specific topics than do the 90-level courses. Some previous knowledge may be presupposed--or at least would be helpful. Therefore, students should usually take at least one of the introductory courses before enrolling in 100-level courses.
4) The 200 A,B,C, and D courses are senior seminars. They provide an opportunity for intensive analysis of specific issues and problems in political science. Students should ordinarily enroll in these seminars only after taking at least one 100-level course in the relevant sub-field.
5) The 200-level senior-graduate courses. These courses vary in scope and content. Some are intended to accommodate the academic needs of graduate students in political science and, therefore, require previous preparation on the part of undergraduates and may not be open at all to undergraduates or they may be open only to seniors. To guide undergraduates, explicit prerequisites as well as permission of the course instructor may be stipulated. Undergraduates who are not yet seniors may enroll with the permission of the instructor.
The best course of study will combine planning with flexibility. It is usually a mistake to select courses each semester on a purely ad hoc basis without giving any thought to the coherence of the program to be achieved. On the other hand, no one should try to plan ahead so completely that the ability to accommodate new interests and enthusiasms disappears. The long-range planning process in the Pre-Major Advising Center provides an opportunity for setting general goals while leaving room for change and growth in the concrete course selections to be made each term. Plans and goals can be revised periodically in light of the Long-Range Plan filed at the time of declaration of the major.
At the Pre-Major Advising Center for previously undeclared majors.
At the Registrar's Office in 103 Allen Building for students wishing to change or add a Political Science Major.
At the Registrar's Office in 103 Allen Building
These requirements for the major vary according to University-wide curriculum changes mandated by the Arts and Sciences Council in 1994.
For students who matriculated at Duke in Fall 1992 through Spring 1996:
Eight (8) or more courses in political science (excluding AP credits), including one (1) in each of three (3) of the department's four (4) fields American Politics (A), Comparative Politics (B), Normative and Empirical Theory (C-N, C-E), International Relations (D) and at least one 200-level course taken at Duke. Such students may, but are not required to, satisfy one Area of Concentration.
For students who matriculate at Duke in Fall 1996 and thereafter:
Ten (10) or more courses in political science, at least eight (8) of which must be at or above the 100-level. Among the ten courses taken must be at least one (1) course in each of three (3) of the department's four (4) fields and at least one course taken at Duke at the 200-299 level. Such students must select one (1) Area of Concentration.
An Area of Concentration is defined as five courses, at least one of which must be at the 200-level. The twelve Areas of Concentration and the courses that qualify for each area are listed below. It should be noted that many courses are listed under more than a single Area of concentration. All majors are required to select a concentration in consultation with their advisor; majors are strongly encouraged to make their selection by the end of the first semester of their junior year.
All courses currently being offer by the department are listed under one or more Areas of Concentration, but this list does not include courses transferred from other universities.
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 91, 101A
100-level: 100*, 103A, 103B, 108, 108S, 109, 110, 128, 130, 131, 141, 145, 146D, 154, 157D, 164 187S, 189*, 190*, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 196A, 199A*
200-level: 200A*, 200H*, 203S, 207S, 208S, 209, 218, 230, 251, 257, 268, 274S, 275, 278S, 283S, 293, 299A*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 91
100-level: 100*, 110, 114, 129, 131, 137, 152, 154, 188, 189*, 190*, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199A*
200-level: 200A*, 200H*, 203S, 208S, 219S, 240, 275, 299A*
Introductory: 91
100-level: 126, 127, 131, 146D, 177, 178, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199C-N*, 199A*
200-level: 200A*, 200B*, 200H*, 206S, 211S, 219S, 225, 231, 240, 253, 254, 275, 276S, 277, 285, 299B*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 92, 98
100-level: 100*, 102, 110, 111, 114, 115, 117, 119, 126, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139, 151, 153, 164, 171, 174S, 180, 184S, 186, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 195, 197, 199B*
200-level: 200A*, 200H*, 207S, 218, 229S, 238S, 254, 299A*, 299C-N*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 92, 93
100-level: 100*, 107, 113, 122, 125, 136, 139, 147, 148, 155, 164, 170, 172, 173S, 176A, 176B, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199B*
200-level: 200B*, 200D*, 200H*, 205S, 213S, 221S, 232, 243S, 244S, 270S, 271, 299B*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 92
100-level: 100*, 101B, 105, 117, 132, 149, 151, 155, 161S, 165, 169, 171, 173S, 176A, 176B, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199B*
200-level: 200B*, 200H*, 234, 253S, 262S, 267S, 284S, 287, 299B*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 93
100-level: 100*, 106, 120, 120S, 122, 142, 142S, 157D, 167D, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199D*
200-level: 200D*, 200H*, 201S, 250S, 256S, 257S, 286, 288, 299D*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 93
100-level: 100*, 113, 120, 120S, 121, 122, 147, 160, 167D, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199D*
200-level: 200D*, 200H*, 201S, 220S, 227S, 252, 271. 299D*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 93
100-level: 100*, 124, 133, 149, 157D, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199D*
200-level: 200D*, 200H*, 202, 272, 299D*
(See Comparative and International Political Economy)
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 94, 123
100-level: 100*, 101C, 104, 123, 126, 131, 140, 150, 159, 179, 175A, 181, 182, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199C-N*
200-level: 200C*, 200H*, 204S, 216S, 218, 223, 224S, 228S, 229S, 236S, 246S, 247, 254, 260S, 289S, 299C-N*
Introductory: 49S*, 60S*, 139
100-level: 100*, 125, 138, 145, 164, 168, 191*, 192*, 193*, 194*, 199-C-E*
200-level: 200H*, 205S, 230S, 232, 243S, 270, 299*, 299C-E*
* If subject matter is appropriate to Areas of Concentration as determined by student's Major Advisor or by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
** Students selecting this sequence must select at least two courses relating to non-North American political systems.
Of the ten (10) required political science courses, at least eight (8) must be taken at Duke to meet major requirements. However, only seven (7) Duke political science courses need to be taken if the student: (1) is transferring courses from a year-long approved study aboard program, or (2) transferred to Duke after completing two undergraduate years at another institution; or (3) completed one semester at an approved study abroad program and one semester in the Washington Semester Program at American University. For the purpose of this requirement, courses in the Washington Program at American University (Political Science 196A,D) will be counted as transfer courses.
Advanced Placement Credit. Advanced placement credits in political science (score of 4 or 5). These course credits are designated as Political Science 90A (American Government and Politics) and Political Science 90B (Comparative Government and Politics). Such credits are applied toward the thirty-four credits needed for graduation and enable students to enroll in any 90-level introductory course(s) and permit them to enroll in advanced American and/or Comparative Government course(s). Advanced placement course credits (90A, 90B) do not satisfy course requirements for the political science major.
Suggested work in Related Disciplines. Selected courses in such disciplines as anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, psychology, public policy, religion and sociology are desirable.
The Department offers a minor in political science, for which the requirements are: a minimum of five (5) courses in political science, no more than two of which may be below the 100-level.
It is also possible to pursue special interdisciplinary interests. A political science major combines well with such programs as those offered by Asian and African Languages, Asian and Afro-American studies, Latin American Studies, Public Policy studies, Canadian studies, Comparative Area Studies, African studies, Asian-Pacific studies. Students interested in women's studies and gender roles, to cite another example, would find a number of political science courses relevant: Professors Kornberg, Paletz and O'Barr devote part or all of some courses to discussion of women's and men's political participation and to the consequences of that participation for the study of politics.
Upon notification of your declaration as a first major in political science, the department assigns you to a faculty member for regular advising. All assignments are made once in each semester. It is usually - though not always - possible to select a particular faculty member as an advisor. The department has prepared a packet of information to new majors at the time of declaration in the Pre-Major Advising Center and to others in 325 Perkins Library. Included in that packet is an advisor preference form on which majors may designate their choices of a departmental faculty member to serve as an advisor. Because faculty members are periodically on leave, serve in the Pre-Major Advising Center, or are otherwise unable to perform departmental advising duties, it may not be possible to retain the same departmental advisor during a student's full time as a major. But should it be necessary to assign another advisor while a regular advisor is on leave, a major will be reassigned to the original advisor upon that faculty member's return to service.
Advisors must approve course selections made at each pre-registration period. This requirement allows the department to keep its majors apprised of their progress toward fulfilling both university graduation requirements and departmental requirements for the major. During the pre-registration period, the advisor alone may provide an advisee with his/her Personal Identification Number needed for ACES registration. Your advisor is a resource person, someone who can help you plan a coherent and satisfying curriculum and who can provide you with information on course offerings and opportunities in the department.
Your faculty advisor will post sign-up sheets with specific appointment times during pre-registration advising. Additionally, faculty members usually set aside "office hours" when they are available without specific appointment; these hours should be posted on their office doors and listed with the departmental secretary in 214 Perkins Library.
Your advisor will be less useful to you as a career counselor. That advice is best sought from the Career Development Center. However, some faculty members may be of help to you in this respect either because of their specific knowledge of some particular vocational areas or by virtue of their general familiarity with different careers. Feel free to ask, but do not expect any real expertise from your advisor on this subject.
Juniors and seniors having completed one or more political science course and who develop an interest in some specific political problem may pursue that interest in a way not possible within the regular course framework. An independent study project serves this important purpose. A 3.0 academic average and the successful completion of at least one 100-level course in political science are ordinarily required of students who want to undertake independent study. Those interested and eligible must take the initiative in seeking a faculty member to supervise his/her project. An appropriate faculty member would be one who specializes in the same general area of the independent study topic. If the student cannot identify a suitable supervisor for a desired project, he/she should seek guidance from his/her advisor, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, or any other member of the faculty.
Independent study students will register for PS 191, 192, 193, or 194, depending upon their class status and the semester in which the course is taken. In order to pre-register, the student must (1) obtain from either his/her prospective independent study supervisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies an Internship/Independent Study Permission form, (2) complete it, (3) obtain the supervisor's signature on it, and (4) present it to the Director of Undergraduate Studies who will, upon approving it, issue the necessary four-digit course permission number for use with the ACES telephone registration system.
The Department of Political Science administers an internship program open to all students, regardless of major. Most of the internships are done in Washington, DC during the summer, but it is also possible to have internships during the fall and spring semesters, and in locations other than Washington, DC Students participate by qualifying for a position obtained by the department or by acquiring their own employment. Interns may or may not receive payment for their services. Help with summer housing in Washington is available.
Students interested in the internships should complete the application available in 339 Perkins Library and then talk with the director of the program, Mrs. Karen Feaver.
Course credit is not given for an internship. However, a student wishing to use the internship experience as the starting point for a research project may enroll in PS 189 or PS 190 for the purpose of writing a paper. The internship paper should be a serious piece of research in which data (usually gathered as part of the student's work) is analyzed and conclusions reached. The paper should reflect some familiarity with and use of the relevant literature. If you have obtained an internship for which you intend to seek course credit, prior to undertaking field work, you should consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the academic advisor for interns. The Director will provide you with an Internship/Independent Study Permission form, which you will complete in a manner similar to that described above for independent study projects. Upon submission of the form to and approval by the Director, a four-digit permission number will be issued to permit registration via the ACES telephone registration system.
The department offers students majoring in political science a senior honors program, by successful completion of which a participant achieves graduation with distinction in political science. The central requirement of the program is an honors thesis which the student prepares under faculty supervision. The honors program consists of two courses, (Political Science 200H.02 and 200H.03). Seniors entering their seventh semester who have attained at least a 3.3 grade point average overall and a 3.5 average in political science courses are eligible for admission to PS 200H.02. The program director must approve recommended student's admission.
Political science 200H.02, a seminar usually taken in the fall of the senior year, is devoted to development of the honors thesis and includes close supervision of the writing stage of the project by a faculty supervisor selected by the student. Continued close faculty supervision of the project occurs in Political Science 200H.03, which is an independent study course.
Completion of the thesis, its evaluation, and its defense before a three-member faculty committee warrants graduation with distinction in political science if a grade of A- or better is assigned to the student's thesis and performance in Political Science 200H.02 and 200H.03. The intradepartmental concentration option is partially satisfied by successful completion of the two-course senior honors thesis seminar. Further information may be obtained from the Honors Program director or from the director of undergraduate studies.
Latin Honors by Honors Project. A major in political science who wishes to be a candidate for Trinity College Latin honors by honors project must: (1) have an overall grade point average of 3.5 in political science and a 3.3 overall grade point average at the commencement and termination of the project, (2) enroll in and successfully complete the Senior Honors Program (Political Science 200H.02 and 200H.03), (3) provide written notice to the faculty director of that program and to the director of undergraduate studies of an intention to seek Latin honors. Following the candidate's oral defense of the honors thesis, the two-member examination committee, which has determined that the candidate merits graduation with distinction in political science, will evaluate the candidate's eligibility for any level of Latin honors. The director of the Senior Honors Program, who also serves as a member of the Undergraduate Affairs Committee of the Department of Political Science, will so advise the committee. If the candidate is deemed to be eligible for Latin honors by the honors project, that the committee will evaluate the candidate's performance in the honors program and his or her overall academic performance in the major and in the full course of study at Duke, and, if warranted, will certify such candidate for a specific level of Latin honors.
Successful completion of a senior honors thesis demands imagination, independence, and perseverance on the student's part. The accomplishments are recognized at Commencement. More important is the experience of having pursued in-depth research on a single political science topic about which one is especially curious and of having the satisfaction of producing a worthwhile study. Honors theses always receive consideration for the departmental prizes described below and they frequently win such prizes. Senior honors essays qualifying for distinction are placed in the University Archives and made available to others.
Founded at Duke University in 1955 the Gamma Theta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha recognizes eligible juniors and seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence in political science. The Chapter cooperates with the Department of Political Science in promoting valuable extracurricular activities related to public affairs. Membership in the Duke Chapter of this national honorary society of approximately 60,000 members is open to all students who have: (1) completed at least three political science courses, one of which must be at the 100-level or above, (2) achieved a minimum G.P.A. of 3.30, and a minimum overall G.P.A. of 3.50 in political science courses, (3) rank in the top one-quarter of the relevant class. One-time membership dues are used to support chapter activities, to fund the national office, and to provide each member with a distinctive certificate attesting to his or her membership in the society. The Faculty Advisor to Pi Sigma Alpha is the Director the Honors Program.
Each year at graduation, the Department awards prizes to undergraduates for distinguished academic work:
ALONA E. EVANS ESSAY PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW. One or more awards to undergraduate and/or graduate students in arts and sciences whose paper(s) on international law reflect excellence in scholarship. Substantial money prizes are derived from income earned on the generous bequest of Professor Alona E. Evans. A graduate of Duke University with an A.B. degree in 1940 and a Ph.D. in 1945, she studied with the late Professor Robert R. Wilson, longtime chairman of this department and an eminent scholar in the field of international treaties and agreements. Professor Evans worked in the State and War Departments during World War II, served on the editorial board of the American Journal of International Law and taught at Wellesley College, where she became Kendall Professor of Political Science in 1966.
ROBERT S. RANKIN AWARDS. These awards honor the memory of Robert Stanley Rankin (1899-1976), Professor of Political Science at Duke University. Born in Tusculum, Tennessee, Professor Rankin received his A.B. (1920) and graduated summa cum laude from Tusculum College and received his A.M. (1922) and Ph.D. (1924) from Princeton University where he studied with eminent constitutional law scholar Edward S. Corwin. Professor Rankin joined the Duke faculty in 1927, seven years before establishment of a separate Political Science Department, and served as Chairman from 1949-64. He taught popular undergraduate and graduate courses in American national government, American state and local governments, and American constitutional law and theory. Books on subjects as diverse as race relations and emergency powers of government as well as numerous articles were authored by Professor Rankin. His many contributions to the University included fifteen years as faculty representative on the Duke University Athletic Council. Professor Rankin was co-founder and 1931 President of the Southern Political Science Association. He served in 1949 on the Connecticut Commission on State Government, and in 1967-68 on the North Carolina Local Government Commission. He was twice elected as a member-at-large to the Durham City Council. In 1960 President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, on which he served for sixteen years. Professor Rankin retired in 1969 after forty-two years of distinguished teaching, administration, and public service.
THE ROBERT S. RANKIN AWARD IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. An award to the outstanding student in the field of American Government and Constitutional Law. A prize of at least $150.00 is donated by a former student of Professor Rankin's, Judge Jerry B. Stone, Duke A.B. (1944), J.D. (1948).
THE ROBERT S. RANKIN AWARD IN AMERICAN NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. An award to the outstanding student in the field of American national and/or state and/or local governments. A prize of at least $100.00 is also donated by Judge Stone.
THE ROBERT S. RANKIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. One or more awards have been donated by Robert H. Connery, Professor Emeritus of Public Law and Government at Columbia University, and from 1949-65 a colleague of Professor Rankin's when both were members of the Duke faculty, and by a group of Professor Rankin's former students. These awards are given to students, chosen by the Department of Political Science, who have demonstrated excellence in the study of American Government and whose past achievements and future promise manifests not only high intellectual attainments, but also an exemplary leadership role in service to Duke University or to the community as broadly defined.
ELIZABETH G. VERVILLE AWARD. An award to the undergraduate who submits the best paper in the subject matter of political science. Funds for an award derived from a gift made by Elizabeth G. Verville, a political science major and graduate of the Duke University class of 1961.
Students who believe they have written a paper that might be a likely contender for an award are encouraged to request the faculty member for whom the paper was written to nominate it and to send a copy to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in time for consideration by the awards committee in early April.
The department reserves the right to withhold award of any of the above prizes in any year in which the quality of student performance so warrants.
Duke University participates in an inter-institutional program operated by American University in Washington, D.C. The program consists of separate units which in the past have included a general "Washington Semester (American Government)," "Peace and Conflict Resolution Semester," "Justice Semester," "Foreign Policy Semester," and a "Journalism Semester." Each of the units typically involves a four-course load: (1) two seminars (one course credit each) which involve meetings with public officials, political leaders, private interest group representatives, etc., (2) an internship on Capitol Hill or in an executive agency, local government, interest group, or private research organization, (3) an intensive research project that utilizes Washington as a resource laboratory. The Director of Undergraduate Studies evaluates students` applications and project proposals and submits them, together with a certified copy of each applicant's Duke transcript, to the Program Director at American University.
Applicants are expected to have taken at least one course in political science. While in the program, students retain their status as Duke undergraduates on leave by pre-registering for PS 196A.01, 196A.02, 196A.03, 196A.04 (Programs in American politics and government); or in PS 196D.01, 196D.02, 196D.03, 196D.04 (Programs in International Relations); tuition and fees are set by and paid directly to American University per semester. As many as two political science related courses may be counted toward the political science major requirement. Grades will be listed on the Duke transcript as transfer grades. A separate American University transcript, showing letter grades will become part of the student's permanent academic record. Descriptive brochures on units of the program and applications forms are available in 325 Perkins Library.
Students in the department have access to a variety of computing systems. Personal computers and printers are located throughout the campus. Instruction for using computers is included in some of the department's courses and is available through the Duke Computation Center. Computer accounts are also available for independent study projects.
Like all degrees in the liberal arts, a degree in political science is not a vocational or professional degree. It is not intended to provide training for any one specific career.
Nevertheless, an undergraduate major in political science is appropriate and valuable preparation for a wide variety of careers. Any professional whose work involves the public domain would benefit from the knowledge gained and the critical skills developed as a political science major.
Political Science majors actually follow varied paths after graduation. A recent survey by the Career Development Center reported that 56 percent of the graduating Political Science majors intended to seek immediate employment while another 37 percent planned to pursue graduate or professional education. Of the latter, fully 74 percent were headed for law school. Medical and business schools and graduate departments in the social sciences were each the immediate goals of 6.5 percent of the graduating political science majors. In the longer run, a larger proportion of those planning to pursue advanced education, envisioned business school (21 percent) and social sciences graduate study (10.5 percent), and a relatively smaller proportion perceived themselves in law school (50.5 percent). Eventually, 50 percent of those with post-graduate education plans intended to seek a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, 4.9 percent a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, and 5.9 percent a medical doctor (M.D.) degree. Graduating political science majors who planned to enter the workforce intended primarily to enter business (29.2 percent), media, advertising or journalism (15.3 percent), and government or politics (12.5 percent).
Former political science majors hold a wide variety of responsible positions. A 1991 survey reported that a 1990 graduate serves as a transit marketing specialist for Raleigh, NC; a 1989 graduate is an analyst at Chase Manhattan; a 1988 graduate is a media planner and a 1986 graduate is a sportscaster for WOWL-TV. Political science majors who graduated in the 1970's include law firm partners, company presidents and vice-presidents, judges, a general desk editor of the Associated Press, consultants, and a U.S. congressman. By majoring in political science, previous Duke undergraduates have enjoyed access to numerous and different careers in the public and private sectors.
A career in political science teaching and research at the university level provides another professional option for those who plan to continue their education through the doctoral degree. The profession continues to enjoy the traditional advantages of academic life including intellectual engagement through teaching and research, self-directed work, and interaction with students in a learning environment. In addition, scholars in most political science fields find that opportunities are available to bring their expertise to bear on pressing public issues. Thus, an academic political science career can be an exciting and highly rewarding career choice.
These are some of the principal career choices of our majors. There are others as well. For any of them, a political science major will not give you your job training; but it should help prepare you to be a knowledgeable and creative member of your chosen field.
For those of you who are currently contemplating choosing a major in political science, we hope this survey of our program will be helpful to you in making your decision.
For those of you who are already majors, we hope that this booklet will assist you to make the most productive use of your time with us. Keep it as a reference to consult when questions arise.
For those of you in either category who need information or advice omitted from this booklet, please feel free to visit us.
Professor John H. Aldrich, (Chairman) 301B Perkins Library (Tel. 660-4346) e-mail: aldrich@acpub.duke.edu Professor Peter G. Fish (Acting Director of Undergraduate Studies) 503 Perkins Library (Tel. 660-4329) e-mail: pfish@acpub.duke.edu Office Hours Spring 1996: Wed., Thurs.: 4:00-5:30pm Ms. Mary Frances Davis (Administrative Assistant to the Director of Undergraduate Studies) 325 Perkins Library (Tel. 660-4325) e-mail: plsmfd@acpub.duke.edu Office Hours: 6:00-11:30am and 1:00-2:30pmGo back to: