Whither the Political Science Major? Learning Outcomes and Curricular Design

• In Event: Reassessing the Political Science Major

Abstract

How do undergraduate political science programs across a range of liberal arts colleges (LACs) and research institutions differently define the learning goals for their majors, and how do they propose to achieve these goals through varying curricular designs? This project will address these questions by documenting and comparing program learning outcomes (PLOs) and curricular structures of fifteen undergraduate political science programs, including five liberal arts colleges (LACs), five public research institutions, and five private research institutions. Where data is available, the study will also document sources of evidence that programs use in assessing students’ progress in achieving PLOs. Data will be collected primarily from program websites, with follow-up interviews with directors of undergraduate programs, where necessary. The goals of this study are three-fold: (1) to better understand how faculty at a range of liberal arts and research institutions currently conceptualize the goals of an undergraduate major in political science, (2) to provide a comparative analysis of curricular design across these institutions, incorporating researched-based insights, and (3) to document and compare sources of evidence used by programs in determining student progress/success in achieving PLOs. Ultimately, this study seeks to provide insights into current patterns and trends across a subset of political science programs nationally and, in so doing, contribute to disciplinary discussions on, and recommendations for, a 21st century undergraduate major in political science.

Authors

• Maureen C. Feeley, University of California, San Diego

• Renee B. Van Vechten, University of Redlands