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Political Science
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Sample Opportunities
 Summary
Chart: This chart contains information about
program eligibility, duration, and language prerequisites for the programs
described below.
Strong programs in political science can be found at most EAP host universities.
In particular, UC students interested in the politics of immigration,
ethnic diversity, and indigenous peoples will find excellent course offerings.
The Australian Indigenous
Studies Program at the University of Melbourne offer a broad
range of interdisciplinary undergraduate courses focused on historic and
contemporary issues central to Australia's aboriginal people. The Aboriginal
Studies Program at the Australian National University (ANU)
offers strong course work across a number of disciplines focusing on contemporary
aboriginal studies, immigration, the development of national identity,
and the concept of multiculturalism. Related courses are available at
ANU through the Australian Studies Program and Population Studies Program.
Monash University's School
for Political and Social Inquiry and Centre
for Indigenous Studies have a wide range of course work in aboriginal
studies that addresses issues such as land rights, racism, women, and
social justice.
In the years since independence from Britain, tourism has replaced sugar
as Barbados' major industry. Although prosperous in comparison with much
of the developing world, Barbados still faces great challenges in reorienting
its economy away from the United Kingdom and toward the Americas. EAP
students at the University of the West Indies can learn about the
special challenges facing small island states in today's competitive world
through courses in the Faculty
of Social Sciences. Course work in Caribbean international politics
and development, gender and development, and rural development is available.
The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) has
excellent programs in political science, especially the areas of political
economy, development and international relations. A sample course list
from its Institute
of International Relations indicates the department's commitment to
international relations theory and international politics, while other
social science departments - particularly economics - round out the offerings.
Many courses from the Center
of Social Sciences offer opportunities to study not only the political
and legal approaches to development but also to explore the theoretical
and practical issues raised by geographers, economists, and sociologists
on the challenges confronted by Brazilians. The EAP Study Center and PUC-Rio
can also arrange community involvement projects in Rio for qualified students
wanting more hands-on experience with the social processes of development.
PUC-Rio offers a range of courses through the Department
of Sociology and Politics that address the relationship between the
state and civil society at the theoretical level and explore the structure
of power in contemporary Brazil. As the course list indicates, Brazil's
decades of transition from authoritarian military rule to representative
civilian government have provided local scholars with keen insight into
such issues as citizenship, political parties, social movements, elections,
bureaucracy, social welfare, and related topics.
Study on EAP in Canada offers UC students new perspectives on Native
American politics. As one of Canada's leading universities, the University
of British Columbia offers academic study opportunities focusing on "first
nations" through the Departments of Anthropology
and Sociology that are unavailable
at UC. Students who have taken at least one course in Canadian politics
can take courses that study aboriginal peoples and their relationship
to the state. Course work is also available in the departments of Political
Science and History for
students interested in French Canada and the independence movement in
Quebec.
As the country with the most stable economy in Latin America and a fascinating
and instructive political history, Chile is an obvious choice for political
science majors. The University of Chile’s School of Government,
Public Action, and Political Science offers a range of approaches to international
relations, the insertion of Chile into the international economy, and
the politics of economic reform. The department also offers courses that
explore different dimensions of international human rights. The School
of Government web site includes particular information about its undergraduate
(pregrado) program.
Recent efforts to prosecute former Chilean leaders for human rights abuses
have revived debates about authoritarianism and opened new perspectives
on the potential for democratic processes in Santiago. The Pontifical
Catholic University of Chile’s Institute
of Political Science offer undergraduate (pregrado) courses
that focus on the consolidation of democracy, the reconstruction of political
parties, and the transformations of the agricultural and urban labor forces.
China’s strategic importance, burgeoning economy, and crucial
role in world politics make it a compelling choice for the study of political
science by UC students. China is a living laboratory in which to observe
the interplay of rapid and uneven economic development, the challenges
of maintaining a one-party communist state, and its often problematic
international relations.
In Beijing, the Peking University Center on Contemporary Chinese
Politics offers notable courses on Chinese political economy, comparative
politics, and Chinese government and politics for students who have a
high level of written and spoken Chinese. The School
of International Studies offers a broad range of interdisciplinary
courses in international politics and foreign relations; international
communication, political economy, law, and conflict management; and development
politics. The program begins with a summer intensive Chinese language
program. Courses are taught in Chinese and require native fluency.
In Shanghai, the UC-Fudan University Joint Program in International
Studies, where all courses are taught in English, is designed for
UC students to explore the processes, manifestations, and inherent controversies
of globalization. The curriculum consists of a required course, Debating
Globalization, and two electives that examine the historical, political,
economic, and cultural dimensions of globalization, particularly in the
context of China's rapid and uneven economic development and its commanding
role in international politics.
Given its historic dedication to democratic government and anti-militarism
in the face of intense regional conflict and pressure from the U.S., Costa
Rica continues to attract the attention of political analysts as it makes
the structural adjustments necessitated by the more recent pressures of
globalization. Despite its small size and agricultural economy, Costa
Rica's social, political, and environmental achievements are cited as
models throughout Latin America. At the University of Costa Rica’s
School of Political Science, UC
students can observe how the country grapples with issues such as the
tension between economic development and preservation of natural resources,
the growing role of women in development, and the ongoing quest for growth
in the face of external debt and the competition of larger nations. The
university's extensive offerings in political science, geography, sociology,
and economics provide a variety of approaches to these complex issues.
Located in the heart of Copenhagen near the offices of Parliament, ministries,
and the headquarters of many private companies, the Faculty
of Social Sciences at the University of Copenhagen is home
to the prestigious Institutes of Economics and Political Science. EAP
students may take advantage of course work in English that focuses on
the important issues of the developing European Union, Scandinavian politics,
globalization, and international political economy from the perspectives
of this socially progressive country. EAP options in Denmark begin with
intensive language study in Danish. Although prior study of Danish is
advantageous, it is not required.
Egypt is a country of historic, religious, economic, political, and
social complexities. Playing a pivotal role in the politics of the region,
Egypt was the first Middle East country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
EAP's year-long program at The American University in Cairo (Political
Science Department) provides unique opportunities for students interested
in Arabic and Middle East affairs. Course work focuses on Egyptian foreign
policy, Middle East politics, and international politics in the Middle
East. The university's departments of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology
and Egyptology also offer extensive course work about development issues,
focusing on topics such as urban society in transition gender and social
change, and bureaucracy and development. Each term EAP students enroll
in one Arabic language course.
EAP offers a small number of places for advanced undergraduate and graduate
students in the social sciences at the prestigious Institut
d’Etudes Politiques de Paris or Sciences Po. Sciences Po
is located in the Latin Quarter near major French ministries, corporate
headquarters, and the Assemblée Nationale. EAP students have access
to the Programme International, a multidisciplinary program in political
science, international relations, history, economics, and sociology with
a special focus on Europe, European unification, and the problems of Eastern
Europe. Participation in the program requires an excellent, relevant academic
record and high proficiency in spoken and written French. The program
begins with a summer intensive French language program.
As a powerful force helping to shape the future of Europe with an instructive
political history, Germany offers excellent opportunities for the study
of international relations, contemporary German politics, and ethnic identity
and nationalism. EAP students may attend Georg-August University in
Göttingen. Course work available through the Center
for European and North American Studies explores the domestic implications
of European integration (economic, social, and industrial), political
and economic developments in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe,
and theories of alliances and integration. A contemporary German politics
seminar is open to a limited number of UC honors-level students who are
enrolled in the year program. Taught by one of Göttingen's leading
political scientists, the seminar is designed for students who have a
strong academic interest in German politics and includes a special four-day
colloquium in Berlin.
Issues of ethnic identity, nationality, and nationalism have a troubled
history in Germany. Yet, the need and desire of the vast majority of Germans
to understand their past and assure diversity and tolerance in their future
has created unsurpassed opportunities for historical and contemporary
study in this domain. At Georg-August University’s Departments of
Political Science
and Social Sciences,
students can study immigration and refugees, nationalism, the question
of German identity following reunification, attitudes towards foreigners,
and the mass media's portrayal of foreigners in Germany. Numerous other
courses also address these topics in the context of policy issues, such
as industrial relations, education, and social welfare.
Undergraduates advanced in the major and with a well focused plan of
academic study may spend the fall semester or academic year at Free
University in Berlin. The Department
of Political and Social Sciences offers strong course work in political
science and international relations, including European security politics
and international political economy.
The Göttingen spring semester requires students to have taken one
upper-division course taught entirely in German. Fall and year options
begin with a six-week intensive German language program.
Study in English-speaking Ghana opens the door for UC political science
students to explore West Africa's political, economic, and social challenges.
Ghana's population of 16 million consists of over 40 distinct ethnic groups,
each with its own language and allied dialects, history, customs, and
traditions. The Political Science Department and the Sociology Department
at the University of Ghana in Accra offer courses such as regionalism
and ethnicity in Ghana, local government administration, demographic analysis,
politics of developing countries, and societies and cultures of Africa.
Additionally, course work in development studies, including development
administration, the politics of development in Western Africa, and chieftaincy
and development is available through the Faculty of Social Studies and
the Institute of African Studies.
A center for international business and finance, Hong Kong offers students
the exhilarating experience of living in a vibrant multicultural city
as it adapts to its transformation from a British colony to a Special
Administrative Region (S.A.R.) under Chinese sovereignty. The Chinese
University of Hong Kong is home to the Universities
Service Center a research facility that is internationally recognized
for the study of contemporary China, and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific
Studies. Courses taught in English examine China's regional foreign relations,
international relations in Asia, the Cold War and beyond in East Asia,
as well as contemporary economic and political developments in Hong Kong
(Department of Government and Public
Administration). Additional courses are available for students who
are proficient in Cantonese.
Courses at the University of Hong Kong (Department
of Politics and Public Administration) include political economy,
comparative foreign policy, managing the global economy, development and
underdevelopment, politics of economic reform in China, and the politics
of China-Hong Kong transition.
NATO's 1997 membership invitation to Hungary, Poland, and the Czech
Republic, along with their expected European Union accession, reflects
the political transformation of these former communist countries. EAP
programming in Central Europe provides an opportunity for students to
experience the extraordinary intellectual and social changes taking place
in Hungary and its neighboring countries.
The fall program is based at Eötvös
Loránd University in Budapest and introduces students to
the economics and politics of transformation from communism, European
political and economic integration, and Eastern European intellectual
and cultural life. The program also includes a course on ethnicity and
village life in East-Central Europe which features a trip to Transylvania
(Romania) to see an example of ethnic displacement in Central Europe.
The program is taught in English, although Hungarian language study is
required. During the spring students may remain in Budapest and take courses
at Eötvös Loránd or at Central European University
(Department of International
Relations and European Studies, Department
of Political Science, Nationalism
Studies Program).
The Department of Government
at the National University of Ireland, Cork has a dynamic profile
in the teaching and research of politics. It offers courses and research
opportunities in the general area of political science, including Irish
government and politics, local and regional government in Ireland, citizenship
and human rights, and public administration in Ireland. In addition to
taking advantage of course work in these areas, eligible UC students can
apply for an internship in the Department of Government. The internship
provides an opportunity to become familiar with the teaching and research
activities of the department in a way that enhances a student's individual
educational program. Applicants ideally should have a background in one
or more aspects of politics, policy, public administration, public affairs,
or related disciplines.
Irish politics are also a key focus at the University College Dublin’s
Department of Politics.
The Department, the largest of its kind in the Republic of Ireland, offers
courses in a large number of topics and approaches them from a number
of perspectives. Courses address issues such as the Irish political system,
nationalism and identity, Irish voting behavior, and the Northern Ireland
conflict.
The University of Padova (Padua) offers a wide range of course
work in international relations and international political economy, including
the European Union (political and economic integration issues), international
organizations, and relations between the U.S. and Europe. Courses are
offered through the Faculty of Political
Science, and instruction is in Italian.
The University of Bologna's Faculty of Political Science is highly
ranked in Italy. Previous EAP students have studied political history
and ethics, international organizations, international law, European political
integration, and treaties and international relations. Instruction is
in Italian.
The programs in Italy begin with a six-week intensive Italian language
program beginning in late August. (Students who have not completed the
two year university-level Italian language prerequisite may qualify by
participation in EAP's summer pre-intensive language program.)
The Global
Studies Program at Meiji Gakuin University in Yokohama provides
a focused semester of study in international relations, international
security, conflict resolution, and Asian economic development with an
emphasis on Japanese approaches to these fields.
EAP's year-long program at the University of Tsukuba's Faculty
of International Studies consists of Japanese language instruction and
courses taught in English that focus on the modern Japanese economy, international
finance, international political economy, and U.S.-Japan relations. Tsukuba
is a top-ranked national university that emphasizes the international
exchange of teachers, researchers, and students. The program begins with
six weeks of intensive Japanese language instruction.
Seoul, the capital of Korea, provides a fascinating front row seat for
students interested in studying a period of momentous change in Korean
international relations and national politics. At Yonsei University
UC students may take a vast array of course work in Asian politics, both
regional and global political economy, and international relations. A
number of courses are offered in English with more choices available to
students who are fluent in Korean. Courses are offered at the regular
undergraduate level and at the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate
level. Yonsei features an excellent Graduate
School of International Studies (GSIS) where advanced EAP undergraduates
are welcome to take beginning graduate courses. Internships with a variety
of business and other organizations are available through the EAP Study
Center. Programs begin with a summer intensive language program. Prior
study of Korean is recommended but not required.
EAP in Mexico offers UC students a unique opportunity to study and observe
key issues in political economy and development, the representation of
indigenous and European cultural influences in politics, and the complex
and dynamic relationship between Mexico and the U.S. At the National
Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), a wide range of course work
is available in the Faculty of Economics and Faculty
of Political and Social Sciences, including contemporary Mexican-U.S.
relations, foreign investment in the Mexican economy, and international
economic integration in the region. The Faculties also offer a wide variety
of social science approaches to the questions of development, not only
for the study of Mexico itself but for all of Latin America. EAP students
at UNAM are in an excellent position to observe development policy as
it is debated (and often protested) in the nation’s capital.
The Mexico-U.S. Comparative Perspectives Program offers a series
of courses that explore contrasting views of issues central to the Mexico-U.S.
relationship. In particular, the program focuses on Mexican identities
shaped by the varying circumstances of time and place, exploring the differences
and shared elements of Mexican, Chicano, and borderland labels as these
are viewed from Mexico and from California. Courses on the history and
culture of migration; muralism and its representations of the U.S.; Mexican
film, music and literary culture across borders; and a comparison of Mexico
City and Los Angeles are a few of the offerings that present new ways
to think about concepts such as race, nation, and identity. Consult the
EAP CourseFinder.
EAP students in New Zealand can gain new perspectives and learn of contemporary
issues confronting the Maori and other indigenous peoples. The University
of Waikato's School of Maori
and Pacific Development offers comparative course work that focuses
on the traditional, social, political, economic, and environmental aspects
of Maori society and policy. Strong offerings in Maori Studies are also
available at the University of Auckland (Department
of Maori Studies) and Massey University (School
or Maori Studies).
A major hub for Southeast Asian commerce, technology, and education,
Singapore has become a focal point for many forms of international trade
and cooperation. This dynamic, international city-state is also home to
a multi-racial population of 2.83 million comprised of Chinese, Malays,
Indians, and other ethnic groups. The highly ranked National University
of Singapore (NUS) offers excellent course work taught in English
through the Department
of Political Science for students interested in studying the ASEAN
economies and the newly-industrialized economies of Asia, regional security
issues of the Asia-Pacific region, and the role of Southeast Asia in international
politics. The Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences also offers a full range of course work across a number
of departments that cover topics such as government policies to manage
ethnic and racial politics in Southeast Asia, articulation of national
identity, ethnicity and nationalism, and analysis of contemporary Singapore
Malay society. The NUS environment is academically rigorous and students
must have strong writing skills.
On EAP's programs at the University of Cape Town and at the Pietermaritzburg
campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, UC students can learn
firsthand about apartheid, its legacies, the struggle to overcome it,
and the political, economic, and social challenges that confront the new
South Africa. At the University of Cape Town (Department
of Political Studies) in addition to studying particularly South African
state and local politics and government, Third World politics, and international
politics and political economy, students have the possibility of participating
in legislative policy research projects or in a public policy research
program that supports parliamentary decision making.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal at Pietermaritzburg (Faculty of
Humanities, Development and Social Sciences) provides course work focused
on South Africa's evolving political system. Among its offerings is a
course on policy issues and community service that combines seminars and
an internship in a local government office or educational or other community
organization.
Spain’s economy has grown to become the ninth largest in the world,
due in part to invigorated international participation in the European
Union and global politics. As an important point of entry into Europe
for people migrating from North Africa, Spanish definitions of alliance
systems and security have become key in a world of shifting geopolitical
alignments. EAP students may investigate these and related issues at three
universities in Spain.
The Faculty of Political
Science and Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid
offers a broad range of course work in political science, international
relations, and political economy.
EAP students have been drawn to the Autonomous University of Barcelona
to pursue course work of a similar excellence (Facultat
de Ciències Polítiques I de Sociologia). UC students
can study and experience two opposing tendencies that characterize Europe:
on the one hand a movement toward economic and political union, and on
the other, increasing autonomy along regional, cultural and linguistic
lines. As the center of Catalan language and culture, Barcelona provides
a base for studying the tension between these two movements.
The University of Granada has an excellent program in political
science, though the sophistication of the program requires that EAP students
be advanced in their Spanish language skills as well as in their major
in order to prosper in these courses (Facultad
de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología). Granada's extensive
course list in Near Eastern Studies provides a topical approach to supplementing
political science courses. UC students gain rare insight into the ways
that European and Islamic cultures have merged historically and continue
to interact today. Contemporary political circumstances raise questions
about immigration, and national and religious identity. Nowhere else in
Europe are these questions more pressing than in southern Spain. The university's
facultad of Semitic Studies, along with other branches of the humanities
and social sciences, offer many courses that explore the identity of Arabs,
Jews, and Christians in Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East, from
antiquity to the present.
An nine-week summer program at Lund University, entitled “Europe
and America: A Dialog on Critical World Issues,” enables UC and
Lund undergraduates to jointly explore the various European and American
perceptions of global issues and cross-Atlantic relations. Eight specially-designed
courses, principally in the social sciences, are the result of collaborative
efforts by UC and Lund faculty who also teach in the program. The program
is divided into two four-week modules and students enroll in one course
per module. Lund and UC students take courses, work on joint research
assignments, and attend a weekly distinguished guests lecture series.
Course topics include peace and security, gender and globalization, international
migration, Europe’s role in international relations, environmental
policy, diplomacy and international negotiation, political economy of
globalization, religious violence, development economics, and human rights.
The program also includes guest lectures by European officials from government,
the media, and civic organizations. See the EAP Sweden
web page for details.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, EAP students in Turkey
may examine firsthand critical political issues in the Middle East, the
Balkans, and the Central Asian Republics. Turkey’s close ties with
international Islamic organizations and its determination to be recognized
by the European Union and the U.S. as a key player in world affairs provides
a strategic perspective of particular value to UC students who are interested
in international affairs. Students may study at Bilkent University
(Department of International
Relations, Department
of Political Science) or the Middle East Technical University
(Department of International Relations,
Political Science and Public
Administration). Both institutions are located in Ankara. A two-week,
intensive "survival" Turkish course is required of all EAP participants
prior to the beginning of the fall semester. Additional Turkish language
study is required during the fall, and is optional during the spring for
year-long students. Spring-only students are required to enroll in a Turkish
language course, along with four additional courses.
Most EAP partner institutions in the UK offer strong programs in political
science and international relations. At the University of Sussex
(Department of International Relations
and Politics) students can find a comprehensive range of courses in
comparative politics, international relations, and international political
economy.
At the University of Edinburgh (Department
of Politics and International Relations) in Scotland students can
study international relations, the European Union, Western Europe in international
politics, and relations between the U.S. and Europe. Scotland's University
of Glasgow (Department of
Politics) has a number of courses in comparative and international
politics, including Europe after the Cold War, the European Union, and
political change in Europe.
At the University of Leeds, the School
of Politics and International Studies offers students the opportunity
to study a wide range of topics in four closely related areas of academic
work: European Studies, International Development, International Relations,
and Politics.
In Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling political and cultural capital, EAP
students study an age-old society as it develops its modern social and
political identity and finds its role on the international arena. The
limited-curriculum program is designed for students with an interest in
Southeast Asia and Vietnam as well as a general interest in modern history,
politics, and society. Courses are taught in English and Vietnamese language
study is required. Examples of the limited number of courses offered each
term are Contemporary Vietnamese International Relations, Ethnic Minorities
and the State, and Vietnamese Society in Transition.
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