Political Science and International Relations Department

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The Department of Political Science and International Relations offers two distinct but complementary majors and two minors. The curriculum in both political science and international relations is designed to provide a rich and diverse understanding of the character of politics and public policy in communities ranging from the city to the international system. Courses explore both theoretical and practical aspects of politics and the processes by which policies, rules, and political cultures are contested and established.

Within the context of a liberal arts college, the department gives special attention to preparing students for careers in government, politics, public interest organizations, law, and journalism, as well as providing training useful for those wishing to pursue graduate or professional degrees. Certification for teaching social studies in the secondary schools may be based on a major in political science or international relations. Political science and international relations at Goucher seeks to sensitize students to the role of the active citizen who is responsibly assertive in the community.

Department Faculty

Professors

Marianne Githens (comparative politics, women and politics)

Associate Professor

Eric Singer, chair (international relations)

Assistant Professors

Amalia Fried Honick (international relations), Nina Kasniunas (American politics), Julie Hwang (comparative politics), Rachel Templer (political theory), Mileah Kromer (Director, Hughes Center, American Politics)

Hughes Field Politics Center

Funded by an endowment made by the late Judge Sarah T. Hughes ’17, the Hughes Field Politics Center was originally founded in the early 1950s under a grant from the Maurice and Laura Falk Foundation. The center sponsors a variety of activities designed to facilitate student involvement in governmental and political affairs in the Baltimore-Washington region. Foremost among these activities is an extensive internship program that places students in settings ranging from local, state, or federal courts to the office of the state’s attorney, the U.S. Congress, the Maryland state legislature, the Baltimore City Council and Mayor’s Office, and Baltimore County government offices. In addition, students have been placed in local, state, and federal agencies and in lobbying and public interest groups. Through a competitive process, the Hughes Center annually awards stipends and travel expenses for student internships. The center also sponsors conferences and a speaker series that bring diverse political figures to the campus. Goucher students secure assistance and encouragement from the center in attending conferences at other institutions.

January Seminar on Gender and Public Policy

Goucher offers a January seminar on gender and public policy in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the Public Leadership Education Network. The seminar provides students with a firsthand look at the policymaking process at the federal level through faculty lectures supplemented by guest presentations by women judges, lobbyists, regulatory board members, congressional leaders, and government agency representatives. Policy briefings and site visits are an integral part of the seminar. This seminar attracts participants from across the country.

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