• Snapchat & The Supreme Court; New Book Tells the Story of Free Speech

    Earlier this year a high school student ripped her school on Snapchat because she did not make the varsity cheerleading squad. In response the school cut her from the team.  Is what the student said protected under the First Amendment? Read More.

  • POLS grads walking in line to get their diplomas

    Graduation for Political Science Class of 2022

    Congratulations to all graduates!

  • Congratulations!

    On the morning of May 20th, 2021, the political science department inducted 22 of its students into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honors society for political science.  The induction ceremony was held virtually and included students, their friends and family members, and departmental faculty.  All 22 inductees distinguished themselves, throughout their UVM careers, as exceptional young scholars, and they were recognized for their academic accomplishments.  At the same time, the department announced its annual awards for the most outstanding student in each subfield, for the most outstanding student overall, and for the best senior thesis.

  • state legislators at work in the state house in Montpelier, VT

    The Class Inside the Statehouse

    “This isn't a typical classroom,” said Anthony “Jack” Gierzynski, director of the Vermont Legislative Research Service (VLRS) — a hands-on class and policy research shop serving Vermont’s civic legislators — “and students don’t do typical research papers.” Read More.

  • Pi Sigma Alpha homepage banner

    2021 Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) Undergraduate Research Conference

    Five UVM Department of Political Science students attended the annual Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) Undergraduate Research Conference from Friday, March 5 – Sunday, March 7. They joined 112 students from around the United States in presenting research papers on panels representing the range of Political Science subfields. Read More.

  • Civil Society in Real Time: Former UVM President Teaches Class on Impeachment

    Just as the new spring semester gets underway, so does one of the most historic trials in U.S. history: the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump. Read More.

  • Lens on History

    Alumnus photographer documents one of America’s darkest days. Read more

     

     

    Photos by Alex Edelman '13 for Agence France-Presse.

  • Vermont Prison Voting: A Model for the Nation?

    In a year fraught with confusion surrounding voting in the midst of a once-in-a-generation global pandemic -- questions about who can vote have been front and center -- questions critical to the understanding of American democracy. Read More

    *photo credit Phoebe Sheehan VT Digger*
  • Ruth Bader Ginsberg mourners at the Capital

    DR. LISA HOLMES ON RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S DEATH - AND WHAT COMES NEXT

    While many Americans are mourning Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, many are also asking: “what comes next?” For more on her legacy and what this means moving forward, we sat down with Dr. Lisa Holmes, associate professor of political science at UVM and an expert on the federal judiciary.

  • Thoreau in the Age of Trump

    For a scholar who specializes in American political thought and environmental ethics, it’s not surprising Bob Pepperman Taylor’s scholarship leads back to Thoreau.

  • UVM Faculty Break Down Brexit

    With an impending election and new extension delaying the UK’s long-awaited departure from the EU, UVM experts paint the big picture of Brexit.

  • helicopter near Washington Monument

    LENS ON HISTORY

    Political science alumnus Alex Edelman ’13, a freelance photojournalist who works for Bloomberg News, Getty Images, Agence France-Presse and UPI, documents turbulent times in Washington, DC from the White House to Capitol Hill.

The Political Science Department at the University of Vermont offers courses across the discipline, taught by scholar-teachers with outstanding research records and national reputations.

Whether you are interested in American politics, law, women's issues, political theory, international relations or the politics of different world areas, you will find members of the department teaching courses and doing cutting-edge research in your field of interest.

Our program is focused on the undergraduate student experience. With the exception of a few courses each semester offered by adjunct faculty with substantial professional experience in their fields, every course in the department is taught by full-time faculty—no courses are taught by graduate students. You will have an adviser who is a full-time faculty member, available during regular office hours or by appointment.

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Big Opportunities, Small Class Environment

UVM's Political Science Department offers the best of both worlds: a university department exclusively focused on undergraduates, modeled on the intimate atmosphere of a small liberal arts college. From a departmental honors program, to internships in Vermont and Washington, to study abroad options, the department provides an array of programs to supplement your course work and prepare you for life after graduation.

World-Class Faculty and Programs

Our programs complement the teaching and research of our distinguished faculty, providing you with a political science education second to none. Not only do UVM faculty members regularly publish articles and books in academic journals and scholarly presses, but their expertise is sought by the national and international media, by think tanks and research institutes and by the U.S. government.

Courses with Breadth and Depth

With 19 full-time faculty members, the political science department offers an unusually broad range of course offerings. You can take courses on almost every major world area, on almost every aspect of American politics, on gender issues from American and global perspectives. The department is especially strong in American constitutional law and legal issues, and we offer a rigorous pre-law program.