Our faculty are focused on preparing you to take on the political challenges of the future, which we pursue by maintaining a strong commitment to continued excellence in teaching.
The core of the politics major includes two streams. The first stream ensures that you are well-grounded in the key subfields of the discipline: American politics, international relations, comparative politics and political theory. The second stream provides you with practical skills via the A.R.T. inventory, which requires you to develop the ability to make political Arguments, conduct political Research, and leverage political Theory.
Our graduates seek out lives of consequence, choosing career paths in public policy, diplomacy, government, law and teaching.
You will receive a solid grounding in the discipline as a result of completing our core curriculum and your required electives. One thing that makes our program unique is the emphasis on real-world skills, which are introduced via our A.R.T. curriculum:
- “A” for Argument: courses where you learn disciplinary definitions and practice constructing political arguments;
- “R” for Research: courses where you must demonstrate an ability to conduct case-study research and propose practical solutions to real-world problems;
- “T” for Theory: courses where you practice effectively summarizing and properly citing theoretical material, and;
This curriculum was designed to help ensure that you will succeed after you leave Earlham.
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, you must complete a required minimum of 11 courses in Politics, comprising the four core courses and seven elective courses, which must include the following:
Two introductory courses:
One of the following quantitative courses:
The capstone course:
One course in each of the three major subfields:
Three courses that meet the three designations of the A.R.T. Skill Themes
A significant co- or extra-curricular activity
You are expected to achieve both depth and breadth of knowledge in the field and are strongly encouraged to have a public service internship and/or international study experience.
We also encourage you to take courses in related social sciences, including history, economics, sociology/anthropology and psychology
To earn a minor in politics, you must complete a minimum of five courses, which include:
Two introductory courses:
Three courses that meet the three designations of the A.R.T. Skill Themes
91% of work seekers who majored in the social sciences between 2018-2022 were employed, pursuing graduate school or volunteering within six months of graduation.
90% of 2017-2019 graduates from the politics program reported a career outcome within six months of graduation.
Careers
Government is the second-largest economic sector in America, representing approximately 9% of all jobs. Many of our students pursue careers in-and-around-government, while others become lawyers or educators.
Outcomes
Almost 50 percent of Earlham alumni enter graduate or professional school within 10 years. Recent graduates have pursued advanced study at such institutions as Oxford, McGill, Georgetown, Michigan and Indiana.
What types of jobs and graduate school programs do graduates pursue?
You will be equipped to work in a range of fields, including government, education, community and social services, law, research and administration.
You can continue on to pursue graduate degrees in public policy, international affairs, urban planning, public administration, law and more.
Earlham has a close relationship with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Bloomington, which is the top public affairs graduate school in the nation. We also have a new and growing relationship with Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, another top-ranked public affairs program.
Our graduates have been successful in pursuing Fulbright fellowships and recent graduates have landed jobs as legislative aides and in political campaigns.