Degree in Three
Political Science Accelerated B.A.
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Adam Chamberlain
Department Chair
achamber@coastal.edu
843-349-6506
Political science is a broad, diverse field of study that creates a wide variety of intellectual and professional opportunities for students and scholars. Political scientists study governments, public policies, political processes and systems, and political behavior in both the national and international contexts. We employ humanistic and social scientific approaches, theories, and methodologies to describe, explain, and make predictions about political processes, systems, and dynamics of all countries and regions of the world. Political Science students most often go on to careers in federal, state, and local government; law; business; international organizations; non-governmental and nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups; campaign organizations and political parties; polling; political communication and journalism; electoral politics; research; and teaching at all levels of education.
Department of Political Science
At CCU, the Department of Political Science is committed to high impact learning through a combination of skills-based training, active and experiential learning, classroom simulations, and hands-on application of theory to practice. Our students don’t just learn about the legislative process: they compete in a statewide student legislature. Our Model United Nations team doesn’t just compete with schools from around the Southeast: it coaches elementary school students in their own Model UN competition. Our students learn public opinion in the classroom and then put polls and surveys into the field; they study public policy and produce policy analysis briefs that are of use to citizens and elected officials alike. Our students pursue independent, guided research on topics that stoke their curiosity and passion, presenting and publishing that work before they even graduate college. We want our students to leave our department with skills that will allow them to hit the job market or graduate school with confidence and a real edge on other graduates.
We firmly believe that the most important skills a student can acquire during the college years are critical thinking, analysis, reading and writing. The capacity to read with comprehension and a critical eye and to write with clarity and precision are crucial for career advancement in almost any field, as are textual and data analysis skills. These are the skills that a liberal arts major is designed to promote, and the Political Science faculty at Coastal Carolina University is committed to promoting these skills.
Degree in Three – B.A. in Political Science
Our Degree in Three program is designed to accelerate the best and most motivated students through our curriculum without sacrificing those high-impact experiences or skill acquisition. To participate, students must be admitted to CCU and the Degree in Three Program. The department’s Degree in Three course plan should be followed faithfully to ensure completion in the three year time frame, so it is crucial that students regularly meet with their academic advisor to make sure that everything is right on track.