Summary

About

Source: Webpage

The University of Montana’s onAir onAir chapter will initially focus on training interested undergrad and graduate students on how to curateMontana onAir content especially submitting Top News articles, events, videos, and information and moderating forums in each post they curate.

Student curators will also work with state senate and house committee chairs to produce aircasts on issues being discussed and bills being proposed in their committees.

During election season, students with other other organizations like the League of Women Voters, will coordinate and produce aircasted debates with candidates.

The sixteen universities and colleges of the Montana University System (MUS) collectively enroll over 40,000 students.

Use the map at their website to find out more about the campuses that makeup Montana’s public system of higher education.

Web Links

• mus.edu/Universities/

University of Montana

Civic Engagement Programs

Source: Website

Student Government

Source: Website

ASMSU

Our Mission
ASMSU is the voice of the students, dedicated to enhancing the college experience at Montana State University with leadership and employment opportunities, diverse student-oriented programs and services, and responsible fiscal management of student activity fees.

Executive

Senate

Supreme Court

Governing Documents

Elections

Want to see something change on campus? Come see us! Students can also provide public comments during Senate Meetings via Public Comment Webex.

Internships

Source: Website

Program Information
The Political Science internship program is managed by Department Head, Dr. David Parker, and Business Operations Manager, Kelsey Martin. All internship related communications must be sent to politicalscienceinternships@montana.edu. Do not send anything to Dr. Parker’s or Kelsey’s personal email, it will not be considered if it is not sent to the correct email address.
You must have your internship learning contract completed and submitted by Tuesday February 1, 2022 for the Spring 2022 semester. We are aligning our program with university established dates and 2/1/22 is the last day to add a class for spring.
In addition to the required 4 internship reports students will need to create a 30 second – 1-minute advertisement showcasing the organization they are interning with for their final project. We will no longer be conducting the end of the semester seminar we have done in previous semesters.
For any students who are continuing an internship you are required to submit a new learning contract and you must meet with Dr. Parker and your site supervisor prior to 2/1/2022 to establish the expectations for the semester. You will work with Kelsey in the Political Science office to set up this meeting. You will not be required to submit the 4 internship reports or advertisement, but instead will need to work with Dr. Parker and your site supervisor to establish a substantive research project that elevates your internship experience, while also adding value to the organization you are interning with. This report may range in type and content but must result in a 20-25-page research report.
Political Science majors at Montana State University are encouraged to participate in an internship experience during their undergraduate course work. The options are virtually limitless – some are formally established, such as working in Washington, DC with the Washington Center or on Montana’s U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative’s committees. Others may be tailored to a student’s specific area of interest, such as working in a law office or for a non-profit organization. During election years, the experience of working on a political campaign provides hands-on involvement in that exciting and dynamic aspect of the political process Internships can be undertaken during the regular academic year or during summers, at the discretion of the student and the sponsoring organization.

The Political Science department is committed to supporting student internship experiences by delegating a faculty internship advisor and maintaining information on a variety of public and private sector opportunities.

Here is a list of organizations who regularly recruit Montana State University Political Science majors for internships:

United States Senate Committee on Finance (www.finance.senate.gov)
The Office of U.S. Senator (from Montana)
The Office of U.S. Representative (from Montana)
The Fund for American Studies
Institute for Humane Studies – George Mason University (www.TheIHS.org/policy)
The Washington Center – Domestic and International programs (www.twc.edu)
*Courses taken at the Washington Center will only transfer as internship credits, not course credits *
The Student Conservation Association (www.thesca.org/internships)

Montana Women Vote
Montana INBRE Public Health Internships
Montana State Legislature

Bozeman City and County Offices

Please visit the Political Science Office for additional internship and contact information. Please direct all internship emails to politicalscienceinternships@montana.edu for consideration. Any internship contracts or questions sent to any other email may not be addressed.

Internship Materials:

Internship InstructionsPolitical Science
2022 Spring Internship Learning Contract
Internship Report #1 (docx)
Internship Report #2 (docx)
Internship Report #3 (docx)
Internship Report #4 (docx)

Academic Programs

Source: Website

Political Science

Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science
The Bachelor’s (BA) Degree in Political Science will develop knowledge of American political institutions, world politics, political theory, public administration, and policy.  Our students learn to analyze, interpret, and explain political phenomena through the lens, and with the methods, of a political scientist.  Our integrated curriculum challenges students to develop their critical thinking, communication, and research skills, preparing our graduates for citizenship and leadership, post-graduate study and diverse employment possibilities.  Political Science is an excellent background for students preparing for degrees in government, politics, civil society, the law, and the private sector.

As a Political Science major, you will construct an individualized course of study drawing on our rich curriculum, internship program, complimentary majors and minors, and study abroad opportunities. Students will take a lower division foundation block of five courses that introduces them to the sub-fields of Political Science and their modes of inquiry.  After completion of the five-class foundation block, students individualize their course of study while fulfilling their upper division coursework requirements and a research design class.

Requirements for a degree in Political Science include:

Completion of five Political Science lower division foundation courses;
Completion of seven Political Science upper division courses with at least one course in each of the sub fields: American political institutions, political theory, world politics, and public administration/policy;
Completion of PSCI 390R-Research Methods in Political Science your Junior year;
Completion of MSU general graduation requirements of 120 credits, including 42 upper division credits, and the MSU core.
*All Major requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better

Curriculum
Before a Political Science major may enroll in any upper division course, the student must:

Have achieved a grade of “C” or better in PSCI 201 – Scope and Methods; AND
Have taken the associated introductory sub-field prerequisite as indicated
First: Take all of the following lower division foundation courses:
PSCI 201
Scope and Methods of Political Science
3
PSCI 210IS
Introduction to American Government
3
PSCI 230D
Introduction to International Relations
3
PSCI 240
Introduction to Public Administration 1
3
PSCI 250
Introduction to Political Theory 2
3
1
Only offered in the Spring
2
Only offered in the Fall

Second: Take seven of the following upper division courses, at least one from each of the four subfields:
Upper Division Electives by Subfield
American Political Institutions

PSCI 302
Media and Politics
3
PSCI 306
Legislative Process
3
PSCI 341
Political Parties and Elections
3
PSCI 346
American Presidency
3
PSCI 429
National Security Policy Decision-Making
3
PSCI 446
Congressional Campaign
3
PSCI 451
State and Local Government Policy Making
3
PSCI 470
Rural Politics
3
PSCI 471
American Constitutional Law
3
Political Theory

PSCI 323
Modern Political Thought
3
PSCI 331
International Relations Theory
3
PSCI 339
Culture and Ideology: The Development of the Modern Prison
3
PSCI 354
Contemporary Issues in Political Theory
3
PSCI 356
Classical Political Thought
3
PSCI 454
Cinema and Political Theory
3
PSCI 455
Politics & Virtue
3
International Relations/Comparative Politics

PSCI 331
International Relations Theory
3
PSCI 337
Model United Nations
3
PSCI 338
Comparative Politics
3
PSCI 353
British Politics
3
PSCI 414
Drug Trafficking and Governance in the Americas
3
PSCI 418
The Politics of War & Peace
3
PSCI 423
Politics of Development
3
PSCI 429
National Security Policy Decision-Making
3
PSCI 434
International Law
3
PSCI 436
Politics of Food & Hunger
3
PSCI 437
International Political Economy
3
PSCI 439
International Human Rights
3
Public Administration/Policy

PSCI 362
Natural Resource Policy
3
PSCI 407
Public Policy Analysis
3
PSCI 415
The Political Economy of Energy
3
PSCI 461
Administrative Law
3
PSCI 465
Public Administration and Policy
3
NRSM 430
Natural Resource Law
3

Third: Take Research Methods
PSCI 390R
Research Methods
3

Political Science Non-Teaching Minor
To earn a Political Science Non-Teaching Minor, a minimum of 21 credit hours are required, with 9 credits from upper division classes, 300-level and above in addition to taking four out of the five following foundation courses.

PSCI 201
Scope and Methods of Political Science
3
PSCI 210IS
Introduction to American Government
3
PSCI 230D
Introduction to International Relations
3
PSCI 240
Introduction to Public Administration
3
PSCI 250
Introduction to Political Theory
3
3 upper division Political Science classes 300- or 400- level (Internships not included)

Total Credits
21

For previous catalog years and curriculum’s, please click here.  Please reach out to the department at either politicalscience@montana.edu or (406) 994-4141 for more information or questions.

Research Initiatives

Source: Website

Purpose
Welcome to the Political Science Research Guide.
This guide will direct you to library resources useful for political science and government courses, including books and articles, sample search terms, and help with citing sources.

If you have any questions or would like personal help doing your research, use the contact information “Contact Us” box or start a chat in the “Ask Us” area. One-on-one consultations are available for students, faculty, and staff either during regularly scheduled office hours.
Research Best Bets
JSTOR   This link opens in a new window
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Access to older multidisciplinary full-text journal articles and eBooks
CQ Press Library   This link opens in a new window
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Research US politics, history, public policy, and current affairs
Congressional Publications from ProQuest   This link opens in a new window
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Full text of U.S. Congressional publications, hearings, CRS reports, and information on public policy topics
Political Science Database  This link opens in a new window
International relations and political science journal articles (1985-current)
Qualtrics   This link opens in a new window
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Create online and offline surveys and collect data for research purposes. See our Qualtrics Guide for help using this resource.
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