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We provide students with a strong foundation in political science and the required writing, research, analytical and critical thinking abilities in order to prepare them for success in graduate school and the working world.
Program Overview
Political science prepares students for careers in law, government, academia, business, journalism and community service. While most of our graduates apply for law school, an increasing number pursue graduate degrees in political science, public policy and global studies.
Our curriculum offers students three concentrations: (1) Theory and Prelaw, (2) Civic Engagement and Public Policy and (3) Global Politics. Our courses are taught by full-time faculty possessing doctorate degrees. Our faculty engage in scholarship and bring into the classroom the most current knowledge in their respective subfields. We teach students how power is organized from the local level to the global arena, and we also teach students how to empower the powerless to achieve justice and self-determination for themselves and members of their community.
Our mission is to advance human understanding of the nature and forms of political action while also creating theoretical frameworks for the analysis of politically significant phenomena. The topic of study focuses on the conventional spheres of public national life, including democracy, legislatures, politicians, elections and the executive branch of government.
Our department trains students for jobs in politics, law, academia, government, business and journalism. However, a growing number of students are also interested in pursuing graduate degrees in political science, public policy and international studies. The majority of majors are interested in law school. In fact, a number of department graduates enroll in dual or joint degree programs, which enable them to pursue graduate studies and law in a single organized course of study.
Along with preparing them for graduate study in political science, public administration, or law, a political science minor will also prepare students to be knowledgeable and politically engaged citizens.
Students interested in this joint program need to apply for admission at the beginning of their junior year. Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better to enter the M.P.A. program.
The NCCU Political Science Department participates in a joint degree program with the NCCU Law School to combine the bachelor’s degree and law degree in a six-year program.
NCCU offers a Certificate in Foreign Service Training. This interdisciplinary program introduces underrepresented minorities to future careers in the American Foreign Service.
Scholarships offer financial assistance to students in order to help them pay for higher education. These subsidies give pupils access to education that they might not otherwise have. For many students, scholarships are more than just financial aid. Deserving pupils are rewarded with the capacity to pay for higher education.
Common occupations in this field of study include lawyers, political scientists, instructors, policy analysts and managers of public relations and fundraising efforts. If you study political science, you can be qualified for a range of jobs in public relations, political lobbying, education and the media. Your political science degree gives you access to the entire world.
Dr. Gladys Mitchell-Walthour, Dan Blue Endowed Chair of Political Science at NCCU
Donations Have a Huge Impact
C.D. Spangler and his wife Meredith Spangler were generous in donating to the political science department in honor of Daniel T. Blue, an NCCU alumnus who served as the first African American Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.
We are thankful to the alumni who generously make financial donations to the department. We also welcome gifts from friends who share our mission of producing community and government leaders who are committed to issues of social justice, good governance, and the rule of law. The department uses funds to support student scholarships, provide conference travel awards, invest in faculty development and sponsor public seminars and academic events.
For more information about making financial gifts to the Department of Political Science, please contact Ryan Clark, Director of Development, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, at [email protected] or 919-530-7097.
Meet the Department Faculty
Meet North Carolina Central University's Political Science faculty and staff.
Joseph, Tennyson D
Associate Professor
Political Science
Mitchell-Walthour, Gladys L
Endowed Chair
Political Science
Oritsejafor, Emmanuel O
Chair and Professor
Political Science
Stanberry, Artemesia F
Associate Professor
Political Science
Washington, LaTrice
Associate Professor
Political Science
In addition to imparting new knowledge, completing a bachelor's degree will help you develop and hone your critical thinking abilities, creativity, work ethic, problem-solving skills, written and vocal communication skills, professional etiquette and more.
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919-530-5303