Political Science and International Relations Department

Departmental Integration of Faith and Learning

The implications of biblical teaching on the nature of government and law for politics in practice are dealt with on a regular basis.
Students are encouraged to articulate for themselves a Christian philosophy of politics based on exposure to great political thinkers as well as the realities of politics.
Students are regularly exposed to speakers who offer diverse perspectives on current public policy controversies and the ways in which faith and politics intersect.
A paradigm for making reasonable choices on public policy issues from a Christian perspective is taught in one of the core courses for the major, Political Thinking.

The Zondervan Library archives include a collection of the papers of one Representative Elwood “Bud” Hillis, who represented Indiana’s 5^th Congressional District for many years.
Every year, students participate in the American Model United Nations conference, a national-level simulation of international politics, and assume the role of a foreign nation responding to global issues.
Political science majors participate regularly in the Washington semester of the American Studies Program under the auspices of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). This has been a source of outstanding internship opportunities in Congress, executive agencies and other organizations related to government and politics.

Strongly encouraged; 3-4 credit hours is available for work in a variety of settings arranged in cooperation with student’s interests and connections, from Washington, D.C. to local law firms.