Ave Maria University
Advance your critical understanding of the nature and purpose of political life. Critically evaluate different perspectives on questions such as the nature of justice, the common good and who should have political power in society. You’ll discover that, despite the evolution of political structures, many fundamental problems in politics have persisted from ancient times until now. You’ll also expand your intellectual horizons and cultivate sharp analytical and critical skills.
Careers: Political Consulting, Policy Analyst, Law, Journalism, Teacher
A politics degree from AMU will prepare you for a career in law, academics, media and government. Plus, the research and critical thinking skills you’ll gain will serve you well in any field.
Fast Fact: Our alumni include policy advisors, writers, private equity and management consultants and those who have gone on to graduate studies.
With Ave Maria University’s politics major, you’ll advance in your critical understanding of the nature and purpose of political life. According to Aristotle, man is by nature a political animal. The study of politics is therefore a comprehensive study of man. The study of politics is an investigation into the perennial questions of political life through careful analysis of the best that has been said and written by statesmen and philosophers from antiquity through the American founding to the present.
The program is guided by the four subfields of the study of politics: political philosophy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. These four fields complement each other and provide broad and principled knowledge of political life.
According to James Madison, education and the study of politics ought to be a support for free government. As Madison says in a letter to William Berry “The American people owe it to themselves, and to the cause of free Government, to prove by their establishments for the advancement and diffusion of Knowledge, that their political Institutions…are as favorable to the intellectual and moral improvement of Man as they are conformable to his individual and social Rights. What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable, than that of Liberty and Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?”
Once majoring in Politics, you’ll examine the ideas of freedom, democracy and human rights. You’ll touch on ideologies, such as communism and fascism, as well as party politics, electoral behavior, and protest and revolution. You will study the rise and fall of leaders and political parties and the power play between nations. Political philosophy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics will leverage your understanding of past and current politics.
“I myself am most pleased by good friends, and if I possess something good I teach it, and I introduce them to others for whom, I believe, they will receive some benefit with a view to virtue. And reading in common with my friends, I go through the treasures of the wise men of old which they left behind in their books; and if we see something good, we pick it out; and we hold that it is a great gain if we become beneficial to one another.”
Socrates to Antiphon in Xenophon’s “Memorabilia”
Education: B.A., Political Science, Carleton University; M.A., Political Science, Carleton University; Ph.D., Political Science, Boston College Office: Thomas Student Union 2007B Email: john.colman@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-1609
Education: B.A., Political Science, University of Houston; M.A., Politics, University of Virginia; Ph.D., Politics, University of Virginia Office: Henkels 2055 Email: james.patterson@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 304-7365
Education: B.B.A., Business Administration, Bishop’s University; LL.B., Law, University of Ottawa; LL.M., Law, McGill University; D.C.L., Civil Law, McGill University Office: Henkels 3054 Email: seana.sugrue@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 280-1625
Education: B.A., English, Ivan Franko National University; M.A., International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame; Ph.D., Political Science, University of Kansas Office: Canizaro Library 235 Email: lidyia.zubytska@avemaria.edu Phone: (239) 304-7020
Those who have graduated from Ave Maria with a politics major have gone on to work in Washington D.C. for members of Congress as well as in a variety of policy organizations that study, advocate, and lobby for specific public policies. Many have gone on to law school while others have pursued graduate studies with the goal of one day teaching in secondary or higher education. There are a number of careers you can pursue with a politics major, including political consulting, working on campaigns, political advocacy, journalism, and public service on the local, state, national, and international level.
Below are links that outline the wealth of career opportunities for Political Science graduates: http://www.apsia.org/careers/career-opportunities-in-international-affairs/
The University is affiliated through Career Services with numerous political organizations in Florida and D.C. (see below). Internship and mentoring programs are available for students interested in a political career.
Mahluli Dube ’07 pursued graduate studies in development economics in Hong Kong, worked at the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs as a fellow, and engaged in the urban education policy conversation by teaching 5th grade mathematics at the Harlem Children’s Zone. Mahluli is currently working in private equity and management consulting for Open Capital Advisors and KPMG respectively. He has also pursued studies in organizational behavior/ psychology at Columbia University in New York City.
Miriel Thomas Reneau ’09 (valedictorian) completed a year-long fellowship with the John Jay Institute, interned for a summer with the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and worked for a year as a research assistant at the American Enterprise Institute under constitutional scholar Michael Greve. In 2011, Miriel began graduate studies in the Department of Political Science at Baylor University, focusing on American politics and constitutional law. She earned her MA summa cum laude in May 2013.
Shannon Hale ‘11 (magna cum laude) obtained her MSc Theory and History of International Relations with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science in September 2012. Since November 2012, Shannon has worked as Policy Advisor to a federal Canadian Cabinet Minister, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, in her capacity as Minister of Health and as the former Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada and Minister for Status of Women. She has been an active member of the Conservative Party of Canada since 2005.
Katherine Rosario ’12 interned at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, where she worked under the legal center’s then Senior Legal Fellow and Deputy Director, Robert Alt, and former U.S. attorney general Edwin Meese. Katherine then interned on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL). She currently works as the Communications Deputy at Heritage Action for America, where she serves as the primary writer for Heritage Action’s blog, “The Forge.”
Career Services prides itself on providing students, alumni and employers with the opportunity to connect. No matter where you are in your career search, whether it’s deciding on a path, preparing for your first job interview or working on graduate school or fellowship applications, we can help.
The spiritual life on campus is the beating heart of Ave. Whether it’s attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, participating in retreats or getting spiritual direction, you’ll find the spiritual support you need from the priests and staff of Campus Ministry.
With AMU’s core curriculum, you’ll not only achieve breadth of knowledge, but also depth of knowledge. You’ll encounter the truth about God and His creation more completely through the dynamic interplay of all of the liberal arts, including theology and natural science.
Sunny skies, warm temperatures, a beautiful campus. What more could you want? How about a community-like atmosphere, quality instructors who care about your success, a wealth of spiritual activities, expert career guidance… and that’s only the beginning. Imagine your future at AMU. It all starts by filling out our free application today.
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