Politics

The world is full of problems. In the Department of Politics at SUNY Oswego, faculty and students work together to make sense of those problems -- and make the change we need.

Our faculty specialize in critical, historical, and interdisciplinary approaches to studying political issues that matter. From the local to the global, and from the conceptual to the concrete, our expertise covers a wide range of regions, topics, scholarly traditions, and methodologies. As researchers, we believe in bringing the best ideas to light and advancing our shared understandings of power and governance. As teachers, we believe in firmly grounding those ideas and equipping students with the experience needed to build better lives and build better worlds.

As a department, we are inspired by deep liberal arts traditions, which means we put critical thinking and communication at the core of our teaching. Our students learn the tools needed to read, engage, and think alongside scholars while digging into substantive public debates they care about. Our students also improve their ability to communicate, especially with effective writing. Our classes are designed to help you ask questions creatively, and our focus on writing provides the structure to channel your passion into tangible projects. 

American Politics, Global Politics, and Political Theory

We offer students a curriculum that moves across traditional fields of our academic discipline, pursuing diverse and dynamic questions broadly. For example, recent courses have focused on:

• International Feminist Theory

• Race and Racism in the United States

• Climate Change and the Politics of Disaster

• Contemporary Political Movements

• Law and Popular Culture

• Technological Security and US Foreign Policy 

• Youth Civic Engagement

• Superheroes and American Political Culture

We also offer unique experiences for students, like:

Recent alumni know that our combination of research, writing, and unique experiences will open doors to further educational and career opportunities.