I would describe
the Political Science Department at UC as "changing."
Nexus
Awesome
Vibrant
Diverse
 
Enthusiastic
I would say the Department is engaged,
theoretically engaged and socially engaged.
[for multi-ethnic societies, though cultural diversity]
[through end of oppression]
Political Science is a window into reality,
into social, economic and political reality.
[years into the cold war]
One of the great things that we offer at Cincinnati
is that we are a big university with a lot of resources
and we really have a lot of emphasis on career development
and activity in the city,
and in the state, and nationally.
But also we are really interested in who you are as a student,
and caring for you,
and mentorship. So, we have this combination of a big university
and large resources but also
we provide a personalized guidance.
Our department offers both an M.A. and a Ph.D. degrees
in Political Science.
It is a relatively small program
embedded in a
large research university with lots of resources.
So, we are able to provide really close
faculty-student mentoring
We really get to know our students,
we can develop collaborative relationships with them.
Our students publish with us,
they present at conferences with us.
It is, I think, a very attractive environment for students
to learn how to be professionals.
We sit at the nexus of theory and policy.
I think what is exciting about our department is
we not only are interested in big ideas
but we want to translate those big ideas
into the real world.
Why is it important to come to a university with researchers?
Because the faculty that you are going to have in class are actually
pushing the field.
They are not just teaching but they
are actually moving what we teach.
[what happens a lot of times is that]
[we tend to look at their actions as a head of state]
Our research impacts
the policy community. For example,
in the world of cybersecurity
we have researchers here at the University and in the Department
that are testifying Capitol Hill,
that are working on National Strategy,
have been to the White House and the Pentagon as advisers.
 
Not only is the discipline
of Political Science changing but, so too,
in the Department to reflect that.
Among the things that are changing
here in the department is that it is becoming more diversified
and more interdisciplinary.
I come from such an interdisciplinary background, in addition to Political Science
and International Relations. We also have a curriculum
that is beginning to reflect that. An example is
the Feminist Comparative and International Politics Doctoral Concentration
that we have just instituted.
And that is a reflection not only of the
growth of feminist perspectives in the fields of
international relations and comparative politics,
but also a reflection of our changing faculty
as we gain more women and faculty of color.
I have had tons of professional experience working on research papers for conferences
doing the data analysis
and analytics that really helped me to
get the job that I have now at Nielsen,
as well as professional experience in the classroom.
Being in front of a big classroom full of students helped me
to feel confident
both in job interviews and in front of clients.
In addition to outstanding teaching and
outstanding coursework, you will get
training in methodological skills that are transferable
across different disciplines.
We have a study abroad program.
We take students to major international institutions.
We have an internship program. Students always
spend  a semester
either abroad,
in Washington DC, or other places where important things
are happening. And they also
get to customize and design their own college experience
and education in the way that
works best for them.
I think addressing problems from numerous angles and their intersections
is an important part of what
we are able to do here in the Department.
We are really strong in religion and politics,
and we are also strong in women and politics.
So there are a lot of scholars in both of those areas.
A graduate degree from our department can open
many different doors for a student
in both, the traditional academic
job track, being a professor,
but also in non-academic areas,
such as working for government,
non-profits, or for profit
companies.
We want to be able to speak to the folks that we are studying,
and to the organizations that we are studying.
Political Science is an area of study with a lot of good things
that gives the students the tools
to make decisions for themselves and to go back to their communities
and to really make the kind of difference that they want to see.
