Political Science Department

The study of political science is a basis for citizens' responsible political participation and critical thinking, particularly in analyzing public policies. Internship courses provide hands-on experiences in the real political world.

Political science prepares students for law school and graduate programs in political science, public administration and policy sciences.

As technological innovations make the world an increasingly smaller place and as the forces of globalization make everyone in this world much more closely inter-connected, it is becoming increasingly important that students know more about the world in which they will have to live and work. We believe that this means not only knowing about the history and politics and cultures of other countries, it also means gaining competence in communicating with other peoples in their own languages and developing actual experience abroad in a foreign culture. The International Studies Major at Salisbury University seeks to provide students with a means to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies to successfully negotiate one’s way in this increasingly complex world.

The International Studies Major is an interdisciplinary program designed for students who wish to develop a broad course of study focusing on the contemporary world that is unconstrained by the boundaries of traditional academic departments. The program encourages students to view the world from a multitude of perspectives and to be broadly concerned with social, political, economic, historical and cultural processes, power relations, and linkages that connect individuals, communities, states, and regions.

The major seeks to educate students in understanding the world outside the United States so that they can better serve as informed citizens in a democratic society and also as specialists and professionals in careers and pursuits spanning national boundaries.

Fall 2020 Courses

• POSC 101 – Intro to Politics & Government
• POSC 103 – Intro to American Public Policy
• POSC 210 – Intro to International Relations
• POSC 215 – American Foreign Policy
• IDIS 245 – Law, Justice and Advocacy
• POSC 300 – Methods of Empirical Political Analysis
• POSC 301 – Political Parties & Pressure Groups
• POSC 350 – American Empire
• POSC 360 – Environmental Policy
• POSC 415 – United Nations System
• POSC 440 – Public Administration
• POSC 480 – Studies in Political Science/Comp Politics of Africa

Download this Guide to Documenting a Political Science Research Paper.

Salisbury University supports student efforts to achieve careers in law in a variety of ways. As recommended by the American Bar Association we support students to choose a major based on their interests and their abilities. Salisbury University’s prelaw program will then help all students design their programs to achieve the skills necessary for success on the Law School Admission’s Test (LSAT), with the application process, and for success in law school. Services provided to assist students include periodic seminars or workshops, a prelaw handbook which can guide you through the various phases of your undergraduate career and the application process. Please read the prelaw handbook for initial information and guidance on the law school application process.

Salisbury University has a prelaw advisor for the entire university who will advise you on your undergraduate program and law school admission, regardless of major. The university’s prelaw advisor is Dr. Adam Hoffman. He is located in Fulton Hall room 274 and can be reached at 410-677-0103.

Check out National Jurist’s online PreLaw magazine.

University of Baltimore Early Entry Program: As a student at a University System of Maryland School you have the option to take advantage of the University of Baltimore School of Law early entry program. This program enables you to finish your undergraduate and J.D. degrees in a total of six years. In this program you enter the University of Baltimore School of Law after completing three years of SU course work. Your work in law school is used to complete your undergraduate degree. The minimum requirements for admission to the program are: completing at least 90 undergraduate credits, having a GPA of 3.50, and having an LSAT score of 155. You must complete the LSAT exam no later than February of the year in which you want to begin your studies. You must apply to University of Baltimore School of Law by April 1, but are encouraged to do so by March 1 at the latest. If you are interested in the program you should talk with both your major and prelaw adviser as successful completion of the undergraduate portion of the program requires carefully planning. You should also contact University of Baltimore School of Law Admissions at 410.837.4459 or lawadmissions@ubalt.edu for more information.

Prelaw Webinars: Michigan State University is running a Webinar series. Each session is hosted by professionals in the field addressed. This is a great way to get information on everything from the profession to letters of recommendation. Feel free to just participate in the webinars you desire, but you need to register for any webinar in which you would like to participate.

The information provided here is for registered voters in Maryland. If you are registered to vote in different state please visit the U.S. Vote Foundation website for assistance.

Are You a Registered Maryland Voter?

Go to the Maryland State Board of Elections Voter Lookup website to see if you are registered.

I Want to Register to Vote Maryland or Change My Registration

NOTE! Your Maryland Driver’s License number (or MVA-issued ID) or last four digits of your SSN will be required to register or make changes in your registration.

As a student, you can either be registered at your parent’s home or where you go to school. You may decide to register here in Salisbury if you are interested in participating in the local government and would like to vote in person rather than absentee ballot. If you do not consider your parent’s home to be your permanent home and do not intend to return there after school, your school address may be your “official” address when you register to vote. If you are one of the few individuals who has a geographically-bound scholarship, please check the rules of your scholarship in regards to your permanent home before changing where you are registered to vote.

Also, whether you register using a paper form or Maryland’s Online Voter Registration website, your Current Residential Address may be different from your mailing address. Remember your Current Residential address is your "official" address, where you're registering to vote.

For example, if you live in an SU dorm, your mailing address is Your Name, Salisbury University, Campus Box ----, 1101 Camden Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801.

Your Current Residential Address for students living in St. Martin’s Dorm is 1115 St. Martin’s Dorm Salisbury, MD 21801. The Current Residential Address for all other SU dorms is 1117 Salisbury University Dorms, Salisbury, MD 21801.

To register or change your residence visit the Maryland State Board of Elections Online Voter Registration website. You can also request an absentee ballot or change your party affiliation, if you wish.

If you're making changes in the county or state you're currently registered in, you must complete Parts A and B on the registration form.

If your application is complete, you will soon be registered to vote.

If you do not receive a Voter Notification Card within three weeks after you submit an application, you should contact the Local Board Of Elections in the county where you registered. This card is not required to vote, it simple identifies your polling place and other information.

In-Person Voting

Find your Early Voting Center and Election Day polling place on the Maryland State Board of Elections Voter Lookup website. Remember to vote in the county where you are registered to vote.

Absentee Ballot

1. Because applications can be submitted electronically, the simplest way to apply for an absentee ballot is with OLVR, Maryland’s State Board of Elections Online Voter Registration website.
   You will enter information in OLVR just as if you were registering. Ensure that Current Residential Address (Step 3) is the address where you’re actually registered. Your Mailing Address (Step 4) is where you’re living right now, which may be different than your residential voting address.
   If you live in an SU dorm, your mailing address is Your Name, Salisbury University, Campus Box ----, 1101 Camden Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801.
   MD driver’s license number or MVA issued ID number is required. Absentee Request is in Step 9.
2. Apply for an absentee ballot at the U.S. Vote Foundation website and click on "To Vote/Absentee Ballot" link and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. You can also apply for an absentee ballot application from the Maryland Board of Elections.