Mission Statement

The study of political science and international relations at Concordia College offers a solid theoretical foundation complemented by strong vocational preparation.

Political science and international relations majors learn not only the concepts, theories, and methods associated with these fields of study, but also the cognitive and presentational skills required of tomorrow's leaders, public and private.

Former political science majors are leaders today: a federal judge, lawyers working in both the public and private sectors, members of city councils and state legislatures, and key policy makers in the Pentagon, State Department, Justice Department, and National Security Agency in Washington, D.C.

Recent political science graduates have been recognized nationally as future leaders: since 1993, two of our majors won Truman Scholarships, and another won a Fulbright Scholarship.

Majors in political science and international relations are not limited to careers in law and government, however. Two recent graduates work for ConAgra, Inc., one of the world's largest agri-food companies. One is a commodities trader in Omaha, and the other is using her fluency in Spanish to help ConAgra undertake a new business venture in Mexico.

Because political science and international relations majors pursue a variety of occupations, we advise students to complement their majors with courses in foreign language, economics, data analysis, and study abroad. And we always advise our students to put their theoretical knowledge to practical use through internships and other off-campus opportunities. Concordia's long association with American University's Washington Semester Program, and our nationally recognized forensics and Mock Trial programs, are but a few examples of the kind of hands-on experience that can make a world of difference.

The Civic Mission

At its core, politics is about building and maintaining communities. Whether at the local, state, national, or international level, human beings create and sustain public institutions and private associations which make life--especially the good life-- possible.

To be responsible citizens, we need to understand these communities. Of course, our curriculum focuses on the governmental and political landscape in both national and global affairs. Our courses are designed to help you not only understand but also to influence the various communities in which you will participate, whether as citizens, wage earners, family members, or local volunteers. You will increase your knowledge of political events and issues, improve your ability to gather and analyze political information, and hopefully be stimulated to serve others through involvement in the community-building process. This is our civic mission.

The Disciplinary Mission

As an academic discipline, political science deploys both conceptual and historical analysis. Some of the concepts central to political analysis include the nation-state, justice, the rule of law, constitutionalism, the forms of government, and the relationship between the individual and the state. If, as one political scientist argues, conceptual analysis is like using a microscope to investigate the complex concepts or systems that constitute political phenomena, historical analysis is like using a telescope to examine politics at a distance, so that we might better understand contemporary events in light of the political events and institutions of the past. (Note 1)

Whether conceptual or historical, political analysis is an inherently ethical inquiry. For example, we do not simply wish to know the various forms of government, we wish to know the best form of government. To understand which regime is best, we must understand first our own nature as human beings. What constitutes the "good life"? How can we best promote human happiness? Political analysis, then, seeks to uncover and examine the standards, values, and moralities which inform and help define our differing ways of being political in the world. (Note 2) This is our disciplinary mission.

The Global Mission

The international relations major not only recognizes the increasing importance of world affairs on our domestic policy and national economy, but also prepares students to understand and participate in the challenges of this globalization. And the challenges are many: economic integration and competition, nationalism, human rights, the environment, emerging democracies, ethnic and religious conflicts, migration flows, and the proliferation of weapons. (Note 3)

At Concordia College, the international relations curriculum is an extension of the political science curriculum. It is an interdisciplinary major consisting primarily of courses in political science (e.g., international politics and U.S. foreign policy), history, and economics. Everything that has been said about the disciplinary mission of political science may be said about international relations. Additionally, international relations students consider how international politics differs from domestic politics, as well as how human nature, types of government, and the structure of the international system influence prospects for war and peace. Given global economic integration, we advise students to take more courses in economics than the two required in the major. We also advise students to consider advanced courses in a foreign language, as well as study abroad to improve language facility and expand intercultural understanding.

Students who major in international relations, and who have a strong background in economics and/or foreign language, can find employment in both the public and private sectors. One recent IR graduate earned a masterUs degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and is now working for the National Security Agency as an intelligence analyst. And since international lawyers are now in great demand by American corporations, international relations can be a very useful major for students interested in law. So if you prefer a broader, more interdisciplinary approach to the study of human affairs, and your vocational interests are international in scope, you might want to consider international relations, and be a part of our global mission.

The Liberal Arts Mission

Recent survey research (Note 4) indicates that neither parents nor college-bound students understand the meaning or purpose of a liberal arts education. Because these parents and students believe that the primary goal of college is to get a "practical education" and secure a first job, they conclude that the "smart choice" is a professional program aimed at training students for specific jobs in business, law, or computer technology.

This same research indicates that CEOs and human resource managers disagree. They are looking for graduates who possess the kinds of cognitive, social, and presentational skills that give them the flexibility and capacity to stay ahead of an ever-accelerating learning curve. They seek graduates who are "problem solvers" and "critical thinkers." They seek graduates who are articulate--who speak and write in a coherent, clear, and persuasive manner. They seek graduates who are team-players, but also self-starters. In short, they seek an array of attributes that prepare people for a career and not merely a first job.

The political science and international relations faculty, like all faculty at Concordia College, are committed to instilling, not only the career skills, but also the habits of mind and character which will prepare you for the 21st Century: intellectual humility, perseverance, integrity, courage, empathy, and fair mindedness. This is our liberal arts mission.

Completing the Mission

While it is certainly true that the bedrock of higher education is the relationship between the teacher-scholar and the student in the classroom, it is equally true that developing your full potential requires our faculty to be mentors as well as teachers and scholars. The political science and international relations faculty, like all faculty at Concordia College, are committed advisors and mentors. A nurturing relationship with students is one of the main reasons faculty choose to teach at a liberal arts college like Concordia.

A nurturing relationship does not imply keeping students in a condition of dependency, however. Quite the opposite. Faculty who truly care about their students know that our task is preparing you for self-confident independence. At the end of the day, it is far less important what we teach you than that we teach you to teach yourself, to learn how to learn on your own. That is why education is a delicate balance between encouragement and criticism, pulling and pushing, and, finally, leading and leaving alone.

It is in the spirit of nurturing self-confident independence that we encourage you to apply for Truman and Fulbright scholarships, to study among strangers in Washington, D.C., or Mexico City, to compete against the Ivy League in forensics or Mock Trial. It is in that spirit that we encourage you to test your courage and talent, to be the best that you can become.

If you are interested in politics, government, and international affairs, and if you are interested in developing the vocational skills and character traits that distinguish liberal arts graduates, we urge you to consider political science or international relations at Concordia College.

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Footnotes:

1. See Leslie Paul Thiele's Thinking Politics: Perspectives in Ancient, Modern, and Postmodern Theory (Chatham House Publishers, 1997), especially Chapter 1, for an excellent discussion of political analysis.

2. Ibid.

3. See L. W. Goodman et al, Undergraduate International Studies on the Eve of the 21st Century (APSIA, 1994), p. 7.

4. See Richard H. Hersh, "Intentions and Perceptions: A National Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Liberal Arts Education," Change, Vol. 29, No. 2 (1997), pp. 16-23.

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