Political Science Department Mission:
The Political Science program is designed to provide majors with exposure to a broad
range of topics within the field of political science as well as to serve the General
Education needs of non-majors through selected lower division courses. All the major
subfields of political science-American politics, comparative politics, international
relations, political theory, public administration and public law-are offered in the major.
Introductory courses in American Politics, Legal Systems, Comparative Politics and
World Politics serve the general education program.
The Department’s program and mission are closely allied with a number of elements of
the mission of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Our course offerings support the CAS goal of preparing students “to meet the demands of
both profession and citizenship” and the UHH strategic plan objective of fostering “in our
students the qualities that distinguish educated people in the 21st century.” We also
support UHH strategic plan objectives by offering courses on Hawai‘i and East Asia
politics and providing hands-on learning opportunities through internship programs and
simulation exercises. Overall, the Political Science program provides both majors and
non-majors information about the operations of political systems, promoting wellinformed and responsible citizenship.
Goals for Student Learning:
1. Acquire basic knowledge of all major sub-fields of political science, including
American government, international relations, comparative politics, political
theory, law, and public administration.
2. Develop familiarity with key literature and scholarly contributions in each subfield of political science.
3. Develop familiarity with the theories and development of each sub-field of
political science, and develop critical thinking skills by employing learned
theories and knowledge for analyzing political issues.
4. Develop familiarity with research methods, skills, and documentation
requirements for conducting and reporting research in political science.
5. Develop communication skills by making presentations of research papers and
by participating in debates on political science issues in class and conferences.
6. Receive hands-on training in political and social environments through
internship programs and by interning in federal, state, and county government
offices, law firms, and business offices.