Follow Your Interests
We offer three distinct majors, with eleven specializations, so your education is tailored to fit your interests and goals. Explore our BA in Political Science, BS in Political Science, and BA in World Politics programs.
Learn From the Best
Our faculty are world-renowned leaders in the field. They’re published in prestigious journals, win awards for scholarship, comment on current affairs on NPR… and now you have the chance to take classes with them, or even write a thesis under their supervision!
Featured Faculty: Dr. Alexander Wendt
Professor Alexander Wendt was named the most influential scholar in the field of International Relations in the last twenty years. Dr. Wendt currently teaches Political Science 4305: International Theory.
“The professors have always been very willing to work with me. I’ve never felt like a number that you hear about so often within big universities like Ohio State. I’ve always felt the department has time for me and actually cares about whether I succeed or fail.” – Kaitlyn Willette (Political Science Student)
"I have enjoyed all of my political science classes, but I have especially felt inspired by Charles Smith's American Constitutional Law class. I have never been so motivated to comprehend and retain coursework, finding myself genuinely interested in coming to class and listening to lectures. This course has opened my interest in law and the judicial branch as a whole, narrowing down potential career paths and life plans for my life post-graduation." – Alexis Wade (Political Science Student)
“The Political Science department has influenced just about every aspect of my undergraduate career. The faculty and staff are not only academically excellent, but also are always willing to be advocates for students.” – Max Mauerman (Political Science Student)
Jumpstart Your Career
Going to school in Columbus puts you at the center of a regional and national hub for politics and commerce, which affords a myriad of opportunities for internships and future employment.
“OSU is great because students can get a taste of the real world before we have to face it in full force. Because we are so close to the downtown area, students can get internship experience working for firms and organizations that allow them to gain industry experience.” – Hyeji Kim (Political Science Student)
“Being able to get my feet wet as an intern at a law firm has reaffirmed my drive to go to law school.” – Austin Shafer-Farmer (intern at Manley Deas Kochalski)
“As a part-time employee of the Ohio Governor’s Office, I am getting firsthand experience working for an executive office. I am very lucky to attend a school located in our state capitol - otherwise I would not have this opportunity.” – Rylee Welker (intern at the Ohio Governor’s Office)
"Throughout my time at Ohio State, the rigor of the classes and the high expectations of the faculty helped shape me into a better analyst, a better writer, a better problem-solver, and into a better citizen." – TJ Beavers (Political Science Student)
Go Global
Our students have the chance to study abroad through prestigious exchange programs at SciencesPo (France), the University of Mannheim (Germany), Leiden University (the Netherlands), and The Ohio State Study Abroad in Poland (Warsaw Summer School). They can also spend a summer studying at Oxford University or in Malawi learning to conduct research on a faculty-led trip.
Ohio State offers over 350 study abroad programs in more than 70 different countries!
"Studying field research methods in Malawi transformed how I understand politics. This intense and immersive experience helped me analytically dissect the subtle yet decisive ways political science shapes our world." – Michael Vargo (Political Science Student)
"SciencesPo proved to be the most rigorous and remarkable academic adventure of my life. Interacting with students from around the globe and with students who call France home reframed my perception of politics.” – Steven Mahr (Political Science Student)
Get Involved Outside the Classroom
Ohio State is home to over 1400 student organizations, so there are plenty of ways to make friends and find your place on campus.
The Department of Political Science supports several student groups, including The Collegiate Council on World Affairs (CCWA), Mock Trial at OSU, and the Journal of Politics and International Affairs.
At the 2024 National Championship, Mock Trial at OSU placed 3rd in the country! The team then went on to place first at the 2024 Great American Mock Trial Invitational (GAMTI). In the face of tough competition, OSU students won the GAMTI tournament by achieving an undefeated record of 12-0.
Explore all political science related student groups here.
You can also connect with Ohio State's student organizations at the Student Involvement Fairs in August and January each year.
Unique Classes
The world as we know it is being shaped by students.
Welcome to The Diplomatic Game, an exercise in diplomacy that has been part of Political Science Professor Richard Herrmann’s Strategies of War and Peace class for 30 years. Over the course of three weeks, students take over the 11th floor of the Thompson Library, and the world. Twenty countries, governed by a small cabinet of students and their heads of state, determine the world’s fate.