Political Science

SECONDARY TEACHER CERTIFICATION

Students interested in majoring political science for the purpose of becoming secondary school teachers should work with the Education Department to ensure that all requirements are met for licensure in Illinois.

FACULTY

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Edward W. and Virginia Mill Award
The Edward W. and Virginia Mill Scholarship Scholarship in the department of Political Science was established in 1981 in memory of Dr. Edward Mill, who was Chairman of our Department from 1955 to 1959, and his wife Virginia. In addition to his professorship here, Dr. Mill taught at Long Island University and Occidental College and occupied a number of positions in the United States Foreign Service and the State Department.

The recipient, a junior or senior majoring in Political Science, or a Social Sciences Divisional major whose primary concentration is Political Science, must have completed 20 credit hours in Political Science (or, in the case of transfer students, at least 16 hours at Rockford University), and have an outstanding academic record, both in the major and overall.

Political Awareness Award
The Political Awareness Award was established in 2004 by Helena Milman, an alumna of our Political Science Department who graduated in 1997. Lena came to the United States from Russia, at the age of 15, as an exchange student at the Belle Emerson Keith School. Her grasp of English was a bit shaky, but she was fiercely determined to make the best of her new opportunities. While at Rockford University, she attended the Washington Semester Program and was active in the Model UN and the International Students Association. Following graduation, she worked at a law firm in Chicago.  The award that she set up recognizes students who, like its sponsor, have demonstrated extraordinary regard for political thought and political action, and who are free thinkers.

The recipient must be a senior, whose GPA is at least 2.4, whose last two years and most of whose upper-level coursework has been taken at Rockford University (including approved off-campus programs, such as Regent’s College or the Washington Semester).

For more information on scholarships relevant to this department, please visit the Academic Catalog (pdf).

CAREERS AND INTERNSHIPS

Governmental work is one of the most extensive areas of opportunity for political science graduates. The degree can also lead to positions with private businesses, or in law, politics, journalism, and teaching, among others.

Where Are They Now?

Helena Milman ’97, after working for two law firms in Chicago, completed her degree at John Marshall Law School.

George Black ’99 is a real estate broker and consultant in the Chicago area.

Tara Der-Yeghiayan ’00 received an M.A. in English language and literature from Western Illinois University, and teaches literature, rhetoric, and American culture at Seattle University.

Kimberly Kosteff ’00 earned a master’s degree at the Monterey Institute of Inter-national Studies and works for a Defense Department contractor.

Aaron Oppenheimer ’00 following his graduation, became Village Manager of Decatur, Mich.

John Gibbons ’01 earned a law degree at Northern Illinois University and is Assistant States Attorney for Winnebago County, Ill.

Jeri Anne Hose Ryan ’02 received a master’s degree from Illinois State University and works for a conservative public interest lobbying organization in Chicago.

Joel Collinsworth ’04 is a substitute teacher in Rockford and runs a computer repair company.

Frank Dyke ’04 is senior account representative for a business equipment company in Rockford.

Matthew Phillips ’04 is AVP of Operations and Global Affairs at Rockford University.

Abide Takou ’04 completed a course of graduate study at Georgetown University, worked for a development consulting
firm in Washington DC, and is currently employed at the World Bank.

Rose Dusing ’05 is a Winnebago County probation officer.

Jason Leviskas ’05 pursued a master’s degree in public administration at Roosevelt University.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The department of Political Science offers the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. The department’s academic offerings cover the full range of essential subjects in the discipline of political science: political philosophy, constitutional law, American government and politics, comparative politics and international relations, and diplomacy and statecraft. Students interested in political science for the purpose of becoming secondary school teachers should consult the catalog section on the Social Sciences divisional major.

Pre-law political science has long been the traditional major of choice for students who plan to attend law school. While law schools do not require any particular undergraduate major, the study of politics, including courses that make use of legal materials and legal reasoning and that illumine the political context of court decisions, is arguably the most logical and appropriate academic area for those intending a career in law. Whatever their major, pre-law students should consult with Professor Evans (the pre-law advisor), or with other members of the department, on which particular courses in political science and in other departments would most suitably prepare them and on matters having to do with applying to law school.

Major and Tracks/Concentrations:

• Political Science (B.A., B.S.) — concentrations in American Studies, Constitutional Studies, Legal Studies, Political Ideas, Politics & Culture, and War & Peace

Course Requirements and Offerings

Rockford University’s Political Science department offers students the opportunity to either major or minor in political science.

More information in the Academic Catalog.

Search course offerings and descriptions

POLITICAL SCIENCE

The Department of Political Science helps students develop their minds, and, one hopes, also their characters, to become decent, responsible, informed citizens. Political science shows the relation of politics to human nature and examines the basic alternatives in political life. The ordinary citizen has decent opinions about justice and the common good. The educated citizen should move from opinion toward knowledge and understanding, while maintaining good will, sincerity, tolerance, generosity and fairness.

A political education in the liberal arts tradition equips students to appreciate their country and its place in the world, and to analyze and criticize it without becoming destructive of the common good or domestic tranquility. The department’s academic offerings cover the full range of essential subjects in the discipline of political science: political philosophy, constitutional law, American government and politics, comparative politics and international relations, and diplomacy and statecraft.

Historical and International Studies

The fields of history, and international studies are crucial for understanding the world today. These disciplines teach us to look at the past for guidance, and to learn about and work with other nations to make a better world. 

The students and faculty in the History, and International Studies (HAIS) department share a common goal of addressing and examining major issues affecting our world. Each major and minor within the department gives students a solid grounding in the academic study of historical and international studies while developing skills of critical thinking, lucid writing, articulate speech, plus research and analysis that are essential to success in college and professional life. By promoting students’ understanding of the richness and diversity of human experience in its historical, and global contexts, students will also develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society and an interdependent world. Graduates of the department go on to careers in museums education, politics, government, business, and human services, as well as continue their education at top graduate and law schools. 

The HAIS department also supports the work of the newly-formed Institute of World Affairs and Trade at Rockford University (IWAT). Led by Dr. Forslund and Donald Manzullo, former Congressman and department adjunct professor, IWAT sponsors programs in a variety of areas, many of which are directly tied to the interests of HAIS. 

Historians are always reinterpreting the past, largely because our present day concerns continue to change. History is neither stagnant nor dull. It is not based on memorization but on interpretation and analysis. Understanding history involves integrating ideas and economics as well as a consideration of the influence of individuals and social forces.

The student of history has to make judgments about a broad range of values and motivations. While our subject matter is the past, the principal goal of the Rockford University History Department is to encourage students to write well and to read and think critically to more fully interact with their present and future worlds.