With developed skills of critical thinking, speaking and writing, students are well prepared for graduate and professional study -- notably in law, public policy, international relations and political science. Other graduates enter professions such as political consulting, public administration, journalism and business.

A distinctive feature of Stetson’s program is its emphasis on opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. Our program may take you to Latin America, Eastern Europe or Washington D.C.; or you could find yourself interning for a government agency and lobbying bills at the Model Senate.

Faculty
The Political Science faculty is committed to preparing high quality courses, in addition to being engaged as community and university citizens.

Our faculty includes:

• Wayne Bailey, Ph.D., University of Florida; active in local and state politics; member of the national board of the American Lung Association; winner of the Hand Award for Community Service;
• Anne Hallum, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; founder of the Alliance for International Reforestation, which works in Central America; author of a book and a dozen articles on Religion and Politics; winner of the Hand Award for Community Service;
• Eugene Huskey, Ph.D., London School of Economics; author of two books and dozens of articles on the executive and legal systems in Russia and Central Asia; lecturer at leading American and foreign universities, including Oxford, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins; seminar presenter at U. S. State Department in Washington, D.C., and in Uzbekistan; twice the winner of the Hand Award for Research; winner of the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching;
• Gary Maris, Ph.D., Duke University, founder and president of the “People Helping People” foundation; winner of the Hand Award for Community Service; winner of the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching; winner of the John Hague Teaching Award; author of a book on international law;
• William Nylen, Ph.D., Columbia University, author of a book and several articles on democratization in Latin America;
• David Hill, Ph.D., University of Florida, author of a book and several articles on American politics.

In addition to the six required courses, students select from 25 specialized classes, such as Politics of International Trade and Finance; Central Asia: Politics and Society in the Russian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern Borderlands; Latin American Politics; Contemporary Political Thought; American Constitutional Law; and Environmental Politics.

Internship Opportunities
Each semester, Professor Bailey assists students in gaining internships with circuit court judges, local government agencies, the Supervisor of Elections and the U.S. Congress. Professor Hallum arranges and supervises summer internships for students with the Alliance for International Reforestation, an environmental organization working in Guatemala and Nicaragua. During this experience, students live with families in these countries and work on reforestation and educational projects in mountain villages.

Alumni Highlights
The Political Science department is proud of the political accomplishments of many alumni, particularly former U.S. Senator Max Cleland; former Florida Senator Jack Latvala (1994-2002); former Florida Representative Joe Negron; and Representative Andy Gardiner (Republican Majority Leader in the Florida House of Representatives 2004-2006).

In addition, several graduates of our department have become prominent political scientists, including Bruce Berkowitz, research fellow at the Hoover Institute; Professor Natalie Davis of Birmingham-Southern College; Dr. George C. Edwards III, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M; and Professor William Mishler, University of Arizona.

Many of Florida’s finest attorneys were Stetson Political Science majors and work for firms such as Holland & Knight (Clay Henderson) and Metz, Hauser, Husband & Daughton (Jim Daughton). Our graduates are also found in law firms around the country, such as Baker Botts, LLP in Dallas, Texas (Romina Levine) and the Friese and Price law firm in Atlanta (Stephanie Friese).