“I Hate Politics” Unpacked
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Political Science
Apply For ProgramFast Facts
- Explores local, regional, national, and global politics
- Builds skills in analysis, research, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration
- Prepares you for jobs in public, private, and nonprofit sectors
Introduction
Earn your bachelor’s degree in political science at UMBC-Shady Grove to learn how to transform your community and your future. Our unique model helps you save on tuition while earning the same UMBC degree as four-year students. You’ll graduate with skills in policy, pre-law, and international affairs, as well as civic engagement, community research, and social entrepreneurship.
UMBC’s political science program attracts faculty who are active in the political world. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with faculty, students, and community members in weekly discussions about current topics. And, you’ll be able to tackle real-world problems through internships and through classes like our 3-part community-building series.
Steps to Your Degree
Before Transfer
Prerequisites
The political science department strongly encourages you to complete the following prerequisites prior to transfer:
- American Government
- Two 200-level Political Science Courses
- English Composition
It is also recommended that you complete as many of the following courses as possible before transfer. These courses are required for graduation from UMBC and many cannot be taken at UMBC-Shady Grove:
- 3 Arts and Humanities Courses (from at least two different disciplines)
- 3 Social Science Courses (from at least two different disciplines)
- College Algebra or Statistics
- 2 Science Courses (at least one with a lab)
- World Language Intermediate-Level (consult advisor about exceptions)
Recommended Transfer Coursework
Advising & Next Steps
All students are strongly encouraged to complete pre-transfer advising before joining us at UMBC-Shady Grove. Explore pre-transfer advising options.
You’re also welcome to contact UMBC-Shady Grove Political Science Program Director Dr. Sunil Dasgupta at sunildasgupta@umbc.edu or 301-738-6313 if you have any questions about prerequisites, the program, or your future in political science.
Admitted and current students should visit our advising FAQs.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements
UMBC Graduation Requirements
- Minimum of 120 academic credits
- Minimum of 2.0 GPA
- 45 upper-level (300 & 400-level) credits
Minor Requirements
UMBC-Shady Grove offers a minor in political science.
Community-Building Course Series
If you are a student who is interested in learning more about enacting change in your local community through your study of political science, consider the following three-part course series:
- POLI 205 Civic Agency and Social Entrepreneurship
- POLI 304 Community Research
- POLI 401 Independent Study in Political Science
More About the Program
"I Hate Politics"
I Hate Politics is a podcast about our roads, schools, jobs, and homes highlighting news and issues closest to us in the Washington, D.C., region. Each Wednesday at noon throughout the semester, UMBC-Shady Grove Political Science Program Director and I Hate Politics founder Dr. Sunil Dasgupta will host a hybrid discussion for students, faculty, staff, and community members to unpack the issues covered in the current episode of the podcast.
You can listen to I Hate Politics on all major streaming platforms, or on the podcast website. I Hate Politics represents UMBC’s commitment to civic education and engagement as a bedrock of our democracy.
Career Opportunities
Political science offers many career opportunities:
- D.C. has the highest concentration of jobs for political scientists in the United States. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Maryland has the highest mean wage of any U.S. state for political science jobs. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Political scientists have a mean salary of $132,350 in Washington, D.C. O-net Online
- Political science jobs are projected to grow faster than average (5% to 8%) between 2022 and 2032. O-net Online
- The average starting salary in D.C. with a bachelor’s degree in political science is $50,721. ZipRecruiter
Learn more about political science career paths (PDF).
Faculty
Program Director Dr. Sunil Dasgupta
Sunil Dasgupta has been a UMBC political scientist since 2009 and leads the university’s political science program at The Universities at Shady Grove in Montgomery County, MD. For the last ten years, his research and teaching have explored the dynamics of hyperlocal politics and local political economy, political polarization and apathy, local news, and barriers to challenger entry in local bodies and uses non-traditional approaches to research, teaching, and learning, including social experiments and interventions.
Dr. Dasgupta hosts and produces a local politics podcast ironically named I Hate Politics (@ihppod on social media) that has become a laboratory for exploring the roots and processes of local political polarization. On the podcast, he developed a format for in-depth interviews of local candidates running in races that receive almost no news coverage. Using the interviews, he created a local voter-guide app called IHPbot that generated personalized slates of candidates matching individual voter preferences during the 2022 Maryland primary. A new version of the app will come out in May 2024, in time for the next primary election in the state.
Dr. Dasgupta received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. His previous research on war and peace studies and civil-military relations has been published by Brookings Institution Press, United States Institute of Peace, Foreign Affairs, Current History, The Washington Quarterly, and The New York Times. Before his academic career, he had a career working as a newspaper reporter and editor.
Dr. Ronald Walters
Dr. Walters teaches courses that examine policy-making and government administration. He serves as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs with the Department of Veterans Affairs. In recognition of his public service, Dr. Walters received a Presidential Rank Award from President Obama in 2017.
Dr. Jacob Straus
Dr. Straus teaches legislative politics, including courses about special interest groups and lobbyists. He serves as a Specialist on the Congress at the Library of Congress. He is also the editor of two editions of Party and Procedure in the United States Congress.
Alumni Spotlight
Nowshin Ahmed
'21, political science
"I want to do everything in my power to represent people who look like me and give them the confidence to do what they can to make a difference, whether that's locally, nationally, or globally."
B.A. in Political Science Information Request