This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

Jason Ross Arnold​, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair

Alexandra Reckendorf​, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate Chair

politicalscience.vcu.edu

Political science is the systematic study of institutions, behavior and ideas in order to further the understanding and explanation of government and politics at the local, state, national and international levels. The discipline has a rich history that bridges the present with the past and future, is pluralistic in its modes of inquiry and adopts a critical approach that makes use of qualitative and quantitative analytic methods.  

VCU’s political science department uses its unique position on an urban campus — located in the state capital and just a short distance from Washington, D.C. — to provide students with transformative learning experiences promoting active and engaged citizenship, both domestically and globally. Faculty integrate their teaching with cutting-edge scholarship that advances the boundaries of the discipline and meaningfully impacts public debate and policy.

The department values diversity of thought and identity, inclusive pedagogy, informal mentorships, active citizenship and the free expression of ideas through innovative scholarship, teaching and community engagement. Faculty are dedicated to developing programs and a curriculum that prepare graduates to be informed and inquisitive citizens who are positioned to make a difference as professionals and lifelong learners.

Faculty expertise

American politics and law: American politics and elections; presidential decision-making; public opinion and political behavior; political psychology; political communication; campaign finance; partisan gerrymandering; legislative behavior; state legislatures; constitutional law; race and ethnic politics; Black politics and Black women in politics

Comparative and international politics: comparative politics; international relations; international security; East Asian international relations; European politics and history; Latin American politics; Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia; democracy, development, and state-building; politics of developing countries; immigration; labor politics; international political economy; global health and international health; human development; foreign aid; global environmental politics; climate change; women and politics; political representation; political corruption; political violence; human rights

Technology, security and information politics: AI governance and control; national security intelligence; information politics and state capacity

Political theory and ethics: ancient political thought; democratic theory; feminist political theory; theories of justice, freedom, and virtue ethics; animal rights

Public policy, administration and evaluation: public administration; non-governmental organizations; public sector management; program assessment and evaluation

Students who complete the requirements for the below will receive a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.