UPDATES
The department has created a blog named "Talking Politics" at http://politicsnu.blogspot.com/. This is an opportunity for past, present, and future members of the KSU Political Science Department, particularly students, to share their thoughts on politics, particularly the presidential election.
Landon Hancock publishes new book, Zones of Peace
Assistant Professor Landon Hancock's new book, Zones of Peace, co-edited with Christopher Mitchell, examines sanctuary as it relates to historical and modern conflicts from the Philippines to Colombia and Sudan. It charts the formation and evolution of these varied “zones of peace,” using case studies to highlight efforts by local people to achieve safety and democracy amid and following violent civil conflict; and attempts to arrive at a “theory of sanctuary” that may allow for new and useful peacebuilding strategies. More information
Christopher Banks Publishes New Book on the Courts 
Associate Professor Christopher Banks’ new book, Courts and Judicial Policymaking, co-authored by David M. O’Brien, is a comprehensive textbook on law and judicial policymaking. It combines both legal and political science perspectives, and it provides a fresh perspective on the contemporary politics of law, the organization of courts, judicial selection, the legal profession, and judicial policymaking, often with an underlying comparative judicial process analysis. More information
Kathleen Hale Hired As Assistant Professor at Auburn University
Kathleen Hale, who recently defended her dissertation, was hired for a tenure track position in public administration in the Department of Political Science at Auburn University. Kathleen will be teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in human resource administration, organizational theory, public-private management and program evaluation. Auburn's department has 20 tenured or tenure-track faculty and offers undergraduate degree programs in political science, public administration and health services administration, as well as the M.P.A. and a Ph.D. program in public administration and public policy. Congratulations Kathleen!
Welcome to the Web site of the Department of Political Science at Kent State University!
As Chair of the Department, it is my pleasure to provide you with a brief introduction to the department, and I hope that you will find much useful information on our web site. The Political Science Department at Kent State University offers a wide variety of programs leading to B.A., M.A., M.P.A., and Ph.D. degrees.
At the undergraduate level, we offer two B.A. degrees and two minors, one in Political Science and one in Applied Conflict Management.
The undergraduate program in Political Science provides students with a broad base of lower division courses and then gives students the opportunity to specialize in either American politics, international and comparative politics, or public policy. Students are also permitted to generalize without choosing a specific sub-major. The undergraduate program in Applied Conflict Management is a separate degree program offering a BA as well as a minor.
For undergraduates, the Department has a semester-long internship program for the study of state government in Columbus, Ohio, as a fall semester counterpart to our highly successful Washington Program in National Issues internship program, which provides students the opportunity to live and study in Washington, D.C., each spring semester. Both offer real opportunities for our students to go directly from their BA programs into professional jobs in the state and national capitals.
At the graduate level, our Masters of Public Administration is a two-year program that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. It offers two tracks: public management and our new public policy track. In addition, the Department offers both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science specializing in the field of public policy and training students not only for academic positions but also for positions in public and non-profit agencies.
We are proud of our large and diverse faculty. We currently have twenty-six full-time members of the faculty, and they excel in teaching, research, and community service. Six of our faculty members have been recognized for their teaching excellence by winning University-wide teaching awards. Research productivity is evidenced by the more than twenty books produced by faculty since 2000. The community outreach activities of the Department are also impressive, involving the Center for Public Administration and Policy, the Ohio Employee Ownership Center, and the Minority Business Program.
Curriculum innovation is another distinguishing characteristic of the Kent State Political Science Department. At the graduate level, for example, the ten core courses in the MPA Program's management track are now being offered online as web-based courses. A new track focusing upon justice studies has been added recently in the Ph.D. public policy program.
The Political Science Department at Kent State University is an exciting, stimulating center of teaching, research, and public service. We thank you for your interest in our department, we welcome you to explore our website, and we stand ready to assist you in any way that we can.
Steven Hook
Professor and Chair