Political Science is the study of politics, power, and government, including U.S. and foreign governments, as well as relationships among governments, their actions and policies. The department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in five substantive fields of study.The graduate program is designed to expose students to the breadth of the discipline, while providing tools for in-depth independent research or specializations in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, methodology, political theory and public policy. Students receive training in research methodologies that permit them to pursue original research in their chosen fields of interest. The graduate program counts among its strengths a highly productive and accessible faculty (currently numbering 15), a small but select cohort of graduate students (approximately 30), state of the art computer facilities, and strong ties with complimentary research units and affiliated institutes on and off campus. The department admits a small number of well-qualified candidates to its graduate program each year. Such factors as the applicant's academic and non-academic experience, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the ability of the department to provide faculty guidance and courses in the applicant's areas of interest, and the university's commitment to affirmative action are considered.