Sophomore Planning
Sophomores interested in studying Political Science- check out our Q & A for Sophomore Planning! You must be logged into your Swarthmore email account to view this document.
Political Science Students Compete in Schuman Challenge
Some of Political Science's best and brightest competed in the 2023 Schuman Challenge. Read more about it here, from Political Science's very own Noah Sandfort ('25)
U.N. Climate Change Conference
A group of Swarthmore students, staff, and faculty attended the United Nations Foundation Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt in November, witnessing and contributing to international unity against the existential threat of climate change.

Political Science
Political Science is the rigorous intellectual quest to identify and analyze such phenomena. Political scientists build on the foundational ideas of social and political theorists, from the ancient world to the Enlightenment to the present day. As political scientists, we develop logical and parsimonious theoretical arguments to better understand and explain important social and political phenomena, and even sometimes predict future developments. Political scientists develop and test their arguments through a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, including archival research, interviews, surveys, statistical analysis, and experiments.
Through immersion in the substance and methods of political science, students gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in a variety of career paths, including the law, public policy analysis, foreign service, international development, journalism, and academia.