Undergraduate Research Opportunities
The department of politics, policy and international relations strongly encourages its students to undertake research projects, either in concert with the department's faculty or in an independent capacity. These opportunities include department's honors seminar (POL110H), capstone seminar (POL 400), and directed study (POL 500, POL600H). The directed study course, in particular, allows students to work in greater depth with a specific professor on a one-on-one basis on a topic of interest to the student. Students must contact the professor with whom they wish to undertake a directed study well in advance of the beginning of the semester during which they plan on undertaking that directed study. This is critically important because students must present to the department's faculty a formal proposal for their directed study at the very beginning of the semester.
Students may present their research projects at the annual Salem State University Undergraduate Research Day, usually held at the end of the academic year. Students may also apply for regional and national undergraduate research grants to support more ambitious research projects. Please contact Vanessa Ruget at vruget@salemstate.edu for information about the Undergraduate Research Day.
The Salem State University Honors Program
The politics, policy and international relations department actively supports the mission and energetically participates in the activities of the Salem State University Honors Program, including through the offering of an honors course (POL 110H). Please contact Professor Daniel Mulcare for more information on the honors program.
Study Abroad Programs
Visiting a foreign country and immersing yourself in a foreign culture may be an invaluable part of your educational experience at Salem State University. In particular, political science students of politics, policy and international relations may find that there is no better way to acquire a meaningful appreciation for foreign political, economic, and social systems than through participating in a Study Abroad program. Courses taken while abroad on a study abroad program may be transferred back to Salem State University for credit. For more information, students should contact the department chairperson or the Center for International Education (CIE).
The Political Science Academy
The Political Science Academy is the Salem State University student organization for political science majors and minors. Its purposes are to promote political awareness on campus and to aid the career plans of its members. Every major and minor is automatically a member unless s/he chooses not to be. Professor Dan Mulcare currently serves as the faculty advisor to the Political Science Academy.
Pre-Law Society
Many political students aspire to careers in the law. The Pre-Law Society provides an opportunity to learn about law schools and the law school application process, legal careers, different fields of law, and important issues before the state and federal courts. Professor Jennifer Jackman currently serves as the faculty advisor to the Pre-Law Societ y.
Department Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
The department’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee regularly reviews and makes changes to the curriculum. Its mandate includes the task of creating new courses and concentrations and improving existing courses and concentrations as appropriate.
In addition to the entire faculty of the department, two students from the department are elected to serve as voting members of the undergraduate curriculum committee at the beginning of the Fall semester each year. Students can speak with their representatives or with any politics, policy and international relations faculty member if they have questions, concerns, or ideas pertaining to the politics, policy and international relations curriculum.
Furthermore, please keep in mind that any student may attend a meeting of the undergraduate curriculum committee, though in a nonvoting capacity. Professor Jennifer Jackman currently serves as the chairperson of our undergraduate curriculum committee.
Service-learning Projects: Crowdfunding Campaigns Build Experience and Community Among First-Year Students
Food insecurity persists across the North Shore. A 2018 study found that 38 percent of Salem State students experience hunger.
To help combat this crisis on campus, Vanessa Ruget, PhD, associate professor in political science, launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2017 to raise money for the on-campus food pantry as part of a first-year seminar called Global Poverty and Charitable Giving.
“Crowdfunding is a form of experiential education,” says Vanessa, whose seminar introduces learners to college life and fosters community. Her students’ crowdfunding campaigns-- which raise funds from numerous donors online-- have secured more than $3,000 for the SSU food pantry over the last three years.
The campaigns teach students about fundraising, web design and communications skills, and enable them to collaborate with numerous campus offices.
According to Alliane Brennan, program coordinator in the Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD) office, which supports the pantry, students’ crowdfunding experiences dovetail with the course’s overall goal to unpack poverty in the United States.
“Professor Ruget and her students have been incredible in not only generating funds for the Salem State Food Pantry, but also in creating a greater awareness and understanding around how food insecurity significantly impacts college students across the country—including here at SSU,” Alliane explains. “With the funds raised, the LEAD office has purchased non-perishable food and toiletry items utilized by students in need each year.”
Beyond developing marketable skills, students in the first-year seminar also learn about the power of philanthropy.
“Even small contributions add up,” Vanessa says. “While students may not be able to give right now, they can take what they’ve learned and someday donate to causes that matter most to them.”