Living in the DC area, we don’t have to look far to find colleges that offer exciting opportunities for politically-minded students. We all know that American, GW, and Georgetown offer great programs for the future politicians among us - and you can’t beat the exposure to the DC political scene (in both good and bad ways!).
Today, though, we want to spotlight a few others that may have fallen under your radar!
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale hosted Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just last week, and has also had visits from prominent speakers like Attorney General Barr. Hillsdale is a nonsectarian Christian institution, and according to its mission statement, “considers itself a trustee of our Western philosophical and theological inheritance tracing to Athens and Jerusalem, a heritage finding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-government under law.” One of the only colleges in the country that does not accept any form of state or federal aid, Hillsdale is very appealing for ultra-conservative students with an interest in politics. The interdisciplinary Political Economy major combines economics, politics, and history, and students of all majors report positive experiences participating in WHIP, the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program based at the school’s D.C. campus.
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges include Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, Pomona, Scripps, and Harvey Mudd. The Consortium offers several unique programs for students interested in politics through a more philosophical lens, including majors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), and well as Philosophy and Public Affairs (PPA). The PPE major uses the Oxford tutorial style to provide students with the opportunity to learn in small group discussions and seminars. Students can apply for this highly selective major in their sophomore year. For students interested in current political issues, the interdisciplinary Environment, Economics, and Politics major prepares them for a career in many environmental fields. While activism is popular at all of the Claremont Colleges, Pitzer stands out in particular, with core values including Social Responsibility and Student Engagement. Graduation requirements at Pitzer even include coursework in Social Justice Theory and Social Responsibility! All Consortium students can take advantage of the many resources at Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center, including funding to support individual projects.
Syracuse University
Syracuse made international headlines several years ago after student protests led the university to remove fossil fuel stocks from its endowment several years back, and the administration has continued to demonstrated its commitment to student activism by establishing a dedicated Student Activism Engagement Team. More recently, the university sponsored dozens of informational sessions and conversations about voting for students in the lead-up to the election. Academically, they also offer a Citizenship and Civic Engagement (CCE) program, in which students combine the CCE major with a second, related major of their choice and finish their senior year by creating a workable Action Plan around a social issue. Environmentally-minded students may choose to combine CCE with a major in Environment, Sustainability, and Policy. Both majors are housed in Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Maxwell is also home to nine different research centers, where interested undergraduates can complete research on a variety of political topics. However, students from a variety of different majors can take advantage of the DC campus and all of its offerings!
Texas Christian University
TCU’s Political Science department offers a variety of opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom, including an internship program in Washington, D.C. and the ability to participate in Model United Nations and Moot Court. Whether students pursue the BA Program in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies or the signature TCU Justice Journey program that actually takes students on a bus tour to sites that were significant in the civil rights movement, there is no question that the Interdisciplinary Department of Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies provides opportunities that cannot be found at other schools. TCU is also home to a number of politically active student groups, including chapters of the College Republicans and College Democrats. The Community Engagement Programming division works hard to keeps students active, and has even pivoted to sharing virtual engagement opportunities during Covid!
Washington University St. Louis
Wash U in St. Louis has always been known for its politically active campus community. The university has hosted four presidential debates (and one VP debate!) through which students were able to volunteer and gain real-world experience behind the scenes of a presidential election. The school also offers a unique “religion and politics” minor that offers the chance to delve deeper into niche issues. Another appealing option can be found in the distinctive, in-depth civil engagement leadership training program for juniors and seniors called the Civic Scholars Program. Lastly, future artists might enjoy the Civic and Community Arts Residency initiative, which offers the option for undergrads to blend an interest in civic engagement with a passion for arts.
Hampden-Sydney College
Located right here in Virginia, Hampden-Sydney is the country’s oldest traditional all-male college and one of the most conservative schools in the country. The Government and Foreign Affairs department at Hampden-Sydney offers two distinctive minors through the Wilson Center for Leadership: National Security Studies and Leadership in the Public Interest. Hampden-Sydney is also home to the Center for the Study of Political Economy, a co-curricular center that sponsors lecture series and reading groups. The Center’s mission is “to motivate undergraduate students to create a more just and prosperous world through entrepreneurship and scholarship in classical liberal political economy.”
Columbia University
Columbia has always had a well-known reputation for political activism on campus, including the Butler Banner Project in recent years. While the majority of students are liberal, the school also has a large conservative population and a diversity of political thought on campus. Students can publish political commentary in two journals, The Columbia Political Review and The Current. The World Leaders Forum allows students to hear from political leaders all over the world, and undergrads can join a wide variety of political organizations on campus. The dedicated Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging proactively identifies issues and solutions, including the Campus Conversations intiative that encourages students to engage in dialogue. Columbia has graduated three Presidents, eight Attorneys General, and ten Supreme Court Justices, as well as numerous other political actors in recent years, and hosts many notable speakers in its political speaker series.
Remember to get out and vote today!
I was pleasantly surprised at the non-existent lines after hearing so many cautionary warnings!
If you’re already thinking about tonight’s dinner-table discussion, I really liked this piece from NPR for parents of teenagers and younger children alike!