Mission
The Government Department has viewed its primary mission consistently since its inception in the 1950s, and we remain dedicated to this view of our role. It is to continue to offer a high quality liberal arts oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the discipline of political science. We view our role, not as training students for a particular profession, or specifically to pursue graduate study in political science, but rather as creating an intellectual environment where students can develop their academic skills. We expect to help students learn to think more critically about domestic and international polities, and prepare to become thoughtful and sophisticated citizens and productive members of society.
At the undergraduate level we offer the general major in government, and a separate major, which is a concentration in international relations. Also offered is a joint major in government-journalism, although the fact the journalism faculty were absorbed into the Communication Studies Department several years ago has reduced their offerings in support of that double major. A minor in government is also offered, and the department participates in the California studies minor and the public policy minor as well. Moreover, our department promotes knowledge and understanding of international politics and global issues, encourages students to pursue study abroad opportunities, and fosters a deeper comprehension of various cultures and nations throughout the world.
At the graduate level, the department offers a well-rounded general program of study leading to a Master of Arts in government and a separate, distinct program of study leading to a Master of Arts in international affairs, the latter in cooperation with other departments.
The Government Department offers key courses in the General Education program of the University. We provide lower and upper division courses that meet the state code requirement in U.S. institutions and California state and local government, and we provide a variety of courses that meet requirements in Area D, and one in Area C, of the GE program. Moreover, we participate, as we have since the pilot program in fall, 1995, in the learning communities program for incoming freshmen students. As well, we participate in the liberal studies program, the state-approved elementary subject matter program that prepares future teachers for K-8 teaching in California, and the social science program, a state-approved single subject program that prepares prospective high school social science teachers. 1
A central aspect of our mission is also to continue to offer our department internship program throughout the year (fall, spring and summer), as well as the system-wide Sacramento Semester program that operates during spring semesters and enrolls students, not only from CSU Sacramento, but also from most of the campuses throughout the system. Both these programs are open to students throughout the University.
Our program’s goal--to graduate students with a broadly based understanding of the concerns of political science, who have fundamentally sound analytical skills and the ability to express themselves clearly--serves the community and the region generally. Our students are prepared to take up positions working in the region in both private and public sector employment. Numerous of our graduates pursue their interest in politics into work directly with state government, some working in the legislature, with members’ staff or in institutionally-related offices; others find positions with departments or agencies of the executive branch. Still others pursue opportunities with organizations and associations that work with state government. Others find opportunities with various units of local government. A number of Government majors pursue their interest in law by attending law school and a good many of them are to be found practicing or otherwise working in the Sacramento region. Goodness knows there are not enough lawyers in the state, so this is a major contribution to the community’s and the region’s needs. Still others among our graduates, both from the general major and the international relations concentration, will go on to graduate study in one of these fields.
Although our primary focus is not specifically to train teachers, it is nevertheless the case that some students who have majored in government will pursue certification as K-8 teachers by taking an examination to demonstrate their subject matter competency (as opposed to completing the liberal studies major). Given the need for well-qualified elementary school teachers throughout the state, their studies with us respond directly to a serious community need. As well, a number of graduates of our Master of Arts program have secured positions teaching in community colleges in this region, and elsewhere in the state.
Since we see our general preparation of government majors as inculcating a sense of the value of civic participation, as well as an understanding of how citizens can participate effectively in the affairs of government, our program serves the community by graduating committed citizens ready to take up their roles as responsible members of the polity.
