Department of Political Science
Political Science is the study of government, politics, and power, whether international relations or local politics. Our major provides the knowledge, skills, and experiences to guide students from classroom to career.
Why political science?
Gain knowledge about issues that matter:
Discover how politics works, what effect it has, and what you need to know to participate effectively in it. Our major has something for every interest: from public law to political theory to security and statecraft.
Learn skills that will help you as a professional when you graduate:
Our coursework provides analytical, writing, and research skills, and our major offers pathways to careers in law, government, think tanks and non-profits/advocacy (among others). Recent graduates now work in such diverse places as the US House of Representatives, World Affairs Council, New York State Executive Chamber, the District Attorney’s Office (CO), the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, and Catholic Charities.
Discover hands-on experiences:
We offer a range of hands-on experiences, so students know what they want to do when they graduate and are ready to do it. Most of our students take advantage of our career preparation services, including workshops for their application materials, networking opportunities, and internships. Our students also have the opportunity to work collaboratively with faculty on a professor’s research project or to develop their own research in our Honors program.
Political Science BA | +MIA Option | +MPA Option | +MS Option | +MA Option |
International Affairs MIA | Partially Online | +CGS Option |
Political Science MA | +CGS Option |
Political Science PhD | +CGS Option |
Professors Emeriti/ae
Professors Emeriti
Carlos A. Astiz, PhD
Thomas W. Church, PhD
Martin Edelman, PhD
Alvin Magid, PhD
Michael Malbin, PhD
Bruce Miroff, PhD
Charles D. Tarlton, PhD
Frank J. Thompson, PhD
Lewis P. Welch, PhD
Associate Professor Emerita
Anne M. Hildreth, PhD
Samantha Byrnes
Research Interests:
- Public Law
- Law and Society
- Social Movements
Contact: sjbyrnes@albany.edu CV
Shrijna Dixon
Research Interests:
- Party political ideologies and their implications in domestic and international politics
Contact: sdixon2@albany.edu CV
Ashari Cahyo Edi
Research Interests:
- Policy process politics
- NGO advocacy
- Indonesia studies
Contact: aedi@albany.edu CV
Samuel Eisenkraft
Research Interests:
- Religion
- Insurgency
- Democratization
Contact: seisenkraft@albany.edu CV
Amalini Fernando
Research Interests:
- Digital privacy policy
- Information policy
- Privacy on the Internet
- Cybersecurity
- Emerging digital technologies
Contact: afernando@albany.edu CV
Wilson Han
Research Interests:
- International Political Economy
- China's Foreign Investments
- US-China Relations
Contact: whan3@albany.edu CV
M. Monica Parada Hernández
Research Interests:
- Agrarian Justice
- Rural Development
- Justice Institutions
- Women and Gender
- Democracy
- Transitional Justice
Contact: mparada@albany.edu CV
Karina P Indrasari
Research Interests:
- Terrorism
- Radicalization
- Social Movements
- Migrant Workers
- Southeast Asia
Contact: kindrasari@albany.edu CV
Poyung Lin
Research Interests:
- Alliance politics
- International security
- East Asian security
Contact: plin@albany.edu CV
Connor Moran
Research Interests:
- Political Discourse
- Democratic Theory
- Agonistic Pluralism
- Deliberative Democracy
- Jürgen Habermas
Contact: cmoran2@albany.edu CV
Kaubin Neupane
Research Interests:
- Climate Change and Migration
- Research Methodology
Contact: kneupane@albany.edu CV
Johann Poehlmann
Research Interests:
- Political Economy
Contact: jpoehlmann@albany.edu CV
Farzin Shargh
Research Interests:
- Middle East Politics
- Identity Politics
- Human Rights
- Politics of Higher Education
Contact: fshargh@albany.edu CV
Charmaine N. Willis
Research Interests:
- East/Southeast Asia
- US base politics
- International security
- Contentious politics
- Civil society
- Political violence
- Pedagogy
- Qualitative methods
Contact: cwillis@albany.edu CV Personal Website
Oğulcan Yıldırım
Research Interests:
- Foreign Policy Decision Making
- Energy Security (Nuclear Energy)
Contact: oyildirim@albany.edu CV