Merrill Scholars honor mentors at 35th annual ceremony
Forty-three student scholars, including nine from Arts and Sciences, were honored at this year’s 35th Merrill Presidential Scholars ceremony on May 23.
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Learn to think and write rigorously and creatively about issues of public life
Academics
As a government major, you’ll learn how to think and write rigorously and creatively about issues of public life. You’ll have the choice of courses in four subfields: American politics (the political behavior, policies and institutions of the U.S.), comparative politics (the institutions and political processes of other nations), political theory and philosophy (normative theories of politics and history of political thought) and international relations (transactions between states, international organizations and transnational actors).
Academic Resources
A wide array of opportunities
Undergraduate Program
Course offerings reflect the breadth of faculty expertise in this exciting and growing discipline, and the study of Government at Cornell trains students with skills that are in high demand in public service, business, law, the non-profit sector, and many other professions. Our introductory courses in American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and international relations introduce students to the major tools and approaches to the study of politics. From there, students apply these tools to understand the many facets of public life, from contemporary political thought to campaigns and elections, public policy, conflict and peace, and beyond. The Department of Government not only offers a major program, but also an honors program and two minors.
Graduate Program
The graduate program in Government at Cornell prepares students for academic and research careers in political science. All students admitted to the program are expected to earn a doctoral degree. Completion of the Ph.D. program normally requires two-to-three years of full-time course work at Cornell and several additional years of dissertation research and writing.
Government News
Cornell Atkinson awards $1.6M in seed grants
The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability’s Academic Venture Fund will support 11 new projects across nine colleges; three include Arts and Sciences investigators.
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Kreps: Generative AI holds promise, peril for democracies
Popularized in 2022 by Open AI’s ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence threatens to undermine trust in democracies when misused, but may also be harnessed for public good.
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$2.5M in A&S New Frontier Grants supports bold projects
A&S faculty members will delve into questions ranging from quantum computing to foreign policy development and from heritage forensics to effects of climate change.
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Nexus Scholars Program expands research opportunities to 101 students
This summer, 101 students in the College of Arts and Sciences will take part in groundbreaking research on campus with 61 faculty as part of the Nexus Scholars Program.
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'My thesis gave me the chance to connect with my own heritage'
Aditi Hukerikar is a government and comparative literature major.
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'I learned it's possible to impact systems and structures that appear out of reach'
Prameela Kottapalli is a College Scholar, government & feminist, gender and sexuality studies major.
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Vaccine campaign research highlights the power of individual self-interest
Researchers Sarah Kreps and Douglas Kriner surveyed residents of Italy who went unvaccinated, despite strong government policies and penalties.
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