The study of political science at Gettysburg College introduces students to a core set of concepts and methodologies that promote critical thought about the complexities of an interdependent world and the role of individual nation-states within it. The College's location gives students an excellent historical vantage point from which to ponder such questions. Students may study political thought and such concepts as equality, liberty, and citizenship promoted by Plato or Madison. They may study the development of the state, the principle of separation of powers, American foreign policy, or conflict resolution and the cleavages that still promote violence in Northern Ireland or the Middle East. They may focus on poverty and the lack of basic human rights in third-world nations, explore the plight of migrant workers here in Adams County, join a service-learning trip to Latin America, or participate in a march on the mall in the nation's capital. Whatever their focus, students encounter a core set of themes: the state and other institutional structures, power, and choice.

Political science students may experience a rich array of hands-on activities, including internships in a variety of settings; class visits from faculty at the nearby Army War College; class trips to Washington, D.C., with visits to the Supreme Court or sessions of Congress; and participation in approved semester abroad programs or programs in Washington, D.C. Finally, students are encouraged to build curricular bridges to related academic disciplines, such as environmental studies, economics, and history.