OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to earn minor: 18
GPA requirements to earn minor: 2.0
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward minor: C
Residency Requirement: A minimum of 9 Credit Hours must be completed at the University of Maine
Students who are majoring in Political Science cannot declare “Political Theory” as their minor.
Contact Information: Mark D. Brewer, Professor and Interim Chair, 113A North Stevens Hall, (207) 581-1871, mark.brewer@umit.maine.edu
The Minor in Political Theory engages students in systematic study of the philosophical underpinnings of our political world. Political theory is a field that engages students in the history of political thought and attempts to answer the question, “What do we want our political world to be?” In total, the courses offer an historical survey of the core ideas in political theory from Greek and Roman antiquity through to the present day. Students grapple with the contested meaning of foundational political concepts such as justice, democracy, inclusion, power, and legitimacy. Students also reflect upon and assess the worthiness of contemporary political systems, including their own, by examining competing conceptions of various ideal arrangements proposed by political philosophers over the millennia. Lastly, students examine the impact of political ideas upon monumental events in American political history and Western civilization generally.
In sum, students will learn to think critically about the ideas and philosophies that have shaped, and will continue to guide, contemporary political systems, gain the intellectual tools to become more informed and engaged democratic citizens, and it is hoped, more thoughtful and considerate human beings.
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