The discipline relies on different levels of analysis, moving from specific issues or problems faced by individuals or groups in different parts of the world, to theoretical analyses of?the overarching political ideologies, theories, and structures that shape everyday life. In addition to the wide range of topics that give focus to the study of politics, political scientists also employ different strategies and tools for understanding political life, from institutional methods of analysis, to cultural, historical, institutional, structural, and theoretical approaches. These topics are explored and these methods are employed across the four traditional sub-fields that make up the discipline:?American Politics,?Political Theory,?Comparative Politics, and?International Relations.?Our major is designed to develop students? substantive knowledge in these different subfields. But, across the discipline, we also strive to give students the critical and analytical tools they need to analyze the complex ways that power and politics work, while?also cultivating their skills as researchers and writers.?