The department offers a varied undergraduate curriculum covering domestic, foreign, and international politics. By meeting requirements outlined below, a student may earn a bachelor degree in political science or in political science-history; a minor in political science or global public health; or a bachelor degree in political science with an option in American politics, international relations and comparative politics, public administration, non-profit administration, international development studies, or public law. A Master of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Public Administration degree are also offered. 

The scope of the faculty's interest and research is wide. They bring special insights gained through study and residence in Europe, Russia, Africa, Central Asia, India, the Far East and Latin America, as well as in Montana and Washington, D.C. The Political Science Department is at the forefront of the University of Montana’s mission to educate students for the Global Century.

Courses offered in the department are designed to: (1) assist students to secure a broad liberal education and to equip them with the foundations for American citizenship; (2) provide undergraduate preparation for those students who propose to continue study at the graduate level with the ultimate goal of college teaching and research; (3) offer a broad program of training for those students who plan careers in government or politics; (4) assist in preparing students for careers in teaching at both the elementary and secondary levels; (5) provide a sound background for those students who intend to enroll in law and other professional schools.