Student Experiences


Research
Students have abundant opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research projects or conduct independent research projects under faculty supervision. In a typical year, about 20 students from the Political Science Department present research projects at EMU’s annual Undergraduate Symposium. Visit the Undergraduate Symposium website for more information.
Academic Teams
The department sponsors and coaches three highly successful academic teams: Mock Trial, Model UN, and Moot Court. Students travel across the country competing against hundreds of other universities. Numerous students have won recognition for outstanding performances at regional and national events.
Mock Trial News


The Mock Trial team has had a successful start to the 2019-20 season competing in tournaments at Michigan State University, Case Western University, and Penn State University. At the Michigan State tournament the A Team placed first,with Kelsey Hall winning the Outstanding Attorney Award on the side of the prosecution and Jillian Jones winning the Outstanding Witness Award on the side of the defense. Team Gold placed third in the tournament at Penn State University, and Thomas Graham was awarded the Outstanding Attorney Award. At Case Western University, the Green and White Teams competed against Carnegie Mellon, Illinois, Michigan, and Northwestern, among others, and Meagan Putnam received the Outstanding Witness Award.


Model UN News
Eleven EMU students participated in the Dayton Model United Nations Conference (DAYMUNC) in Ohio over February 7th-8th, 2020. Two of the students won awards, Sarah Jessup and Chris Arnold. This is a small conference that provides an opportunity for new Model UN members to gain experience in multilateral diplomacy.
Seven students participated in the MainMUN conference in Frankfurt am Main, Germany from February 13th-16th, 2020. The Frankfurt conference does not issue awards, but all of our students did an outstanding job.
In a simulation of international diplomacy, twenty EMU students attended the American Model United Nations (AMUN) conference in Chicago from November 23-26, 2019. The delegation earned two awards for outstanding diplomacy while representing the nations of Iran and Libya.


National winning team: Charles Graham (left) and Kelsey Hall (right).
Moot Trial News
The Moot Trial Team won the American Moot Court national championships with Kelsey Hall and Charles Graham placing as the best team in the nation. Read more in EMU Today.


Study Abroad Course in Russia
Study Abroad and U.S. Travel Courses
Our students have various opportunities to learn around the country and the world. In recent years, students have taken a civil rights tour through Alabama and Mississippi, viewed the political process up close in Washington, D.C., and explored the politics of poverty, human rights, and health in countries like Guatemala and Russia. Visit the Office of Study Abroad website to learn more.
Student Organizations
Through department-sponsored organizations, like the national political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha and the Public Administration Club, students can continue to learn outside of the classroom by attending lectures, networking, and participating in other events related to government and professional development.
Internships
Our students gain real-world work experience through internships. Typically, our interns work 10-20 hours per week and participate in a seminar course with fellow interns and a faculty advisor. To learn more about internship requirements, opportunities, and resources, visit our internships page.
Read about the internship experiences of a few of our students:

Alexa Cooley
The most valuable aspect of my internship was working with the staff and my fellow interns and being on the frontlines of federal policy. I had the pleasure of working with the amazing and brilliant Dingell staff, who taught me so much. I got an inside look at the policies that Congresswoman Dingell supported, and all the work goes into those decisions. There is no better teacher than experience, and I was able to experience it all while interning in the office. I could not be more thankful for the work that I was able to do and the people I had the pleasure of meeting."

Olivia Harvey

Nichole Allain
