School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs
Investigation. Analysis. Diversity.
Join a thriving community of critical thinkers working to advance our understanding of politics and society. You’ll develop strengths in logic and ethics and bring together communications technologies with research methodologies to address real-world problems.
Faculty in all three areas—political science, philosophy, and public affairs—share their broad range of scholarly interests with student researchers and provide experiential learning opportunities to investigate global and local issues.
WSU offers an inclusive and diverse learning environment and the opportunity to apply your knowledge in service of society and the public good.
Featured Courses
Politics and Current Affairs (Pol_S 320)
Explore trends in politics and public policy through the lens of the 2024 presidential election.
Philosophy of Food (Phil 320)
Investigate the nature, production, and distribution of food, including its ethical, aesthetic, metaphysical, and social dimensions.
School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs in the News
Why this professor thinks politics and beer are a good combination
Seattle Times: Michael Goldsby, a WSU Foley Faculty Fellow with Humanities Washington, discusses social reward structures in his “How beer might save democracy” presentation.
Trump campaign aired more TV ads than Harris everywhere except for these 8 media markets
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: Travis Ridout, political scientist at WSU and co-director of Wesleyan Media Project, discusses differences in spending and placement between the two campaigns.
Meet the new faculty of 2024
The breadth of scholarly interests and teaching expertise of the college’s newest faculty—from environmental humanities and many-body physics to economic globalization and the history of visual storytelling—enriches and expands the arts and sciences across the WSU system.
The Fight Over Tim Walz’s Midwestern Appeal
Time: Travis Ridout, professor of political science and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, reflects on the general characteristics of candidates for U.S. vice president.