![Her Own Place in the Sun](https://www.dickinson.edu/images/ava_nicholson_IMG_2238_700w.jpg)
Her Own Place in the Sun
"Don't compare your growth to others. Grow at your own pace." Meet Ava Nicholson '25 (law & policy, political science), who's found her own stride toward success.
Dickinson's political science department is unusually large for a liberal-arts college. Many of its members teach in Dickinson's interdisciplinary programs: Africana studies, East Asian studies, international studies, Latin American studies, Middle East studies, policy studies and women's, gender & sexuality studies. Our faculty are productive scholars of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public law, as well as dedicated and innovative teachers. Faculty members conduct research on Russia, Latin America, Asia, Europe, policy issues, electoral politics, political communication, political theory, the presidency, U.S. and comparative law, among other areas of interest.
The Princeton Review has named Dickinson a “great school for political science majors” (2020)
Our majors are actively involved on campus and in the department. Many are officers in Dickinson's Student Senate, are members of the college's Mock Trial Team, are active in intercollegiate and intramural sports, volunteer at many local charities and participate in service trips. Most of our majors also study off-campus at programs in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Washington, D.C.
Upon graduation, many of our students go on to study at graduate and law schools in the U.S. and abroad. Recent graduates have gone on to study human rights, public health, public policy, international affairs, political management and law at the best programs in the country and around the world. Many other graduates choose to serve in the Peace Corps and Teach for America or to pursue careers in journalism, law, business, broadcasting and in local, state and federal government.
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Graduate Schools
“My first internship at Dickinson was as a judicial intern at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Carlisle, with Judge [and Dickinson Trustee] Albert Masland ’79. The second was a summer internship with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas. Both internships gave me practical experience in the legal field and allowed me to explore various aspects of the law. Additionally, these opportunities augmented many of the theoretical legal concepts I studied throughout my coursework as a law & policy and political science major. They solidified my aspirations of attending law school after graduating and allowed me to be an active community member, which I always look to do.”
— Tony Trandafir ’24
"Don't compare your growth to others. Grow at your own pace." Meet Ava Nicholson '25 (law & policy, political science), who's found her own stride toward success.
Dickinson is pleased to announce that four members of the class of 2026 have been accepted into the prestigious Visiting Student Programme at Oxford University’s Mansfield College.
Andrew Hyde ’81 pioneered the use of pre-AI and AI technologies in diplomacy and national and global policy. Discover his journey from an undergrad to a high-level expert and thought leader.
Political science majors secure jobs at Epic Systems, the Hartford and more.
“Take chances on the things you’re passionate about,” says Justice Roney ’24, who rediscovered her passion through Dickinson's spring musical.
Dickinson honors the winners of its annual FYS Excellence in Writing Award, the Prize for Excellence in First Year Research and the Research Prize for Sophomores or Juniors.