Politics, rights and culture

What is politics, rights and culture?

Politics, rights and culture explores how culture and politics shape people’s lives, rights and opportunities around the world. In this major, you’ll examine complex issues like advocacy and activism; media and power; racial and gender politics; migration; globalization; public health; human trafficking; nationalism and conflict.

This major will help you build skills to analyze complex problems, communicate across differences and work toward solutions. If you’re curious about diverse communities and political systems, this could be the major for you.

What you'll learn

In this major, you’ll learn how to:

• analyze political, cultural and social issues from multiple perspectives
• understand how rights, power and opportunity are shaped across communities and systems
• communicate clearly across differences
• connect classroom learning to public affairs work through research, internships and experiential learning

Why study politics, rights and culture at MSU?

At MSU, this major is part of James Madison College, a residential public affairs college. You’ll live and learn with your peers in the close-knit environment of a small liberal arts college while still having access to the opportunities of a major research university.

As a politics, rights and culture student, you’ll learn through an interdisciplinary curriculum with small classes, close faculty mentorship, academic advising and a community centered in Case Hall.

Hands-on learning opportunities

You can pursue undergraduate research through independent study and senior honors projects, gain international perspectives through education abroad and complete internships that connect classroom learning to public affairs work in real-world settings.

Alumni pursuits

Graduates with a politics, rights and culture degree pursue opportunities in government, law, nonprofit advocacy, education, communications, international affairs, research and business. Many continue their education in graduate or professional programs in law, public policy, public health, education, communication, social work, business and more.

Next steps