UMSL’s Department of Political Science ranked No. 12 on Learn.org’s list of best online bachelor’s degree programs in political science. (Photo by August Jennewein)

This is a time of heightened political engagement and tension, and faculty members in the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ Department of Political Science have been valued by news organizations across the state and beyond trying to make sense of the moment.

Those professors share that same expertise in their classrooms every day, whether in person or online, helping students understand and address key issues impacting society.

The ratings website Learn.org recently ranked UMSL No. 12 nationally on its list of the best online political science bachelor’s degree programs.

Learn.org gathered information from the U.S Department of Education, such as graduation rates and average salary of graduates, and combined it with close examinations of each school’s individual program to best determine the top programs around the United States. It considered factors such as extracurricular opportunities and internship possibilities among other criteria when creating the list.

UMSL’s program helps students build a foundation of knowledge and skills among its students in areas such as American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public policy and administration.

“Our faculty are engaged in helping students better understand public policies both large and small, and that applies to an online environment too,” said Professor David Kimball, interim chair of the Department of Political Science. “We are dedicated to preparing our students to better understand, communicate, solve, and lead on the urgent issues that challenge all of us.”