The field of American Politics at The University of Maryland includes the study of Congress, voting and participation, public opinion, race and ethnicity, political parties, interest groups, state and local politics, courts, political development, the Presidency, and the contextual effects of factors such as diversity and segregation. The work of our faculty members is tied to the scientific study of American politics through rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods. The Department of Government and Politics offers a Ph.D. degree in political science, intended primarily for those planning academic careers. Students can specialize in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. In addition, students can study in depth more specialized fields such as public law, national security, public policy, political psychology, international and inter-ethnic conflict, international political economy, urban politics, post-Soviet and post-communist studies, East-Asian studies, environmental politics, and the politics of advanced industrial societies.