About the Department
Nestled at the backside corner of the college, yet always standing at the forefront of intellectual activity at St. John’s, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration has a rich, vibrant and varied history. Political Science has been one of the prestigious departments of St. John’s College, ever since its inception in 1964. During the formative years, the department offered pre-degree courses and later, the BA programme in Political Science was introduced in 1967. The year 1999 offered a landmark, thanks to the inception of a two-year Masters programme in Public Administration – the first of its kind in the state – under Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kerala. The Department has produced several University ranks alongside other academic accomplishments including international/national seminars and research publications. Since 2021, the Department is offering a certificate course for the BA and MA students in collaboration with the Kerala branch of Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.
Our community of St. John’s alumni is professionally diverse, geographically dispersed, and many of them have notable accomplishments. From reputed scholars to veteran politicians to notable lawyers, a number of department alumni have accomplished outstanding achievements in their field. Hundreds of our former students work in schools, colleges and at various government offices.
Today’s department has a strong emphasis on developing an empirical research orientation, together with high pedagogical priority given to the key concepts and theoretical frameworks of Political Science and Public Administration. Besides providing individual research supervision, the department offers students the opportunity to discuss their research projects with scholars of repute.
Our students have an inherent advantage in seeking government jobs, as they engage with two disciplines – Political Science and Public Administration – that are crucial in the preparation of state and national level competitive exams. The department extends its expertise and resources to support all the career guidance initiatives implemented at the college. Presently, Dr. Sajan Thomas is the head of the department. The other faculty members include Dr. Ronie Thomas, Mr. Thomas Mohan, Ms. Gouri Nair S. and Ms. Husnamol K.C.