The Department of Politics and International Relations is housed in the Wilbur D. Mills Building.  Mills was a Hendrix alumnus and Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee from 1958-1975.  In keeping with this rich heritage, the scope of the Politics and International Relations Department at Hendrix College transcends that of a traditional political science department. Students are introduced to the scientific method as a way of analyzing political behavior, along with historical and theoretical approaches.

The Department offers two majors: Politics and International Relations. The faculty offer a wide range of courses in American government and politics, political theory, international relations theory and history, foreign policy, area studies, and topical courses covering such issues as political economy, global HIV/AIDS, and the politics of gender and sexuality.  The department also provides opportunities for hands on learning that is linked to coursework, in courses such as Arkansas Politics and Model United Nations.

The curricula of the Politics and International Relations majors are based on the conviction that the best undergraduate education joins analytical rigor and passion.  The best analysts of politics are those whose passions have pulled them into venues where they gain distinctive learning experiences; and, the most effective activists have this key ability to step back and objectively analyze the work at hand making smarter decisions to the benefit of the cause about which they feel passion.