Political Science - Associate of Arts Degree

Major/Program Requirements

Career and Academic Pathways

Required Courses:

Students must complete at least three (3) units from the following list:

Students must complete at least six (6) additional units from the following list:

Students must complete at least three (3) additional units from the following list:

Recommended Courses

It is recommended that students complete their general education requirements in physical and biological sciences and mathematics by taking the following courses:

Total Credit Hours: 22.00

Lower division requirements for students interested in transferring to a four-year institution in this field may differ from associate degree requirements. Prospective transfer students should complete the general education and lower division requirements of the school to which they will be transferring. See a counselor for details. Information is also available at www.assist.org.

A student receiving a degree in this field will be able to:

• Define "politics" and its influence on individuals within society and society as a whole, demonstrating awareness of the context or opportunities for individual or group participation and efficacy in politics.
• Recognize, describe and analyze the significant and usually direct influence of social, economic and cultural factors on political behavior and beliefs.
• Define and distinguish between human rights, civil liberties and civil rights.
• Identify and employ the pertinent vocabulary of political discourse and political science.
• Recognize, describe and analyze liberal democracy in comparison to non-democratic forms of government.
• Recognize and distinguish between the various forms of democracy, as well as between different types of non-democratic governments, movements and ideologies.
• Identify and describe the major political institutions found in both the United States and other nations in the world.