Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science requires 48 units in the major: 42 units in Political Science and six upper-division units in related disciplines such as American studies, anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology and statistics.
POSC 100, a graduation requirement for all students, is not part of the major, but is a prerequisite to further work in political science.
No more than 12 units total may be in the lower division.
Introductory Requirements (3 Units)
- POSC 200 - Introduction to the Study of Politics
Political Philosophy Requirement (3 units)
- POSC 340 - Political Philosophy
Breadth Requirements (12 Units; courses must come from 4 of the 5 subfields)
Choose four of the following subfields:
-
American Politics
- POSC 310 - Political Behavior and Motivation
or
POSC 315 - Politics and Policy Making in America
-
Public Administration
- POSC 320 - Introduction to Public Management and Policy
-
Comparative Politics
- POSC 330 - Politics in Nation-States
-
International Relations
- POSC 350 - World Politics in the 21st Century
or
POSC 352 - American Foreign Policy
-
Public Law
- POSC 375 - Law, Politics and Society
Research Methods Requirement (3 Units)
Choose one of the following courses:
- POSC 321 - Research in Public Management
- POSC 407 - Polls, Statistics and Political Interpretation
Related Fields (6 upper - division units)
Click to view the list of related fields
Electives (21 Units)
If you are a transfer student, please meet with an advisor as soon as possible to determine where any transfer political science courses may count toward your major.
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Writing Requirement Courses (6 Units; writing requirement courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. If the writing requirement is met in another major, 6 units of any 400-level POSC courses are still required here):
403,
405,
410,
411,
412,
416,
417,
421,
422,
426,
427,
431T,
432,
437,
438,
442T,
446,
448,
456,
457,
458,
460,
461,
471,
472,
473,
474,
475,
476,
485
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Additional 400-level POSC course (3 Units)
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Other POSC electives (12 Units)
