Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Political science is the study of government and politics at the local, state, national, and international levels. Students investigate a wide variety of topics including law and society, public policy, global politics, political institutions and law making. Political science majors develop a broad understanding of political concepts, institutions, behaviors and processes. Students in political science take a breadth of lower division courses covering American politics, comparative and global politics, political thought and political inquiry. The political science degree emphasizes the comprehension of political thinking and the application of communication and analytical skills, and prepares students for a wide range of careers, including law or graduate school, work with governmental/non-profit organizations, research and survey analysis, and leadership positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Concentrations
Global Politics
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Study of international and comparative politics, politics of developing areas, and U.S. foreign policy. Prepares students for careers in the diplomatic corps, foreign policy analysis, transnational nongovernmental organizations, intelligence analysis, or international business.
Pre-Law
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Study of U.S. constitutional law, civil liberties, civil rights, jurisprudence and judicial process. Prepares students for careers in law. Some students may apply to law school to continue their preparation for the legal profession. Others may seek careers in law-related professions such as law enforcement, judicial administration and legal assistance.
U.S. Politics
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Study of U.S. governmental institutions, campaigns and elections, parties, public policy, and social movements. Provides students with a broad knowledge of the U.S. political system that can prepare them for careers in government employment at the local, state, or national level, campaign advising, policy analysis, urban and regional planning, or leadership positions in advocacy groups.
Individualized Course of Study
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
An Individualized Course of study consists of 21 units of coursework to be selected by the student and approved by the student's faculty advisor. 12 of the 21 units must be at the 3000–4000 (upper-division) level and 12 units must be a POLS prefix. The 12 units of upper-division coursework are not required to be the same 12 units as the POLS-prefix courses. The list of courses is a contract between the student and the Department.
Program Learning Objectives
- Subject Matter Expertise: Through their curricular and co-curricular work, students will demonstrate expertise in political science and its subfields, as well as its relationship to the broader worlds of study and practice.
- Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate critical thinking through their coursework and/or co-curricular activities.
- Working Productively and Communicating Effectively: Through their coursework and/or co-curricular activities, students will demonstrate their ability to work productively, both alone and in groups, their knowledge of the principles of effective communication, and their ability to communicate the results of their work effectively through a variety of tools and techniques.
- Ethics, Diversity and Sustainability: In the context of coursework and/or co-curricular activities, students will demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to make reasoned decisions, and that they can bring an understanding of the politics surrounding and the value of ethics, diversity and sustainability to bear on those decisions.
- Lifelong Learning and Positive Contribution: Through their coursework and/or co-curricular activities, students will demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills to engage in lifelong learning aimed at making a positive contribution to society.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirements (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| POLS 1112 | U.S. and California Government (4A) 1 | 3 |
| POLS 1180 | Political Inquiry | 3 |
| POLS 2225 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 2229 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 2230 | Basic Concepts of Political Thought | 3 |
| POLS 3359 | Research Design | 3 |
| POLS 3361 | Data Analysis in Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 4461 | Senior Project I | 2 |
| POLS 4462 | Senior Project II | 2 |
| Concentration or Individualized Course of Study | ||
| (See list of Concentrations and Individualized Course of Study below) 2, 3 | 21 | |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | ||
| Select from the following: 3 | 3 | |
| Political Violence and Conflict Resolution | ||
| Politics of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the U.S. | ||
| Civil Rights in the U.S. | ||
| Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | ||
| Feminist Legal Theory | ||
| Social Movements and Political Protest | ||
| Voting Rights and Representation | ||
| U.S. Reproductive Politics | ||
| The Politics of Poverty | ||
| Upper-Division Electives | ||
| Select any 3000-4000 level POLS courses 2, 3 | 12 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| STAT 1110 | Applied Statistical Concepts and Methods (2) 1 | 3 |
| Select from the following: (4B) 1 | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Geography | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History since 1500 | ||
| Comparative Societies | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 34 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 4 | 19 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 2
A maximum of 3 units of either POLS 3386 or POLS 3387 may count towards the Concentration. A maximum of 3 units of either POLS 3386 or POLS 3387 may count towards the Upper-Division Electives.
- 3
If a course is taken to meet a Major or Support requirement, it cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 4
If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
Concentrations
Global Politics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| POLS 3308 | Political Violence and Conflict Resolution 1 | 3 |
| or POLS 3381 | Peace and War | |
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Comparative Political Culture | ||
| International Organizations and Law | ||
| Politics of the Global Economy | ||
| POLS 3328 | Politics of Developing Areas | 3 |
| or POLS 3383 | Politics of the European Union | |
| POLS 3382 | Comparative Foreign Policy | 3 |
| or POLS 4420 | Contemporary U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| POLS 4428 | Issues and Topics in Comparative Politics | 3 |
| or POLS 4429 | Issues and Topics in International Relations | |
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 1, 2, 3 | 6 | |
| Model United Nations | ||
| International Relations Theory | ||
| Global Political Issues | ||
| World Food Systems | ||
| Authoritarian and Democratic Rule | ||
| Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | ||
| Comparative Law | ||
| Government Internship | ||
| Research Internship | ||
| Comparative Political Corruption | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Technology and Public Policy | ||
| Technology and International Development | ||
Select any course that was not taken to satisfy a requirement listed above | ||
| Total Units | 21 | |
- 1
If a course is taken to meet a Major or Support requirement, it cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 2
A minimum of 3 units of either POLS 3386 or POLS 3387 may count towards the concentration.
- 3
Consultation with advisor is recommended prior to selecting Approved Electives; bear in mind that your selection may impact pursuit of post-baccalaureate studies and/or goals.
Pre-Law
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| POLS 2245 | Judicial Process | 3 |
| POLS 3334 | Jurisprudence | 3 |
| POLS 3341 | U.S. Constitutional Law | 3 |
| POLS 3343 | Civil Rights in the U.S. 1 | 3 |
| POLS 3344 | Civil Liberties | 3 |
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select from the following: 1, 2, 3 | 6 | |
| Legal Responsibilities of Business | ||
| Law of Real Property and Real Estate | ||
| The Legal Environment of International Business | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Water Resource Law and Policy | ||
| Critical Race Theory | ||
| Constitutional Issues and Social/Historical Foundations of U.S. and California Education | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Foundations of Mock Trial | ||
| U.S. Judicial Politics | ||
| Constitutional Theory | ||
| Comparative Law | ||
| Government Internship | ||
| Research Internship | ||
| Feminist Legal Theory | ||
| International Organizations and Law | ||
| Voting Rights and Representation | ||
| U.S. Reproductive Politics | ||
| Total Units | 21 | |
- 1
If a course is taken to meet a Major or Support requirement, it cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 2
A minimum of 3 units of either POLS 3386 or POLS 3387 may count towards the concentration.
- 3
Consultation with advisor is recommended prior to selecting Approved Electives; bear in mind that your selection may impact pursuit of post-baccalaureate studies and/or goals.
U.S. Politics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| The U.S. Presidency | ||
| U.S. Congress | ||
| U.S. Constitutional Law | ||
| Early U.S. Political Thought | ||
| Contemporary U.S. Political Thought | ||
| Feminist Legal Theory | ||
| Select from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Politics of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the U.S. | ||
| Political Participation | ||
| Campaigns and Elections | ||
| Social Movements and Political Protest | ||
| Voting Rights and Representation | ||
| U.S. Reproductive Politics | ||
| The Politics of Poverty | ||
| Select from the following: 2 | 6 | |
| Critical Issues in U.S. Politics | ||
| Public Policy and Administration | ||
| California Politics | ||
| Government Internship | ||
| Research Internship | ||
| Issues in U.S. Politics | ||
| California Student Bill Project | ||
| Technology and Public Policy | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select any course that was not taken to satisfy a requirement listed above 1, 2, 3 | 3 | |
| Total Units | 21 | |
- 1
If a course is taken to meet a Major or Support requirement, it cannot be double-counted in the concentration.
- 2
A maximum of 3 units of either POLS 3386 or POLS 3387 may count towards the concentration.
- 3
Consultation with advisor is recommended prior to selecting Approved Electives; bear in mind that your selection may impact pursuit of post-baccalaureate studies and/or goals.
Individualized Course of Study
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
An Individualized Course of study consists of 21 units of coursework to be selected by the student and approved by the student's faculty advisor. 12 of the 21 units must be at the 3000–4000 (upper-division) level and 12 units must be a POLS prefix. The 12 units of upper-division coursework are not required to be the same 12 units as the POLS-prefix courses. The list of courses is a contract between the student and the Department.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 9 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 34 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) | 1 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 34 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.