The Bachelor of Arts in International Politics degree requires students to complete a minimum of 123 credits. Students must successfully complete:
- 39 Requirements for the Major credits
- 15 prescribed course credits
- 12 option credits
- 12 supporting course credits
- 24 Bachelor of Arts degree requirement credits
- 45 General Education credits
- 15–18 elective credits
Course List - Bachelor of Arts in International Politics
Requirements for the Major (39 credits)
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to American National Government | PL SC 001 | Introduction to development and nature of American political culture, constitutional/structural arrangements, electoral/policy processes; sources of conflict and consensus. | 3 credits |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | PL SC 003 | Introduction to study of comparative government and politics: normative/empirical theories; government functions in modern societies; representative structures and processes. | 3 credits |
| Contemporary Political Ideologies | PL SC 007 | Critical analysis of contemporary political ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, feminism, and environmentalism. | 3 credits |
| International Relations | PL SC 014 | Characteristics of modern nation-states and forces governing their international relations; nationalism; imperialism; diplomacy; current problems of war and peace. Credit will not be given for both this course and INT U 200. | 3 credits |
| Comparative Politics—Western Europe | PL SC 020 | Comparative analysis of political cultures, interest groups, parties, and decision-making processes in principal Western European political systems. | 3 credits |
| Analyzing Public Policy in the American States | PL SC 404 | This course provides students with the tools to empirically evaluate policy proposals and outcomes in the American states. | 3 credits |
| International Political Economy | PL SC 412 | The transnational politics of trade, investment, aid, raw materials, and the environment; nation-states, multinational corporations, and the U.N. Prerequisite: ECON 102, ECON 104 or I B 303 |
3 credits |
| International Relations Theory | PL SC 418W | A survey of traditional and contemporary conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches for the analysis of international relations. Prerequisite: PL SC 014 |
3 credits |
| The Politics of Terrorism | PL SC 439 | Analysis of political terrorism as a violent alternative for peaceful change and traditional warfare in the nuclear age. Prerequisite: CRIMJ 100 or PL SC 014, or permission of program |
3 credits |
| American Foreign Policy | PL SC 442 | Principles of American foreign policy; processes of policy formulation; roles of the President, Congress, the State Department, and other government agencies. Prerequisite: PL SC 014 |
3 credits |
| Governments and Politics of Western Europe | PL SC 455 | Comparative analysis of political and governmental structures of major West European nations; main functions and processes of such structures. Prerequisite: PL SC 003 or PL SC 020 |
3 credits |
| Politics and Institutions of Latin-American Nations | PL SC 456 | Social forces and processes, governmental institutions, foreign policies of major states of Latin America. Prerequisite: PL SC 003 or PL SC 020 |
3 credits |
| Politics and the Media | PL SC 468 | An examination of how politics and public policy affect and are shaped by the news media, as a political institution, in America. Prerequisite: PL SC 001, PL SC 003, PL SC 022, PL SC 409, CAS 409, CAS 175, CAS 201, CAS 272 , COMM 100 or COMM 110 |
3 credits |
Program Options (12 credits)
Choose one of the following program options. Courses for each program option will be determined in conjunction with your academic adviser.
| Description | Credits |
|---|---|
| History (HIST): HIST 120, HIST 144 | 3 credits |
| Geography (GEOG): GEOG 1N, GEOG 3N, GEOG 30N | 3 credits |
| Economics (ECON): ECON 102 or ECON 104 | 3 credits |
| HIST/GEOG/ECON: HIST 447, GEOG 430, GEOG 431, GEOG 438, ECON 333 or I B 303 | 3 credits |
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology of Deviance | CRIM 406 | Theory and research concerning behaviors and lifestyles viewed as significant departures from a group's normative expectations. Prerequisite: CRIM 012 |
3 credits |
| Introduction to Security and Risk Analysis | SRA 111 | This introductory course spans areas of security, risk, and analysis covering contexts in government agencies and business organizations. | 3 credits |
| Threat of Terrorism and Crime | SRA 211 | Provides overview of nature, scope, and seriousness of threats to security as a result of terrorism and crime. Prerequisite: SRA 111 |
3 credits |
| History, Geography, or Economics selection | HIST/GEOG/ECON | HIST 120, HIST 144, HIST 447 or ECON 102, ECON 104, ECON 333 or IB 303 or GEOG 128, GEOG 430, GEOG 431, GEOG 438 | 3 credits |
| Description | Credits |
|---|---|
| ECON 102 or ECON 104 | 3 credits |
| Economics or International Business (ECON/IB): ECON 333, ECON 433, ECON 434, ECON 471, IB 303 | 6 credits |
| HIST/GEOG: HIST 120, HIST 144, HIST 447, GEOG 128, GEOG 430, GEOG 431, GEOG 438 | 3 credits |
| Description | Credits |
|---|---|
| Foreign Language (If foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination, these 0–12 credits may be completed from the electives) |
12 credits |
| Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Natural Sciences, Quantification | 9 credits |
| Other Cultures | 3 credits |
| Description | Credits |
|---|---|
| Arts – GA | 6 credits |
| Humanities – GH | 6 credits |
| Health and Wellness – GHW | 3 credits |
| Natural Sciences – GN | 9 credits |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences – GS | 6 credits |
| Writing and Speaking – GWS* | 9 credits |
| Quantification – GQ* | 6 credits |
| Integrative Studies | (6 credits)*** |
*A student enrolled in this course must receive a grade of C or better.
**12 credits are included in the requirements for the major.
***This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic adviser when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements.
Electives (15–18 credits)
Please note: Among the above degree requirements, students should incorporate at least 3 credits in US cultures, 3 credits in international (IL) cultures, and 3 credits in writing across the curriculum courses. The above course list includes only courses offered by World Campus. An official degree audit or the recommended academic plan for this program may include additional course options and detailed requirements. All students are expected to complete at least 36 Penn State credits to earn this degree. Please consult an academic adviser for details.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.