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The online Bachelor of Arts in Political Science is a liberal arts program, requiring 123 credits for completion. The content of our courses can provide you with the knowledge and skills to help you navigate the American political system as well as gain an understanding of international relations and the politics of other nations. 

In meeting these requirements, students must take at least one course at any level from the four fields offered in the department:

  • Political Theory/Methodology 
  • American Politics/Public Administration 
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Relations.

The political science degree requires students to successfully complete:

  • 36 major requirement credits
    • 12 credits of PL SC courses below a 400 level
    • 15 credits of PL SC at the 400 level
    • 9 credits of supporting courses
  • 24 bachelor of arts credits
    • 12 credits equivalency in a Foreign Language
    • 9 credits of additional General Education or Foreign Language
    • 3 credits of Other Cultures
  • 45 General Education credits
    • See credit composition below
  • 18 elective credits

Within the above listed credit requirements, students must complete:

  • A Writing Across the Curriculum course (W)
  • A U.S. cultures course (US)
  • An International Cultures course (IL)

Requirements for the major: 36 credits, with a C or higher letter grade in all courses

Required Courses (select 12 credits below the 400 level)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits

Introduction to American National Government

 PL SC 001 Introduction to development and nature of American political culture, constitution/structural arrangements, electoral/policy processes; sources of conflict and consensus.

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 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.

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Comparative Politics requirement.		 3 credits

Contemporary Political Ideologies

 PL SC 007 Critical analysis of contemporary political ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, feminism, and environmentalism.

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.		 3 credits

Scientific Study of Politics

 PL SC 010 This course introduces students to both the scientific study of politics and the way that study advances our understanding of political actors, events, processes, and institutions.

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.		 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.  

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement.		 3 credits

Introduction to Political Theory

 PL SC 017 Introduction to basic issues in political theory through analysis of selected major political thinkers.   
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.		 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. 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Comparative Politics requirement.		 3 credits

Society and Cultures in Modern Israel

 PL SC 060 An introduction to the society and cultures of the State of Israel from 1948 to the present. 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Comparative Politics requirement.		 3 credits

Rights in America

 PL SC 110 This course explores the historical and contemporary struggles of particular groups within American society to expand their rights. 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 3 credits

Introduction to Political Research

 PL SC  308 Introduction to conceptualization, research design, and measurement in political research.   

Prerequisite: any 3 credits in Political Science

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement. 		 3 credits

Quantitative Political Analysis

 PL SC 309 Data analysis and statistical applications in political research, including data processing; inferential statistics; contingency analysis; correlation and regression; multivariate analysis.  

Prerequisite: any 3 credits in political science
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement. 		 3 credits
Required Courses (select 15 credits at the 400 level)
Title Abbreviation Description 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.

Prerequisite: PL SC 001 and PL SC 309 (STAT 200) or concurrent PL SC 309 (STAT 200)  

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement or the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.		 3 credits

Strategy and Politics

 PL SC 410 This course examines political behavior using social choice theory and game theory.Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations and the Political Theory/Methodology requirement. 

Prerequisite: PL SC 001 , PL SC 003 , or PL SC 014		 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 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement.		 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 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement.		 3 credits
Analysis of Electoral Politics PL SC 429 The new politics, its technology, and the strategic perspectives that underlie it.  

Prerequisites: PL SC 001, and PL SC 309
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.  		 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.

Prerequisites: CRIMJ 100 or PL SC 014 or permission of program 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement.		 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 
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement.		 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     

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Comparative Politics requirement.		 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: 3 credits from PL SC 003 or PL SC 020 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the Comparative Politics requirement.		 3 credits
International Relations of the Middle East PL SC 467 The international relations of the Middle East, stressing national security policies of regional and outside actors, and major contemporary conflicts.  
 
Prerequisite: PL SC 014 or HIST 181
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations requirement. 		 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 or PL SC 003 
 
Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 3 credits

American Constitutional Law

 PL SC 471 The origins of judicial review, landmark decisions of the Supreme Court, and their impact on the American form of government.

Prerequisite: PL SC 001 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 3 credits

The American Legal Process

 PL SC 472 Analysis of the roles, procedures, and policies characterizing the American legal system.

Prerequisite: PL SC 001 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 3 credits

American Judicial Behavior

 PL SC 473 Analyzes behavior of judges and other participants in the legal process; examines how and why courts function as policymaking bodies.  

Prerequisite: PL SC 001

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement. 		 3 credits

Congress and the Presidency

 PL SC 480W Basic characteristics and processes of the national legislature and executive; roles and interaction of these institutions in the policy process.

Prerequisite: PL SC 001 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement or the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.		 3 credits

Policy Making and Evaluation

 PL SC 490 Advanced analysis of public policy, emphasizing policy evaluation and the factors that determine policy success and failure.

Prerequisite: PL SC 001, PL SC 002 or PUBPL 304W 

Note: This course can be used to satisfy the American Politics/Public Administration requirement.		 3 credits
Supporting and Related Courses: select 9 credits (in consultation with adviser)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
ECON courses Any 300 or 400 level ECON TBD TBD
PL SC courses Any 300 or 400 level PL SC course TBD TBD
Security Administration CRIMJ 304 Interdisciplinary analysis of security and loss prevention; its administration, role in crime control and prevention, and relationship to criminal justice. 3 credits
Introduction to Crisis and Emergency Management PUBPL 306 An introduction to emergency management in mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from hazards. 3 credits
Organizational Communication CAS 352 This course examines the function and structure of communication in both formal and informal situations. 3 credits
LHR courses Any 400 level LHR course TBD TBD
PSYCH courses Any 400 level PSYCH course TBD TBD
SOC courses Any 400 level SOC course TBD TBD
Law of Mass Communications COMM 403 Nature and theories of law; the Supreme Court and press freedom; legal problems of the mass media. 3 credits
Conflict Resolution and Negotiation CAS 404 Theories and strategies important for conceptualizing, developing, and managing conflict negotiation, mediation, and third-party intervention.

Prerequisites: CAS 100		 3 credits

News Media Ethics

 COMM 409 Ethical problems in the practice of journalism; principal public criticisms of news media; case study approach. 3 credits
International Mass Communications COMM 410 The role of international media in communication among and between nations and people. Complement to COMM 419.

Prerequisites: Select 3 credits from the following COMM 100, COMM 110, COMM 118, COMM 150, COMM 180, COMM 251, COMM 260W, COMM 320 or COMM 370		 3 credits
Energy Policy GEOG 432 Analysis, formulation, implementation, and impacts of energy-related policies, regulations, and initiatives.

Prerequisites: E B F 200, EGEE 120, PL SC 490		 3 credits
Border Security CRIMJ 435 This course provides knowledge about government organizations charged with American border security, guiding laws and policies. 3 credits
Recent American History HIST 447 Contemporary economic, social, and political aspects of the United States and its role as a world power since 1945.

Prerequisite: HIST 021 3 additional credits in history economics or political science		 3 credits
Ethics in Criminal Justice CRIMJ 465 Ethical behavior in the criminal justice system.

Prerequisites: CRIMJ 100 or permission of program		 3 credits
Law and Society CRIMJ/SOC 467 Law and society studies the social origins of law and legal systems; occupational careers, and decision making of legal officials.

Prerequisites: CRIMJ 100 or CRIMJ 113 or permission of program		 3 credits
Studies in Public Address CAS 475 History and criticism of public discourse; intensive analysis of selected public addresses and social movements.

Prerequisites: CAS 100		 3 credits
Critical Infrastructure Protection PUBPL 475 This course provides knowledge about protection of critical infrastructure as an aspect of homeland security. 3 credits
Seminar, Criminal Justice Agency Administration CRIM 482 Relates organizational and public policy management approaches to police, courts, and correctional institutions.

Prerequisites: CRIM 100		 3 credits
Seminar in National Security Policy PUBPL 483 This course will examine the inter-relationship of foreign, military and economic policy.

Prerequisite: Seventh semester standing		 3 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.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements (24 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

For the Bachelor of Arts Degree requirements, 3 of the 24 credits may be from the requirements for the major, General Education, or electives.

General Education (45 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. 

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