Courses

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 007N	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 017N	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 200N	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 210N	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, and 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. Prerequisite: PL SC 001, PL SC 003, or PL SC 014 Note: This course can be used to satisfy the International Relations and the Political Theory/Methodology requirement.	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
Analysis of Public Opinion and Political Attitudes	PL SC 447	This course engages students in the empirical study of public opinion. Prerequisite: PL SC001 and PL SC309
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 20/200N 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.	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 or Political Theory/Methodology requirement.	3 credits

Supporting and Related Area Courses (select 9 credits in consultation with adviser)
Subject	Course Numbers
Communication	COMM 403, 409, 410
Communication Arts and Sciences	CAS 354, 404, 475
Criminology	CRIM 482 or Criminal Justice CRIMJ 304, 435, 465
Economics	all ECON courses at the 300-level and above
Geography	all GEOG courses at the 300-level and above
History	all HIST courses at the 400-level and above
Homeland Security	HLS 306,475,483
Labor and Human Resources	all LHR courses at the 400-level and above
Political Science	all PLSC courses at the 300-level and above
Psychology	all PSYCH courses at the 400-level and above
Sociology	all SOC courses at the 400-level and above

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.

Course Availability

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