Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Political Science

Political Science
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Learn more about the Political Science program.

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Course Sequence

Field of Interest

Field of Interest: Behavioral Science and Human Services

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Political Science degree provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in political science. With a bachelor`s degree, students may pursue a career as social science research assistants, city and regional planning aides, public relations specialists and managers, reporters, and social and community service managers. With a graduate degree, students may pursue employment opportunities in several careers, including political scientists, political science professors, and lawyers.

Details

Details icon Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Political Science (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8120
Total Credits Required
60-64
Catalog Year
2023-2024
Effective Term
Fall 2022
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges to earn a degree with this emphasis.

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Develop and sustain a lifelong interest in local, national, and global civic engagement through active citizenship.
  2. Define, cite examples of, differentiate between, and critique basic political concepts, systems, and theories.
  3. Apply knowledge of politics by using the theoretical foundations and analytical tools of multiple sub-fields of political science.
  4. Appraise a situation, formulate an argument; collect, evaluate, and utilize evidence about key issues of public policy and politics.
  5. Demonstrate effective communication skills for a diverse, political world.
  6. Collaborate effectively and ethically with diverse individuals and institutions to achieve common goals.
  7. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Fundraising Managers

$96,278

Lawyers

$122,287

Political Scientists

$97,993

Postsecondary Political Science Teachers

$64,985

Public Relations Managers

$99,699

Public Relations Specialists

$63,442

Reporters and Journalists

$49,658

Social and Community Service Managers

$64,422

Social Science Research Assistants

$52,806

Urban and Regional Planners

$83,483

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS110 American National Government Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course Gateway course Critical Course FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics MA 3–6
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS120 or
POS140		 World Politics or Comparative Government G, SB 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking L 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS210 Political Ideologies SB 3
COM225 Public Speaking L 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS110 American National Government Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course Gateway course Critical Course FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS120 or
POS140		 World Politics or Comparative Government G, SB 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics MA 3–6

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM225 Public Speaking L 3
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS210 Political Ideologies SB 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

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Program Information

Learn more about and find contact information for the Political Science program.

General Help

Ask general questions over the phone at 480-461-7400 or via online chat.

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=176490).