Political Science, Associate of Arts (AA)
The study of politics in our contemporary world is the study of how people govern themselves. We examine the process by which scarce resources are allocated to an expanding population with ever-increasing demands. We look at American politics as an experience in "self-government" and realize that our system is quite different, for example, from the political system developed by the People's Republic of China -- and also different from other Western democracies. We examine these differences and attempt to understand something about the degree to which one system works better than another.
Associate Degree Graduation Requirements
Complete all of the following:
- All Department Requirements listed below with a “C” or better or “P” in each course (at least 20% of the department requirements must be completed through SBCC).
- One of the following three General Education options:
- OPTION 1: A minimum of 18 units of SBCC General Education Requirements (Areas A-D) and Institutional Requirements (Area E) and Information Competency Requirement (Area F) OR
- OPTION 2: IGETC Pattern OR
- OPTION 3: CSU GE Breadth Pattern
- A total of 60 degree-applicable units (SBCC courses numbered 100 and higher).
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in all units attempted at SBCC.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in all college units attempted.
- A minimum of 12 units through SBCC.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Department Requirements | ||
| POLS 101 | American Government And Politics | 3 |
| POLS 121 | International Politics | 3-4 |
| or POLS 121H | International Politics, Honors | |
| POLS 131 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 132 | Political Thinking | 3 |
| Complete two courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
| Introduction To Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Comparative World Cultures | ||
| Witchcraft, Magic, Science And Religion | ||
| Comparative Asian-American History, 1849-1965 | ||
| Contemporary Asian-American History | ||
| Mexican-American (Chicano) History In The U.S. | ||
| The Chicano And Latino In U.S. History, From The 1960's To The Present | ||
| Mexican-American (Chicano) Culture | ||
| The Chicana And Other Latina Women | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
or ECON 101H | Microeconomics, Honors | |
| Macroeconomics | ||
or ECON 102H | Macroeconomics, Honors | |
| Economic Geography | ||
| The Immigrant Experience in the U.S. | ||
or ETHS 101H | The Immigrant Experience in the U.S., Honors | |
| Racism In America | ||
| U.S.-Mexico And Other Borderlands | ||
| Women of Color In The U.S. | ||
| Arab-American/Middle Eastern Women In The U.S. | ||
| Human Geography | ||
| Introduction to Global Studies | ||
| Global Problems | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or PSY 150 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | |
or SOC 125 | Introduction to Statistics in Sociology | |
| The Native American In 20th Century Society | ||
| Native American Cultural Heritage | ||
| California Indians | ||
| History of the U.S. to 1877 | ||
| History of the U.S. Since 1865 | ||
or HIST 102H | History Of The U.S. Since 1865, Honors | |
| History of Western Civilization | ||
| History of Western Civilization | ||
or HIST 113H | History Of Western Civilization: 1600 To Present, Honors | |
| Modern Europe | ||
| History Of Great Britain | ||
| History Of Great Britain | ||
| History Of Russia | ||
| History of Latin America | ||
| History Of Latin America: 1800'S To Modern Period | ||
| History of Mexico | ||
| History of the Modern Middle East | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
or PHIL 100H | Introduction to Philosophy, Honors | |
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
or PHIL 101H | Introduction To Ethics, Honors | |
| History Of Philosophy: Ancient | ||
| History of Philosophy: Modern | ||
| American Government: Policy Issues/Process | ||
| Politics, Society And The Mass Media | ||
| International Organizations: Global and Regional Governance | ||
| Political Violence, Honors | ||
| Middle East Government And Politics | ||
| Law And Society | ||
| General Psychology | ||
or PSY 100H | General Psychology, Honors | |
| Human Development | ||
| Abnormal Psychology | ||
| Introduction To Sociology | ||
or SOC 101H | Introduction to Sociology, Honors | |
| Social Psychology | ||
or PSY 175 | Social Psychology: Psychological Perspective | |
| Sociology Of Sex and Gender | ||
| Total Units | 18.00-21.00 | |
Students majoring in Political Science should, at the end of their two years of study at the college, be able to achieve the following level of proficiency in this field. This measure is referred to as Student Learning Outcomes, and they are as follows for the Political Science Department:
- Demonstrate knowledge of how people are governed and how they govern themselves
- Analyze the role of government institutions in contemporary society
- Demonstrate knowledge of key terms and core concepts of political systems