The goal of the Political Science Program at Santa Barbara City College is to prepare students to develop the fundamental understanding of the American political experience as a unique experiment in “self-government,” going beyond studying how America is governed to look at other political systems with a view to realizing the differences and commonalities between these political systems. The program examines these differences in an attempt to understand something about the degree to which one system is better suited to a country than another, and whether or not one can indeed speak of one type of political arrangement as the “best.” Our discipline also seeks to understand the causes, dynamics and possibilities of conflict and conflict resolution in the international arena, by studying the interactions of states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and non-state actors on the global scene.

The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Political Science provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses.  The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program. Visit https://adegreewithaguarantee.com/ for more information about these degrees. 

Associate Degree for Transfer Graduation Requirements

Complete all of the following:

1. All Department Requirements listed below with a “C” or better or "P" in each course.
2. IGETC-CSU or the CSU GE Breadth pattern.
3. A total of 60 CSU transferable semester units.
4. Maintain a minimum cumulative CSU transferable GPA of 2.0.
5. A minimum of 12 units through SBCC. 

Students are advised to meet with an academic counselor to discuss the best combination of courses to take for the AA-T and to meet the requirements of the transfer institution to which they are intending to transfer. 

1. Demonstrate knowledge of how people are governed and how they govern themselves.
2. Analyze the role of government institutions in contemporary society.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of key terms and core concepts of political systems.

Make an appointment with your SBCC academic counselor through Starfish to create a Student Education Plan that reflects a recommended course sequence for this program that is tailored to your individual needs.

How to schedule an Academic Counseling appointment.