Political Science, B.A.: 180 units

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by: College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Political Science Department

Required Courses for Major
Elective Core Courses
Required Support Courses

Unrestricted Electives
General Education Requirements

Courses for Major

A 2.0 cumulative GPA is required in courses used for the major in order to receive a degree in the major.

Required Core Courses: 34 units

Note(s):

All students should complete PLS 101 , PLS 202 , PLS 203 , PLS 204 , PLS 205/205A , PLS 206 , and PLS 207 by the completion of 90 units or by the end of their second year of enrollment, whichever comes later. Students should complete the PLS introductory 200 level courses before the upper division courses in that subfield.

Elective Core Courses: 40 units

Students must complete 40 units of electives in Political Science.

American Government and Public Administration: 8 units

International Relations and Comparative Politics: 8 units

Public Law and Political Theory: 8 units

Other Political Science Courses: 16 units

Up to 8 units of credit from the following courses MAY be used as part of the 16 units of additional courses towards completion of the major. These courses may not be used to meet the Upper Division subfield distribution requirements.

Note(s):

PLS 299/299A/299L (Lecture Component Only) and PLS 499/499A/499L (Lecture Component Only) Special Topics classes many be assigned by petition to one of the subfields or may be used to meet the “Additional Political Science Courses” requirement. Students who have study abroad classes may petition for Political Science credit.

Required Support Courses: 8 units

The following major support courses should be used to satisfy the indicated GE requirements. If these courses are not used to satisfy GE, the total units to degree may be more than 180 units.

Unrestricted Electives: 30-38 units

Select a sufficient number of courses so that the total from “Required Support”, “GE”, and “Unrestricted Electives” is at least 106 units.

Note(s):

Students must complete 180 units for the degree. The required GE, PLS Core Courses, and Required Support Courses total 142-150 units, leaving the student 30-38 elective courses to take.

General Education Requirements: 68 units

Students should consult the Academic Programs website https://www.cpp.edu/~academic-programs/general-education-course-listings.shtml for current information regarding this requirement. Unless specific courses are stated under Support Courses, please refer to the list of approved courses under General Education Requirements, Areas A through E.

	Course	Term Taken	Grade
Area A. Communication and Critical Thinking (12 units)
1. Oral Communication
2. Written Communication
3. Critical Thinking
Area B. Mathematics and Natural Sciences (16 units)
1. Physical Science
2. Biological Science
3. Laboratory Activity
4. Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
5. Science and Technology Synthesis
Area C. Humanities (16 units)
1. Visual and Performing Arts
2. Philosophy and Civilization
3. Literature and Foreign Languages
4. Humanities Synthesis
Area D. Social Sciences (20 units)
1. U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals a. United States History b. Introduction to American Government
2. History, Economics, and Political Science
3. Sociology, Anthropology, Ethnic and Gender Studies
4. Social Science Synthesis
Area E. Lifelong Understanding and Self-development (4 units)

American Institutions: 8 units

Courses that satisfy this requirement may also satisfy GE Area D1.

American Cultural Perspectives Requirement: 4 units

Refer to the University Catalog General Education Program section for a list of courses that satisfy this requirement. Course may also satisfy major, minor, GE, or unrestricted elective requirements.

Graduation Writing Test

All persons who receive undergraduate degrees from Cal Poly Pomona must pass the Graduation Writing Test (GWT). The test must be taken by the quarter following completion of 120 units for undergraduates.