Political science is the systematic analysis of human institutions and political power. Students explore the strategic interactions shaping political outcomes—conflict and compromise, dictatorship and democracy, war and peace. With theoretical attention to essential principles of government, students analyze the logical foundations of political ideals, including citizenship, constitutionalism, and freedom.
With a practical focus on the policymaking process, students gain the tools to address social, economic, and political challenges facing Alaska, the United States, and the world. Political science opens doors to careers in government, policy, law, business, journalism, and other fields.
Admission Requirements
- Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the following major requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PS A101 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| PS A102 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| PS A201 | Constitutional Democracy: Principles, Perils, Prospects | 3 |
| PS A492 | Senior Seminar in Politics | 3 |
| Complete one course from each of the four areas below: | 12 | |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| States and Markets | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Arctic and Northern Politics | ||
| Voting, Public Opinion, and Democracy | ||
| International Relations | ||
| International Relations | ||
| United States Foreign Policy | ||
| International Law | ||
| Global Governance | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| History of Political Philosophy I: Classical | ||
| History of Political Philosophy II: Modern | ||
| American Politics | ||
| The United States Congress | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| American Federalism | ||
| American Political Development | ||
| Program Electives | ||
| Complete 12 additional credits from the courses listed in the four areas above or from the following: | 12 | |
| Tribes, Nations and Peoples | ||
| Model United Nations | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Alaska Government and Politics | ||
| Alaska Native Politics | ||
| Political Sociology | ||
| Women and Gender in Politics | ||
| Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples | ||
A total of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.
Honors in Political Science
The BA in Political Science recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in political science. In order to receive honors in political science, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Meet the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science;
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50 in courses applicable to the degree requirements;
- Complete PS A492 with a minimum grade of B;
- Receive an honors score (based upon criteria established by the department) on a comprehensive examination for majors.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to write clear and precise English prose.
- Demonstrate the ability to understand basic principles of American government.
- Demonstrate the ability to understand the relationship between the United States and the larger world.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and criticize competing political science arguments.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and interpret important political texts.
- Demonstrate the ability to write a satisfactory senior-level research paper.
- Demonstrate knowledge of each recognized field within political science.
The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.
Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.
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Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
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GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
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Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
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Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
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Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
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Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| PS A101 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| WRTG A111 | Writing Across Contexts | 3 |
| GER Fine Arts | 3 | |
| GER Oral Communication Skills | 3 | |
| GER Quantitative Skills | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PS A102 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| GER Humanities | 3 | |
| GER Natural Sciences with Lab | 4 | |
| GER Written Communication Skills (200-level) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GER Alaska Native-Themed | 3 | |
| GER Intercultural Fluency | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective (Political Philosophy) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PS A201 | Constitutional Democracy: Principles, Perils, Prospects | 3 |
| GER Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective (Comparative Politics) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper Division Program Elective (American Politics) | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper Division Program Elective (International Relations) | 3 | |
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PS A492 | Senior Seminar in Politics | 3 |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper Division Program Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |