Announcement: This program does not include the following course required for completion:
POS210 - This course is available at CGCC, GCC, MCC, SCC.
Due to the pandemic, courses are being offered online or in hybrid formats. Please contact a Rio advisor for the most current information. All courses completed at any Maricopa Community College are transferable to Rio based on District policy. Estimated additional costs would be consistent with your current tuition rate.
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
This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:
- Develop and sustain a lifelong interest in local, national, and global civic engagement through active citizenship.
- Define, cite examples of, differentiate between, and critique basic political concepts, systems, and theories.
- Apply knowledge of politics by using the theoretical foundations and analytical tools of multiple sub-fields of political science.
- Appraise a situation, formulate an argument; collect, evaluate, and utilize evidence about key issues of public policy and politics.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills for a diverse, political world.
- Collaborate effectively and ethically with diverse individuals and institutions to achieve common goals.
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 Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. 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.
Lawyers
$106,330 Show expanded career information for Lawyers
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
$48,780 Show expanded career information for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
$70,890 Show expanded career information for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Political Scientists
$92,500 Show expanded career information for Political Scientists
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
$95,900 Show expanded career information for Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
Public Relations Specialists
$56,510 Show expanded career information for Public Relations Specialists
Social and Community Service Managers
$63,920 Show expanded career information for Social and Community Service Managers
Social Science Research Assistants
$47,030 Show expanded career information for Social Science Research Assistants
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 AAA/CPD150, AAA/CPD150AC, CPD104, and AAA115/CPD115. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
Awareness Areas |
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|
Term 1
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS110 | American National Government | Critical course Gateway course | SB | 3 | |
AAA/CPD115 or AAA/CPD150 or AAA/CPD150AC or CPD104 | Creating College Success or Strategies for College Success or Educational and Career Planning or Career and Personal Development | 0–3 | |||
ENG101 or ENG107 | First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course Critical Course | FYC | 3 | |
MAT140 or MAT141 or MAT142 | College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics | MA | 3–5 | ||
Transfer Option | |||||
Transfer Option |
Term 2
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transfer Option | 3 | ||||
Transfer Option | 0–3 | ||||
Transfer Option | 0 | ||||
CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | L | 0–3 | ||
ENG102 or ENG108 | First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC | 3 | ||
HU | Humanities, Arts and Design (HU) Course | 3 |
Term 3
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS210 | Political Ideologies | SB | 3 | ||
Transfer Option | 0 | ||||
Transfer Option | |||||
COM225 | Public Speaking | L | 3 | ||
SQ | Natural Sciences SQ Course | 4 | |||
CS | Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Applications | 3 |
Term 4
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transfer Option | |||||
Transfer Option | |||||
Transfer Option | |||||
HU | Humanities, Arts and Design (HU) Course | 3 | |||
SQ or SG | Natural Sciences SQ or SG Course | 4 |
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
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.
View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Associate in Arts in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Political Science (http://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=158332).
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, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.