Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Political Science
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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
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
- Develop and sustain a lifelong interest in local, national, and global civic engagement through active citizenship. (POS110, POS120, POS140)
- Define, cite examples of, differentiate between, and critique basic political concepts, systems, and theories. (POS110, POS120, POS140, POS210)
- Apply knowledge of politics by using the theoretical foundations and analytical tools of multiple sub-fields of political science. (POS110, [MA])
- Appraise a situation, formulate an argument; collect, evaluate, and utilize evidence about key issues of public policy and politics. ([FYC], [L], [MA])
- Demonstrate effective communication skills for a diverse, political world. (COM225, [FYC], [L])
- Collaborate effectively and ethically with diverse individuals and institutions to achieve common goals. (COM225, POS120, POS140)
- Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field. (FYE101, FYE103)
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 wages* for this degree. 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. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Lawyers
$126,600 Show expanded career information for Lawyers
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
$57,310 Show expanded career information for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
$89,030 Show expanded career information for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Political Scientists
$96,820 Show expanded career information for Political Scientists
Public Relations Specialists
$70,390 Show expanded career information for Public Relations Specialists
Social and Community Service Managers
$69,700 Show expanded career information for Social and Community Service Managers
Social Science Research Assistants
$54,200 Show expanded career information for Social Science Research Assistants
Urban and Regional Planners
$75,250 Show expanded career information for Urban and Regional Planners
There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
- Fundraising Managers
- Public Relations Managers
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources
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 Degree Progress Report 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 FYE101 and FYE103. 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 |
---|
|
Term 1
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS110 | American National Government | Critical course Gateway course | SB | 3 | |
ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course Gateway course Critical Course | FYC or FYC | 3 | |
MAT14+ | College Mathematics | MA | 3–6 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 101 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency | |||
FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 |
Term 2
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS120 or POS140 |
International Relations or Comparative Government | G, SB or G, SB | 3 | ||
ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC or FYC | 3 | ||
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 | ||
CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | L | 0–3 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 102 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 3
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS210 | Political Ideologies | SB | 3 | ||
COM225 | Public Speaking | L | 3 | ||
SQ | Natural Sciences Quantitative | SQ | 4 | ||
CS | Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application | CS | 3 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 201 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 4
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 | ||
SG or SQ |
Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative | SG or SQ | 4 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 202 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Part-time Sequence
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
Awareness Areas |
---|
|
Term 1
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS110 | American National Government | Critical course Gateway course | SB | 3 | |
ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course Gateway course Critical Course | FYC or FYC | 3 | |
FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 |
Term 2
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC or FYC | 3 | ||
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 | ||
CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | L | 0–3 |
Term 3
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS120 or POS140 |
International Relations or Comparative Government | G, SB or G, SB | 3 | ||
MAT14+ | College Mathematics | MA | 3–6 |
Term 4
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
COM225 | Public Speaking | L | 3 | ||
CS | Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application | CS | 3 |
Term 5
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS210 | Political Ideologies | SB | 3 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 101 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 6
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SQ | Natural Sciences Quantitative | SQ | 4 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 102 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 7
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SG or SQ |
Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative | SG or SQ | 4 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 201 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 8
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts & Design | HU | 3 | ||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Second Language or Elective |
Second Language Requirement, 202 Level or Elective | See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency |
Term 9
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 | |||
Transfer Option | Transfer Option | 0–3 |
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 official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=190027).
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.
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.