Political Science for Transfer (AA-T)
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Transferring to a California State University campus
The AA-T in Political Science for Transfer is designed to prepare students to transfer to a California State University (CSU) with the intent of earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
The following is required for the AA-T in Political Science for Transfer degree:
- Minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units.
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework.
- Minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major.
- A grade of “C” or higher or “Pass” in all courses required for the major.
- Certified completion of the California State University General Education (CSU GE) Breadth pattern OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern; see Degree Requirements and Transfer Information section for more information. Note: If following IGETC, IGETC-CSU must be followed for admission to a CSU.
Transferring to a University of California campus
Additionally, this AA-T degree aligns with the University of California (UC) Transfer Pathway for Political Science. While each UC campus has its own unique requirements for students earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, this AA-T degree offers students foundational knowledge that they will need to be successful in a political science program at any UC campus.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Remember the major concepts of subfields of political science and their relevance to political behavior and political institutions across diverse communities and cultures.
- Understand the historical roots and major theories, conceptualizations, operationalizations, and measurements utilized in political science and its subfields from multiple perspectives.
- Apply the scientific method to explain political behavior and political institutions.
- Analyze the application of political science’s abstract theories, empirical regularities, and public policy applications towards civic engagement domestically and internationally.
- Evaluate how concepts of political actors, networks, and status quo are theoretically and empirically analyzed and their application across diverse communities and cultures.
- Create a professional research project that uses the scientific method and follows ethical guidelines to analyze political phenomenon and/or a public policy project that utilizes data, geographic information systems, policy, and communication analysts' perspectives, and/or a civic engagement project that focuses on local, state, and federal public policies which promote diversity, inclusion, and equity, and/or another capstone project.
Career Opportunities
Students who earn an AA-T in Political Science from Cuyamaca College will be prepared for entry level positions such as a:
- Staff member to an elected official: local (City Councilor or Mayor), state (i.e. Statewide constitutional official, State Senator, State Assembly Member), or federal (i.e. U.S. Senator or Member of Congress)
- Staff member to an appointed official: local (i.e. City Manager or County Chief Executive Officer), regional (i.e. San Diego Association of Governments), or state (i.e. California State Water Resources Control Board Commissioner)
- Staff member in public, private, or non-profit sector’s external affairs, government affairs, or regulatory affairs department
- Intern with an international government or non-governmental organization or institution
- Research assistant to a professor at a 4-year university, or a researcher at a public policy think tank, or in an institutional research department
Associate in Arts Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to U.S. Government and Politics | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| Introduction to Political Theory | ||
| List A | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Politics and Political Analysis | ||
| Introduction to the Politics of Race and Gender | ||
| Introduction to Political Science Research Methods | ||
| Any course not selected from Core | ||
| List B | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Any course from List A | ||
| Introduction to California Governments and Politics | ||
| Introduction to Latin American Government and Politics | ||
| Introduction to Middle East Government and Politics | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Introduction to Native American Politics and Policy | ||
| Introduction to Public Policy | ||
Any course from List A not selected above | ||
| Units for the Major | 18 | |
| 6 units may be double-counted with GE | ||
| Plus General Education Requirements (CSU GE or IGETC-CSU) | 39/37 | |
| Total Transferable Elective Units | 9/11 | |
| Total Units | 60 | |