Nov 07, 2024  
USC Catalogue 2022-2023 
    
USC Catalogue 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Political Science Minor


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs by School

Students who minor in political science must take five courses, 20 units, in political science. Students can either pursue course work in a traditional subfield (American politics, comparative politics, law and public policy, or political theory) or in a specific issue area of concentration (civil liberties and human rights, race, ethnicity, and gender, urban political problems, Asian politics, etc.).

Those who focus their studies on a traditional subfield must take the lower-level introductory course in that subfield: POSC 100 Theory and Practice of American Democracy  (American politics); POSC 110 Ideology and Political Conflict  (political theory); POSC 120 Comparative Politics  (comparative politics) or POSC 130 Law, Politics and Public Policy  (law and public policy).

Students pursuing the minor must also take four upper-division courses, three of which must be in the chosen subfield. Students choose from a predetermined list of courses divided by subfield in consultation with and approval of the department’s undergraduate student adviser.

Those who pursue a specific issue area of concentration are required to take the department’s designated gateway course, POSC 120 Comparative Politics , and at least three upper-division courses in the issue area of concentration. A fourth upper-division course must be taken in the issue area of concentration or a complementary area. The upper-division courses are chosen in consultation with and approval of the department’s undergraduate student adviser.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs by School