Political Science
Associate in Arts for Transfer School of Arts and Social Sciences · Merced College · 2026-2027 Catalog
School of Arts and Social Sciences
The Associate in Arts in Political Science for Transfer degree (AA-T) prepares students to continue their education at a four-year institution leading to a baccalaureate degree. Successful completion of the transfer degree in Upon completion, students with an AA-T in Political Science will be eligible to transfer with junior standing into an equivalent major within the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) system.
Program Student Learning Outcomes:
A. Develop and demonstrate an understanding of the principles, institutions and problems of politics in the United States and globally.
B. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic systems, theories, ideologies, and models of political analysis, and be able to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
C. Explore specialized fields of study, including international relations, comparative politics, and political philosophy and theory.
D. Understand and analyze the roles of individuals, groups and institutions in political processes.
E. Demonstrate an understanding of historical foundations, political institutions, and processes involved in the distribution and use of power in politics.
For an Associate in Arts in Political Science for Transfer (AA-T), students must complete the following:
60 semester CSU-transferable units.
the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern.
a minimum of 18 semester units in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district.
obtainment of a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
earn a grade of C (or P) or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis.
Note: Students are not required to complete any additional local graduation requirements for the AA-T (e.g., PE and Computer and Information Literacy courses).
Program Requirements:
Program Core: (18 Units)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Select 9 units from the following: | ||
| POLS-C1000 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| orPOLS-C1000H | American Government and Politics Honors | 3 |
| POLS-02 | Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics | 3 |
| POLS-03 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| POLS-04 | Introduction to Political Theory and Thought | 3 |
| List A: Select a minimum of 6 units from the following: | ||
| Any course not already used in Core (3) | 6 | |
| POLS-05 | Introduction to Political Science Research Methods | 3 |
| POLS-07 | Politics of Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| List B: Select 3 units from the following: | ||
| Any course not already used in List A (3) | 3 | |
| ECON-C2001 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON-C2002 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| GEOG-02 | World Geography | 3 |
| GEOG-12 | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
| HIST-23 | Chicana/o American History and Culture | 3 |
| PHIL-02 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
| SOCI-04 | Introduction to Gender | 3 |
| Total Units toward the Major | 18 | |
Total Units that may be double counted: (-3-6 Units)
General Education (Cal-GETC) Units: (34 Units)
Elective (CSU Transferable) Units: (11-14 Units)
Total Degree Units: (60 Units)