The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.
The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in
the order
in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in
a semester, you
should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below.
Some courses have
been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” . Should you need (or want) to take
classes
in the summer and/or winter intersessions,
the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed
schedule of
the intersessions.
Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate
Degree”. If
you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only
required to take
the courses marked “Program Requirement” .
All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you
decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.
Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer)
require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program
Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” , be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.
The Associate in Arts in Political Science for Transfer (AA-T) introduces students to the major fields of study in Political Science. The program includes the study of American Politics (principles, institutions, and policies). Depending upon the student’s chosen course of study, the program may also include Comparative Politics (institutional structures, processes, and political cultures), International Relations (structure and operation of the international system), and/or Political Philosophy (ideas about human nature, power, justice, and the state).
Upon completion of the Associate in Arts in Political Science for Transfer (AA-T), students will have a strong academic foundation in the field and be prepared for upper division baccalaureate study. Completion of the degree indicates that the student will have satisfied the lower division requirements for transfer into political science or similar majors for many campuses in the California State University system.
Students must complete the following Associate Degree for Transfer requirements:
- Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of degree-applicable courses,
- Minimum overall grade point average of 2.0,
- Minimum grade of “C” (or “P”) for each course in the major, and
- Completion of IGETC and/or CSU GE-Breadth.
Upon completion of the program, students will:
- Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate strong academic behaviors and integrity, and critically evaluate their responsibilities and opportunities as engaged political participants.
- Upon completion of the program, students will critically analyze, through written or oral work, how power is structured, obtained, and exercised.
- Upon completion of the program, students will evaluate political phenomena through written or oral analysis.
- Upon completion of the program, students will articulate arguments, through written or oral work, regarding how power should be organized to achieve desired political outcomes.
Icon Key
-
Gateway Course
-
Program Requirement
-
General Education
-
Appropriate for Intersession
-
Available Online
-
Global Citizenship
NOTE: This transfer and/or degree program utilizes Cal-GETC as the required General Education pattern. If you started college before Fall 2025, you MAY be able to use either CSU GE or IGETC. You should meet with a counselor to discuss which general education pattern is appropriate for you.
Semester 1
16 Units
This course is an introduction to government and politics in the United States and California. Students examine the constitutions, structure, and operation of governing institutions, civil liberties and civil rights, political behaviors, political issues, and public policy using political science theory and methodology.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 4H: Political Science, Government & Legal Institutions
- D8 - Political Science, Government, and Legal Institutions
- US2
- US3
This course is an introduction to statistical thinking and processes, including methods and concepts for discovery and decision-making using data. Topics include descriptive statistics; probability and sampling distributions; statistical inference; correlation and linear regression; analysis of variance, chi-squared, and t-tests; and application of technology for statistical analysis including the interpretation of the relevance of the statistical findings. Students apply methods and processes to applications using data from a broad range of disciplines.
- Prerequisite: MATH 20 or
- Prerequisite: MATH 18 or
- Prerequisite: MATH 49 or
- Prerequisite: MATH 50
- 2A: Mathematic
- B4 - Mathematics/Quantitative Thinking
- Area IV-B: Language and Rationality (Group B) Option 1
In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research.
- Prerequisite: ENGL 21B or
- Prerequisite: ENGL 22
- Prerequisite: ESL 19B or
- Prerequisite: Group A on the Placement Test
- 1A: English Composition
- A2 - Written Communication
- Area IV-A: Language and Rationality (Group A)
This course provides an exploration of intellectual, psychological, social and physical factors that impact lifelong learning, well-being and success. Topics include motivation and self-efficacy; critical thinking, academic integrity and active study strategies; health issues and lifestyle choices; relating to others as a global citizen; written and oral communication; time management; career exploration; and educational planning.
- E - Lifelong Understanding and Self-Development
Transferable Elective Course 3 units
Semester 2
15 Units
This course surveys the scope and methods of comparative political analysis. It examines democratic, authoritarian, and transitional political systems to illustrate the central theories and ideas in comparative politics. It compares the political structures, processes, and cultures of countries at different levels of economic and social development in several world regions (e.g. Central and Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Central, South and East Asia, and Western and Central Europe).
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 4H: Political Science, Government & Legal Institutions
- D8 - Political Science, Government, and Legal Institutions
- Area II-B: Social Science (Group B)
In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 Academic Reading and Writing (or C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course.
- Prerequisite: ENGL 1
- 1B: Critical Thinking-English Composition
- 3B: Humanities
- A3 - Critical Thinking
- C2 - Humanities
- Area III: Humanities
Cal-GETC Area 1C Course 3 units
Cal-GETC Area 3A Course 3 units

Transferable Elective Course 3 units
Semester 3
14-16 Units
This course examines the structure and operation of the international system. Emphasis is placed on the nature and sources of conflict and cooperation and issues of war and peace among states in the international system.
- Prerequisite: None
- Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 4H: Political Science, Government & Legal Institutions
- D8 - Political Science, Government, and Legal Institutions
- Area II-B: Social Science (Group B)
In this inter-disciplinary course students examine fundamental ideas about politics in the writings of major Western philosophers from the ancient to the contemporary period, and use those ideas to consider and debate current political issues. NOTE: Students may receive credit for either Philosophy 51 or Political Science 51, but not both.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- 4H: Political Science, Government & Legal Institutions
- C2 - Humanities
- D8 - Political Science, Government, and Legal Institutions
- Area II-B: Social Science (Group B)
- Area III: Humanities
Cal-GETC Area 5C Course 4 units
US History recommended for CSU
Transferable Elective Course 1-3 units
Semester 4
15 Units
This course introduces students to the analysis of various metaphysical and epistemological questions and problems in philosophy, typically including, the nature and limits of knowledge, the existence of God, the Mind-Body Problem, the Freedom vs. Determination debate, and the Absolutism vs. Relativism debate. Related topics in ethics may also be included.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- C2 - Humanities
- Area III: Humanities
This course will acquaint the student with some of the ancient Greek contributions to the Western philosophical and scientific tradition and examine a broad range of central philosophical themes concerning: nature, law, justice, knowledge, virtue, happiness, and death. There will be a strong emphasis on analyses of arguments found in the primary texts.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- C2 - Humanities
- Area III: Humanities
This study of the principal philosophical developments since the Renaissance emphasizes the relation of philosophy to the growth of science and social and cultural changes in the modern period.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- C2 - Humanities
- Area III: Humanities
This course introduces the field of environmental ethics with an emphasis on global environmental problems and global citizenship. The conceptual foundations of environmental attitudes and values are examined through an historical survey of philosophies of nature and human/nature relations. Ethical theories are presented and used to analyze contemporary environmental problems, e.g. mistreatment of animals, pollution, climate change, species extinction, natural resource depletion, environmental racism etc. The ethical assumptions underlying various national and international responses to environmental problems will be analyzed and evaluated.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- C2 - Humanities
- Area III: Humanities
- Area V: Global Citizenship
An examination of the causes of war and violence in world history and the various organized efforts to maintain peace and end wars. Nonviolent resistance movements will be emphasized.
- Skills Advisory: Eligibility for English 1
- 3B: Humanities
- 4G: Interdisciplinary, Social & Behavioral Sciences
- C2 - Humanities
- D7 - Interdisciplinary Social and Behavioral Science
- Area II-B: Social Science (Group B)
- Area III: Humanities