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Enhance Your Penn State Degree
Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.
Gain Specialized Political Science Knowledge
Gain Specialized Political Science Knowledge
A political science minor can provide you with an adaptable set of skills that is valued by employers — and help you establish a more flexible career path in a rapidly changing world. Penn State’s Department of Political Science is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most active centers for empirical research in a broad range of political science issues. The knowledge and skill that you gain can prepare you to work in a variety of fields, including but not limited to government, law, business, journalism, and the nonprofit sector.
The political science minor will introduce you to political processes and institutions through a selection of 18 credits, with at least one course in each of the following political science areas: American politics, theory/methodology, comparative politics, and international relations. Courses used to satisfy General Education, bachelor of arts degree requirements, electives, and major requirements may also be used to satisfy requirements for the minor.
In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.
This minor is open to all interested undergraduate World Campus students who meet the prerequisites; it is most useful if you are majoring in law and society, criminal justice, or multidisciplinary studies.
Online Political Science Courses
Online Political Science Courses
The 18 credits of course work include at least one course in four of the five political science areas:
- American politics
- political theory
- political methodology
- comparative politics
- international relations
Six of these 18 credits must be at the 400 level. A grade of C or better is required in all courses that you take to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Convenient and Flexible
Each course is taught using a blend of web technology, print, and other media to maximize flexibility while maintaining teacher and student interaction. As a Penn State World Campus student, you have the opportunity to learn when and where it's most convenient for you.
Required Courses (select 18 credits)
Students are required to choose at least one course from each course list: American politics, international relations, comparative politics, and theory/methodology.
American Politics
- 3credits
This course examines the American democracy by looking at the dynamic interaction between the founding ideals of the United States government, the institutions established by the Constitution, and the ongoing contest for power within and through those institutions.
- 3credits
This course explores the historical and contemporary struggles of particular groups within American society to expand their rights.
- 3credits
This course provides students with the tools to empirically evaluate policy proposals and outcomes in the American states.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 and PLSC 309
- 3credits
This course engages students in the empirical study of electoral politics in the United States.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 and PLSC 309
- 3credits
This course engages students in the empirical study of public opinion.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 and PLSC 309
- 3credits
An examination of how politics and public policy affect and are shaped by the news media, as a political institution, in America.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 or PLSC 3
- 3credits
The origins of judicial review, landmark decisions of the Supreme Court, and their impact on the American form of government.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1
- 3credits
Analysis of the roles, procedures, and policies characterizing the American legal system.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1
- 3credits
Analyzes behavior of judges and other participants in the legal process; examines how and why courts function as policymaking bodies.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1
- 3credits
Basic characteristics and processes of the national legislature and executive; roles and interaction of these institutions in the policy process.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1
- 3credits
Advanced analysis of public policy, emphasizing policy evaluation and the factors that determine policy success and failure.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1
Political Theory
- 3credits
Critical analysis of contemporary political ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, feminism, and environmentalism.
- 3credits
Introduction to basic issues in political theory through analysis of selected major political thinkers.
Political Methodology
- 3credits
This course introduces students to both the scientific study of politics and the way that study advances our understanding of political actors, events, processes, and institutions.
- 3credits
Introduction to conceptualization, research design, and measurement in political research.
- Prerequisite
any 3 credits in political science
- 3credits
Data analysis and statistical applications in political research, including data processing, inferential statistics, contingency analysis, correlation and regression, and multivariate analysis.
- Prerequisite
any 3 credits in political science
- 3credits
Introduction to various methods of analyzing strategic behavior using social choice and game theories.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 , PLSC 3 , or PLSC 14
Comparative Politics
- 3credits
This course examines the variety of ways that people seek and wield power around the world. Through cross-national comparison and individual country analysis, the course considers different forms of democratic and authoritarian regimes, sources of stability and change in different regime types, and the relationship between cultural, economic, and social factors and political processes.
- 3credits
This course introduces students to the politics and governing institutions of European countries through a historical and comparative perspective.
- 3credits
Social forces and processes, governmental institutions, foreign policies of major states of Latin America.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 3 or PLSC 200N
International Relations
- 3credits
Characteristics of modern nation-states and forces governing their international relations; nationalism; imperialism; diplomacy; current problems of war and peace.
- 3credits
Introduction to various methods of analyzing strategic behavior using social choice and game theories.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 1 , PLSC 3 , or PLSC 14
- 3credits
The transnational politics of trade, investment, aid, raw materials, and the environment; nation-states, multinational corporations, and the U.N.
- Prerequisite
ECON 102, ECON 104, or IB 303
- 3credits
A survey of traditional and contemporary conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches for the analysis of international relations.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 14
- 3credits
Impact of national security on U.S. government and foreign policy; roles and interaction of President, Congress, government agencies, interest groups.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 001 or PLSC 014
- 3credits
Analysis of political terrorism as a violent alternative for peaceful change and traditional warfare in the nuclear age.
- Prerequisite
CRIMJ 100 or PLSC 14 or permission of program
- 3credits
Principles of American foreign policy; processes of policy formulation; roles of the President, Congress, the State Department, and other government agencies.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 14
- 3credits
The international relations of the Middle East, stressing national security policies of regional and outside actors, and major contemporary conflicts.
- Prerequisite
PLSC 14 or HIST 181
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Costs and Financial Aid
Learn about this program's tuition, fees, scholarship opportunities, grants, payment options, and military benefits.
Costs and Financial Aid
Undergraduate Tuition
Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
2024–25 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $632 per credit | $678 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,678 per semester | $8,288 per semester |
2025–26 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $638 per credit | $685 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,755 per semester | $8,371 per semester |
Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19.
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.
Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
Additional Cost of Attendance Details
To view the detailed list of cost of attendance elements:
- visit the Tuition Information site
- click the plus sign to expand the table
- select a semester from the World Campus row
Convenient Online Format
This program's convenient online format gives you the flexibility you need to study around your busy schedule. You can skip the lengthy commute without sacrificing the quality of your education and prepare yourself for more rewarding career opportunities without leaving your home.
A Trusted Leader in Online Education
Penn State has a history of more than 100 years of distance education, and World Campus has been a leader in online learning for more than two decades. Our online learning environment offers the same quality education that our students experience on campus.
How to Add a Minor to Your Degree
How to Add a Minor to Your Degree
You must be a current student and meet specific requirements to apply for a minor.
Application Instructions
Steps to Apply
To be eligible for admittance into this minor, you must:
- be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
- maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
- ensure the minor code and major code do not match
Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements. You should add the minor as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.
You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.
Admissions Help
Please work with your adviser if you have questions about adding a minor. You can find your adviser's contact information in your student portal or by calling advising at 814-863-3283.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Have questions or want more information? We're happy to talk.
To learn more about the Minor in Political Science, offered in partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs, please contact:
World Campus Advising
Phone: 814-863-3283
[email protected]