POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political Science is an academic and research discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics, and the description and analysis of political systems/processes, political behavior and political actors. The Political Science program provides students with a core curriculum that will prepare them with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the study of political science. Students will develop skills for critical/analytical thinking, perceptive reading/observation and interpretation, and statistics analysis. A political science background is useful for those interested in working in areas like government/civil service, foreign service, law, journalism, communications, human resources, public relations, non-profits, and business. Two Political Science program tracks prepare students to transfer into the CSU system as well as other four-year institutions. Two tracks are offered: Associate in Arts in Political Science (AA in Political Science) and Associate in Arts in Political Science for Transfer (AA-T in Political Science). The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system, although not necessarily to a specific campus or major. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program. The Cuesta College AA-T/AS-T degree requires: (1) Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following: (A) California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). (B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district. (2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0. (3) Earning a “C” or better grade in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A"P" (Pass) grade is an acceptable grade for courses in the major.