Social and Behavioral Sciences with a Concentration in Political Science (AA)
To earn an A.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences, you must complete at least 62 credit hours and complete all the Core requirements. In addition to completing Core requirements, you will choose an elective concentration in Political Science.
Curriculum
Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Requirements
A.A. Social & Behavioral Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A.1 GECC Core Requirements | ||
| ACWRI 105 | College Writing I | 3 |
| ACWRI 110 | College Writing II | 3 |
| ACCOM 101 | Public Speaking & Critical Thinking | 3 |
| or ACCOM 103 | Business and Professional Speaking | |
| ACPHI 130 | Philosophy and Persons | 3 |
| ACENG 110 | Interpreting Literature | 3 |
| ACSTA 101 | Statistics | 3-4 |
| or ACMAT 161 | Calculus I | |
| ACHIS 101 | Western Civilization to the 17th Century | 3 |
| ACFNA 105 | Western Art: Renaissance to Modern | 3 |
| or ACFNA 100 | Art and Visual Culture | |
| ACISC 101 | Interdisciplinary Science: Scientific Basis of Environmental Issues | 3 |
| ACISC 102 | Environmental Processes, Challenges, and Methods | 4 |
| ACPOL 101 | American Government and Citizenship | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science Core Elective | 3 | |
| A.2 Arrupe Core Requirement | ||
| ACTHE 101 | Introduction to Christian Theology | 3 |
| or ACTHE 107 | Introduction to Religious Studies | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Person and Society | ||
| Logic | ||
| Society, Justice, and Health Care | ||
| ACPHI 281 | Ethics | 3 |
| ACUNI 101 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| or ACUNI 102 | Academic Success Strategies | |
| A.3 Concentration and Electives | ||
| SBSC students (who are not earning a pre-Nursing concentration) can concentrate in Political Science (2 courses), Criminal Justice (2 courses), or Psychology (3 courses). Remaining credit hours can be attained by completing any course listed in the Arrupe catalog granted the student meets the course's requisites. | ||
| Pre-Major Requirement 1 | 3 | |
| Pre-Major Requirement 2 | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Pre-Major Requirement 3 | ||
Elective 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Pre-Major Requirement 4 | ||
Elective 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Elective 3 | ||
| Fundamentals of Math | ||
| Total Hours | 62-63 | |
Social and Behavioral Science Core Elective (A.1)
Classes listed below fulfill the SBSC Core Elective Requirement. Note: the course you choose cannot count as fulfilling both the SBSC Core Elective Requirement (A.1) and the Concentration and Elective requirement (A.3). So, for instance, students concentrating in Psychology must count ACPSY 201 General Psychology as fulfilling part of their Concentration and Elective requirement and choose a different class from this list to fulfill their SBSC Core Elective Requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACECO 201 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ACECO 202 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ACHIS 102 | Western Civilization from the 17th Century | 3 |
| ACHIS 201 | US History to 1865 | 3 |
| ACHIS 220 | Introduction to Mexican American History | 3 |
| ACPOL 202 | International Relations | 3 |
| ACPOL 205 | Power, Rap Music, and Urban America | 3 |
| ACPSY 201 | General Psychology | 3 |
Required Courses for this Concentration (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Behavioral and Social Science Pre-Major Requirements
SBSC students can choose from the three concentrations listed below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACPOL 200 | Introduction to Political Thought | 3 |
| ACPOL 202 | International Relations | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Elective 1 | ||
| Fundamentals of Math | ||
| Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Talk with your advisor to identify which electives are the best fit for your plan of study.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Communication: You will communicate effectively, using written, oral, and visual modes appropriate to your audience and purpose.
- Quantitative Reasoning: You will understand, analyze, and evaluate numerical data and use it to draw or evaluate conclusions.
- Critical Thinking: You will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate diverse information, ideas, and perspectives in a contextually appropriate manner. You will demonstrate an awareness of your own thinking and decision-making processes, and their importance in academic and non-academic settings.
- Ethical Reasoning: You will demonstrate historically grounded awareness of ethical concepts and frameworks. You will evaluate, articulate, and apply ethical reasoning in decision-making, showing awareness of the intersectional2 and historical nature of the relationships/situations being studied.
- Social Justice: You will reflect on social, political, and historical events, contexts, and norms that lead to injustice, and then articulate responses that respect and promote the welfare of all beings in global and intersectional2 communities.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: You will connect academic knowledge to lived experience in order to identify and critique how diverse thinkers1 contribute to knowledge in and outside academia.
- 1
"Diverse thinkers" refers to the many dimensions of human identity and experience as defined in intersectionality, below.
- 2
Intersectionality addresses multiple contexts, such as gender, sexuality, race, class, culture, religion, and disability, with attention to power structures that have privileged some identities over others.
In the Political Science concentration, you will:
- Develop competency and depth in understanding and interpreting the subject matter presented in introductory political science and international relations courses.