Political science prepares students to understand and participate in the processes whereby policies are made in local, state, national and international political systems.
Students learn the factual and theoretical ways in which governmental and non-governmental actors interact. In the process, students develop analytical and communication skills.
Political science courses are an essential part of a liberal arts education because many disciplines come together in political analysis. Political science courses are useful in a variety of majors such as history, sociology, pre-law, business, public administration, economics, education and international studies.
Students who would like hands-on experience in the political realm may sign up for an internship administered by the Political Science program. SLCC students have interned in Washington D.C. and Salt Lake City, volunteered on political campaigns, conducted exit polls, hosted a variety of national and local political figures and served with a variety of social services and educational institutions.
The Political Science Department offers individual courses in political science as well as a two-year AS degree.
Students should check with the department or academic advisor to determine which courses are transferable to other colleges within the Utah System of Higher Education. However, you can also use the USHE Utah Transfer Guide, which provides a quick reference on transferable courses. (The easiest way to use the Transfer Guide is to type in the two institutions in question then, under advanced options, type in the Course Prefix and Course Number before searching.)
Political Science Courses
- POLS 1100 US Government & Politics (AI)
- POLS 1900 Special Studies
- POLS 1910 Politics and You: A Political Forum Series
- POLS 2000 Internship
- POLS 2100 Intro to International Politics (IG)
- POLS 2200 Intro/Comparative Politics (SS)
- POLS 2300 Political Ideologies (SS)
- POLS 2500 The United States of Inequality (SS)
- POLS 2700 Intro to Public Service (SS)
- POLS 2900 Special Topics
- POLS 2950 Leadership
View the course descriptions for each course.
Discipline of Political Science, Statements on Race and Racism
In solidarity with the movement to fight racism and police brutality in the United States and beyond, the SLCC Political Science program would like to share some related statements from within the discipline of political science.
As lead organizations in the discipline of political science, the American Political Science Association (APSA) and International Studies Association (ISA) released statements in June, 2020 in the aftermath of the widespread protests against police brutality specifically and racism generally. Both statements condemn racism in all its forms and pledge to continue scholarship which exposes the negative effects of racism and discrimination. The APSA statement condemns police brutality, recognizes the historical pattern of it against African Americans, supports the protests, and calls out the need to address systemic racism. It also notes that although the discipline of political science has shined a light on the “the linkages between race, power, governance, social injustice and oppression”, the discipline must be more self-aware of any practices that work against realizing a more just society. The ISA statement emphasizes its global presence and the need to investigate the effects of racism and supporting marginalized groups throughout the world. It also proposes that the ISA must be more self-conscious of how its own practices impact the ability of underrepresented groups to prosper within the profession. Please read the full statements at the links below.
In addition, there is a link below to an anti-racism statement by the University of Utah’s Department of Political Science, which is the main transfer school for SLCC political science majors. The statement asserts the Department’s support for the movement against racism, the importance of political science investigations into systemic racism and its effects, and pledges to realize a more diverse, just environment within the Department through reflection on policy, course material, hiring practices and teaching methods.
Department of Political Science, University of Utah | Statement on Anti-Racism