Skip to main content

Political Science Minor

Hours - 15 Credit Hours
Effective Sep. 2021
Last Revision 8/14/2023
Faculty Unit Assignment: Faculty of Business & Government
Sponsoring Program: Political Science
Holokai Category: Math & Sciences

Program Requirements


*The political science minor is not available to political science majors.

I. Core Requirement — 3 Credits

Course Number Title Semesters Offered Credit Hours Prerequisite
POSC 190 or Foundations of Critical Thinking F, W 3.0
POSC 300 or Political Inquiry and Writing F, W 3.0
POSC 304 or Quantitative Political Research F, W 3.0 POSC 300 or permission of instructor
MATH 121 or Principles of Statistics F, W, S 3.0 MATH 107 or MATH 110 or ACCT 186 or Score 24 on Math Section of the ACT or 590 on Math Section of the SAT
PSYC 205 Applied Social Statistics F, W 3.0 PSYC 111, PSYC 190, MATH 107 or MATH 110 or equivalent


II. Advanced Content — 12 Credits

No more than 6 credits of 100-level courses can be applied toward completion of the minor.

Course Number Title Semesters Offered Credit Hours Prerequisite
POSC 101 Introduction to Politics F, W, S 3.0
POSC 110 The U.S. Political System F, W 3.0
POSC 170 International Relations F, W, S 3.0
POSC 190 Foundations of Critical Thinking F, W 3.0
POSC 202 History of Political Philosophy F, W 3.0
POSC 220 Historical Systems of Power F, S 3.0
POSC 230 Fundamentals of Good Governance F, W 3.0
POSC 300 Political Inquiry and Writing F, W 3.0
POSC 304 Quantitative Political Research F, W 3.0 POSC 300 or permission of instructor
POSC 318 Decentralized Power & Effective Governance S 3.0
POSC 322 Oceanic Governments and Politics W 3.0
POSC 330 Introduction to Public Administration W 3.0
POSC 331 Public Policy F 3.0
POSC 335 Issues of Terrorism W 3.0
POSC 338 The Economics of Political Violence F 3.0
POSC 340 Asian Governments and International Relations W 3.0
POSC 343R Asian Empires and Societies S 3.0
POSC 345 Power in the Vietnam War W 3.0
POSC 350 International Law F 3.0
BUSM 342 or Business Law and Ethics F, W, S 3.0 BUSM 180 w/C- or better (for non-ACCT majors), ACCT 203 (for ACCT majors); ENGL 101
POSC 352 Ethics and the Legal Environment F, W, S 3.0
POSC 354 Legal Research and Writing S 3.0
POSC 356 International Legal Drafting and Transactions W 3.0
POSC 358 Comparative Law F 3.0
POSC 362 International Political Economy F 3.0
POSC 364 Strategic Logic of International Interaction S 3.0
POSC 366 Politics and Economics of the Developing World F 3.0
POSC 384 The United Nations and Intergovernmental Organizations F 3.0
POSC 386 Pacific Regionalism and Conflict F 3.0
POSC 390R Special Topics in Political Science Variable 3.0
POSC 392R Field Study Variable 3.0

Electives may include any two of the following

Course Number Title Semesters Offered Credit Hours Prerequisite
ECON 350 Economic Development W 3.0 ECON 201 and MATH 121
PMGT 300 Public Policy F 3.0
PMGT 350 Crisis Management W 3.0
PMGT 360 Disaster Management F 3.0


    Additional Program Requirements

      Double-counting is managed with your advisor.

      All passing grades will be accepted in fulfilling minor or certificate requirements.


      Program Learning Outcomes

      Upon completing a minor in political science, students will:

      • Write an effective research paper using professional formats;
      • Write an effective persuasive/analytical essay/report;
      • Demonstrate competence using logical/analytical skills;
      • Demonstrate an understanding of political philosophy/theory;
      • Demonstrate the critical reading skills needed to engage professional journals/monographs;
      • Demonstrate content mastery in international relations, law, U.S. government, Asia/Pacific, or public management;
      • Conduct an effective oral presentation;
      • Complete a meaningful internship or capstone paper.