Political ScienceAA-T Degree

Share my plan
Community of interest
Social/Behavioral Science & Communication
Award
AA-T Degree
Program code
31939.32AA-T
Department
Political Science
CIP code
45.1001: Political Science and Government, General.
TOP code
2207.00 - Political Science
Students completing Associate Degrees for Transfer are guaranteed admission to the CSU system. Please see the beginning of the "Academic Programs" section for details. Students who earn either the AA-T in Political Science usually transfer to a CSU or UC. Many students decide to obtain a degree in political science for law school preparation. Other political science majors go on to pursue careers in local government, as legislative aides, with non-profits, in civil service or bureaucratic work, etc. See the American Political Science Association webpage for more information. http://www.apsanet.org/PScareers
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Program Snapshot

Community of interest
SBSC Social/Behavioral Science & Communication
Award
AA-T Degree
Program code
31939.32AA-T
Department
Political Science
CIP code
45.1001: Political Science and Government, General.
TOP code
2207.00 - Political Science

Next Steps

Map Class Schedule

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

Program Schedule ReportMeet with a counselor
Political Science
AA-T Degree — expand to learn about this award

The AA-T is designed for transfer preparation to a specific California State University major in academic areas outside STEM and CTE. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum and an academic program of specialization.

About Associate Degrees for Transfer. AA-T and AS-T degrees are aligned with transfer model curricula developed jointly by the Academic Senates and discipline faculty in the California Community College and California State University systems. Completing one with a qualifying GPA guarantees CSU admission with junior standing in a related major (campus assignment depends on space and competitive criteria).

About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.

See the 2026-27 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15–16 units
POLS C1000
American Government and Politics
3 units

Meets Area 4 and US-2/US-3 Government graduation requirement for CSU.

course details

This course is an introduction to government and politics in the United States and California. Students examine the constitutions, structure, and operation of governing institutions, civil liberties and civil rights, political behaviors, political issues, and public policy using political science theory and methodology. (C-ID POLS 110).

View full course outline for POLS C1000

POS 3
Comparative Politics
3 units

Meets Area 4.

course details

Comparative analysis of different kinds of political systems, including their history, political institutions, processes and policies, the environments in which they occur, and their consequences. (C-ID POLS 130).

View full course outline for POS 3

POS 18
International Relations
3 units

Meets Area 4.

course details

An introduction to international relations theory with an examination of national, international, transnational, and sub-national actors and their institutions, interactions and processes as they relate to global issues. (C-ID POLS 140).

View full course outline for POS 18

General Education: Area 1A

about Area 1A

English Composition

Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.

General Education: Area 1C

about Area 1C

Oral Communication

Public speaking and group discussion — organizing ideas for a live audience, listening actively, responding under pressure.

Term 2

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

16–18 units

List A (Select two):

3–4 units
Choose 2 of 3 choices
Choose 2 of 3 choices
  1. Group

General Education: Area 1B

about Area 1B

Critical Thinking and Composition

Reading and writing about complex texts — analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions, building your own case with evidence.

General Education: Area 3A

about Area 3A

Arts

Engaging with creative work — painting, music, theatre, design — through making, viewing, and interpreting.

General Education: Area 5A

Must have 5C Lab component if not taken in 5B/5C. Seven total Area 5 units required.

about Area 5A

Physical Science

The physical world — chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy — and how science actually works.

Term 3

Class Schedules

Pick a term:

Fall 2026Winter 2027Spring 2027Summer 2027

This will open the term course schedule not including GE requirements.

15–18 units

List B (Select one):

Required

3 units
Choose one of 4 choices
Choose one of 4 choices

General Education: Area 3B

Taking HIST 18, HIST 26 or HIST C1001 is recommended to meet the US-1 graduation requirement for CSU.

about Area 3B

Humanities

History, literature, philosophy, language — how people across time and cultures have made sense of the world.

General Education: Area 4

Only necessary if not already met.

about Area 4

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The systematic study of people as members of society — cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology — and the methods these disciplines use to ask their questions.

General Education: Area 5B

Must have 5C Lab component if not taken in 5A/5C. Seven total Area 5 units required.

about Area 5B

Biological Science

Life and living systems — from cells to ecosystems.

General Education: Area 6

about Area 6

Ethnic Studies

The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.

Term 4

14 units

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C2999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

Example roles: 4

  • Social Science Research Assistants
  • Secondary School Teachers
  • Political Scientists

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

Example roles: 1

  • Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Local Job Market

Social Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061no nearby openings indexed

No nearby openings matched any of: social science research assistant. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.

Secondary School TeachersSOC 25-20312 nearby openings

Search keyword used: secondary teacher · Search window: last 30 days, 25-mile radius · Avg listed salary: $59,539/yr

Top employers in sample

  • Amergis 1
  • E Center 1

Where the postings are

  • Linda, Yuba County 1
  • Thermalito, Butte County 1

Sample current postings

  1. SPED Teacher -Yuba/Chico-PAY up to $70hrAmergis · Linda, Yuba County · 2 weeks ago
  2. Head Teacher AA (49702)E Center · Thermalito, Butte County · 3 weeks ago

See all openings on Adzuna

Political ScientistsSOC 19-3094no nearby openings indexed

No nearby openings matched any of: political scientist. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.

Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199698 nearby openings

Search keyword used: manager · Search window: last 30 days, 25-mile radius · Avg listed salary: $92,827/yr

Top employers in sample

  • Concentric Healthcare Staffing 2
  • AHS Staffing 1
  • Adventist Health System/West 1
  • Armed Guard Private Security 1
  • Centstone 1

Where the postings are

  • Chico, Butte County 17
  • Nelson, Butte County 1
  • Oroville, Butte County 1
  • Paradise, Butte County 1

Sample current postings

  1. Travel Nurse RN - First Assist - $3,752 per weekTriage Staffing · Chico, Butte County · today
  2. Travel RN Care Coordinator - $2,874 per weekHost Healthcare · Chico, Butte County · today
  3. Dental Surgery AssistantLandis Facial Surgery · Oroville, Butte County · today
  4. Travel Surgical First Assistant RNFusion Medical Staffing · Chico, Butte County · today
  5. Travel CT TechnologistConcentric Healthcare Staffing · Chico, Butte County · today

See all openings on Adzuna

Political Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1065no nearby openings indexed

No nearby openings matched any of: Political Science instructor, Political Science teacher, political science teachers postsecondary, political science teacher. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.

Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.

Last generated 2026-07-05T17:09+00:00