The most significant purpose of the politics major is to help educate a reflective and activist citizenry capable of sharing power and responsibility in a contemporary democracy. Courses address issues central to public life, such as democracy, power, freedom, political economy, social movements, institutional reforms, and how public life, as distinct from private life, is constituted. Our majors graduate with the kind of sharp analytical and critical thinking skills that set them up for success in a variety of careers.

Students in our minor gain a solid grounding in ideas, concepts, and real-world problems and possibilities of politics through a selection of at least six courses.

Learning Experience

Study and Research Opportunities

✔ B.A., Ph.D.; undergraduate Politics minor, graduate Politics designated emphasis

✔ Combined Politics / Latin American and Latino Studies undergraduate major available

✔ UCDC Program in our nation's capital. Spend a quarter at the UC campus in Washington, D.C.; study and gain experience in an internship

✔ UCCS Program in Sacramento. Spend a quarter learning about California politics at the UC Center in Sacramento; study and gain experience in an internship

✔ UCEAP: Study abroad through the UC Education Abroad Program in one of hundreds of programs in more than 40 countries around the world

✔ UC Santa Cruz also offers its own study abroad programs.

Mga Resulta ng Pagkatuto ng Programa

We design our curriculum with the aim of empowering our students to:

✔ Understand the origins, development and nature of political institutions, practices, and ideas;

✔ Place particular political phenomena in broader historical, cross-national, cross-cultural and theoretical context;

✔ Demonstrate familiarity with various theoretical approaches to the study of politics, and their application in different geographic and substantive areas;

✔ Critically evaluate arguments about political institutions, practices and ideas based on logic and evidence;

✔ Develop and sustain coherent written and oral arguments regarding political phenomena, theories, and values based on appropriate empirical and/or textual evidence and logic.