The degree program provides students with the education and necessary to produce empirical research pertaining to politics.

Degree Benefits:

  • Preparation for advanced pay (Political Scientists earn roughly $125,350* annually)
  • 9% job growth rate for Political Scientists*

Career Options Include:

  • Policy Analyst
  • Legislative Assistant
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Social Media Manager

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Political Scientists, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/political-scientists.htm (visited March 24, 2022).

Find an online bachelor's or master's degree:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The time required for online completion of a degree and on-campus in Politics should be about equal at most schools for most students. The standard for a four-year degree is eight semesters whether online or on-campus. Some online schools appeal to students by offering accelerated course curricula. Accelerated curricula condenses the requirements into fewer courses to speed up graduation. Many students can accelerate graduation by attending online, but this requires a much heavier than usual credit-load. Most colleges and universities require 120 credit hours to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Politics.


Online attendance can avoid scheduling bottlenecks. Students may find on-campus classes unavailable, and that can cause additional semesters of attendance. Online classes in the summer months can help online and/or traditional students accelerate graduation. Online students can take a full course load of 15 semester hours when they have time and resources available. The lower typical costs of semester hours online, as opposed to on-campus rates, can help students take more courses.

Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.


We consider the choice of major to be an important decision for students when selecting Politics schools or programs. Politics is a broad field, and it has a wide potential for developing specializations and expertise. The student should pause and study the situation carefully. It is important to connect the choice of school with the career goals and employment objectives. Students should be sure that the school is well-equipped to provide high-quality Politics education in the subject areas of greatest interest.


Students must look at the curriculum to determine if the subject will be covered thoroughly and in the areas of study that will be most beneficial.

Courses required to obtain a bachelor's degree in Politics consist of general core courses that Freshman and Sophomores take and Junior and Senior level courses focus more on the major concentration classes. Associate degrees, on the other hand, normally prepare grads for entry-level with the basic skills and expertise required in a field. Affiliate's levels can likewise allow students to finish general education and learning demands with a two-year program, then later transfer right into a four-year program. There are two major titles of bachelor's levels: BA (Bachelor of Arts) and BS (Bachelor of Science). There are bachelor's degree programs in a wide range of majors, consisting of STEM subjects, social sciences, arts, and all kinds of specific subjects. You can find some sample major concentration courses that you may be required to take below:

  • Moral Foundations of Politics
  • Civic Engagement in American Democracy
  • Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments
  • Leadership in 21st Century Organizations
  • Politics and Economics of International Energy
  • The Politics of Skepticism
  • Introduction to Philosophy
  • Public Policy Challenges of the 21st Century
  • Introduction to Economic Theories
  • Understanding International Relations Theory
  • Leading transformations: Manage change
  • A Level Politics
  • Beyond Workplace Politics
  • Risk Management - Legal & Political Risk

These days fewer and fewer students graduate in four years. In fact, the government now sets the bar at a six-year term from starting a degree to graduation. Accredited programs in Politics, on the other hand, are more likely to graduate in 4-5 years. That is because those programs are more competitive, and studies have shown that students in highly competitive programs have more success with graduating in four years (or less.) Keep it mind there are also other determining factors that play a role in how long it takes to graduate like full time vs part time, funding for college, working at the same time (can potentially decrease how many credit hours you can take) etc. A good goal to shoot for is to graduate within 4 to 6 years.

Accreditation is an important part of selecting a school for Politics education. Much depends on accreditation and the type of accreditation. There are two main types of accreditation; regional and national. Regional accreditation agencies work with research-based schools, private schools, public schools, and some for-profit schools. National accreditation works primarily with for-profit and career-related education.


Regional Accreditation


There are two types of regional accreditation; they are Politics program accreditation and institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation uses a group of states as the base to compare the school with other colleges and universities; the group of states comprises the region assigned by the Department of Education.


Programmatic Accreditation looks at specific programs or parts of a college or university. This type of accreditation has the same type of respect and acceptance as regional accreditation for institutions. Regional employers and other educational institutions regard regional accreditation as proof of high-quality education.


National Accreditation


National accreditation has a Faith-based branch and a career- related education branch. Faith-based institutions have a different set of standards that recognize the role of faith in instruction. The for-profit branch of national accreditation covers the special purpose and non-traditional schools such as vocational schools. The career-related education requires standards that place appropriate weight on general knowledge and education. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from career-related schools.


Did you know that your salary is not always just based on what level of degree you received, but it also could be based on what school you attended? Many employers actually have their own rankings and rating systems of schools. That is to say, if you received your degree from a college that was accredited by a low rated agency, your salary may actually be decreased by a certain percentage where a high-ranked, well-known, accredited school, can raise that mark significantly.

It can cost $8,000 to $60,000 a year for a bachelor's in Politics. This includes tuition, room and board, books, and supplies.


For a doctoral degree, the cost ranges from $7,000 to $40,000 per year.


Then there are license fees that range anywhere from $500 to over $1,000, which includes application and exam fees as well as the cost for the initial license.


If you attend a brick-and-mortar college in-state, it will cost you much less than it would for out-of-state attendees, while it usually doesn't matter what state you reside in when studying for a B.S in Politics online.


Moreover, when attending a brick-and-mortar school you will have to pay for room-and-board or transportation, books, and other supplies, while online students don't require such things. However, they do have to pay technology fees usually on a per-credit-hour basis, but some may offer tiered rates. Technology fees include tech support, technology improvements, and online training management systems.

Schools can provide valuable assistance for Politics graduates that seek employment after graduation. The programs can be formal, such as job banks and employment centers that present graduating students and graduate credentials to prospective employers and host interviews.


Depending on the college, they may have resources that can enhance employment and career opportunities for their Politics graduates. Most schools have an extended community of alumni, donors, and corporate and business support. Alumni groups offer opportunities for networking as well as for sharing information and experiences. The corporate and business community support may include opportunities for internships or other hands-on learning experiences.