A Focus Area is a concentration of related courses which allows students pursuing an AA or AS degree to explore one field of study in more depth. Focus Area requirements range from 12 to 21 credit hours, with at least one 200-level course required to complete the area of concentration. Students planning to transfer after earning an AA or AS degree may fulfill a number of their pre-major requirements by choosing a Focus Area. Obtaining a Focus Area, however, does not mean that a student has fulfilled all pre-major requirements for a four-year degree.
POL 101 - American GovernmentPOL 212 - Culture and Politics in Developing Nations* POL 235 - World PoliticsPOL 255 - State Government
POL 271 - Introduction to Political Behavior POL 280 - Issues in Public Policy*POL 212 fulfills the Cultural Studies requirement for the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree.
POL 101 - American Government
Examines national government and the political process in the United States, with emphasis on the Constitution, the President, Congress, and the judicial system. Focuses on the nature of American democracy political challenges, and opportunities. POL 212 - Culture and Politics in the Third World
Examines and compares the politics of selected states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America analyzing such issues as culture, ethnicity, language, social class, and ideology.
POL 235 - World Politics
Examines the most significant problems of world politics, including the fundamental factors governing international relations, the techniques and instruments of power politics, and the conflicting interest in organizing world peace. POL 255 - State Government
Examines the institutions, political processes, and policies of state governments, and the relationships of state governments with other levels of government in the United States. POL 271 - Introduction to Political Behavior
The study of behavior in a political context; the analysis of basic behavioral concepts used in political science such as political roles, group behavior, belief systems, personality, power, and decision-making. POL 280 - Public Policy
Examines selected major public problems, focusing on their nature, political ramifications and alternate methods of dealing with them. This semester, the course will address civil liberties and civil rights. Supreme Court decisions on these issues will be the main focus of study. Prerequisite: POL 101.