Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Online
Acquire the knowledge and skills you need to pursue a career in law, politics or public service. In this program, you will gain a strong background in law and policy, including legal writing, research and advocacy. A-State graduates of our political science campus program enjoy a 100% law school placement rate.
Program Overview
Get to know our 100% online political science bachelor's degree
Transform your passion into your profession with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from A-State Online. This versatile degree gives you the broad-based knowledge and state-of-the-art skill set to pursue a career in public service, diplomacy, law and so much more.
A bachelor's degree in political science enables you to make a living while making a difference in the world. With so many pressing issues, such as economic inequities, racial injustice, healthcare accessibility, and climate change, political awareness is at an all-time high. This comprehensive degree will hone your knowledge of political processes and analyses, law, policy, research and advocacy.
Gain both a global perspective and a deeper understanding of complex domestic issues by comparing and contrasting America's political theories and systems to countries around the world. In addition to strengthening your knowledge of the U.S. constitution, civil liberties and law, a political science degree is a great foundation for earning a Master of Public Administration or attending law school.
By mastering a mix of hard and soft skills, from legal writing and data analytics to critical thinking and persuasive communications, political science graduates bring a well-rounded background to the workplace.
Interested in pursuing a double major? Pair your online B.A. in Political Science with other select A-State Online programs, including our B.A. in Communication Studies, B.A. in Criminology, B.A. in Sociology or B.S. in Business Administration.
Prepare for a broad range of professional roles, including:
- Campaign Manager
- Lobbyist
- Public Relations Specialist
- Paralegal
- Recruiter
- Campaign Manager
- Lobbyist
- Public Relations Specialist
- Paralegal
- Recruiter
Gain the knowledge and industry-relevant skills employers seek:
- Critical thinking
- Effective communications
- Negotiation
- Political analysis
- Relationship-building
- Critical thinking
- Effective communications
- Negotiation
- Political analysis
- Relationship-building
Also available:
A-State offers a variety of undergraduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online undergraduate programs.
Tuition
Financial aid is available to those who qualify
A-State's online programs are affordable and convenient. You may also qualify for financial aid. Learn more.
The B.A. in Political Science program offers the same low, pay-by-the-course tuition to all U.S. residents. All fees are included.
Tuition breakdown:
Transfer your credits for lower tuition
Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.
Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student's A-State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.
You may be closer to Graduation than you think!
A-State-approved credit for prior learning recognizes your previous accomplishments, reducing your tuition costs and time to graduation.
Calendar
Set a calendar reminder for these key deadlines
Our B.A. in Political Science is a flexible online program featuring accelerated coursework and multiple start dates per year.
Please note Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms are 5 weeks in duration for this program.
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1 | 5/28/24 | 5/14/24 | 5/17/24 | 5/23/24 | 5/24/24 | 6/27/24 |
| Summer 2 | 7/2/24 | 6/18/24 | 6/21/24 | 6/27/24 | 6/28/24 | 8/1/24 |
| Fall 1 | 8/20/24 | 8/5/24 | 8/9/24 | 8/15/24 | 8/16/24 | 10/4/24 |
| Fall 2 | 10/14/24 | 9/30/24 | 10/4/24 | 10/10/24 | 10/11/24 | 12/6/24 |
Now enrolling:
Have questions or need more information about A‑State online programs?
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from A-State?
Admissions
Preview the admission requirements for the online political science degree
A-State Online offers a streamlined admission process for both new students and transfers. Students who are interested in the B.A. in Political Science online program should review and follow the requirements for admission below.
Admission Requirements:
- Online application
- Official transcripts
- 2.0 GPA for transferring credits
There are several paths to admittance at A-State:
- If you have 13 or more transferrable college credit hours, you would be admitted if you have a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.0 on previous college coursework
- If you have 0-12 transferrable college credit hours and have been out of high school for five years or more, you would be admitted if you:
- Have a high school diploma or state-approved equivalent
- Have completed 12 or fewer earned college hours
- Have never enrolled as a student at A-State
- If you have 0-12 transferrable college credit hours and have been in high school within the last 5 years, you would be admitted if you have one of the following:
- 3.0 cumulative high school grad point average (or GED test score equivalent), OR
- 19 minimum ACT super score or minimum 990 combined SAT super score, OR
- Class rank in the top 20% of your graduating class
Application Submission Requirements
Submitting your application takes three easy steps: filling out the application, submitting your documents and paying the application fee.
- When completing the online application, select 100% online student and then complete all the steps on the online application.
- Pay $30.00 non-refundable application fee.
- Submit all official college transcripts.
- Submit official high school transcripts (if applicable).
- Submit official ACT/ SAT test scores (if applicable).
Note: If you have 0-12 transferrable college hours, test scores will still need to be submitted for reporting purposes to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE); however, they are not needed for an admission decision. Accuplacer test scores are an acceptable alternative to ACT/SAT scores.
If you have any questions along the way, call us at 866-621-8096 and we’ll be happy to help answer questions.
Graduate Enrollment for Seniors
Seniors at Arkansas State University may register for graduate credit if they meet the following criteria:
- Must be within 12 semester hours of completion of the bachelor's degree at A-State in the semester in which the dual enrollment is to occur
- Met the GPA requirements for unconditional admission to the Graduate School
- Obtain approval of the faculty advisor, the course professor and the graduate dean
Seniors may then enroll in a maximum of 12 hours of graduate work, provided the total undergraduate and graduate hours do not exceed 15 semester hours. A course used toward an undergraduate degree cannot be counted or used later for graduate credit, except in the case of enrollment in an approved Accelerated Master's Program. Students will receive graduate credit only if the requirements for the bachelor's degree have been met by the end of the term and all requirements for admission to the Graduate School are met.
Enrollment under these conditions is limited to one term. Graduate tuition will be charged for all graduate courses.
Other exceptional undergraduate students who have attained senior status but are not in their last 12 hours and who wish to enroll in graduate school will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Document Submission Address
Submit all documents to:
A-State OnlineP.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
For Non-US Postal Mail Overnight Delivery Only:
Academic Partnershipsc/o Central Receiving
2713 Pawnee St.
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Courses
What you'll learn in your online political science courses
To earn your Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, you need to complete 120 credit hours of coursework. The program includes 38 credit hours of general education courses and 48 credit hours of major courses. Also included is 34 credit hours of elective courses, which includes a foreign language requirement of up to 12 hours dependent upon transferring credits. Transferring previously earned credit hours may help you finish faster, and those transfer credit hours will be evaluated during the admission process.
Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.
These courses must be taken to complete your degree.
Students must take 34 credit hours of electives to satisfy the 120 credit hours required for this program and may include up to 12 hours of a foreign language to satisfy the foreign language requirement. Courses may be chosen with the assistance of an advisor and per your degree plan. Electives can come from any courses offered so long as prerequisites are met.
Students must take the following courses.
First-year course - Students must take the following Making Connections online course. If you transfer in more than 12 credit hours, you will not be required to take the Making Connections course. You may replace that 3-hour course with a 3-hour elective course.
First-year course (3 hours)
UC 1013
Departmental (3 hours)
PHIL 1103
Communication Requirement (6 hours)
ENG 1003
ENG 1013
Mathematics Requirement (3 hours)
Students must take MATH 1023 or any MATH course that requires MATH 1023 as prerequisite.
Arts and Humanities Requirement (6 hours)
MUS 2503
ENG 2003
ENG 2013
Social Sciences Requirement (9 hours)
HIST 1013
HIST 1023
HIST 2763
HIST 2773
SOC 2213
PSY 2013
Life Science Requirement (4 hours)
Students must complete BIO 1003 with BIO 1001 lab.
Physical Sciences Requirement (4 hours)
Students must complete CHEM 1043 with CHEM 1041 lab.