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.

Study and Research Opportunities

• B.A., Ph.D.; Undergraduate Minor
• Combined Politics/Latin American and Latino Studies major available
• Many opportunities for field work and for internship placements, both locally and in Washington, D.C.

Politics08.pdf

High School Preparation
No specific courses at the high school level are required for admission to the major in politics at UC Santa Cruz. Courses in history, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences, whether taken at the high school or college level, are appropriate background and preparation for the politics major.

Transfer Preparation
Transfer students will find it helpful to complete college courses that satisfy campus general education requirements before coming to UC Santa Cruz. Courses from another institution may be considered for the politics major only if they appear on the student’s transfer credit list on the MyUCSC portal. Students who wish to substitute courses taken elsewhere for the Politics Department’s requirements should discuss the procedure with the department adviser.

While it is not a condition of admission, students from California community colleges may complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) in preparation for transfer to UC Santa Cruz.

Transfer course agreements and articulation between the University of California and California community colleges can be accessed on the ASSIST web site.

Careers

Administrative analysis
Campaign management
Congressional staffing
Foreign service
Government service
International business
Journalism
Law
Legislative research
Lobbying
Policy analysis
Political science
Public administration
Secondary school and college teaching

These are only samples of the field’s many possibilities.

The Honorable Kelvin Filer (B.A., politics, ’77) is a State of California Superior Court Judge for Los Angeles County. At the age of 27 he argued a landmark case before the California Supreme Court that established the right of all defendants to wear street clothes in court rather than jail clothes, which could prejudice jurors. His impact goes beyond his professional dedication as a judge to his volunteer efforts in schools to help young people in the community. In 2007 Judge Filer was awarded the annual Distinguished UCSC Social Sciences Alumni Award.

Declaring the Major
Declaring the major in politics is a four-step process: (1) Complete and pass with a grade of C or better two lower-division Politics courses, (2) attend a declaration orientation workshop, (3) meet with your faculty adviser, and (4) meet with the politics undergraduate adviser. Each student meets with an assigned faculty adviser to discuss an intended program of study, including its breadth and purpose. The faculty adviser may suggest additional courses so that the student can achieve greater breadth or concentration. Students are encouraged to select related courses from other departments which complement their interests in politics.

Politics and Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Combined Major
Students may pursue a combined major in politics and Latin American and Latino studies (LALS). This major offers a unique curriculum that combines courses from both the Politics and LALS Departments. Requirements for the major and information regarding the declaration process may be viewed in the Latin American and Latino Studies section of the UCSC General Catalog.

Students live in the UC Washington Center, together with students from all of the participating UC campuses. This provides a social and intellectual community throughout the quarter.

Interested students in junior or senior standing with strong academic records are encouraged to apply. For further information, contact the UCDC coordinator, 5 Merrill College, (831) 459-2855, ucdc@ucsc.edu, politics.ucsc.edu/ucdc.

Comprehensive Requirements
The comprehensive requirement in the Politics Department can be satisfied in any of the following methods:

Course Credit Options
• successful completion of a politics senior seminar (190-series) that includes the writing of an extensive paper (no less than 15 pages) with a substantial research content. To enroll in a specific 190 seminar, students must have successfully completed prerequisite courses listed in the seminar’s catalog course description;
• successful completion of a politics graduate core seminar (enrollment in which is contingent on the written recommendation of two politics faculty) that includes the writing of an extensive paper (no less than 15 pages) with a substantial research content;
• successful completion of a senior thesis (courses 195A-B-C) of approximately 50 pages, with a substantial research content, supervised by a politics faculty member with a second reader;
• successful completion of one additional politics upper-division course with content linked to another course completed in any of the department’s “major pathways.” In conjunction with this course the student must receive faculty approval for and enroll in a two-credit independent study, Politics 199F, which requires completion of a substantial writing component (e.g., a term paper of no less than 15 pages in length).