Graduate Certificate in Political Science
Collaborative Online Degree
This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU South Bend, IU Bloomington, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty.
This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
Many online support services are available to assist you as you progress through the program.
The IU Online Collaborative Graduate Certificate in Political Science provides instruction in the study of political philosophy, American politics, comparative politics, public opinion, and research methods. You will study major political figures, philosophies, and movements throughout history in order to understand the political events of today.
Of Special Interest for Teachers/Instructors Needing to Meet HLC Dual-Credit Standards
The Graduate Certificate in Political Science is ideal for those who want to teach dual-credit courses and who need to meet Higher Learning Commission dual-credit qualification standards. These standards require teachers wanting to teach dual-credit courses in political science to hold either a master's degree in political science or a master's degree in another discipline (such as education), plus at least 18 credit hours of discipline-specific graduate coursework.
- If you hold a master's degree in a discipline other than political science, you can meet HLC standards by completing the 18 credit hour Graduate Certificate in Political Science.
- If you plan to pursue the IU Online MAT in Political Science, you may apply the 18 credit hours from the Graduate Certificate in Political Science toward the masters degree.
Admissions
Admissions requirements vary by campus.
Certificate Requirements (18 cr.)
All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.
- POLS-Y 567 Public Opinion: Approaches and Issues; OR
POLS-Y 575 Political Data Analysis I - POLS-P 570 Introduction to the Study of Politics
- POLS-Y 657 Comparative Politics; OR
POLS-Y 757 Comparative Politics - POLS-Y 661 American Politics
- POLS-Y 675 Political Philosophy
Select one from the following:
- POLS-Y 524 Research Design for Public Affairs
- POLS-Y 580 Research Methods in Political Science
- STAT-S 512 Statistical Learning and Data Analysis
- STAT-S 520 Introduction to Statistics