Politics Minor

Because of the growing complexity and globalization of our world, it is important today that students develop a solid understanding of the political ideas and processes that shape political outcomes. The need for improved understanding of politics is evident in domestic debates about health care, immigration, environmental protection, homeland security and banking regulation, as well as in international issues of terrorism, the United States’ role in international finance, the spread of democracy and human rights, global poverty and global health issues.

The politics minor allows UW Tacoma students to strengthen their facility with political reasoning and theory in ways that complement their studies in their chosen majors/concentrations. Specific areas of study that would benefit from a politics minor include environmental studies, history, communications, business, social work and urban studies. More substantially, the politics minor will help students become more informed about and engaged with local, national and international issues, and support those students interested in being able to teach political science or social studies as high school teachers. Current course work in a politics minor supports Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences’ Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PP&E) major. This minor allows students to benefit from this particular aspect of the PP&E curriculum while not requiring them to take the full PP&E curriculum.

Note: PP&E and Law and Policy major students cannot minor in Politics.

Objectives of minor

Graduates with a minor in politics will develop a solid understanding of political ideas, processes, and outcomes. Students will be prepared to pursue careers in government, law, planning, nonprofit management, community work, diplomacy, business, teaching, journalism and other fields, as well as for graduate study in these areas.

Educational outcomes

Students with a minor in politics will be equipped to understand political and social interactions, the relations between states and international institutions, and the history of relationships between governments and its citizens. The minor also aims to develop skills needed for informed and effective citizenship at all levels. Students completing a minor in politics will learn to:

• Engage in and employ sophisticated theoretical reasoning to analyze issues related to politics
• Analyze and explain the politics behind current events
• Investigate the relationship between politics and other areas of inquiry
• Discuss and write critically about domestic and international political and social issues

Course requirements

The Politics minor requires 25 credits: 10 credits of two (choose two out of three) required foundational classes (TPOLS 202 American Politics, TPOLS 203 International Relations, and TPOLS 201 Introduction to Political Values and Ideas); and 15 credits in three additional electives at the 300- or 400-level. Students may request to transfer up to 10 credits to be applied toward the courses fulfilling the minor. Students must maintain an average GPA of 2.0 in the five classes that satisfy the minor requirements.

How to declare

You can declare a minor by using the same request to declare/change major form and submitting it to Enrollment Services. You must have earned a minimum of 45 credits and declared a major before declaring a minor. If you have any questions about this process, please see your adviser.