University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Political Science BA
University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 27,134 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* full-time, two terms | for out-of-state residents
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
About: The Political Science Bachelor of Arts (BA) at The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is a four-year programme that builds analytical, evaluative and writing skills for public policy and governance. It covers American politics, comparative politics, political philosophy, international relations and public policy. Students may pair major with economics.
Career Outcomes: Graduates pursue law, public administration, diplomacy, international business and teaching. Alumni work as attorneys, policy analysts, intelligence analysts, city managers, human resource managers, nonprofit directors, legislative staff and university professors. Many gain experience through internships, Pi Sigma Alpha and study. career opportunities include public, private and international sectors.
The political science program at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is a four-year degree program leading to the degree Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. It provides the opportunity for students to concentrate on political science as an object of interest and study, and to prepare for any of a fairly large number of interesting careers. Its primary focus is providing students with analytical thinking, reading and writing skills to understand and participate in the public realm – in a private, professional, or public capacity. As a discipline, Political Science is conventionally divided into four subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Philosophy, International Relations and Public Policy. Each of these subfields contains many areas of study. Pitt-Johnstown offers course work in American politics, particularly Congress, Presidency and constitutional law, politics in industrialized and developing countries, international relations, international organizations, and American foreign policy, as well as advanced courses on selected countries or areas of the world. Additionally, students may enter our interdisciplinary certificate program in International Studies which is highly complementary to the major.
The political science program is designed to develop strong interpretive, evaluative and analytical skills in the realm of public policy and political institutions, to provide a broad 'generalist' background in the social sciences, to offer the opportunity to combine policy-oriented political science course work with technical skill areas (such as those found in economics), and to prepare students for employment in the public or private sector or continued study in professional areas such as law, public administration, legislative analysis, social service, urban planning, international studies, foreign service, international management, international trade, international communications, and international business. As part of an interdisciplinary program in the social sciences, the political science major allows students to develop analytical perspectives in other social sciences as well, and many students choose to complete a double major (such as political science and history, or political science and business).
It should be recognized that students who express an interest in political science are mostly intrigued by aspects of American politics, policy, or processes, including the U.S. as an international actor and the increasing interdependence of all countries. Such a curiosity may have been encouraged by a course or two in a student's high school curriculum, or parents who are actively interested in politics or political issues. But in general, a curiosity about politics is one that the student has developed on his/her own over the years prior to coming to college.
Pitt-Johnstown Financial Aid
Scholarship eligibility for incoming first-year or new students to Pitt-Johnstown will be assessed by the Admissions Office upon acceptance.
Process For Continuing Students
Each year, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s Financial Aid Office awards numerous Gift and Endowed (G&E) scholarships, made available to deserving students through the generosity of many individuals, clubs, organizations, industries, businesses, and foundations.
The selection of scholarship recipients is based on specific criteria defined by the donor. A student’s academic performance and financial need may also be considered when deciding upon qualified candidates. Most G&E scholarships are geared toward continuing students; Pitt-Johnstown may require students to complete a scholarship application for consideration.
Completing the scholarship application does not guarantee selection, however, by completing the application, students are automatically considered for each scholarship that Pitt-Johnstown offers as well as several outside scholarships.
General Requirements
For consideration, students must:
- be enrolled for at least 6 credits in a degree-seeking program at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have successfully completed 12 credits as a degree-seeking student at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 to be considered for need-based scholarships.
- be registered for the upcoming fall term by May 15.
- comply with Pitt-Johnstown's satisfactory academic progress standards for financial aid.
- not be in default on an educational loan or not owe repayment on a federal grant.
- not have earned a Bachelor’s Degree.
Scholarship Exclusions/Adjustments
Limited G&E funds are available to full scholarship recipients. Scholarship awards may be adjusted if Financial Aid determines a student is the recipient of a full tuition scholarship or tuition remission.
Any student who receives a scholarship and/or grant awards that total more than Pitt-Johnstown’s annual cost of attendance, as defined by the Financial Aid Office, will have one or more awards reduced or cancelled.
The Financial Aid Office awards G&E scholarships based upon the information available at the time of the award, including intended major or cumulative GPA, as well as any other possible variables. In the event that this information is inaccurate or changes, the Financial Aid Office has the right to reduce, change, or cancel the award.
Including at least four subfield introductory courses
Selected from
- PS 0206 - American Political Process
- PS 0210 - National Policymaking
- PS 0302 - Comparative Politics
- PS 0501 - World Politics
- PS 0601 - Political Ideologies
Methodology: Choose one of the following:
- SOC 0300 - Social Research Methods or
- STAT 1020 - Social Statistics or
- STAT 1040 - Statistics For Business/Economics
Senior Seminar
- PS 1700 - Political Science Research
Social Science Electives (18 credits)
Select one course from each of the 6 disciplines.
1. Anthropology
- ANTH 0800 - Introduction To Cultural Anthropology
2. Economics
- ECON 0105 - Intro Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 0115 - Intro To Macroeconomic Theory
3. Geography
- GEOG 0100 - Economic Geography
- GEOG 0210 - Physical Geography
- GEOG 0310 - Geography Of The United States
- GEOG 0610 - Urban Development
- GEOG 0810 - Earth And People
4. History
- HIST 0120 - Western Civilization 1
- HIST 0130 - Western Civilization 2
- HIST 0610 - United States To 1877
- HIST 0620 - United States 1877 - Present
5. Justice Administration
- JAC 0200 - Corrections
- JAC 0715 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
- JAC 0725 - Criminal Court Procedure
- JAC 0726 - Digital Age Crime And Justice
6. Sociology
- SOC 0070 - Social Problems
- SOC 0100 - Introduction To Sociology
Additional Social Science Electives (6 credits)
6 credits from any Social Science area
(except SocSci 1910, Envstd 1200 or Stats)
May include Envstd 0100).
Careers of a Sampling of Pitt-Johnstown Political Science Graduates:
- Medical malpractice and health law attorney (VA)
- IT Project Coordinator (TN)
- Professor of Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University
- Song writer and performer (PA)
- Technical research analyst, financial investment corporation (PA)
- Domestic relations attorney (OH)
- Intelligence Analyst, National Drug Intelligence Center (PA)
- Secondary Social Studies teacher (PA)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (DC)
- Planning and Development Officer, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
- Senior accountant, public accounting firm (VA)
- Hearing officer, County Adult Probation Office (PA)
- Unit manager, Gertrude Barber Center, Erie PA
- Bartender, Philadelphia
- Public Counsel, Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, Harrisburg
- Senior vice president and trust officer, local bank in PA
- Public attorney and master of the county juvenile court (PA)
- Assistant District Attorney, Allegheny County PA
- School district counselor and family psychologist (PA)
- Attorney, marriage, family and child counseling clinic (CA)
- Management analyst, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Employment compensation attorney, Philadelphia
- Human resource manager, Pennsylvania Air National Guard
- Professional City Manager (PA)
- Resource management director, U.S. Department of the Navy (DC)
- Attorney in private practice (PA)
- Vice President and corporate counsel, national insurance company (OH)
- Intelligence analyst, National Security Agency (DC)
- Assistant Professor of Political Science at a liberal arts college (TX)
- Export compliance manager, international exporting firm (VA)
- Bilingual pharmacy services representative (PA)
- Paralegal in property management, Pittsburgh
- Program analyst, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
- Pennsylvania State Senator, Harrisburg (PA)
- Management analyst, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Department of Energy (DC)
- Statistician, local consulting form executing national defense contracts (PA)
- Chemical Review Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
- Career officer, U.S. Army (VA)
- Professor of Political Science, Towson University (NJ)
- Regional medical center director (TN)
- Regional office staff, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (PA)
- President Judge, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
- Legislative analyst, Office of Management and Budget (DC)
- Doctoral candidate, political science, SUNY/Albany
- Government Relations, AirBus (DC)
- Government affairs specialist, policy consulting firm, Harrisburg
- Embassy economic affairs staff, The Netherlands (DC)
- Clerk of the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court (PA)
- Vice President at a nationally ranked college of music (MA)
- Marketing director, local chamber of commerce (PA)
- State trooper, Pennsylvania State Police
- Youth director, First Presbyterian Church (PA)
- Vice President of a real estate development corporation (PA)
- Foreign affairs officer, Russian Desk, U.S. Department of State (DC)
- Attorney, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (DC)
- Senior vice president, Wachovia Securities (NJ)
- Professor of International Relations at a liberal arts college (GA)
- Corporation counsel, New York City
- Local newspaper staff writer (PA)
- Claims authorizer, Social Security Administration (PA)
- PGA professional and club general manager (PA)
- Director of county economic development corporation (PA)
- Senior counterintelligence analyst
- Human resource manager, CIA (DC)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (VA)
- County public defender (PA)
- Analyst, national security consulting firm (DC)
- Teacher of English as Foreign Language, Germany
Many students take advantage of real-world opportunities to gain experience and skills necessary for a successful career in the field. Students may be recognized by Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.