Top 25 Online Bachelor's in Political Science for 2019
Are you an avid reader of the day's national political headlines? Do you have a keen interest in foreign affairs? If so — and if you enjoy following the creation, development, and passage of laws and policies — you may be an ideal candidate for an online political science degree. This degree sharpens your analytical and critical thinking skills, and can lead to very lucrative careers. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported political scientists' median annual salaries at $114,290 in 2016.
As you work on your political science degree online, you develop expert knowledge of the political influences that impact major issues in the U.S. law and economy. Your grasp of these forces, along with your expertise in problem-solving and communications, will make you an invaluable asset to employers.
What are the Best Online Bachelor's in Political Science Programs?
Top 25 Online Bachelors in Political Science for 2019
Admissions Rate
49%
Graduation Rate
70%
Online Enrollment
15%
Retention Rate
89%
Default Rate
7%
For those interested in careers in foreign and domestic public service as intelligence officers, lobbyists, or paralegals, the online political science degree at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is a great option. A competitive, affordable institution, UCF's high-quality distance learning program offers a robust political science curriculum with courses in American national government, comparative politics, political development, international law, world political geography, political psychology, causes of war, and diplomacy. Students with fewer than 60 semester hours are required to complete at least nine semester hours during summer sessions. UCF operates on a rolling admissions basis, and applicants must submit a high school transcript and official SAT or ACT scores. Transfer applicants must also have two English courses and two math courses with minimum 2.0 GPA. UCF offers merit-based scholarships based on academic performance, leadership, and extracurricular activities.
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What Will I Learn in an Online Political Science Program?
While every school creates its program independently, most political science degree online schools have similar curricula. However, this should not be taken for granted; review the course listing of any program that you're considering. We've listed five courses below that are commonly required for online political science degrees.
Politics and the Media Analysis of cultural representations of politics across various forms of media. Class topics include media theory and theoretical assessment of history and politics. Students also analyze case studies and conduct research.
American Government An introduction to the U.S. government systems, functions, and politics, including study of important historical developments. Students examine the ways politics and policy are shaped by public opinion, political parties, special interest groups, and individual participation.
International Relations An introduction to the core methodologies and ideologies of international relations study, this class emphasizes international cooperation, war and diplomacy, the nature of the international sphere, and key current events that affect relations among international actors.
Comparative Politics This course examines organizations and behavior of existing political systems across the globe. Students explore each system's major issues, instability drivers, internal structure, leadership, governing institutions, and citizen political participation.
Great Political Thinkers An introduction to the authors of key concepts in the development of Western political theory, including Marx, Machiavelli, Plato, and Aristotle. Class discussion explores issues of power, equality, justice, and freedom.
What Can I do with an Online Political Science Degree?
Graduates of political science degree online schools are qualified for interesting, engaging careers in many industries. For example, government agencies — and the organizations adjacent to them — particularly value expertise in international affairs and U.S. politics. In other sectors, applicants who demonstrate excellent analytic skills can land lucrative jobs, as the table shows below.
Conducts research, writes, and creates news articles for print or electronic media. Responsible for pitching story ideas to editorial staff and monitoring other news outlets for leads. Personal interviews may require significant advance work in the form of other interviews, identification of witnesses, or persuasion to cooperate. Research activities include gathering tips, identifying likely sources, plumbing public records, fact-checking, and data analysis.
Median Salary: $39,733
Job Outlook and Salary for Political Science Graduates
Salary Growth by Experience for Political Science Professionals
As with most careers, salary increases are commensurate with experience, and those with an online political science degree can expect the same. As you plan your postgraduate career, consider that jobs calling for advanced data analysis skills are particularly well compensated, as the table below demonstrates.
To determine the best online bachelor's in political science programs, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the best online bachelor's in political science programs. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.