Bachelor of Science in Political Science – American Institutions Online

Examine the American government’s primary institutions and obligations of the president, Supreme Court and Congress as you prepare for new opportunities or advanced study.

Apply by: 2/18/25
Start class: 3/10/25 Apply Now Apply Now

Program Overview

Explore American government with the bachelor of political science online program

The online Bachelor of Science in Political Science – American Institutions program closely explores the roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government in the United States. As you progress through 100% online coursework, you’ll learn more about policy creation and the president, the Supreme Court and constitutional law and the congressional power structure.

Complete your bachelor of political science online degree in less time by taking advantage of our generous transfer credit policy and learn from respected faculty who advance your knowledge of the American legal system, political theory and the relationship between religion and politics. This flexible academic pathway prepares you for graduate study or rewarding career opportunities in politics and law.

Graduates of this online political science program will:

  • Understand the development, organization and function of political parties and interest groups in American politics within the context of elections at all levels of government
  • Explore the political, legal, organizational and policy-making aspects of the American presidency
  • Examine the political and institutional development of Congress, including its formal legal powers and internal dynamics as a major national policy-making institution
  • Examine key themes in the development of American political thought from the Colonial Era to the present, including the relationship between religion and politics, rights, revolution, national identity, markets and morals, and America's role in the world
  • Critically assess the Supreme Court's role in dealing with the fundamental problems of constitutional law, including federal and state power relations, congressional power over commerce, equal protection of the laws and the conduct of elections
Graduates of this online political science program will:
  • Understand the development, organization and function of political parties and interest groups in American politics within the context of elections at all levels of government
  • Explore the political, legal, organizational and policy-making aspects of the American presidency
  • Examine the political and institutional development of Congress, including its formal legal powers and internal dynamics as a major national policy-making institution
  • Examine key themes in the development of American political thought from the Colonial Era to the present, including the relationship between religion and politics, rights, revolution, national identity, markets and morals, and America's role in the world
  • Critically assess the Supreme Court's role in dealing with the fundamental problems of constitutional law, including federal and state power relations, congressional power over commerce, equal protection of the laws and the conduct of elections

Political science career opportunities:

  • Government Relations Specialist
  • Public Policy Researcher
  • Community Organizer
  • Public Affairs Specialist
  • Legislative Assistant
Political science career opportunities:
  • Government Relations Specialist
  • Public Policy Researcher
  • Community Organizer
  • Public Affairs Specialist
  • Legislative Assistant

Accreditation:

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Also available:

Northwest offers a variety of specialized online education program options. Check out our other online undergraduate programs.

Per Credit Hour $334*
Program Transfer Credits: Up to 90 hours
Credit Hours 120

Accreditation:

Northwest Missouri State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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Need More Information?

Call 844-890-9304

Call 844-890-9304

Tuition

Discover the value of our affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition

Our B.S. in Political Science – American Institutions online program offers affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition, which is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included.

View additional tuition information+

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course
B.S. Political Science – American Institutions $334* $1,002

Important Refund Information

2nd day of class Last date for 100% refund for dropped course
4th day of class Last date for 75% refund for dropped course
6th day of class Last date for 50% refund for dropped course
8th day of class Last date for 25% refund for dropped course

Transfer Your Credits for Lower Tuition

Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.

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Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student’s Northwest record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

Tuition breakdown:

Per Credit Hour $334*

Calendar

Choose the start date that best fits your schedule

Northwest online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working students, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Spring 11/13/2512/19/241/2/251/7/251/8/252/28/25
Spring 23/10/252/18/252/24/253/3/253/5/254/25/25
Summer 15/5/254/15/254/21/254/28/254/30/256/20/25
Summer 26/23/256/2/256/6/256/13/256/17/258/8/25
Fall 18/25/258/5/258/11/258/18/258/20/2510/10/25
Fall 210/20/259/30/2510/6/2510/13/2510/15/2512/5/25

Now enrolling:

Next Apply Date: 2/18/25
Next Class Start Date: 3/10/25
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earning your degree?

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Admissions

Check out the qualifications for the online degree in political science

At Northwest, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the online B.S. in Political Science program, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them. The requirements include:

Admission Requirements:

  • GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended
View all admission requirements +

To apply for this program, you must meet the requirements for one of the sections listed below.

Transfer Criteria

  • Students with 24 or more transferrable credit hours:
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Students with less than 24 transferrable credit hours:
    • Follow freshman admission requirements and have a minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Transfer students from non-regionally accredited institutions will also be considered a freshman; credit cannot be transferred into Northwest from a non-regionally accredited institution

Returning Students (previously enrolled as degree-seeking at Northwest):

  • A minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA in any coursework completed since last being at Northwest (on 4.0 scale)
  • A probation essay (if returning after being suspended or put on probation) explaining previous time at Northwest, what they've been doing since and how they plan to be successful when they return

Freshman Criteria (Adult - 24+ years old):

  • High school transcript showing graduation date or completion of GED/HiSET
  • Essay
  • ACT/SAT test scores optional; can be submitted for scholarship/placement purposes if available

Freshman Criteria (for non-adult freshmen and transfers with less than 24 transferrable hours):

  • Category I:
    • 21 or higher ACT composite (or the SAT equivalent: SAT-980 or 1060**)
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on 4.0 scale)

**Per 2016 SAT redesign.

  • Category II:
    • Have an admissions index score (see here) that equals or exceeds 100 points
    • A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Category III:
    • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (weighted or unweighted) or above (on a 4.0 scale)
    • Complete high school college-preparatory curriculum
    • Students who have completed the GED or HiSET are eligible with a minimum score of 660 on the GED or a minimum score of 75 on the HiSET
    • This category is not an option for home-schooled or unaccredited high school graduates unless they have also completed the GED or HiSET

Home-Schooled Students

Applicants must have their ACT or SAT results submitted directly from ACT or College Board. A transcript listing of high school courses and grades in each course is also required for admission.

  • 21 or higher on the ACT (or SAT equivalent), OR
  • GED score of 660 or higher, OR
  • HiSET score of 75 or higher

GED Applicants/HiSET Applicants

A student may be considered for admission after receiving an equivalency certification, meeting the following criteria:

  • GED score of 660 or higher, OR
  • HiSET score of 75 or higher

Official transcripts can be emailed to [email protected]. To submit official documents by mail, send them to:

Office of Admissions
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468-6001

Have a question? Call us at 844-890-9304.

Click here for State Authorization information.


Admission Requirements:

  • GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended

Courses

Review the curriculum for the political science degree online program

For the B.S. in Political Science – American Institutions online, the curriculum is comprised of 120 credit hours, including 44-47 credit hours of Northwest Core (general education) courses, four credit hours of Institutional Requirements courses, 27 credit hours of Political Science Foundations coursework, 18 credit hours of American Institutions Foundations coursework, 15 credit hours of political science electives, six credit hours of advisor-approved electives pertaining to American institutions, and as many credit hours of general elective courses as needed to fulfill the 120 credit hour degree requirement.

Expand All

Students must take 44-47 credit hours of general education courses to meet the degree plan requirements.

Students are required to take a University Seminar (1 credit hour) and a digital literacy course, usually Computers and Information Technology (3 credit hours). Below is the information for each course.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1
University Seminar is designed to help students transition to college life and achieve success. Topics of exploration will include the privileges, rights, and responsibilities associated with a university education, skills necessary for success, assuming responsibility for one's own university experience, and available resources.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to computer systems. Topics include integrated office applications, hardware, software, Internet, and the rights and responsibilities of computer users.

If a course in this program is also used to fulfill a Northwest Core requirement or a requirement in another program, the number of credit hours may be counted only once toward the total number of credit hours required for graduation.  Students may take POLS 34302, POLS 34303, or POLS 34321 in place of POLS 34340, but they will need to take an additional elective if any of these courses are pulled from another area of the degree program.  

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Attention is directed toward the fundamental principles, institutions, and problems of American Constitutional Government-national, state, and local. Particular stress is given to the Missouri Constitution, as well as to national Constitutional growth.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Basic concepts of decision making, central values, variability, probability and statistical inference, elementary concepts of correlation, parametric tests of significance, and regression analysis. Will satisfy The Northwest Core requirement in mathematics. Proficiency examination is available. Prerequisite: An ACT Math score of 22 or higher, high school GPA of 3.00 or higher, or a minimum grade of C in MATH 17082, or concurrent enrollment in MATH 17014.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is an introduction to the study of political science. Students will discover how to study politics in a scientific way. Students will learn how to use various quantitative and qualitative research methods to answer questions about politics.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides students with an introduction to political thought. The course will discuss the varied conceptions of justice, human nature, rulers, and authority, among many other topics and principles. It will then relate those principles to the political theories and competing ideological approaches that emerge from them.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to analysis and the conduct of international affairs, incorporating situations and issues relevant in the modern world
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A course in American policy-making processes and problems of policy development at the national level. The focus is on the analysis of current public policies and their consequences.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the various types of political and governmental structures operative in the contemporary world as well as the various types of political functions performed within national systems. Emphasis is placed on the political experience within more than one nation-state for the purpose of making systematic comparisons, using comparative methodological and theoretical approaches from the discipline.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to the American legal system, its functions, constituting elements, and role in our democratic system.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course serves as a capstone experience for majors in political science, allowing students to demonstrate proficiency in political methods, theories, and sub-disciplines through an exploration of seminar topic(s) and individual research. The political content of this course will vary when offered. Repeatable for new experiences up to six credit hours.

Students must take two out of three (6 hours) of the following courses: POLS 34301 Elections, Parties, and Interest Groups, POLS 34302 American Presidency, and POLS 34303 American Congress. 

Students must choose to take either POLS 34405 American Political Thought or 34459 Justice: Theories and Applications.

Courses not taken to fulfill the American Institutions Foundations may be taken as Political Science Electives.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will examine, compare and contrast the development, organization and function of both political parties and interest groups in American politics within the context of elections at all levels of government.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will encompass the political, legal, organizational and policy-making aspects of the American presidency.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will examine the political and institutional development of Congress. The study will span both the formal legal powers and the internal dynamics of this major national policy-making institution.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines key themes in the development of American Political Thought from the Colonial Era to the present. Among other topics, the course addresses the relationship between religion and politics, rights, revolution, national identity, markets and morals, and the role of America in the world. Prerequisite: POLS 34215 or permission of instructor.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A comparative analysis of theories of justice and how they have been applied in the past and are currently affecting criminal justice systems. Special attention will be placed upon examination of restorative justice and use of the death penalty.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is an investigation and analysis of the American federal system, including its constitutional, political, and administrative characteristics. An integral portion of the course is a study of the subnational governments - state, city and county - that help to comprise the federal system.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the Supreme Court's role in dealing with basic problems of constitutional law. Topics covered include the powers of the three branches of the national government, federal-state power relations, Congressional power over commerce, equal protection of the laws, and the conduct of elections.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigates the legal and political context influencing the exercise of fundamental rights. It is a study of the lines that must be drawn by a democratic society as it attempts to reconcile individual freedom with the rights of the community. In so doing it examines the way in which the U.S. Constitution, as judicially interpreted, has shaped the American concepts of civil liberties (outside the realm of criminal law) and civil rights.

Choose 15 hours from the following courses:

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction into Africa's rich histories and cultures, as well as its complex social, economic and political realities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the agencies and processes involved in the criminal justice system: legislature, the police, the prosecutor, the public defender, the courts and corrections.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will examine, compare and contrast the development, organization and function of both political parties and interest groups in American politics within the context of elections at all levels of government.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will encompass the political, legal, organizational and policy-making aspects of the American presidency.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will examine the political and institutional development of Congress. The study will span both the formal legal powers and the internal dynamics of this major national policy-making institution.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of decision-making processes in public organizations.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the American judicial system as applied to individuals accused of crimes against the state.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An introduction to the American legal system, its functions, constituting elements, and role in our democratic system.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the statutes, administrative rules and judicial processes that frame the criminal justice system, with a focus on the state of Missouri. The course will cover substantive criminal law, processing of the accused and the unique characteristics of juvenile proceedings.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will introduce selected political ideas from the Ancient Greeks to modern times. Ideas covered will represent the development of Western Political Philosophy over time, as well as its comparison with selected Eastern political ideas. Prerequisite: POLS 34215 or permission of instructor.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines key themes in the development of American Political Thought from the Colonial Era to the present. Among other topics, the course addresses the relationship between religion and politics, rights, revolution, national identity, markets and morals, and the role of America in the world. Prerequisite: POLS 34215 or permission of instructor.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the principles of international relations, illustrated through the use of international conflict resolution.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course is a comparative study of the causes and outcomes of world socio-political movements and revolutions affecting governmental change and development since 1500. Emphasis is placed on roles played by elites and masses in specific actions and society's evolving place in government formation. Cases examined include English, American, French, Latin American, Russian and Chinese revolutions as well as current developments in national regimes.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An emphasis on public policy in terms of personnel and budget administration. This course is divided into two distinct but complimentary parts. The first part of the course will focus on personnel administration in the public sector, while the second part of the course will focus on government budgeting. Case studies and exercises will be used in both parts of the course in order to gain an understanding of the key principles, concepts and methods associated with both of these areas of government.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the Supreme Court's role in dealing with basic problems of constitutional law. Topics covered include the powers of the three branches of the national government, federal-state power relations, Congressional power over commerce, equal protection of the laws, and the conduct of elections.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigates the legal and political context influencing the exercise of fundamental rights. It is a study of the lines that must be drawn by a democratic society as it attempts to reconcile individual freedom with the rights of the community. In so doing it examines the way in which the U.S. Constitution, as judicially interpreted, has shaped the American concepts of civil liberties (outside the realm of criminal law) and civil rights.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A comparative analysis of theories of justice and how they have been applied in the past and are currently affecting criminal justice systems. Special attention will be placed upon examination of restorative justice and use of the death penalty.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines specific aspects of political behavior, institutions, processes, ideas, and values present in more than one country. Topics will vary each semester the course is offered. Repeatable for new experiences.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines a substantive area of public policy. Students will have the opportunity to apply theories relating to the policy process. A focus on current political issues as related to policy development coupled with the ability to analyze past and future policy options will be emphasized. Topics will vary each semester the course is offered. Repeatable for new experiences.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course serves as a capstone experience for majors in political science, allowing students to demonstrate proficiency in political methods, theories, and sub-disciplines through an exploration of seminar topic(s) and individual research. The political content of this course will vary when offered. Repeatable for new experiences up to six credit hours.

These electives must be approved at the discretion of the faculty advisor and must pertain to the study of American political institutions or to the study of political theory, law, or legal studies. Some courses selected may have prerequisite requirements that must be completed and may not count towards electives in the degree.

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Ranked among the Top 5 “Public Universities in Missouri” by Niche.com (2022)

Highly Qualified Faculty

100% of classes are taught by professionals, not graduate assistants

*Tuition and fees are based on current rates. Textbooks and laptops are not included with tuition. A one-time fee of $20.50 will be charged for remote proctoring of required Assessment of Core Proficiencies.

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