What is Political Science?

Political science focuses on the theory and practice of government and politics at the local, state,
national, and international levels. We are dedicated to developing understandings of institutions,
practices, and relations that constitute public life and modes of inquiry that promote citizenship.

Some of the major subfields are described below.

Political Theory
Political theory is concerned mainly with the foundations of political community and institutions.
It focuses on human nature and the moral purposes of political association. To clarify these
concepts, political theorists draw on enduring political writings from ancient Greece to the
present and on various writings by moral philosophers. Political theory also focuses on empirical
research into the way political institutions function in practice. Here political theorists subject
beliefs about political life found in important political writings to re-examination in the light of
ongoing human behavior. In either case, political theory seeks to ultimately deepen political
thinking and to spur citizens to responsible and creative political action.

POL S 201, Introduction to Political Theory, provides students with an overview of the main
lines of thought in political theory. Advanced courses focus on given concepts, topics, and
thought in political theorizing.

Comparative Politics
Comparative politics is a broad field with a variety of approaches and goals. Some scholars and
researchers compare contemporary political systems in order to judge which types best provide
particular values: order, equality, freedom, or economic security and well-being for their citizens.
Others suggest that the main purpose of comparative politics is to provide an understanding of
how and why different societies develop different kinds of political institutions. Still others use
comparative politics as a way of discovering general laws and theories that will explain human
political behavior and its variability.

Comparative politics courses are of two basic types. One offers comparisons of a particular set of
problems or institutions in a number of different countries. The second type offers in-depth
analyses of the basic political institutions and processes of a single country or group of countries
in a world region.
Most students will want to begin their study of comparative politics with the Introduction to
Comparative Politics (POL S 204), which combines the two main approaches by including
comparative discussions of particular problems, issues, processes, and institutions in a wide
variety of political settings as well as in-depth readings and lectures on some of the major
countries in the contemporary world.

International Relations
The field of international relations is concerned with developing an understanding of why states
and non-state international actors, like the United Nations and multinational corporations,
interact as they do. International relations is a diverse field both in terms of what kinds of
behavior are studied and how they are studied. International conflict, particularly war, continues
to be an important focus of the field. Why do wars start? Who wins and why? How can wars be
prevented? What is the role of international law and organizations? As the world has become
more interdependent, scholars have become more aware of the importance of international
economic activity. As a result, scholars are analyzing world trade, communications,
development, foreign investment, and international finance. How states make foreign policy
decisions is another important area of study. National security policy, nuclear deterrence, arms
control and defense spending decisions are typical examples of foreign policy decisions.

POL S 203, International Relations, introduces the student to International politics. This is the
foundation for a wide variety of offerings at the 300 and 400 levels, such as American foreign
policy, global environmental politics, international political economy, and international conflict.

American Government and Politics

Students of American government and politics seek an understanding of politics as practiced in
the United States. In addition to courses on the American presidency, the U.S. Congress, and the
courts, the department offers specialized courses on such topics as the political role of mass
media, the politics of race and ethnicity, constitutional law, policy formation, state politics, and
American political thought.

Some of the broad questions that concern students in this field are: How and why did American
political institutions, ideas, and practices develop as they have? How does one go about
evaluating them? Are American political institutions, ideas and practices unique, or are they
similar to other societies? How might American politics be improved?

POL S 202, Introduction to American Politics, is recommended preparation for most other
courses in American Politics. To acquire first-hand experience with the American political
system, students are encouraged to participate in academic internships in Washington D.C.,
Olympia, or Seattle.
Political Methodology
The subfield of political methodology is concerned with the philosophical bases of political
science, social science, empirical research design and analysis, and practical field research
experience.

Courses in the political methodology field cover philosophical issues regarding the possibility of
a science of politics, the similarities and differences between political science and other social
sciences, alternative modes of explanation, and the truth of knowledge claims. They also
examine the formulation of experimental and non-experimental research designs for making
causal inferences about political processes and behavior and explore the. use of statistics,
mathematics and computers for the analysis of political data generated by such research designs.
Students are also provided an opportunity to conduct individual and group research projects
through seminars. The political methodology faculty have current research and teaching interests
in such diverse topics as mass media, feminist theory, language politics, political economy,
rational choice theory, and public policy.

Correspondence concerning this article can be addressed to Allan B. I. Bernardo E21-3060 Humanities
and Social Sciences Building, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau. Email: allanbibernardo@umac.mo
Exploring Political Values of Filipinos Using an Etic Approach Allan B. I. Bernardo University of Macau An
exploratory study was conducted to study political values of Filipinos. An etic approach was adopted
using as starting point the theory of core political values (Schwartz, Caprara, & Vecchione, 2010) to
explore the political values of a sample of 699 Filipinos who participated in an online survey. The results
of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic procedures suggest three core political values –
conservation, globalism, equal rights – that have distinct motivational directions. Regression analysis
revealed distinct patterns of relationships with social axioms, which indicate beliefs about the processes
that lead to desired social outcomes. Finally, cluster analysis and MANOVAs indicated four groups of
participants that show distinct profiles in terms of endorsement of political values and related social
axioms. The results are discussed in terms of the limits of the etic approach, but also in terms of the
potential usefulness of core political values in understanding different political attitudes and behaviors
of Filipinos. Key words: Political values, value types, social axioms, etic approach Political attitudes and
behaviors of individuals play an important role in shaping social movements in any society. These
attitudes and behaviors contribute to the election of specific types of leaders, to support for particular
policies, and to strengthening social movements. Political attitudes and behaviors partly determine
whether a person engages political processes or turns away from anything political, and also whether
political and social institutions are transformed or whether the status quo is maintained. In any society,
individuals may hold diverse political attitudes and engage political processes in differing and possibly 8
EXPLORING POLITICAL VALUES OF FILIPINOS USING AN ETIC APPROACH PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 opposing ways; political scientists (e.g., Evans, Heath, & Lalljee, 1996)
and sociologists (e.g., Judd, Krosnick & Milburn, 1981) have long attempted to understand the structure
and dimensions of such attitudes. There has not been as much work done on trying to understand the
underlying processes that would explain the differences in political attitudes (see Peffley & Hurwitz,
1995, for an early exception), and it was Feldman (2003) who suggested that “one potentially valuable
approach…that has not received sufficient attention…is based on the value construct” (p. 479). Since
then, proposals have been made regarding the structure of core political values (e.g., Goren, 2005;
Gunther & Kuan, 2007) that explain differences in political attitudes and behaviors. The assumption is
that core political values help reduce complexity in political information (Jacoby, 2006) and aid
individuals in deciding their positions on a wide range of issues in a coherent manner (Converse, 1964).
Political scientists infer people’s core political values from people’s agreement with statements about
how political institutions or government should function, which political scientists typically constrain in
terms of ideological constructs. Social psychologists (e.g., Schwartz, Caprara, & Vecchione, 2010)
propose that people’s more basic personal values constrain their core political values, and that there are
a set of eight core political values that can account for political behaviors across different social contexts
(Schwartz et al., 2010; 2014). The current study explores political values of Filipinos by using the core
political values defined in the literature. This approach for exploration is an etic approach to research, as
it uses theory and measures developed in one culture to measure and compare the construct in other
cultures (Berry, 1989). The approach is in contrast to the more particularistic emic approach that focuses
on meanings of constructs that emerge from specific cultural contexts, and cultural social psychologists
have encouraged that etic and emic approaches be combined to get a fuller understanding of
psychological constructs across cultures. However, we use the etic approach as a starting point to re-
engage in a discussion of political values in the Philippine social context. The term “re- BERNARDO 9
PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 engage” is used here because there have
been previous attempts by Philippine social psychologists to use the concept of values in trying to
understand Philippine political phenomena. These studies will be reviewed later, after more recent
foreign studies that observe the usefulness of values in exploring differences in political attitudes and
behaviors are discussed. Social Psychological Studies on Values and Political Behaviors As noted earlier,
political scientists attribute differences in political attitudes and behaviors to differences in values that
they infer from the former. Social psychologists refer to different theories of basic human values to try
to understand political behaviors. Studies in recent decades refer to Schwartz’ theory of basic human
values, and examine how they relate to specific political attitudes or orientations (Caprara, Schwartz,
Capanna, Vecchione, & Barbaranelli, 2006; Piurko, Schwartz, & Davidov, 2011) and political behaviors
such as voting (Barnea & Schwartz, 1998) and political activism (Vecchione et al., 2015). More recently,
social psychologists propose a set of eight core political values that seem to be valid in various cultures
(Schwartz et al., 2014) and relate to political behaviors such as voting (Schwartz et al., 2010; Vecchione,
Caprara, Dentale, & Schwartz, 2013) and politically motivated consumer behaviors (Kotzur, Torres,
Kedzior, & Boehnke, 2015). Note that basic human values are conceptually distinct from political values.
Basic values are typically defined as important goals that an individual pursues and that guide the
individual’s many life decisions (Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz, 1992). As such, basic values are abstract or
context free, but are expressed in various attitudes and behaviors in many different domains of a
person’s life. In contrast, political values are specific to the political domain and refer to “attitudes,
beliefs, or preferences about the ways government, citizenship, and society should function” (Schwartz
et al., 2014, p. 905; see also McCann, 1997). Thus, political values can be seen as being less abstract than
basic human values because their expressions are limited to the domain of politics. However, 10
EXPLORING POLITICAL VALUES OF FILIPINOS USING AN ETIC APPROACH PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 political values could still be seen as being derived from the basic set
of human values, and can be interpreted as expressing the same motives that underlie basic human
values but applying them to the political domain (Schwartz et al., 2010). The eight core political values
studied in other cultures are as follows, as defined in Schwartz et al. (2014, p. 903): “Traditional
morality: society should protect traditional religious, moral, and family values; Blind patriotism: people
should support and never criticize their country; Law and order: government should forbid disruptive
activities and enforce obedience to law; Free enterprise: government should not be involved in the
economy; Equality: society should distribute opportunities and resources equally; Civil liberties:
everyone should be free to act and think as they deem most appropriate; Foreign military intervention:
nations should use military means to deal with international problems if necessary; Accepting
immigrants: foreign immigrants contribute positively to our country.” These eight core political values
have been validated in 15 countries (Schwartz et al., 2014) using an 18-item scale, which is used in the
current study as a starting point of the exploration. It is possible that the eight-factor model described in
the theory may not be validated with a Filipino sample, and the identification of a more valid structure
of political values could be a starting point in re-engaging the study of political values in the Philippine
context. Values and Political Phenomena in the Philippines As noted earlier, the construct of values has
been referred to in studies on political behaviors and political developments in the Philippines; some of
these studies are briefly reviewed in this subsection. In their review of Philippine political psychology
research, Montiel and Chiongbian (1991) observe that values were the focus of research in relation to
attempts to understand the political transitions from dictatorship and democracy after EDSA 1986. For
example, a moral recovery program was proposed as part of social development efforts toward nation-
building. Although much of the focus of the BERNARDO 11 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017)
Vol. 50 No. 2 program was on the “Filipino character,” some of the key goals explicitly refer to values,
such as discipline, hard work, a sense of patriotism and national pride, among others (Licuanan, 1994).
Although this program does not explicitly link values to specific political behaviors, the implication was
that values held by Filipinos have an impact on the nation’s wellbeing, and that some values may require
transformation in order to strengthen nationbuilding. A similar implication seems to be assumed in
Enriquez’s (1992; 1994) proposals to construct an alternative value system of Filipinos. His proposed
value system identified, among other values, pakikibaka (resistance) and social values of karangalan
(dignity), katarungan (justice), and kalayaan (freedom), which can be considered to be explicitly political
values. These attempts to articulate values that might be relevant in nation-building or in national social
development took a more emic approach to studying values. Montiel (1995) adopted similar emic
approaches in her discussion of political conflict resolution in the Philippines. Her study indicated that
smooth interpersonal harmony was one key characteristic, and that this is likely related to the Filipino
value of saving face. Although their study did not explicitly refer to values, Montiel and Macapagal’s
(2006) study on Christians’ and Muslims’ attributions of the Mindanao conflict identified contrasting sets
of attributions that seem to implicitly assume distinct sets of values. In particular, attributions of
marginalized Muslims tended to be associated with structural problems that implicitly refer to values of
justice and self-determination, whereas attributions of the dominant Christian group tended to focus on
person-centered factors that implicitly referred to weaker moral values. There were some attempts to
explore political values using etic approaches. A series of studies (Montiel, 1985; 1991) adopted an etic
approach to explore values and changes in values of generations of Filipino student activists. The etic
approach used Rokeach’s (1973) theory of values that relate to political orientation. Note that these
studies, as well as the more emic studies, mostly refer to general values, and not to specific political
values. Interestingly, in the review of political psychology research 12 EXPLORING POLITICAL VALUES OF
FILIPINOS USING AN ETIC APPROACH PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 in the
Philippines, Montiel and Chiongbian (1991) also referred to some unpublished studies in the 1970s
(Appleton, 1975; Sicat, 1970; Youngblood, 1972) that suggest that civics education in the Philippines
tends to focus more on teaching the ideals of democracy and not underlying political values. These
studies were noted in their discussion of political socialization among Filipinos, and seem to be invoked
to explain the value system pervasive during the Martial Law period. THE CURRENT STUDY Although
there were attempts to relate values to specific aspects of Philippine political phenomena, none of these
explicitly defined specific core political values. As the earlier review indicates, core political values are
useful constructs that can be utilized to understand specific political behaviors, yet there seems to be no
published psychological research that explicitly relates core political values to political behaviors in the
Philippines. Exploring core political values of Filipinos could also be done using approaches that assume
that such values would be emergent from specific historical, cultural, socioeconomic, and political
processes in particular Philippine communities. However, in this study, an etic approach is used to begin
exploring core political values of Filipinos. In particular, the study has three aims: (a) to identify and
validate the dimensions of political values of Filipinos using an existing theory and measure of political
values, (b) to explore whether the dimensions of political values relate to basic beliefs about the social
world or social axioms, and (c) to use dimensions of political values to identify clusters of individuals
who share such values. Note that the current study does not go so far as to establish how core political
values defined in a foreign-developed theory are associated with specific political behavior of Filipinos.
No political behaviors were measured in the study, and the study is currently limited to exploring the
dimensions of such values and how these relate to social axioms. The attempt to look at how core
political values are related to social axioms is motivated by the understanding that values and social
axioms are linked in BERNARDO 13 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2
important ways. Values are generally understood as being expressions of what people consider
important goals to strive for, whereas social axioms are defined as generalized beliefs about the social
world (Leung et al., 2002; Leung & Bond, 2004). The relationship between values and social axioms has
often been seen in terms of the instrumental function of social axioms—that is, social axioms define the
instrumentality of different social processes toward attaining important goals. Leung et al. (2007)
expressed this relationship as follows: “Values provide the ‘what’ answer, in a sense that they define
what one should pursue… Axioms provide the ‘how’ answer, because how one construes the social
world bear on the strategies and actions adopted for goal achievement” (p. 94). The relationship
between social axioms and values has focused on general value types, and the empirical evidence
suggests that there are consistent meaningful relationships between value types and social axioms
across cultures (Bond, Leung, Au, Tong, & Chemonges-Nelson, 2004; Leung et al., 2007). We aim to
extend this analysis to core political values and social axioms. Note that like basic human values, social
axioms are abstract and domain-general. Thus, our analysis has attempted to explore whether there are
relationships between the more domain-specific political values and the more abstract social axioms.
Five social axioms are defined and each has specific instrumental functions that could relate to core
political values in distinct ways. Two social axioms tend to be associated with more active goal-directed
processes – reward for application and social complexity. Reward for application is the belief that goals
will be achieved and difficulties will be overcome with persistent action, such as exertion of effort or
application of knowledge; whereas, social complexity is the belief that behavior tends to change in
varying contexts and that there are multiple factors and multiple pathways toward social outcomes
(Leung et al., 2002). The instrumentality of both social axioms tends to be associated with the role of
human agency in attaining social outcomes, although reward for application highlights the belief in
systematic and persistent actions, while social complexity emphasizes the 14 EXPLORING POLITICAL
VALUES OF FILIPINOS USING AN ETIC APPROACH PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50
No. 2 multiplicity of factors and pathways in the process. In contrast, two other social axioms tend to
emphasize external factors in their instrumentality – fate control and religiosity. Fate control is the belief
that impersonal external forces (e.g., fate, luck) determine personal and social outcomes, and that
individuals can influence these external forces; whereas religiosity is the belief that religious institutions
and beliefs have beneficial roles in social life (Leung et al., 2002). As these beliefs emphasize external
agents in the determination of social outcomes, the role of individual agency is more secondary, for
example, in trying to influence fate or adhering properly to religious norms. The last social axiom is
social cynicism, or a negative belief about people and social institutions. Social cynicism’s instrumental
function tends to involve more avoidant, self-protective, and competitive processes toward goal
attainment. This study will explore whether the core political values have associations with specific
social beliefs and their related instrumentalities. Finally, the study attempts to identify clusters of
participants who share similar profiles in terms of endorsement of the different core political values. The
identification of such clusters could provide insights into how the Filipino population might be
segmented in terms of the values they hold related to political outcomes and processes. Beyond just
characterizing these clusters in terms of political values, the study will also determine whether the
clusters endorse different social axioms. METHOD Participants Participants were recruited via social
media and invited to participate in an online survey. Participants had to be at least 18 years of age
(preferably not older than 35), and residing in either Metro Manila or Metro Cebu and their surrounding
cities and municipalities. Therefore, the sample was generally a young adult urban sample. There were
699 participants who indicated their informed consent to participate in the survey and who completed
all the required scales. Their mean age was 23.41 years BERNARDO 15 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 (SD=4.72). Majority were female (70.2%) and were working (52.2%),
while the rest were still studying in different undergraduate and post-baccalaureate degree programs.
The participants were asked to indicate their subjective social class rank (see measure below), and the
mean rank was 4.50 (SD=1.47). Instruments MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (Adler &
Stewart, 2007). Participants were presented a ladder with 10 rungs that represented the different social
statuses in Philippine society. The lowest rung (labeled 1) represented those who were worst off in
society (with least money, least education, least respected jobs or no jobs) and those in the highest rung
(labeled 10) were those who were best off (with most money, highest education, most respected jobs).
Participants indicated where they believed they stood compared to others in Philippine society by
clicking the numbered rung of their choice. In research in western countries, this subjective measure of
social class correlates with objective indices of SES (Kraus, Côté, & Keltner, 2010), and reliably predicts
outcomes associated with social class differences (Cohen et al., 2008). Core Political Values Scale
(Schwartz et al., 2014). The 18-item scale has been used to measure eight core political values (see
introduction) and validated in 15 countries. Each of the political-value subscales comprised two or three
items, for which the participants had to indicate their degree of agreement using a scale from 1
(completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). The 18 items were presented in a different random
sequence for each participant. No previous study has used this scale with a Filipino sample. Social
Axioms Survey II (Leung et al., 2012). The 40-item scale was used to measure endorsement of the five
social axioms. Each item involved a statement about the relationship of two factors in the social domain;
participants had to indicate their degree of agreement on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 16
EXPLORING POLITICAL VALUES OF FILIPINOS USING AN ETIC APPROACH PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 (strongly agree). The items were presented in a different random
sequence for each participant. The version of the scale has been previously validated with Filipino
samples but involving younger participants (Nalipay, Bernardo & Mordeno, 2016; 2017); the older
version of the scale had been validated with Filipino samples of an age similar to those in the current
study (Bernardo, 2004; 2013; Bernardo & Nalipay, 2016). RESULTS The first aim of the study was to
identify and validate the dimensions of political values of Filipinos using an existing theory and measure
of political values. To address this aim, the analytic strategy typically used in cross-cultural etic research
was adopted; the same analytic approach was used in the first published study on the core political
values (Schwartz et al., 2010). In particular, exploratory factor analysis was first conducted to determine
the structure or dimensions of the construct, and this was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis to
cross-validate the structure obtained in the exploratory analysis (Brown, 2006; Worthington &
Whittaker, 2006). It is necessary to use independent sets of data for the cross-validation so that there
can be a test of whether the previously obtained result is replicated with a new set of data. (Note that
applying the two analyses on the same data is not cross-validation, particularly as exploratory and
confirmatory factor analyses are closely related because they both apply the common factor model.) For
this purpose, the total sample was partitioned into two complementary sets by randomly assigning each
participant to either the exploratory or the confirmatory sample. The random assignment resulted in
slightly unequal subsample sizes. Exploratory Factor Analysis The responses to the 18 items of the Core
Political Values Scale of 348 (72.1% female; Mage=23.35, SD=4.74) randomly selected participants from
the total sample were analyzed in an exploratory factor analysis procedure, using principal components
analysis with oblique Promax rotation (with Kaiser normalization) BERNARDO 17 PHILIPPINE JOURNAL
OF PSYCHOLOGY (2017) Vol. 50 No. 2 consistent with procedures of Schwartz et al. (2010; based on the
assumption that core political values are correlated). Preliminary descriptive analyses indicate good
sampling adequacy: KaiserMeyer-Olkin=.79; Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant,  2
(153)=1184.63, p

Powered by Edukasyon.ph| SHS Scholarships Blog Review Centers Online Education

Register Now
 About Programs Library Top Schools Study Abroad List Your School

Location

Degree

Field of Study

Search
Home > Academic programs library > AB in Political Science

AB in Political Science in the Philippines

What would you like to do:
1. Read about the AB in Political Science course:
Start reading >>

2. Find colleges offering AB in Political Science programs:

Find Political Science schools

Search >

Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (AB PolSci) is a four-year degree program that centers on the
study of the types of government, the history and forms of political institutions, political behavior, and
political policies. It covers important areas of study including Philippine Politics, Comparative Politics,
International Relations, Political Theory and Methodology, Public Administration, Political Dynamics,
Local and Global Governance, and Research in Politics.
Recommended Senior High School Strand
Students who want to pursue a degree in AB in Political Science are encouraged to take the Humanities
and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand under the Academic track. The curriculum focuses on human
behavior, literature, education, politics, liberal arts, and society. The HUMSS strand will cover relevant
topics that may be further discussed in their college lectures.

Subjects and Curriculum




Fundamentals of Political Science



Introduction to the Philippine Government and Politics



Philippine Public Administration



Government and Politics of Southeast Asia



An Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics



Ancient and Medieval Political Theories



Modern Political Theories



Introduction to International Relations

 
International and Regional Organizations



Introduction to Political Analysis



Quantitative Analysis of Political Data

Admission Requirements
Qualifications



The student must be a high school graduate.
However, if they were not able to graduate high school, they may opt to take the Alternative Learning
System (ALS) and pass the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) to qualify for college; the
availability of courses for PEPT passers depend on the university.



The students must pass the College Admissions Test of the university.

Basic Requirements



Form 138 - High School Report Card (Original and Photocopy)



Recommendation letter from High school principal and guidance counselor



Most recent medical and dental health record
 


Copy of NSO Certified birth certificate



Certificate of Good moral character



Copy of honorable dismissal



Copy of high school diploma



(1) Latest 2”x2” ID Picture

Program Outcome
Graduates of AB in Political Science are expected to be able to:



Discuss major concepts in the discipline



Conduct research initiatives through quantitative and qualitative methods



Apply theories and principles of the discipline on specific issues and problems



Critique current issues and problems on a historical and contemporary understanding of national
and global context
On-The-Job Training/Internship
During the fourth year of the program, students are required to attend an On the Job Training (OJT) in
government offices, non-government organizations, or private businesses.

Students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an actual work setting. Usually,
universities require them to submit a written report on their tasks, learning experiences, and hours
rendered. Their work performance will also be evaluated by their immediate managers and will be
submitted to their respective OJT coordinator. The number of hours required may differ in each
university.

Board Exam
The AB in Political Science does not have a board examination. However, graduates may opt to take the
Civil Service Examination (CSE) conducted by the Philippine Civil Service Commission (PCSC) to qualify in
working in government offices. Some graduates opt to take a Master’s degree followed by a Doctorate
degree to gain expertise in the industry.

Career Opportunities
Graduates of AB in Political Science may pursue a career path in government offices, non-government
organizations, or private businesses. They may apply as a paralegal, public opinion researcher, corporate
adviser for government relations, political consultant, or a professor.

Find schools offering AB in Political Science:

Reviews of AB in Political Science graduates:

J. H.
◈ Studied AB Political Science and Law (slightly different course)
◈ At San Beda University
◈ Graduated 2009

About my college education:Taking up political science was fun, I became socially aware,

abreast with current developments, learned to appreciate the political dynamics in our country. I
excelled back in college, graduated with honors and was active in various extra curricular activities.

After college, I took up Law, it was not a walk in the park. I was exposed to my ignorance, that there
were still a lot of things that I really do not know. In law school, you have to split hairs, study every
night, burn the midnight oil, prepare for recitations everyday.

Skills that I've acquired in my study political science and Law are logical thinking, creative skills,
comprehensive analysis, proper grammar. You can't take everything at their face value, I learned to dig
dipper, analyze, fully comprehend the facts, pay attention to detail while meeting established deadlines.
Also, I appreciated the socratic method in learning, with that method, I got to improve memorization
skills and argumentation skills.

My current job:Lawyer

Am I using what I learned in college:Definitely, I've developed logical skills and analytical

skills. Solutions to clients problems have to be approached whollistically, from various aspects. with my
education, I was able to learn how to address client problems, search for authorities, gather supporting
documents, investigate, be coherent. Also, writing and oral advocacy in the law profession is an
important tool in supporting a client's cause, the interpersonal/argumentation skills I learned in college
and law school helped a lot.
 How long did it take to find a job:After graduation then bar exam. After the bar exam, I

took a three month vacation, and after my vacation I started to look for work, it took me perhaps
around two weeks after sending my resume.

Do I recommend studying Laws:Yes. There are only around 60,000 lawyers in the

Philippines, compared to other professions, it is still a small number. Once you're a lawyer you can
venture into different professions applying your legal knowledge- business, journalism, marketing,
diplomacy, foreign affairs, politics, finance and the like. The salary of a lawyer at first is small, but once it
would be better to get the experience first.

Was this review useful to you?

Read more reviews >>

Related Courses

 AB in Philosophy
BLOG

SCHOOL
Schools Offering Online Courses In The Philippines
Can't go to college due to lack of money or time? Earn your college degree from
home!
BLOG

CAREER

7 TESDA Courses That Lead to High-Paying Jobs

Does TESDA have courses that can take you to high-paying jobs? The answer is a
resounding yes!

 Undergraduate Program

 Graduate Program
  UP sa Halalan 2019

 HOME
 ABOUT
o
o
o
o
 ACADEMICS
o





o



 FACULTY
o
o
o
 RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
o
o
o
o
o
 RESOURCES
o
o
o
 STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
o
o
o
o

Undergraduate Courses (New)

The courses to be offered to the undergraduate students are designed to provide competency in the
basic sub-fields of political science that include Philippine politics, political theory, comparative
politics, international relations, and political science research methodology. Below is a list of
undergraduate courses offered by the Department under the new curriculum (effective academic
year 2016-2017).
Introductory Course
Area I: Philippines Politics
Area II: Political Theory
Area III: Comparative Politics
Area IV: International Relations
Area V: Political Methodology
Social Science Courses

Introductory Course
Political Science 11: Introduction to Political Science
Concepts, theories, and principles of political science; types of political systems; development of
political institutions and processes. 3 units.
Prerequisite: None.

Area I: Philippine Politics

Political Science 14: Philippine Government and Politics
Development, organization and operation of the Philippine political system, with emphasis on the
present. 3 units.
Prerequisite: None.

Political Science 101: Introduction to Philippine Politics

Approaches and intellectual traditions in the study of Philippine politics, including the development,
operation, and organization of the Philippine political system. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 11

Political Science 141: Readings in Philippine Politics

Directed readings in the classics of Philippine government and politics. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 151: The Philippine Executive

The national executive in the Philippines; its nature and development.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 152: Philippine Legislative Politics

Structure and functions of the legislative system in the Philippines; legislative behavior and
legislative process; stature and bill drafting; executive and judicial lawmaking. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 153: The Philippine Judicial Process and Courts

Role of courts and other law enforcement agencies in the administration of justice. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 154: Philippine Local Politics

Nature, origins and context of local politics and governance in the Philippines; the current
decentralized set up; as well as the emerging and prevailing issues and concerns that can either
strengthen or weaken decentralization and local governance in the country. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 155: Philippine National and Local Administration

Principles, practices and problems of public administration; historical, behavioral and institutional
analysis and evaluation of the national and local bureaucracy and administration in the Philippines. 3
units
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 157: Special Topics in Philippine Politics

3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Area II: Political Theory

Political Science 120: Introduction to Political Theory
Introduction to major themes and key concepts in normative political theory.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 121: Society and Politics

Society as the matrix of politics; political power and leadership; patterns of decision-making; political
modernization and development. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 122: Ancient and Medieval Political Thought

Political thought from Plato to the medieval thinkers. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 123: Modern Political Thought

Political thought from Machiavelli to the contemporary political thinkers. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 124: American Political Thought

Political and social ideas of leading American thinkers from the colonial period to the present and
their influence upon American democracy. 3 units
Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 125: Asian Political Thought

Main currents of Asian political thought. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 126: Philippine Political Thought

Main currents of Philippine political thought. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 127: Special Topics in Political Theory

3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 120

Political Science 145: Readings in Political Theory

3 units.

Area III: Comparative Politics

Political Science 130: Introduction to Comparative Politics
An introduction to comparative political processes in the developed and developing states. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101
Political Science 131: Southeast Asian Politics
Political systems of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and
Indonesia. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 132: American Politics

Theory and dynamics of the government and politics of the United States. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 133: European Politics

Politics of selected countries in Western, Central and/or Eastern Europe. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 134: Asian Politics

Politics of selected countries and sub-regions of Northeast, South, Central and/or West Asia. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 135: Political Parties and Interest Groups

The types and structures of political parties and interest groups, their function in the political system;
their strategy and tactics, particularly in aggregating and articulating interests and controlling
governmental power and public policy. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 136: Political Behavior: Processes and Movements

Belief systems; nature and development of political processes and movements. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 137: Special Topics in Comparative Politics

3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 11

Political Science 138: Ideology and Politics

3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 139: Politics of Change

Problems of social, economic and political change in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 130

Political Science 143: Readings in Comparative Politics

Directed reading in the classics and contemporary theories of comparative politics and government.
3 units.
Prerequisite: Senior Standing

Area IV: International Relations

Political Science 144: Readings in International Relations
Directed readings in the classics of international relations. 3 units.
Prerequisite: Senior Standing

Political Science 180: Introduction to International Relations

An introduction to the study of international cooperation and conflict and the analysis of regional,
functional and universal regimes and institutions sustaining these processes. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 11
Political Science 181: Philippine Foreign Policy
The nature and development of Philippine foreign policy and the foreign policy process. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 182: Foreign Policy of Major Powers

Development of the foreign policy of major powers, e.g., the United States, Russia, China, Japan
and others. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180.

Political Science 183: International Organization

Development, structures, functions, and problems of international organizations. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 184: Diplomatic and Consular Practice

Development, organization, functions, and problems of diplomatic and consular practice with
emphasis on the Philippines. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 185: Public International Law

Nature, development, sources, principles and problems of international law and its role in the
development of a world community; selected cases. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 186: Private International Law

Selected cases involving citizens or juridical entities of different states. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 187: Special Topics in International Law, Organization and Relations
3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Political Science 188: International Political Economy: Theories and Issues

An introduction to the theoretical and analytical dimensions of change in the field of international
political economy. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 180

Area V: Political Methodology

Political Science 110: Political Analysis
Frameworks of political analysis and approaches for understanding and explaining political
phenomena. 3 units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 101

Political Science 111: Qualitative Research Methods in Political Science

Approaches, methods, techniques in qualitative research and applications in political science. 3
units.
Prerequisite: POLSC 110

Political Science 190: Practicum

3 units. Prerequisite: Junior Standing

Political Science 199: Research Design in Political Science

3 units. Prerequisite: Senior Standing, POLSC 111, Soc Sci 103

Political Science 200: Undergraduate Thesis

3 units. Prerequisite: POLSC 199

Social Science 103: Statistics for the Social Sciences

Statistical techniques for social research (required for Political Science majors as prerequisite for
Political Science 199). Sociology 180 may be substituted for this course. 3 units.
Prerequisite: Math 11 and 14 OR 17

Social Science Courses

Social Science 2: Social, Economic and Political Thought
A Survey of social economic and political thought from the classical to contemporary times. This is a
General Education (G.E.) course that may be taken to satisfy the Revitalized G.E. Program (RGEP)
requirement in the Social Sciences and Philosophy domain. 3 units.

Social Science 104: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Seminar on the evolution and development of the theory, principles and practice of international
human rights and humanitarian law. This course cannot be credited for Political Science elective. 3
units.
Prerequisite: None.

Useful Links

UPD CRS
UPD Webmail
UPD iLib
UPD Directory
UPD Official Time

© 2019 UP Department of Political Science

Contact Us

Direct Line : +63 2 920 7246

UP Trunkline: +63 2 981 8500 loc. 2380
Email: polsci@upd.edu.ph
UP Links

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

University of the Philippines Diliman
University of the Philippines System

Social Media

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube

 HOME

 ABOUT

 FACULTY

 LATEST

 SITEMAP

Hestia | Developed by ThemeIsle