UCSC Politics Undergraduate Program Learning Objectives (PLOs)

1. Understand the origins, development and nature of political institutions, practices, and ideas;

2. Place particular political phenomena in broader historical, cross-national, cross-cultural and theoretical context;

3. Demonstrate familiarity with various theoretical approaches to the study of politics, and their application in different geographic and substantive areas;

4. Critically evaluate arguments about political institutions, practices and ideas based on logic and evidence.

5. Develop and sustain coherent written and oral arguments regarding political phenomena, theories, and values based on appropriate empirical and/or textual evidence and logic.