Political History and Leadership, Certificate
Act on your career plans now while deepening your grasp of the constitutional principles, values and history of the United States. Take advantage of faculty mentorship and opportunities for scholarships, internships and job placement.
Quick facts
Locations
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Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
Political History and Leadership undergraduate certificate description
The certificate program in political history and leadership provides you with a strong foundation in the history of politics and political thought, with a special emphasis on the role of leadership and citizenship. You come to understand the complexities of real decision-making beyond the abstractions. The program prepares you for leadership in your career.
Required courses combine academic study and mentoring contact with political, media and business leaders from the wider Phoenix area and Arizona communities, while electives drawn from a variety of disciplines are used to broaden the scope of emphasis. Through courses and optional weekly dialogue series, you learn from guest speakers from a variety of career fields.
Why earn a political history and leadership undergraduate certificate at ASU?
This program offers an optional weekly dialogue series in which you can learn from guest speakers with diverse career backgrounds. Through this series, you can interact directly with these professionals and establish connections with local leaders. This certificate is an especially strong complement to majors such as history, political science or business.
Courses
This undergraduate certificate includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The certificate requires 15 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the certificate, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
|
The certificate in political history and leadership requires 15 credit hours, of which at least 12 must be upper division. At least six upper-division hours must be completed in courses offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. When selecting courses, the college offering the course can be identified by viewing the course details in Class Search. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher. |
||
|
HST 112 Foundations of Democracy
(CIVI)
or
POS 112 Foundations of Democracy
(CIVI)
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
HST 414 Political History and Leadership
or
POS 414 Political History and Leadership
This course is typically offered only in spring semester.
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
Additional upper-division courses with relevant content may be used with the approval of the certificate co-directors.
9 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 9 |
|
Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this certificate.
|
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Students will analyze ideas and questions raised by major political thinkers writing about democracy.
- Students will analyze major themes and ideas found in an array of primary sources on a topic related to political leadership in history.
- Students will demonstrate the practical skills necessary in policy-making, administration and organization, informed all the while by fundamental principles of democracy and republicanism.
Students will analyze ideas and questions raised by major political thinkers writing about democracy.Enrollment requirements
A student pursuing an undergraduate certificate must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at ASU. Undergraduate certificates are not awarded before the completion of an undergraduate degree. A student who already holds an undergraduate degree may pursue an undergraduate certificate as a nondegree-seeking graduate student.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this political history and leadership undergraduate certificate prepares you for
Graduates become more marketable to employers and advance their career options when they have complemented their major program of study with this specialization in political history and leadership.
Graduates with this certificate often pursue employment as military officers, governor's office staff, members of congress, city council officials, county prosecutors, financial advisors and campaign strategists. Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for academic, clinical or other positions.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch
|
COOR 4591
SHPRSadvising@asu.edu
480-965-8364
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
