Free Introductory and General Political Science Courses
Introductory and general political science courses are offered online for those interested in learning about the social sciences of geopolitics, political philosophy, nationalism, and more. There are text-based courses, while others revolve around video lectures.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Political science courses at MIT cover subjects such as quantitative research, comparative politics, and geopolitics. Also, students can study pluralism, sustainable development, and industrialization. These courses are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
- Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy
- Quantitative Research Methods: Multivariate
- Introduction to Comparative Politics
- Political Science Laboratory
- Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy
- Introduction to Political Thought
- Citizenship and Pluralism
- Integrating Doctoral Seminar on Emerging Technologies
- Justice
- Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy
- Environmental Politics and Policy
- The Rise and Fall of Democracy/Regime Control
- Game Theory and Political Theory
- Economic Development, Policy Analysis and Industrialization
Yale University
Yale's intro to political philosophy course explores various political philosophies, through the study of major political texts and a look at various thinkers in the political field. Students will have access to previously filmed video lectures on topics such as philosophers and Kings, Constitutional government, democracy and participation, and Socratic citizenship.
University of California, Berkeley
UC Berkeley offers a political science course in the format of ten video lectures, available on YouTube and iTunes. These lectures are given by professor Alan David Ross.
The University of Notre Dame
This course centers around the relationship between the author of Frankenstein and her mother. Required textbooks include Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: An Introduction and Vindication: A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft, by Lyndall Gordon.
Open University
These courses from Open University cover things like nationalism, secession, and crime. Students will learn about the uses of CCTV as a surveillance tool, how the United Kingdom is governed, nation-states, and national self-determination.
- Nationalism, Self-Determination and Secession
- The Politics of Devolution
- The Technology of Crime Control
Free Online Introductory and General Political Science Courses At a Glance
| Course & School | Program Level | Format | Assignments | Quizzes & Exams | Downloadable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Research in Political Science and Public Policy course from MIT | Graduate | Texts/lecture notes/study materials | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quantitative Research Methods: Multivariate course from MIT | Graduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Political Science Laboratory course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts/lecture slides/tools | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Introduction to Political Thought course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Citizenship and Pluralism course from MIT | Graduate | Texts | Yes | No | Yes |
| Integrating Doctoral Seminar on Emerging Technologies course from MIT | Graduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Justice course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts/reading questions/lecture notes/recitations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sustainable Development: Theory and Policy course from MIT | Undergraduate/graduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Environmental Politics and Policy course from MIT | Undergraduate | Texts/lecture notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Rise and Fall of Democracy/Regime Control course from MIT | Undergraduate/graduate | Texts/videos/study materials | Yes | No | Yes |
| Game Theory and Political Theory course from MIT | Undergraduate/graduate | Texts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Economic Development, Policy Analysis and Industrialization course from MIT | Graduate | Texts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Introduction to Political Philosophy course from Yale University | Unspecified | Video lectures | No | No | Yes |
| Political Science 179 course from UC Berkeley | Unspecified | Video lectures | No | No | Yes |
| Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley from the University of Notre Dame | Unspecified | Textbooks/weekly discussion questions | Yes | No | Yes |
| Nationalism, Self-Determination and Secession course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| The Politics of Devolution course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| The Technology of Crime Control course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
