Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs
This program is Accredited by ACICS – Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. BA in Political Science and International Affairs Program is designed not only to prepare students for careers in fields related to international affairs and government, but also to support research and teaching within a multi-cultural environment based on respect for human dignity, universal human rights and freedoms for all men and women regardless of race, color, creed or religion.
Highly qualified academic staff and students, representing a wide variety of cultural and geographical backgrounds, are dedicated to combine academic merits of political science and international relations with “real world” experience in close cooperation with private sector, with government agencies and with NGOs. Students will qualify for jobs including Foreign Service Officer, Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, Project Manager, Consultant, Gender and Equality Expert, Program Assistant, Liaison Officer, and Global Coordinator.
Program Learning Goals
- Discuss and implement major theories of political science and international relations
- Understand and explain the dynamics of contemporary international affairs and issues of political science
- Understand the various methods of diplomacy
- Have an understanding of the role of economics, politics, gender, and environment in international affairs
- Have an understanding of the history of diplomatic relations among nations
- Be able to critically analyze documents and media relevant to international affairs
- Be able to construct and express arguments in written and oral form
- Make both qualitative and quantitative and empirical analyses
- Identify actors, structures, processes and complex interactions of politics, international business and diplomacy
- Analyze regional, national, international, trans-national issues.
- Formulate policy options in case specific analyses.
- Have critical thinking on concepts, arguments and key issues.
- Write sound papers and conduct relevant presentations from readings and research findings.
Graduation Requirements
The BA degree in Political Science and International Affairs is earned by completing the program course requirements of 120 credit hours. Of these credit hours, 39 are general education credits, 63 credits are major or core courses, and 18 pure elective credits. In order to graduate, all students must meet all their general education requirements as well as all their core requirements.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
1. Students enrolled in the undergraduate program must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.0 out of 4.0 to qualify for the BA degree, to remain in good standing, and to graduate.
2. The Maximum Time Frame (MTF) for completion of the BA program is 180 credits.
3. An undergraduate student may transfer up to 60 credit hours earned at accredited institutions.
4. No degree credit is received by an undergraduate for any failing grade (a grade less than D, or 1.00 out of 4.00 grade points).
General Education Requirements
Breadth of knowledge is a foundational element of the American higher education tradition. As such, all BAU undergraduate students are expected to complete general education requirements, in addition to their core requirements. These can be categorized in three broad areas:
Humanities
Social Sciences
Mathematics & the Sciences
In total, these general education requirements fulfill a minimum of 39 credits. Please note that a student’s core requirements may not apply toward his or her general education requirements.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
SHumanities (HM) [five courses]
- Writing: Written expression and critical analysis are essential skills for students of all disciplines. Students are required to take one (1) of the following introductory writing courses, based on English language and writing abilities, within the first three (3) semesters of study: ENGL 122 or ENGL 123. Students will take BAU’s English composition examination to place into one of the two levels. If a student scores below the minimum requirement to place into ENGL 122, that student will be required to take ENGL 121 before taking ENGL 122.
- Literature: Students must complete any one (1) literature course (ENGL 222, ENGL 251, ENGL 235, or ENGL 237).
- Modern Languages: Students must complete two (2) courses in Spanish, French, German, or Turkish.
- Any one (1) additional course in the following disciplines: English, Philosophy, or Modern Language.
Mathematics & the Sciences (MS) [three courses]
- Quantitative Reasoning: The ability to conduct quantitative reasoning is essential for fields such as Political Science, Business, and Economics. These courses may not count toward the major area of study. Students must successfully complete one (1) quantitative reasoning course within their first two (2) years of study (MATH 103, MATH 110, or MATH 132).
- Natural Science: Any one (1) 100-level course in the department of Environmental Studies.
- Any one (1) additional course of the following: MATH 103, MATH 110, MATH 131, MATH 132, ENVS 105, ENVS 110, or ENVS 115.
Social Sciences (SS) [five courses]
- History: Two (2) History courses, one of which must be either a non-Western or transregional history course (HIST 168, or HIST 169).
- Human Behavior: One (1) course in the disciplines of Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology (ANTH 101, PSYC 101, SOCI 101, or SOCI 221).
- Any two (2) of the following courses:
- ECON 111, ECON 221, ECON 222, ECON 336, ECON 371, ECON 432, ECON 435, ECON 437, ECON 456, ECON 473
- POLS 105, POLS 115, POLS 227, POLS 251, POLS 252, POLS 321, POLS 363
- ENVS 231
International Relations & Affairs Program Requirements
Students have a wide range of courses to choose from throughout their four years of study. To view a full listing of available courses, please see the sections below:
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & AFFAIRS CORE REQUIREMENTS
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| Core Requirements (students must complete all courses) | |||
| PHIL 101 | First Year Seminar | 3 | |
| ECON 111 | Macroeconomics | 3 | |
| ECON 315 | Political Economy | 3 | |
| ECON 353 | Globalization & the World Economy | ECON 111 | 3 |
| POLS 101 | An Introduction to Politics and Political Science | 3 | |
| POLS 121 | Government and Politics of the United States | 3 | |
| INTL 161 | Diplomatic History | 3 | |
| INTL 253 | International Organizations | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 257 | International Relations | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 271 | Gender, Development & Globalization | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 354 | International Development and Emerging Markets | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 451 | World Politics & World Order | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 458 | Introduction to International Human Rights | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 459 | International security | INTL 161 | 3 |
| ENGL 326 | Technical Writing and Presentation Skills for Political Science & International Relations | ENGL 122 or ENGL 123 | 3 |
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & AFFAIRS CORE ELECTIVES
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| Core Electives (students must choose six, three of which must be from the department of International Relations) | |||
| ECON 351 | International Economics | ECON 311 | 3 |
| ECON 355 | Sustainable Economic Development | ECON 222 | 3 |
| INTL 350 | The Government and Politics of Britain | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 351 | The Politics of the Middle East | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 352 | The Politics of India and Pakistan | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 353 | The Government and Politics of China | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 355 | Latin American Politics | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 356 | Politics and Society in Present-Day Russia | INTL 161 | 3 |
| INTL 359 | The European Union | INTL 161 | 3 |
| POLS 359 | The Spreading of Democracy | POLS 115 | 3 |
| POLS 373 | Modern Political Thought | INTL 161 | 3 |
GENERAL ELECTIVES: HUMANITIES
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| General Education Courses: Humanities (five courses) | |||
| To complete the Humanities requirement, students must take one writing course (marked “WR”), one literature course (marked “LT”), two modern language courses (marked “ML”), and any one additional course listed below. | |||
| ENGL 122 (WR) | English Composition II | A moderate score on the BAU English exam or ENGL 121 | 3 |
| ENGL 123 (WR) | Academic Writing | A high score on the BAU English exam or ENGL 122 | 3 |
| ENGL 222 (LT) | Five American Novels | ENGL 122 or ENGL 123 | 3 |
| ENGL 235 (LT) | African-American Literature | ENGL 122 or ENGL 123 | 3 |
| ENGL 237 (LT) | Asian-American Literature | ENGL 122 or ENGL 123 | 3 |
| ENGL 251 (LT) | Persian Literature, From Epic Poetry to the Graphic Novel | ENGL 122 or ENGL 123 | 3 |
| FREN 101 (ML) | Elementary French I | 3 | |
| FREN 121 (ML) | Elementary French II | FREN 101 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| SPAN 101 (ML) | Elementary Spanish I | 3 | |
| SPAN 121 (ML) | Elementary Spanish II | SPAN 101 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| GERM 101 (ML) | Elementary German I | 3 | |
| GERM 121 (ML) | Elementary German II | GERM 101 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| TURK 101 (ML) | Elementary Turkish I | 3 | |
| TURK 121 (ML) | Elementary Turkish II | TURK 101 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| PHIL 105 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 | |
| PHIL 108 | Moral Dilemmas and Social Ethics | 3 |
GENERAL ELECTIVES: MATHEMATICS & THE SCIENCES
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| General Education: Mathematics and the Sciences (three courses) | |||
| To complete the Mathematics and the Sciences requirement, students must take a total of three courses. At least one must be a quantitative reasoning course (marked “QR”) and at least one must be a natural science course (marked “NS”). The third course may either be marked “QR” or “NS.” | |||
| ENVS 105 (NS) | Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 | |
| ENVS 110 (NS) | Geology and the Environment | 3 | |
| ENVS 115 (NS) | Aquatic Systems | 3 | |
| MATH 103 (QR) | College Mathematics | 3 | |
| MATH 110 (QR) | Introductory Statistics | 3 | |
| MATH 131 (QR) | Calculus I | 3 | |
| MATH 132 (QR) | Calculus II | MATH 131 | 3 |
GENERAL ELECTIVES: SOCIAL SCIENCES
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| General Education Courses: Social Sciences (five courses) | |||
| Students are required to select 5 courses in the Social Sciences. At least two must be in the History department, with at least one being a non-Western or transregional history course. Students must also choose one of the following four courses: ANTH 101/SOCI 101/PSYC 101/SOCI 221. The remaining two courses must be from among the following: ECON 101, ECON 221, ECON 222, ECON 336, ECON 371, ECON 432, ECON 435, ECON 437, ECON 456, ECON 473, POLS 105, POLS 115, POLS 227, POLS 251, POLS 252, POLS 321, POLS 363, ENVS 231. | |||
| ANTH 101 (HB) | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 | |
| ECON 101 | Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 | |
| ECON 221 | Intermediate Microeconomics | ECON 101 | 3 |
| ECON 222 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | ECON 111 | 3 |
| ECON 336 | Game Theory | 3 | |
| ECON 371 | The Development of Economic Thought | ECON 101, ECON 111 | 3 |
| ECON 432 | Money and Markets | ACCT 112 | 3 |
| ECON 435 | Public Finance and the Economy | ECON 111 | 3 |
| ECON 437 | Econometrics | ECON 221, ECON 222 | 3 |
| ECON 456 | International Financial Crises | 3 | |
| ECON 473 | Keynes vs. Friedman | ECON 221, ECON 222 | 3 |
| ENVS 231 | Environmentally Sustainable Development | 3 | |
| HIST 162 (HS) | Europe and the Mediterranean World, Antiquity to 1400 CE | 3 | |
| HIST 164 (HS) | European History, 1400 to Present | 3 | |
| HIST 168 (HS) | The Islamic Middle East, 622-1258 CE | 3 | |
| HIST 169 (HS) | Asian History, 1550-1950 | 3 | |
| POLS 105 | Writing and Editing the News | 3 | |
| POLS 115 | Political Ideologies | 3 | |
| POLS 227 | Media Ethics | POLS 101 | 3 |
| POLS 251 | Comparative Politics of Industrialized Societies | POLS 101 | 3 |
| POLS 252 | Comparative Politics of Transitional Societies | POLS 101 | 3 |
| POLS 321 | Political Parties in America | POLS 101 | 3 |
| POLS 363 | Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Political Thought | INTL 161 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (HB) | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | |
| SOCI 101 (HB) | Introduction to Sociology | 3 | |
| SOCI 221 (HB) | Social Class, Gender & Inequality | 3 |
PURE ELECTIVES
| Course Title & Code | Course Name | Prerequisites | Credit |
| Pure Electives | |||
| Students must complete six courses of pure electives. They may choose from courses in the list below or any other course listed in the course catalog. | |||
| ACCT 112 | Financial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACCT 212 | Managerial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACCT 222 | Corporate Financial Reporting I | ACCT 112 | 3 |
| ACCT 315 | Accounting Information Systems | ACCT 212, MATH 225 | 3 |
| ACCT 222 | Corporate Financial Reporting I | ACCT 112 | 3 |
| ACCT 417 | Federal Income Tax Accounting | ACCT 315 | 3 |
| ACCT 432 | Accounting for Not-for-Profits and for Governments | ACCT 322 | 3 |
| ACCT 435 | Accounting Decision Making and Control | ACCT 212 | 3 |
| ACCT 437 | Auditing | ACCT 212, ACCT 322 | 3 |
| ACCT 452 | International Accounting and Financial Reporting | ACCT 322 | 3 |
| BUSN 101 | Introduction to Business | 3 | |
| BUSN 372 | Business in America | BUSN 101 | 3 |
| BUSN 375 | Entrepreneurship | BUSN 101 | 3 |
| MGMT 201 | Leadership | 3 | |
| MGMT 322 | Problem Solving and Decision Making for Managers | MATH 225, MGMT 201 | 3 |
| MGMT 337 | Strategic Management | MGMT 201 | 3 |
| MGMT 433 | Negotiation | MGMT 201 | 3 |
| MGMT 453 | Cross-Cultural Management | MGMT 201 | 3 |
| MKTG 101 | Introduction to Marketing | 3 | |
| MKTG 321 | Marketing Management | MKTG 101 | 3 |
| MKTG 427 | Marketing for Not-for-Profit Organizations | MKTG 101 | 3 |
| MKTG 435 | Brand Management | MKTG 101 | 3 |
| CMPS 122 | Introduction to Java I | Permission of instructor | 3 |
| CMPS 222 | Java II | CMPS 122 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| CMPS 226 | Programming in C | CMPS 122 or permission of instructor | 3 |
| ISIT 101 | Introduction to Information Technology | 3 | |
| ISIT 102 | Introduction to Computers and Information Systems | 3 | |
| FINC 221 | Introduction to Financial Management | ACCT 112 | 3 |
| FINC 331 | Financial Analysis | FINC 221, MATH 225 | 3 |
| FINC 355 | International Financial Institutions | ECON 222 | 3 |
| FINC 455 | International Finance | ACCT 112 | 3 |
To view a sample course outline for the Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations & Affairs, please click here to download.
