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BA in Political Science and International Relations

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

 

COURSE DELIVERY METHOD DURATION TOTAL CREDITS TUITION PER YEAR
ON CAMPUS 4 YEARS 120 $18,600

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DEGREE DETAILS

The BA degree in Political Science & International Relations is earned by completing the program course requirements of 120 credit hours. Of these credit hours, 63 credits are major or core courses, 42 general education credits, and 18 pure elective credits. Students must meet their core requirements as well as their general education requirements. In addition, students must meet the following criteria:

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).

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PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Upon completing the program, students will be able to:

1. Identify and define major theories of political science and international relations.
2. Apply major theories of political science and international relations to real world issues.
3. Analyze the interdependence between political ideas and the reality of political processes in the modern world.
4. Appraise the role played by major actors in the political process and in international affairs.
5. Evaluate complex topics by formulating fact-based opinions and judgements in written and oral form.
6. Understand the use of data in political science and international relations analysis.
7. Demonstrate knowledge and capacity to engage in civic, social and political activities needed to be a responsible citizen.
8. Build an understanding of others whose identities, beliefs, behaviors, values and perspectives that differ from their own.

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COURSES IN THE DEGREE

Students must earn a total of 120 college credit hours to receive this degree. Of these credit hours, 60 credits are core courses, 42 general education credits, and 18 elective credits. Students must meet their core requirements as well as their general education requirements.

Pre-requisites and more information can be found in the academic catalog.

In addition, students must meet the following criteria:

  • 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.
  • The Maximum Time Frame (MTF) for completion of the bachelor’s program is 180 credit hours.
  • An undergraduate student may transfer up to 90 credit hours earned at accredited institutions.
  • 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)

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
COURSE LISTING

Core Requirements: 60 Credits

 

Course Code Course Name Pre Requisite Credit
ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics   3
ECON 111 Introduction to Macroeconomics   3
ECON 315 Political Economy ECON 101, ECON 111 3
ECON 353 Globalization and the World Economy ECON 101, ECON 111 3
INTL 161 United States Diplomatic History   3
INTL 257 International Relations   3
INTL 270 Global Public Health   3
INTL 272 United States Foreign Policy INTL 257 3
INTL 339 International Organizations INTL 257 3
INTL 348 Introduction to International Human Rights   3
INTL 354 International Development and Emerging Markets   3
INTL 370 Gender Development and Globalization   3
INTL 430 International Crisis Diplomacy   3
INTL 451 World Politics and World Order POLS 101 3
INTL 459 International Security   3
PHIL 200 Ethics   3
POLS 101 Introduction to Politics and Political Science   3
POLS 121 Government and Politics of the United States POLS 101 3
POLS 251 Introduction to Comparative Politics of Industrialized Societies POLS 101 3
POLS 380 Research and Methods in Political Science POLS 101 3

Electives: 18 Credits (Choose 6 Courses)

 

 

Course Code Course Name Pre Requisite Credit
INTL 300 Cybersecurity   3
INTL 340 Transnational Corporations   3
INTL 350 US and Europe INTL 272 3
INTL 351 US and the Middle East INTL 272 3
INTL 352 US and ASEAN INTL 272 3
INTL 353 US and BRIC INTL 272 3
INTL 355 Latin American Politics INTL 272 3
INTL 388 Transnational Threats   3
INTL 460 Global Immigration and Asylum Policy INTL 348 3
POLS 122 US Political History POLS 121 3
POLS 215 Political Ideologies POLS 101 3
POLS 253 Politics of Emerging Market Societies INTL 257 3
POLS 321 Political Parties in America POLS 121 3
POLS 335 Environmental Politics   3
POLS 210 Political Sociology   3
POLS 343 Public Policy   3
POLS 432 Religion and Politics   3
POLS 453 Political Behavior POLS 101 3
POLS 459 Global Perspectives on
Democracy		 INTL 348 3

* For detailed descriptions of each course, please visit the BAU 2024-2025 Academic Catalog.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

Bay Atlantic University offers a number of benefits and services to help our students succeed. Student Services offers various career preparation and personal development opportunities, including writing, speaking, and academic workshops, diverse clubs, and frequent social events. Our unique location in Downtown Washington, D.C., allows us to offer academic excursions to some of the most important political, historical, and cultural sites in the country. Students have the opportunity to live in the Island Condos student housing complex in Brookland, Washington, D.C., and have access to a school shuttle bus and WMATA U-Pass card to travel around the region quickly and affordably. For more information about the many benefits available at Bay Atlantic University, please visit bau.edu/student-services

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The undergraduate program provides comprehensive education in Political Science & International Relations to further develop the knowledge and skills to prepare for a career in politics and international relations.

Students will qualify for jobs such as Foreign Service Officer, International Organizations Official, Political Consultant, Business and Trade Associations Officer, International Development Consultant, Local, State and Federal Government Official, and Corporate Communications Officer.

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READY TO APPLY?

 

  START DATE DEADLINE TO APPLY
SUMMER SESSION MAY APRIL 1
FALL SEMESTER AUGUST JULY 1
SPRING SEMESTER JANUARY OCTOBER 1
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OUR PRACTITIONER-DRIVEN TEACHING
WILL PROVIDE YOU A REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

Perliter Walters-Gilliam

Perliter Walters-Gilliam is the Chair of the Business Department at BAU and an accreditation professional who has conducted over 300 visits to 13 countries and more than 30 states. Ms. Walters-Gilliam has been leading, conducting, guiding, and evaluating institutions on the core requirements of seeking and maintaining institutional accreditation. She has met and counseled with various ministries of education in different educational systems. Her scope of expertise includes training and development, accreditation compliance, Standards review for accrediting agencies, and recognition applications.

Sean Michael Cox, Ph.D.

Sean Michael Cox, Ph.D., is the Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University. His area of academic expertise focuses on Comparative Politics and includes specializations in post-Soviet politics, Eastern European and Balkan Politics, Turkish politics, and US politics. Dr. Cox is a Senior Advisor at the Global Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based economics and international affairs think tank. During his career, he has served as Primary Investigator on numerous projects funded by a variety of public and private organizations including USAID, the US Departments of Education and State, the European Commission, NATO, and a number of foundations.

Dr. Pipop Nuangpookka

Dr. Pipop Nuangpookka is the Chair of Information Management Science Program and Director of Distance Education at BAU. He started teaching in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Cybersecurity disciplines in 2007. His research interests are Non-Destructive Method of Detecting Hardware Attack, PII Security Controls, Web Server Protection, and Bilingual Translator Programming. He is a co-author of scholarly papers published in the Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges/ACM digital library, including “Hardware-Tampering Security Risks in the Supply Chain” and “Fileless Malware and Programmatic Method of Detection.

Oonah Jaja-Wachuku

Oonah Jaja-Wachuku is the department chair of the General Education program at Bay Atlantic University. She is a double masters’ degree holder in the areas of International Business Management (MBA) and Multilingualism, Linguistics and Education (MA). She has over 10 years of teaching/instructing experience in different parts of the world. Oonah is passionate about teaching and learning and strives to bring creativity, new paradigms and processes to the practice of educating bright minds.
Ms. Jaja-Wachuku is a self-published author and blog writer – a reader, writer and lifelong learner.

Paolo von Schirach

Paolo von Schirach was appointed President of the Global Policy Institute, GPI, in March 2016. He is also Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University BAU in Washington, DC. He served as Chair of PSIR from 2018 until June 2022. His GPI research and BAU teaching focus on contemporary world politics and economics, international trade, energy, competition policies, and the role of innovation in economics.

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