The Department of Political Science and International Relations offers internationally Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA) and PhD degrees. Undergraduates follow a general education curriculum concerned with sociology, economics and other humanities courses. Junior and Senior level courses build on this foundation to enable students think theoretically and practically about world politics. The Department offers an interdisciplinary approach to the subjects of political science and international relations. The curriculum includes a wide spectrum of courses including international relations theory, international political economy, international law, international security, comparative politics, foreign policy analysis and area studies. A particular emphasis of our programs is placed on the post-Cold War transformation of the world system. Globalization, supranational integration and disintegration are common themes, which form the basis of the contemporary debate on world politics equipped with this background; our graduates are well placed to contribute to the public and private sectors, as well as academically for graduate and post-graduate studies and research. Our Master programs are geared toward developing academic research skills. Students must present original research in the form of a thesis, which may serve as bedrock for a subsequent academic career. To this end, we include many elective courses on the European Union and the Middle East. Our geographic location offers insight into the processes of continuity and change in these two important regions of the world. In conjunction with the International Center for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies located on the campus, students can benefit from interaction with renowned scholars and attend international conferences.
