Bachelor of Political Science

High school diploma or equivalent, English proficiency test (IELTS/TOEFL), personal essay, two recommendation letters

Core Curriculum: (40 credits)

Political Science Major Requirements:

For students pursuing a BA in the General field of Political Science, Specialization in Comparative Politics, Specialization in Political Economy or Specialization in Public and International Law: 45 credits

If students took POLS 1001: 30 credits (10 courses) of general political science concentration courses plus 15 political science credits (5 courses).
If students took POLS 2003: 33 credits (11 courses) of general political science concentration courses, including POLS 2003, plus 12 political science credits (4 courses).
For students pursuing a Specialization in International Relations: 45 credits if students took POLS 1001 and 48 credits if students took POLS 2003 as follows:

If students took POLS 1001 : 30 credits (10 courses) of general political science concentration courses plus 15 political science credits (5 courses).
If students took POLS 2003 : 33 credits (11 courses) of general political science concentration courses, including POLS 2003, plus 15 political science credits (5 courses).
Students can use political science courses towards pursuit of one or more of the political science specializations.
One of the capstone courses taken by students to fulfill the core requirement must be a political science capstone course.

Collateral requirements: (6 credits)
General Electives: (29 credits, 26 in the case of students who took POLS 2003 and are pursuing a specialization in International Relations)

ENGL 0210 is a prerequisite to POLS 1001 and POLS 2003

RHET 1010 is a prerequisite to POLS 2104, POLS 2405, POLS 2096, POLS 3401, POLS 3550 and POLS 3620

RHET 1020 is a prerequisite to all other political science courses.

For all Political Science students:
Political Science concentration requirements
30 credits if POLS 1001 is taken / 33 credits if POLS 2003 is taken.

POLS 203/2003 – Introduction to Political Science II (3 cr.)
This course must be taken if, and only if, student is ineligible to register in POLS 1001

POLS 204/2104 – Introduction to Research Methods in Political Science (3 cr.)
POLS 000/2405 – History and International Politics (3 cr.)
POLS 301/3201 – History of Political Theory l (3 cr.)
POLS 302/3202 – History of Political Theory II (3 cr.)
POLS 313/3401 – Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 cr.)
POLS 308/3408 – Comparative Politics of the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 310/3510 – Introduction to Development (3 cr.)
Only students double majoring in Political Science and Economics can substitute POLS 3510 with ECON 3053. ECON 3053 will fulfil the requirement in both majors.

POLS 350/3550 – Introduction to Political Economy (3 cr.)
POLS 320/3620 – Introduction to International Relations Theories (3 cr.)
POLS 471/4371 – Introduction to Public International Law (3 cr.)
Collateral requirements
HIST – One Modern History course (3 cr.)
(not to be taken as an independent study) in addition to:
ECON 201/2021 – Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
General Electives
Students may use 15 hours of elective credit to minor in a discipline of their choice. Minoring is optional. Courses taken as collateral requirements may count towards the minor.

Political Science Specializations:

General field in Political Science
Specialization in International Relations
Specialization in Comparative Politics
Specialization in Political Economy
Specialization in Public and International Law
1. Requirements for the General Political Science field:
Students must take five Political Science courses (if they took POLS 1001 ) or four Political Science courses (if they took POLS 2003).

Collateral Requirements (6 credits)
General Electives (29 credits)

2. Requirements for the Specialization in International Relations
To specialize in International Relations, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following courses:

Requirements:
POLS 000/4608 – Critical Approaches to International Relations and the Global South (3 cr.)
POLS 409/4609 – International Organizations (3 cr.)
POLS 410/4610 – Global Security (3 cr.)
POLS 411/4611 – Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis (3 cr.)
Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:

POLS 405/4605 – International Politics of the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 414/4614 – Egyptian Foreign Policy (3 cr.)
POLS 415/4615 – U.S. Foreign Policy (3 cr.)
POLS 440/4640 – Seminar: Special Topics in International Relations for Undergraduates (3 cr.)
POLS 440/5140 – Seminar: Special Topics in International Relations for both Undergraduates and Graduates (3 cr.)
Collateral Requirements (6 credits)
ECON 201/2021 – Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
One additional history course chosen from among the following:
HIST 247/2204 – The Making of the Modern Arab World (3 cr.)
HIST 250/2301 – Colonial and Postcolonial Africa (3 cr.)
HIST 202/2502 – History of Modern American Civilization (3 cr.)
HIST 331/3207 – History of Palestine/Israel (3 cr.)
HIST 333/3208 – Zionism and Modern Judaism (3 cr.)
HIST 356/3214 – State and Society in the Middle East, 1906-present (3 cr.)
HIST 357/3288 – Selected topics in Middle East History (3 cr.) (when approved by POLS Dept.)
HIST 350/3302 – Violence, War, and Conflict in Modern Africa (3 cr.)
HIST 308/3406 – Europe in the Age of Reason (3 cr.)
HIST 430/4107 – The Environment in World History (3 cr.)
HIST 405/4188 – Selected Topics in World History (3 cr.) (when approved by POLS Dept.)
HIST 435/4216 – Social and Political History of Modern Cairo (3 cr.)
HIST 440/4217 – Colonialism and Imperialism in the Middle East and South Asia (3 cr.)
HIST 454/4219 – Modern Movements in Islam (3 cr.)
HIST 000/4224 – Egypt in the Modern World Market (3 cr.)
HIST 462/4288 – Selected Topics in the History of the Modern Middle East (3 cr.)
HIST 412/4290 – Selected Topics in Modern Egyptian History (3 cr.) (when approved by POLS Dept.)
HIST 450/4303 – Global Capitalism and Africa: An Economic History (3 cr.)
HIST 402/4488 – Selected Topics in European History (3 cr.)
(when approved by POLS department)

HIST 401/4588 – Selected Topics in the History of the United States (3 cr.)
(when approved by POLS department)

Electives
(26 if POLS 2003 is taken – 29 credits if POLS 1001 is taken)

3. Requirements for the Specialization in Comparative Politics:
To specialize in Comparative Politics, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take three courses, chosen as clarified below:

Requirements:
One course from the following two courses
POLS 323/4423 – Comparative Government and Politics: Developing Systems (3 cr.)
POLS 435/4435 – The State and Society (3 cr.)
Two courses from the following list of courses
POLS 303/4403 – American Government and Politics (3 cr.)
POLS 305/4405 – Comparative Politics of Contemporary Africa (3 cr.)
POLS 420/4420 – Issues in Middle East Politics (3 cr.)
POLS 323/4423 – Comparative Government and Politics: Developing Systems (3 cr.) (if not taken to fulfill the Comparative Politics specialization requirement of either POLS 4423 or POLS 4435).
POLS 324/4424 – Comparative Government and Politics in Contemporary Eastern Europe and Russia (3 cr.)
POLS 325/4425 – Government and Politics of Egypt (3 cr.)
POLS 432/4432 – Seminar: Comparative Politics and/or Policies (3 cr.)
POLS 000/4437 – Comparative Politics of Asia (3 cr.)
POLS 438/4438 – Modern China (3 cr.)
POLS 439/4439 – Comparative Politics of the Modern Caucasus and Central Asia (3 cr.)
POLS 000/4444 – Comparative Politics of Latin America (3 cr.)
POLS 480/4480 – Israeli Politics and Society (3 cr.)
Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:

POLS 430/4030 – Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science for Undergraduates (3 cr.)
(when approved by the department)

POLS 472/4372 – International Law in the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 475/4375 – Introduction to Egyptian and Islamic Law (3 cr.)
POLS 477/4377 – Law and Development (3 cr.)
POLS 422/4422 – Contemporary Egypt (3 cr.)
POLS 325/4425 – Government and Politics of Egypt (3 cr.)
POLS 405/4605 – International Politics of the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 414/4614 – Egyptian Foreign Policy (3 cr.)
POLS 440/5140 – Seminar: Special Topics in International Relations for both Undergraduates and Graduates (3 cr.) (when approved by the department)
ARIC 439/5142 – Islamic Law (3 cr.)
Collateral Requirements (6 credits)
One Modern Middle East History course at the 3000 or 4000 level. (3 cr.)
ECON 201/2021 – Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
General Electives (29 credits)
4. Requirements for the Specialization in Political Economy:
To specialize in Political Economy, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following courses:

Requirements:
POLS 425/4525 – Global Political Economy (3 cr.)
POLS 000/4526 – Political Economy of the Global South (3 cr.)
POLS 000/4551 – Theories of Political Economy (3 cr.)
Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:

POLS 402/4502 – Political Economy of Egypt and the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 413/4513 – International Financial Institutions (3 cr.)
POLS 423/4523 – The Political Economy of Poverty and Inequality (3 cr.)
POLS 442/4542 – Environmental Politics (3 cr.)
Collateral Requirements (6 credits)
One Modern History course (not to be taken as an independent study)
in addition to:
ECON 201/2021 – Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
General Electives (29 credits)
5. Requirements for the Specialization in Public & International Law:
To specialize in Public and International Law, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following three courses:

Requirements:
POLS 472/4372 – International Law in the Middle East (3 cr.)
POLS 475/4375 – Introduction to Egyptian and Islamic Law (3 cr.)
POLS 478/4378 – Introduction to International Human Rights Law (3 cr.)
Collateral Requirements (6 credits)
One Modern History course (not to be taken as an independent study)

in addition to:

ECON 201/2021 – Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
General Electives (29 credits)
Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of elective courses in public and international law that may be offered by the political science department or the law department.

Note: Registration in graduate courses offered by the law department may require the approval of the department and/or the instructor.

Dual Degree Option in Political Science (B.A.) and International Human Rights Law (M.A.)
The Dual Degree option combines a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Human Rights Law. It is a dual degree, creating a synergy between the existing BA in Political Science and the existing MA in International Human Rights Law.

The dual degree option enables good students to prepare for a postgraduate degree while completing the requirements for the BA in Political Science. The MA degree provides students with the necessary expertise in international human rights law and with the intellectual, analytical and communication tools needed to intervene critically and effectively in the global policy debates confronting their societies as policy makers, academics, activists and international civil servants.

By the end of the sixth semester of the political science BA at AUC, and after successfully completing POLS 4371 , the student has to declare her/his intention to pursue the Dual Degree by submitting a graduate admission application. The student should follow the application procedures for graduate studies. Admission decisions will be made by the Law Department’s Admission Committee. Successful applicants will be admitted pending the fulfillment of two conditions: i) finishing the requirements of their undergraduate degrees with at least B (GPA 3); and ii) obtaining an average of at least a B+ (GPA of at least 3.3) across the three cross-listed ‘Dual Degree’ Law courses. Places are limited.

Students enrolled in the dual degree will receive a political science BA degree certificate upon the completion of their undergraduate course requirements.

Under this structure, dual-degree students will be required to take three 4000-level courses that are cross-listed under LAW and POLS. These three “Dual Degree” cross-listed courses (see below) will count for credit towards both the BA in Political Science and under the MA in International Human Rights Law.

The three ‘Dual Degree’ Law courses to be offered to undergraduates in the Political Science Department are the following: (a)

POLS 471/4371 – Introduction to Public International Law (3 cr.) (b) POLS 475/4375 – Introduction to Egyptian and Islamic Law (3 cr.) and (c) POLS 478/4378 – Introduction to International Human Rights Law (3 cr.)
The curriculum for the MA IHRL requires the completion of nine courses and a thesis, as indicated in the tentative plan below: 3 POLS/LAW undergraduate courses, 2 graduate regional human rights courses, 3 graduate elective courses, LAW 5227, and the thesis.

Tentative Plan for Full-time Students
SEMESTER VI (POLS undergraduate program)
POLS 471/4371 – Introduction to Public International Law (3 cr.) (counts towards both concentrations in POLS for all students) (and MA IHRL credits)
[4 POLS courses or other courses as required to complete POLS BA degree]

SEMESTER VII (POLS undergraduate program)
POLS 478/4378 – Introduction to International Human Rights Law (3 cr.) (counts towards both BA POLS and MA IHRL credits)
[4 POLS courses or other core courses as required to complete POLS BA degree]

SEMESTER VIII (POLS undergraduate program)
POLS 475/4375 – Introduction to Egyptian and Islamic Law (3 cr.) (counts towards both BA POLS and MA IHRL credits)
[4 POLS courses or other core courses as required to complete POLS BA degree]

SEMESTER IX (MA IHRL program)
LAW 511/5211 – International Humanitarian Law (3 cr.)* (1 out of 3 starred courses required)

LAW 514/5214 – Human Rights in the Middle East (3 cr.)* (1 out of 3 starred courses required)

LAW 516/5216 – Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (3 cr.)* (1 out of 3 starred courses required)

LAW Electives**

SEMESTER X (MA IHRL program)
LAW 000/5221 – Law and Patriarchy (3 cr.)

LAW Electives**

LAW 527/5227 – Graduate Law Seminar (3 cr.)

SEMESTER XI (MA IHRL program)
LAW 599/5299 – Research Guidance/Thesis (no cr., pass/fail)

** Lists of LAW elective courses will be provided to students in the program prior to registration for each semester.