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BA in Political Science & International Relations

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & International Relations

Course Delivery

On Campus / Online

Total Credits

120

Tuition Per Year

$18,600

Duration

4 Years

Program Overview

This program is designed to give our students strong theoretical foundations in Political Science and International Relations in combination with real world insights provided by our unique Faculty of “Scholars Practitioners” who provide the needed links between theory and the empirical world of “field experience”. This includes ample use of case studies that provide insights on how to properly use models, analytical tools, strategic planning, policy-making, diplomacy, international negotiations and more. Students also benefit from the specialized expertise of guest lecturers drawn from the rich Washington, DC environment. They include: think-tank experts, government officials, diplomats, trade organizations officials, multilateral organizations officials (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank), media and many others.

Learning Goals

 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.

Who is the Ideal Student for this program?

This degree will provide you with great insights into foreign affairs, public policies, international development, economic trends, social issues, law and many more. Popular International Relations degree jobs include: diplomacy work, lobbying, political analysis, international law and intelligence. The ideal students for this program should be up to date with the dynamics of today’s global political issues. They should be able to analyze strategies of local governments and find out how these decisions have a larger impact on global politics.

All courses are conducted on campus. To succeed in this program, students should be self-disciplined, self-directed and comfortable scheduling their own coursework.

Career Outlook

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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Please Click here or just give us a call at (202) 644-7200 to speak with an admissions advisor.




Meet the Department Chair

Sean Michael Cox, Ph.D.

[email protected]

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. Prior to joining the University, Dr. Cox worked for Bay Atlantic’s affiliated world-wide organization, BAU Global Education Network, where he served in a variety of capacities including Director of International Academic Affairs and Director of Grants and Contracts. Dr. Cox is also a project management expert and 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, the Research Executive Agency, NATO, and a number of foundations. Dr. Cox is a Jean Monnet Award recipient, an Andrew Heiskell Award recipient (team member), and a Salzburg Global Seminar Presidential Fellow awardee.  He can be seen on televised appearances on TRT World’s Global News Network where he serves as a political commentator on broadcasts and news programs.  Dr. Cox holds a Doctorate in Comparative Politics from the University of Delaware.

Courses

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 & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CORE REQUIREMENTS (20 Courses)
ECON 101
Introduction to Microeconomics
3 Credits
Microeconomics deals with the behavior of companies and individuals that determines the choices they make in the allocation of resources. This course examines the concepts of supply, demand, market equilibrium, and competition and the impact that external forces such as taxation, government policy, and globalization have on them.
ECON 111
Introduction to Macroeconomics
3 Credits
Macroeconomics deals with the total of all economic activity within a nation. This course examines such issues as economic growth, inflation, unemployment, savings, and investment to understand how these factors interact to impact the business cycle and overall national income.
ECON 315
Political Economy
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 101 & ECON 111 This course presents the theories and methodologies of studying the political economy alongside descriptions of relevant institutions. This course helps students understand and analyze the characteristics of domestic and global businesses, government policies, and inter-state relations and their effects on individuals, societies, and environments. The course will focus on the contemporary structure of the political economy and will discuss controversial topics, including different theories about optimal economic and social development in both mature and emerging economies.
ECON 353
Globalization and the World Economy
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: ECON 101 & ECON 111 This course seeks to examine the historic development of globalization and the many contemporary understandings of what exactly globalization means for the world, with a focus on economic development. The concept of globalization is a contested one, and in this course, students will learn about the different ideas and conceptualizations of globalization. The course will address the major debates relating to economic interdependence, development and growth, the patterns of international trade and investment, global financial markets, and the role of major multilateral political and economic institutions such as the UN, the World Bank and IMF in promoting globalization.
INTL 161
Diplomatic History
3 Credits
Diplomacy is concerned with the management of relations between states and other actors. Though diplomacy is often thought as being concerned with peaceful activities, it may occur within war or armed conflict. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the diplomatic history by giving also a worldview on wars and conflicts. The course covers major world wars and international relations, starting at the turn of the 20th century and ending in present day. In this course, students will consider topics such as the World Wars, decolonization, the rise of communism, and the Cold War. This course introduces the background for the unfolding of the diplomatic history of the 21st century.
INTL 257
International Relations
3 Credits
This course will introduce students to the main theories of international relations and facilitate critical applications of these theories to a range of substantive issue areas. After completing this course students will understand key concepts, theories, and empirical trends in IR. The ‘map of the modern world’ component will ensure that students will learn political geography, including the location and capital cities of all countries of the world, and display cognizance of outstanding political/territorial disagreements and other controversies between states.
INTL 270
Global Public Health
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the role that public health plays in international affairs. Students will examine contemporary global health concerns and how these global health concerns affect society and politics, including infectious disease, obesity and hunger, women’s reproductive health, access to medical care, and environmental factors. The course will then move on to discuss successful and unsuccessful attempts to solve these public health issues through diplomacy, foreign aid, and through the efforts of international organizations. Finally, students will conduct a research project on one particular global health issue and will propose a solution to that problem.
INTL 272
United States Foreign Policy
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 257 This course will take a close look at United States foreign policy since 9/11. It will examine the United States’ attitudes toward the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, and the efforts it has made in diplomacy and through direct and proxy military engagement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and elsewhere. The course will also cover the role of the US in shaping global policies toward issues like terrorism, climate change, human rights (including women’s rights and LGBT rights), illicit drug production and trades, free trade, the democratization of foreign states, and peacekeeping efforts. Students will also analyze major multilateral agreements made by the US, UN, NATO, and other nations and international organizations, such as the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal and the 2016 Paris Climate Accord. Finally, students will gain an understanding of the transformation and continuity of foreign policy during the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. This course will include field trips to the US Department of State and other locations in the Washington, D.C. area.
INTL 339
International Organizations
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 257 This course serves as an introduction to international organizations. Understanding international organizations is essential to understanding the complex interdependence of world politics. After completing this course students will be able to: define and classify international organizations; recognize the fundamental theoretical approaches concerning the roles of international organizations in international politics; understand the historical and intellectual roots of the League of Nations and United Nations; and understand the basic organs, functions and roles of other significant international organizations, including the EU and NATO.
INTL 348
Introduction to International Human Rights
3 Credits
This course will explore the philosophical and political meaning of fundamental human rights. It will analyze cases of human rights violations--such as jailing of journalists, dissidents and opposition leaders; genocide in the Holocaust, Rwanda, Kosovo, and Cambodia; the use and abuse of the death penalty; female genital mutilation; violations of workers’ rights; and torture. It will also examine the role that states, international organizations, international tribunals, and individuals can play in ending human rights abuses. Course readings may include contemporary theories of human rights and case studies on the enforcement of rights around the world.
INTL 354
International Development and Emerging Markets
3 Credits
This course introduces the fundamentals of international development and analyzes the global environments in which this pursuit is conducted. It explores the history, evolving definitions, theories, management, and synergies of international development. This course describes the major international donors, bilateral and multilateral and their development strategies, budgets and goals. The course also explores tools of information, policy, and sustainability. Additionally, an overview of legal, ethical, and cultural competency issues in international development are provided.
INTL 370
Gender, Development, and Globalization
3 Credits
This course introduces major issues facing women and men around the world who are marginalized by inequitable structures and processes of globalization. Students will investigate case studies within the context of international development, drawing particularly on concepts regarding gender and development and critical globalization. Students will develop valuable social science research skills and will discuss and debate critical issues. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to: analyze and describe dynamic relationships among global and local economies and socio-cultural processes; identify and describe processes and relationships that produce gender-based inequalities; apply key concepts in the fields of international development and gender and development; and utilize qualitative social science research methodologies.
INTL 430
International Crisis Diplomacy
3 Credits
This course will focus on the methods of crisis diplomacy by taking a close look at specific examples in the Middle East, Central America, and Southeast Asia. These crises might include political crises, terrorism, natural disasters, and economic crises. Students will learn about the practices of mitigating crises, preventing potential crises, and handling crisis aftermath through case studies, and will also learn about the potential roles of governments, non- governmental organizations, and international organizations in handling these situations. For the final exam, students will undertake a simulation to handle an international crisis.
INTL 451
World Politics and World Order
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: POLS 101 World politics is the study of how states interact with each other. This course builds an understanding of our field, introducing the background, theoretical, and empirical tools necessary to understand international relations today. Students will learn about important findings in a variety of subfields, including war, international political economy, institutions, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism.
INTL 459
International Security
3 Credits
This course will familiarize students with some of the major theoretical issues in the study of international security, and some of the central challenges shaping current debates about security and the use of force. War and conflict have been central to international politics throughout history. The study of security investigates causes of war, strategies for avoiding conflict, and the impact of new technologies, actors, and ideas on calculations about the use of force. This course will also consider how international law has dealt with the legality of the use of force to settle international disputes. This course will give students a solid grounding in current theoretical issues and security challenges in the international arena. It will encourage them to think about how an understanding of these issues can help them address existing security problems affecting the world community.
PHIL 200
Ethics
3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to open awareness to the complexity of ethical decision-making and prepare students to make choices from a standpoint of ethical consciousness. Students will learn to identify ethical problems in their program of study, assess the obligations of stakeholders, formulate arguments for those obligations, and propose feasible solutions to ethical problems. Diversity competence will also be stressed. Assignments, activities, and exams will cultivate reflection, analysis, creativity, and empowerment.
POLS 101
Introduction to Politics and Political Science
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and theories of political science. It begins with discussions of individual and human nature and elaborates on state and society. Some of the central themes of the course are: human nature and the individual, the social contract, sovereignty, authority, public opinion, elections, electoral systems, legislatures, executives, judiciaries, political violence, terrorism, and international relations.
POLS 121
Government and Politics of the United States
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE 101 This course exams the theoretical influences, historical development, and political evolution of the United States of America, as they impact the governance of the country. Students will gain a greater understanding of the forces that shaped how the framework of government was established and has functioned over the past two and a half centuries. By studying the US Constitution and the structure of US government, political culture and political behavior, the development of the political party system, the role of interest groups in politics, and the relationship between the federal government and state and local governments, students will acquire a better perspective of the problems, challenges, and future potential of the US.
POLS 251
Introduction to Comparative Politics of Industrialized Societies
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE 101 This course provides a systematic study and comparison of political system, with emphasis on recent trends in world politics. This course will introduce the basic concepts of comparative politics, examine liberal and illiberal regimes, and compare the governmental systems of developing, industrial, and post-industrial societies. Students will learn to identify the strengths and weaknesses of parliamentary and presidential systems of government, and of centralized, devolved, and federal state systems. We will also consider a variety of electoral systems.
POLS 380
Research and Methods in Political Science
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE 101 This course is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge on the conduct of research in the field of political science. Students will be introduced to such topics as epistemology, research design, hypothesis development and testing, scope of research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and their application and use in political science. The course will have a shared emphasis on both analysis and evaluation, as well as on the design of research and how scholars ask questions. Students will have multiple opportunities (in the form of weekly assignments, term project, and exams) to demonstrate their knowledge and comprehension of the material. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide students with the opportunity to create, plan, develop, and execute original research.
POLITICAL SCIENCE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ELECTIVES (6 Courses)
INTL 300
Cyber Security
3 Credits
Cybersecurity has become a significant concern in all industries around the world. The interconnection of the Internet has provided a borderless realm of global connection, which increases possibilities of digital vulnerabilities to all entities (i.e., individuals, businesses, public and private sectors, and government agencies). International cyber security policies are essential factors that require a stable collaboration from different countries to form a robust defensive mechanism. This course focuses on conflicts and international issues regarding cyber security and explores potential strategies and policies that may encourage global entities for the development of international agreements for safer and more secure cyberspace. Students will learn various subjects from technological and policy aspects of cyber security regarding foreign affairs, including cyber warfare, cyber diplomacy, cyber crime, cyber law, and cyber intelligence, etc.
INTL 340
Transnational Corporations
3 Credits
Transnational corporations, which have their headquarters in one country but operate out of multiple, have been a staple of the global economy since the East India Companies of the seventeenth century. This course will consider the role of transnational corporations, such as Coca Cola, Walmart, Toyota, and others, in the modern global economy. It will also examine the political and social influence of corporations like United Fruit, which acted as agents of foreign powers.
INTL 350
U.S. and Europe
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 272 This class will examine the modern diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Europe since the Cold War. In particular, it will consider the influence of NATO, the EU, the former Soviet Union, and the so- called “special relationship” between the US and the UK. Students will gain an understanding of the contemporary dynamics of these relationships and what predictions analysts make for the future.
INTL 351
U.S. and the Middle East
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 272 This course exams the historic and contemporary relationship between the United States and the Middle East (both as a whole and with respect to individual countries in the region), focusing on the post-World War II era. Students will gain a greater understanding of the domestic forces which contribute to the formulation of the US's Middle East policy, and will acquire a better perspective of the problems, challenges, and future potential of US- Middle East Relations, including such issues as support for the State of Israel, radical Islam, regional conflict, energy politics, and immigration and refugee crises.
INTL 352
U.S. and ASEAN
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 272 ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. In this class, students will first learn about politics, economics, and social concerns in these up-and-coming nations, and their relationship with the United States.
INTL 353
U.S. and BRIC
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 272 Brazil, Russia, India, and China, or the “BRIC” nations, are four rapidly developing nations with major potential. In this class, students will examine the role of these nations in the modern world economy and will also understand the importance of the fall of Communism in global politics. Students will also look at the relationship of the United States with these countries.
INTL 355
Latin American Politics
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 272 In this course, students will examine the comparative politics of Mexico, Cuba, and other Latin American countries as a means of understanding the political issues of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Students will learn about the political structures of these countries, their economic development, migration, indigenous and women’s rights, public health, Catholicism and evangelism, and other major socio-political concerns of these nations. Finally, students will learn about the roles of Mexico, Cuba, and other Latin American in non-governmental organizations like NAFTA and the UN, and their major foreign policy objectives.
INTL 388
Transnational Threats
3 Credits
What sorts of transnational security challenges do states face in the information age, and how do they manage these threats? Global threats such as nuclear proliferation, climate change, environmental degradation, refugee streams, or infectious diseases do not stop at national borders. Terrorist and criminal networks not only transcend international borders, but also go beyond traditional state jurisdictions and stove-piped hierarchies. This course will analyze the nature of the challenges and look at the policy, legal, and institutional mechanisms the United States and other countries have found/must find to manage and counter these threats.
INTL 460
Global Immigration and Asylum Policy
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 348 According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the 2010s have seen the highest numbers of refugees, displaced people, and stateless people in human history—nearly 80 million people total. Whether driven by climate change, socio-political unrest, economics, or violence, these people universally have to navigate complex systems of immigration and asylum policies worldwide. For lawmakers, the influx of refugees and migrants presents the challenge of enacting swift policies that enforce human rights and transnational security. In this course, students will learn about some of the largest legal and political problems involving migrants and refugees today. In particular, the course will focus on Syrian refugees in the EU and Turkey; South Sudanese and Central African refugees in Uganda and Rwanda; Central American refugees in the US; and Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia and Australia. Students will learn about the efforts of governments and non-governmental organizations to create and enact migration and asylum policies.
POLS 122
U.S. Political History
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: POLS 121 Students will learn about the political history of the United States. Both domestic and international politics will be covered. Students will understand the events surrounding the creation of the United States and how the United States has maintained its democratic system for more than 200 years. Students will also understand the key events, trends, and leaders that have shaped the United States. It is important for students to understand both the domestic and international history of the United States in order to analyze contemporary world affairs. The United States is an important object of study both because it is one of the world’s most successful democracies and because it is the world’s most powerful nation. World events simply cannot be understood without knowledge of the United States and its history. This course will introduce students to the most important leaders, events, and ideas that have shaped American history and continue to influence the United States today.
POLS 215
Political Ideologies
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: POLS 101 Ideology is one of the most readily employed concepts in political science. Political ideologies originated in the modern era and have shaped our beliefs, values, and understanding of human nature, the organization of social and political institutions, and authority. This course is a survey of major political ideologies. We will examine the core concepts, assumptions, political programs, and historical development of such ideologies as: liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, socialism communism, and fascism, among others. This course aims to help students think critically about the role ideology plays in informing political debate and assumptions concerning state and society.
POLS 253
Politics of Emerging Markets Societies
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 257 This course examines theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the process of economic development. Topics include the role of the state in alleviating or exacerbating poverty, the politics of industrial policy and planning, and the relationship between institutional change and growth. How over the past century have some of the world's poorest nations achieved wealth? How have others remained mired in poverty? What are the social consequences of alternative strategies of development? What about the quality of governance? POLS 252 will answer these questions and more.
POLS 321
Political Parties in America
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: POLS 121 By the end of this course, students will have a deeper appreciation of the main drivers of US politics. They will have a solid understanding of the structure, operation, and definition of the US party system. They will have an appreciation for the historical origins of the two-party system. The course will also include discussions of the role of political parties on the national and state levels, party politics in the South, political machines, ethnic politics, and the national election process.
POLS 335
Environmental Politics
3 Credits
Environmental politics is a fairly new but quickly growing field as debates about environmental degradation have intensified. Environmentalists are concerned about pollution, conservation, ecosystem destruction, natural resource depletion, and global warming which threaten our planet and future life on earth. State structures, the capitalist world economy, environmental organizations and social movements and their interaction in a global geography all affect the politics of the environment. In other words, these actors on the global scene have differing and often conflicting views on what the problem is and what to do about it. Thus, environmental politics is controversial as well as vital. It is also global in nature as environmental problems recognize no national borders. This course will deal with all of these issues while introducing the students to relevant concepts and debates such as the tragedy of the commons, the global commons, sustainable development, ecological modernization, risk society, deep ecology, North-South issues and ideas of nature and progress.
POLS 342
Political Sociology
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 370 Political sociology is concerned with, above all, power relations in the social, political, and economic spheres. As such, we deal with different centers of power, both within the national unit and transnationally. This course introduces you to state structures, class structures and global structures. We will cover concepts such as power, representation, association, social capital, citizenship, collective action and issues such as state development, democratization, ‘old’ and ‘new’ social movements, and global networks. Equally crucial to this course is the understanding of interactions between the society and polity.
POLS 343
Public Policy
3 Credits
Definition of the public and non-public, the criteri(on)a which makes an action public or non- public; Definition of the policy, theoretical link between public and policy. From individual decision making to public decision making process, the problem of aggregation in the definition of public. The Coase theorem and related topics, the role of the externality concept in the definition of public, social welfare function and related issues.
POLS 432
Religion and Politics
3 Credits
The aim of this course is to probe the relationship between religion and politics with a view to understand the impact of modernization and industrialization on both. The course is composed of three parts. Part I introduces the major analytical approaches in the sociology of religion. Part II examines manifestations of the resurgence of religion in politics in different regions of the world. Part III. Finally, focuses on Islam and politics, including the case of Turkey.
POLS 453
Political Behavior
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: POLS 101 & POLS 251 The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the factors that explain political behavior. The course is composed of three parts: the first part elaborates on the cultural approach to the formation of political interests and identities which shape political behavior; the second one will focus on the different existing theories in political science to explain voting behavior; the last part concentrates on the most significant political institutional determinants of voting behavior – party and electoral systems. The course will also focus on the influence of new social movements on political behavior.
POLS 459
Global Perspectives on Democracy
3 Credits
PREREQUISITE: INTL 348 What is democracy? Why is or is it not valuable? Why does democracy succeed in some countries and not in others? We will consider these and other major questions in POLS 459. Students will take a multidisciplinary approach by considering political philosophy, history, and political science to examine various interpretations and criticisms of democracy. In addition to comparing democratic and non- democratic structures of government and the ideas behind them, students will analyze real-world examples to assess the struggle of democratization worldwide. The course will begin with foundational discussions of Athenian democracy and American democracy. Students will spend the remainder of the course analyzing 20th- and 21st-century examples of the foundations of democratic and authoritarian states such as India, China, Japan, South Africa, the DR Congo, and Chile. Finally, students will compare the outcomes of the Arab Spring and contemporary threats to democracy worldwide.

To apply to Bay Atlantic University, the following documents are required:

Completed online application

Copies of high school transcripts (must be in English)

Official evaluation of high school transcript (if the transcript is from a foreign institution)

SpanTran is our recommended international transcript evaluation service. They have created a custom application for Bay Atlantic University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here: SpanTran Application – Bay Atlantic University

Photocopy of government-issued ID (international students need a passport, undocumented students need proof of residency)

Additional Documents for International Students:

Bank Statement (to show proof of adequate financial resources)

*if the bank statement is not in applicant’s name a Sponsorship Letter is required
*if the applicant has any dependents Passport Copies & Additional Materials may be required

Proof of English Language Proficiency (below)

All applicants whose first language is not English must submit proof of English language proficiency. This requirement is waived if the applicant has completed four years of education at an English-language secondary school. Otherwise, English language proficiency can be established by providing an official score report for one of our approved standardized English proficiency tests. Below are the tests and minimum scores accepted:

TOEFL (PBT, CBT, IBT): 525, 194, 70
IELTS: 5.5
TOEIC: 650
BAU Placement Test:70 (offered on campus)
Duolingo: 75
Pearson (PTE): 48
Mentora College Intensive English Program: Pass 400C level

For assistance or information on applying, please contact our Admission team at [email protected]

For our Frequently Asked Questions, please visit https://bau.edu/faq/

Graduation Requirements

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:

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).

 

There is no fixed program cost. The Board has the authority to change tuition and fees for each academic year. Such changes are announced to students via email, on the Academic Catalog, and on the webpage.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, tuition per credit will be $620. Students pay the total of the credits they enroll in.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition per credit will be $635. Students pay the total of the credits they enroll in.

Description Fee
Application/Admissions Fees
Application fee $45
Deferral fee $45
Admission Confirmation Deposit (refundable if visa is denied) $200
Mandatory Semester Fees
Student activities and services fee $125
Technology fee $135
Mandatory one-time Fees
Student ID card $18
As-applicable Fees
Late registration fee $75
English Proficiency Test $35
Replacement Student ID card $18
Transcript processing fee $10 (per transcript)
Returned check fee $30
Late payment fee $25
Cancellation fee* $100
International postage of documents $130
Cap and Gown Fee $130
Diploma / Graduation fee $100
Diploma Replacement fee $100
Administrative Services Fee** $1,500

*When students cancel their enrollment within 3 business days of the beginning of a semester

**Only students who receive full tuition assistance or scholarship of any kind defined in the tuition assistance and scholarship section are required to pay.





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