Political Science & International Relations Program Courses

Brief Description

ACT’s renowned BA (Hons) in Political Science & International Relations features a dynamic contemporary student-centered civic education. It trains youth for leadership roles in regional and international affairs and contributes meaningfully through academic instruction, applied research, and professional outreach, The program of studies is particularly strong in American and EU politics, international law and organizations, gender, globalization, and contemporary Balkan and Aegean affairs.

Students majoring in Political Science & International Relations have ample opportunities to interact directly with senior practitioners in public affairs under the auspices of the Michael and Kitty Dukakis Center for Public and Humanitarian Service and the Lucy Center for Balkan Studies. Our graduates have had outstanding success in post-graduate study, gaining admission to the most prestigious European and American universities, and experiencing success at the highest levels of professional life.

Degree Requirements

In order to receive the BA degree, the student must have fulfilled all the GER and major requirements and have completed at least 121 US credit hours with an overall G.PA of 2.0 or better. All IR students take a two-semester sequence Senior Thesis I and II course. According to NECHE Standards, students must complete at least one fourth of their undergraduate program, including advanced work in the major or concentration, at the institution awarding the degree. As a consequence, all candidates for an ACT degree must have been in residence at the College during the last two semesters of full time instruction, assuming availability and equivalency of transferable courses.

Open University degree structure

The program in Political Science & International Relations is currently validated by Open University: under this scheme, 24 are out of the 40 courses required for a Bachelor’s degree are validated by Open University. Students must necessarily take the fourth year courses at ACT. Successful students will receive a Bachelor’s degree from Open University in addition to the ACT degree for a single course of studies by meeting the following common set of requirements (in addition to meeting General Education Requirements)—courses highlighted in bold are validated by Open University. For more information, check the student handbook. The OU Regulations can be found here.

To read a short description of the courses mentioned below, follow this link.

Major Requirements

• Politics 201 Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Issues
• Politics 202 Political Theory (OU)
• Politics 207 The Modern Greek Nation-State (OU)
• Politics 230 Comparative Politics (OU)
• Politics 233 International Law and Organisations (OU)
• Politics 301 War and Human Security in the Modern World (OU)
• Politics 306 Contemporary Development Issues (OU)
• Politics 350-351 Senior Thesis (2 course sequence) (OU)
• European Studies 210 Foundations of European Integration (OU)
• History 201 Women in Modern Times (OU)
• History 221 Global Modernities: World History Since 1900 (OU)
• History 331 Modern Greek History (OU)
• Social Science 210 Introduction to Global Studies and Human Geographies (OU)
• Social Science 349 Contemporary Globalization (OU)
• Economics 101 Introductory Macroeconomics (OU)
• English 250 Advanced Writing and Professional Communication (OU)
• Research 210 Research Methods and Analysis (OU)

Two 200-level IR electives (Level 5) selected among the following:

• Humanities 221 Film in History, History in Film (OU)
• Humanities 246 Introduction to American Cultural Studies (OU)
• Politics 229 US Federal Government (OU)
• Politics 240 International Migration (OU)
• Politics 250 Politics and New Technologies (OU)
• Social Science 215 Studies in Media and Contemporary Society (OU)

Four 300-level IR electives (Level 6) selected among the following:

• Politics 304 Women, Power, and Politics (OU)
• Politics 332 Human Rights (OU)
• Politics 333 Diplomacy and Negotiation (OU)
• Politics 334: Global Security Challenges and International Law (OU)
• Practicum 300
• Social Science 323 Race and Racisms (OU)

Other Degree Requirements

• Three free electives (to be chosen in consent with an academic advisor)

Cross-listed business courses from the OU-validated BA and BS degree programs offered at ACT may be taken as PS&IR electives with permission of academic advisor:

Level 5

• English 350 Advanced Writing for Social Change (cross listed with the English program)
• English/Hum 246 American Literature and Culture (cross listed with the English program)
• Comm 315 Intercultural Understanding and Communication (cross listed with the English program)
• Management 307 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (cross listed with the Business program)

Level 6

• Psychology 330 Psychology of immigration (cross listed with the Psychology program)
• ENG 320 The Other in Literature and Media (cross listed with the English program)
• Management 308 Leadership Development (cross listed with the Business program)
• Management 460 Contemporary Project Management (cross listed with the Business program)

Suggested Program of Studies

Year One

• English 101
• Math 100
• Philosophy 101
• History 120
• Politics 101
• English 102
• CS 101
• Anthropology 101, Psychology 101 or 204, or Sociology 101
• Social Science 210 (OU)
• Politics 201 (OU)

Year Two (Level 4)

• English 203
• Economics 101(OU)
• English 120, Art 120 or Art 121, or Music 120
• Research 210 (OU)
• Free Elective
• English 250 (OU)
• History 201 (OU)
• European Studies 210 (OU)
• Science GER

Year Three (Level 5)

• Politics 207 (OU)
• Politics 202 (OU)
• PS&IR Elective (200-level)(OU)
• Philosophy 203
• History 221 (OU)
• Politics 249 (OU)
• Politics 233 (OU)
• PS&IR Elective (200-level )
• Free Elective

Year Four (Level 6)

• Social Science 349 (OU)
• Politics 350 (Senior Thesis I)(OU)
• History 331
• PS&IR Elective (300-level) (OU)
• GER Elective
• Politics 301 (OU)