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General Information

Undergraduate Studies

• Admissions
• Academic Requirements & Regulations
• Student Finances
• Student Life
• The Core Curriculum
• Fields of Undergraduate Study: Academic Degrees & Course Listings
• Language Institutes
• Study Abroad and Summer Session

Graduate Studies

Research

Continuing Education & Training Programs

Appendix: Personnel & Enrollment

• Bachelor of Arts
• Specialization in International Relations
• Specialization in Middle East Politics
• Specialization in Political Economy
• Specialization in Public & International Law
• Minors for Non-Political Science Majors:
• Political Science Minor
• International Relations Minor
• Middle East Politics Minor
• Political Economy Minor
• Political Science Courses (POLS)

Department of Political Science
School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professors: E. Hill, I. Ivekovic, W. Kazziha (Graduate Coordinator), B. Korany, E. Sullivan (Provost), D. Tschirgi (Chair), N. Farah
Associate Professors:  I. El Nur, T. Parfitt, E. Shahin  (Undergraduate Coordinator).
Assistant Professors: J. Allain,  H. Alvi, M. Kassem, M. El Shorbagy, A. Shalakani,
V. Yadav, E. Akram

Bachelor of Arts

Political Science at AUC is taught as a humanistic discipline with the overall objectives of fostering understanding of the contemporary world and developing knowledge about, and an appreciation of, the complex mechanisms, authoritative structures, and the allocation of values, which characterize contemporary human communities. Political Science at AUC requires students to develop abilities of comprehension and analysis, and skills for oral and written presentations. The graduate of Political Science is thus well equipped for life in the modern world, and to follow those professions and lines of work that require independence of thought, initiative, creativity in solving problems, and continuing self development. AUC graduates of Political Science are presently found in business, journalism, research, analytic writing, and public contact work. They occupy positions in public, private, development agencies, the diplomatic service, governmental ministries and agencies, and university teaching. A significant number of past graduates have subsequently completed M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.

Core Curriculum (40 credits)
B.A. in Political Science without specialization (45 credits)
Concentration Requirements (24 credits) taken by all Pols. students
 

POLS 201 Introduction to Political Science, 3 cr. POLS/HIST 206 Global Politics in the Twentieth Century, 3 cr. POLS 301or 302 History of Political Theory, 3 cr.   308 Comparative Politics of the Middle East, 3 cr.   310 Introduction to Development, 3 cr.   320 International Relations, 3 cr.   350 Introduction to Political Economy, 3 cr.   471 International Law, 3 cr.

 

Plus 21 additional credit hours including four courses at the 400 level. One of the four must be a seminar.

Additionally, undergraduate students must fulfill two collateral requirements:
 

ECON 201 Introduction to Economics , 3 cr. HIST   One additional Modern History course (not to be taken as an independent study)

 

General Electives (29 credits)

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.

Specializations:

For obtaining the BA with a specialization, students may use their 21 additional credit hours to complete the specialization requirements. Specializations necessitate that three specified "specialization requirements" (three courses) be taken. This will leave four courses to the student's discretion-presenting him/her with three possible strategies for tailoring the undergraduate experience:

Four courses, including at least two 400-level courses - one of which must be a seminar - should be selected from the courses offered below with the purpose of choosing one of the following options:

1. A student may choose three of the courses to acquire a second field of specialization. For example, a student may choose three of his/her remaining four courses in order to specialize also in Political Economy or Middle East, etc.
    
2. Or a student may choose some or all of the additional courses to strengthen his/her expertise in one field of specialization.
    
3. Or a student may take the additional four courses to satisfy his/her own academic and intellectual interests in the general field of Political Science.
    
4. Or a combination of any of the above three options. For example a student may choose 3 of his remaining four courses in option 1 and the 4th course in option 2 or 3.

Specialization in International Relations

To specialize in International Relations, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following three courses:

Requirements:

POLS 409 International Organization, 3 cr.   410 or 411 International Security or Contemporary Foreign Policies, 3 cr.   405 International Politics in the Middle East, 3 cr.

 

Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:
 

Collateral Requirements (9 credits)

ECON 201 Introduction to Economics (Macroeconomics), 3 cr.

 

Two additional history courses chosen from among the following:

HIST 202 History of Modern American Civilization, 3 cr.   308 Europe in the Age of Reason, 3 cr.   401 Selected Topics in the History of the United States (when approved by the POLS department), 3 cr.   402 Selected Topics in European History (when approved by the POLS department), 3 cr.   356 History of the Middle East in the 20th Century, 3 cr.   462 Selected Topics in the History of the Modern Middle East, 3 cr.

 

Electives (26 credits)

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.

Specialization in Middle East Politics

To specialize in Middle East Politics, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following three courses:
 

POLS 354 Political and Social Thought in the Modern Arab World, 3 cr.   420 Issues in Middle East Politics, 3 cr.   413 International Financial Institutions, 3 cr.

 

To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:
 

POLS 325 Government and Politics of Egypt, 3 cr.   353 Muslim Political Thought, 3 cr.   405 International Politics in the Middle East, 3 cr.   414 Egyptian Foreign Policy, 3 cr.   422 Seminar: Twentieth Century Egypt, 3 cr.   423 Political Economy of North Africa, 3 cr.   424 Political Economy of the Middle East, 3 cr.   430 Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science (If topic is applicable to the ME), 3 cr. ARBS 439 Islamic Law, 3 cr. POLS 472 International Law in the Middle East, 3 cr.   475 Egyptian Law, 3 cr.   476 The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, 3 cr.

 

Collateral Requirements (6 credits)

ECON 201 Introduction to Economics (Macroeconomics) 3 cr.

 

Modern Middle East History at 300 or 400 level, 3 cr.

General Electives (29 credits)
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.

Specialization in Political Economy

To specialize in Political Economy, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following three courses:

Requirements:

POLS 351  History and Theory of Political Economy, 3 cr.   425 Global Political Economy, 3 cr.   424 Political Economy of the Middle East, 3 cr.

 

Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:

POLS 402 Special Topics in Development/Political Economy, 3 cr.   413 International Financial Institutions, 3 cr.   423 Political Economy of North Africa, 3 cr.   442 Environmental Politics, 3 cr.

 

Collateral Requirements (3 credits)

ECON 201 Introduction to Economics (Macroeconomics) 3 cr.

 

General Electives (32 credits)
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.

Specialization in Public and International Law

To specialize in Public and International Law, Political Science majors must, as a minimum, take the following three courses:
 

Requirements:

POLS 472 International Law in the Middle East,  3 cr.   475 Egyptian Law, 3 cr.   476 Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, 3 cr.

 

Options:
To further their understanding in this specialization, students have the option to take a number of recommended courses including:

ARBS 439 Islamic Law, 3 cr.   510 International Human Rights Law, 3 cr.   511 Research and Writing for International Human Rights Law, 3 cr.   512 Human Rights and the United Nations, 3 cr.   513 The European and Inter-American Systems of Human Rights Protection, 3 cr.   514 Human Rights in the Middle East and Africa, 3 cr.   515 Comparative Constitutional Law and Human Rights, 3 cr.   516 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 3 cr.   517 The Protection of Vulnerable Groups-Women and Children, 3 cr.   518 International Refugee Law, 3 cr.

 

C

ECON 201 Introduction to Economics (Macroeconomics), 3 cr.

ollateral Requirements (6 credits

One additional Modern History course (not to be taken as an independent study).

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.

Minors for non-political science majors:

Requirements (15 credits): POLS 201 Introduction to Political Science and four additional Political Science courses at the 300 or 400 level.

International Relations Minor

POLS 201 Introduction to Political Science, 3 cr. POLS/HIST 206 Global Politics in the Twentieth Century, 3 cr. POLS 320 International Relations, 3 cr.

 

Plus two courses chosen from:

POLS 405 International Politics in the Middle East, 3 cr.   409 Seminar: International Organization, 3 cr.   411 Contemporary Foreign Policies, 3 cr.   413 International Financial Institutions, 3 cr.   430 Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science, 3 cr. (If the special topic is in the field of international relations)   440 Special Topics in International Relations, 3 cr.   471 International Law, 3 cr.

 

Middle East Politics Minor

The minor in Middle East politics is open to students majoring in disciplines other than political science. It requires successful completion of five courses selected from the following, which may be taken with the consent of the instructor:

Requirements*

POLS 308 Comparative Politics of the Middle East, 3 cr.

 

and four courses selected from the following:

POLS 325 Government and Politics of Egypt, 3 cr. POLS/ARBS 353 Muslim Political Thought, 3 cr. POLS 354 Political and Social Thought in in the Modern Arab World, 3 cr.   405 International Politics in the Middle East, 3 cr.   420 Issues in the Middle East Politics, 3 cr.   422 Seminar: Twentieth-Century Egypt, 3 cr.   430 Seminar: Special Topics (Whenever content is relevant. May be taken more than once for credit if content changes), 3 cr.   432 Seminar: Comparative Politics and / or Policies (Whenever content is relevant), 3 cr.

 

* POLS 201 is prerequisite to all POLS courses, except that the requirement that POLS 320 be taken as a prerequisite for POLS 405 may be waived for minors with the consent of the instructor.

Political Economy Minor

The minor in Political Economy is open to students majoring in disciplines other than Political Science. It requires successful completion of :

POLS 201* Introduction to Political Science, 3 cr.   350 Introduction to Political Economy, 3 cr.   351 Theory and History of Political Economy, 3 cr.   425 Global Political Economy, 3 cr.

 

Two other courses from the following:

POLS 402 Seminar: Special Topics in Development / Political Economy, 3 cr.   413 International Financial Institutions, 3 cr.   423 Political Economy of North Africa, 3 cr.   424 Political Economy of the Middle East, 3 cr.   442 Environmental Politics, 3 cr.

 

*POLS 201 is a prerequisite for all Political Science courses

Political Science Courses (POLS)
 

CourseNum CourseTitle 201 Introduction to Political Science ( 201 Introduction to Political Science 206 Global Politics in the Twentieth Century 206 Global Politics in the Twentieth Century 301 History of Political Theory 301 History of Political Theory 302 History of Political Theory 302  History of Political Theory 303 American Government and Politics 303 American Government and Politics 304 Bureaucracy and  Development 304 Bureaucracy and  Development 305 Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa 305 Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa 308 Comparative Politics of the Middle East 308 Comparative Politics of the Middle East 310 Introduction to Development 310 Introduction to Development 320 International Relations 320 International Relations 322 Comparative Government and Politics: Developed Systems 322 Comparative Government and Politics: Developed Systems 323 Comparative Government and Politics: Developing Systems 323 Comparative Government and Politics: Developing Systems 324 Comparative Government and Politics in Contemporary Eastern 324Europe and Russia 324 Comparative Government and Politics in Contemporary Eastern  Europe and Russia 325 Government and Politics of Egypt 325 Government and Politics of Egypt 350 Introduction to Political Economy 350 Introduction to Political Economy 351 Theory and History of Political Economy 351 Theory and History of Political Economy 353  Muslim Political Thought 353 Muslim Political Thought 354 Political and Social Thought in the Modern Arab World 354 Political and Social Thought in the Modern Arab World 402 Seminar: Special Topics in Development/Political Economy 402 Seminar: Special Topics in Development/Political Economy 405 International Politics in the Middle East 405 International Politics in the Middle East 409 Seminar: International Organization 409 Seminar: International Organization 410 International Security 410 International Security 411 Contemporary Foreign Policies 411 Contemporary Foreign Policies 413 International Financial Institutions 413 International Financial Institutions 414 Egyptian Foreign Policy 414 Egyptian Foreign Policy 415 U.S. Foreign Policy 415 U.S. Foreign Policy 420 Issues in Middle East Politics 420 Issues in Middle East Politics 422 Seminar: Twentieth-Century Egypt 422 Seminar: Twentieth-Century Egypt 423 Political Economy of North Africa 423 Political Economy of North Africa 424 Political Economy of the Middle East 424 Political Economy of the Middle East 425  Global Political Economy 425 Global Political Economy 426 Contemporary Political Islam 426 Contemporary Political Islam 430 Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science 430 Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science 431 Political Sociology 431 Political Sociology 432 Seminar: Comparative Politics and/or Policies 432 Seminar: Comparative Politics and/or Policies 433 Individual Study and Selected Reading 433 Individual Study and Selected Reading 438 Modern China 438 Modern China 439 Government and Politics in the Modern Caucasus and Central Asia 439 Government and Politics in the Modern Caucasus and Central Asia  440 Seminar: Special Topics in International Relations 440 Seminar: Special Topics in International Relations 442 Environmental Politics 442 Environmental Politics 455 Seminar in African Studies 455 Seminar in African Studies 460 Development Studies Seminar 460 Development Studies Seminar 471 International Law 471 International Law 472 International Law in the Middle East 472 International Law in the Middle East 473 Special Topics in Public Law 473 Special Topics in Public Law 474 Special Topics in Public International Law 474 Special Topics in Public International Law 475 Egyptian Law 475 Egyptian Law 476 Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt 476 Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt