Political Science and International Relations
Globalization, liberalization,
migration, regionalization, integration, revolution, digitalization, climate
change, demographic change, interdependence…
We may hear these words and may
find it difficult to make sense of them. Yet, they affect us.
In our world of continuous change,
we need to understand the forces and actors that affect how we think, how we
work, how we live, and how we live with others. The major in Political Science
and International Relations prepares and encourages you to recognize, analyze,
and evaluate the role of major actors, structures, and processes in our world.
A more developed understanding of
the world allows you, the citizen, to choose and advocate better public
policies on the local, national, and global levels. It allows you, the person,
to approach problems from other viewpoints and develop different solutions that
others may not see.
The Political Science program seeks
to help you achieve the following learning outcomes over the course of your
studies:
·
Understand
political processes and institutions at the local, national, regional, and
global levels;
·
Appreciate
other viewpoints, cultures, and identities;
·
Consider
the ethical implications of political issues, institutions, and processes;
·
Research
political issues and policy problems using appropriate methodologies;
·
Identify
relevant information gathered from reliable sources;
·
Communicate
clearly in a variety of formats; and
·
Interact
with others effectively to organize and complete projects.
The Political Science and
International Relations major is traditionally considered excellent training
for careers in government and diplomatic service, law, international
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses
that work with the public sector, as well as further education in graduate
programs
Graduates
of the Political Science and International Relations program have gone on to
complete graduate programs in politics and other fields at prestigious
universities such as Harvard University, College of Europe, London School of
Economics and Political Science, Princeton University, Oxford University,
Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania. Graduates have gone on to
careers in European and North American universities, non-governmental
organizations, national ministries, European Union institutions, corporations,
and private companies.
Total: 34 credit hours
Required Courses (Five courses):
POS 101 Introduction to Politics
POS 102 Introduction to Global Politics
ECO
102 Principles of Macroeconomics
POS
201 Comparative Politics
POS 202 Foreign Policy Analysis (WIC)
Elective Courses (Six courses total):
Three of the following:
POS 301 Bulgarian Government and Politics
EUR
302 Comparative Politics of Europe
POS 303 Conflict and Conflict Resolution
POS 304 Global Political Economy
POS 305 International Law and Organization
POS 306 Public Policy Analysis
POS 307 Research Methods in Politics
Nine credit hours of the following:
POS 401 Topics in Politics
POS 481 Internship
POS 401 topics may be repeated for credit as long as the
precise topic is different. POS
majors may substitute one course with a non-POS
designator toward the POS Topics
credit requirement from the following: PHI 304 Contemporary Political
Philosophy; ECO 310 Econometrics; and any EUR-designated course at the 400
level.
MLL 387 may be substituted
for POS 481 Internship.
POS courses not
counting toward the major:
POS 492 Senior Thesis
Disciplinary Honors in POS
To fulfill the requirements
for a degree with honors in Political Science and International Relations
students must have a 3.5 or higher GPA in courses counted toward the major and
earn a grade of B+ or above in POS
492 Senior Thesis.
Political
Science and International Relations
The Political Science and International Relations
minor introduces the student to the role of major actors, structures, and
processes in politics. It also helps promote understanding of some of the
forces affecting our lives within our rapidly globalizing, interdependent
world. The minor provides a good foundation for understanding current affairs
and can complement other majors.
Total: 6 courses
Required Courses (Three of the following courses):
POS 101 Introduction to Politics
POS 102 Introduction to Global Politics
POS 201 Comparative Politics
POS 202 Foreign Policy Analysis (WIC)
Elective Courses (Three of the following courses):
POS 301 Bulgarian Government and Politics
EUR
302 Comparative Politics of Europe
POS 303 Conflict and Conflict Resolution
POS 304 Global Political Economy
POS 305 International Law and Organization
POS 306 Public Policy Analysis
POS 307 Research Methods in Politics
POS 401 Topics in Politics (may be repeated for credit as long as the
precise topic is different)
Political Science and International Relations
POS 101 Introduction
to Politics
The
course introduces the development of political thought in the Western tradition
from Hobbes to the present. Attention is paid to evaluating the implications of
various political ideas on contemporary events. Gen. Ed: Moral and
Philosophical Reasoning. Cr.3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 102 Introduction
to Global Politics
Global
politics in the 21st century is the interaction of states, international
organizations, global corporations, non-governmental organizations, and other
non-state actors in a variety of issue areas. This course introduces these
actors, theoretical approaches to help understand their interactions, and
selected global issues. The course includes a global politics simulation. Gen. Ed: Social and Cultural Analysis Cr. 3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 201 Comparative
Politics
The
course introduces the institutions and processes that act in contemporary
societies and presents a vocabulary of concepts used to comparatively analyze
political institutions and processes.
Prerequisite: POS 101. Cr. 3.
(6 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 202 Foreign
Policy Analysis
The
course assists students to develop a framework for foreign policy and
intelligence analysis by studying the structures, processes, and factors that
influence the formulation and implementation of decisions. (WIC) Prerequisite: POS 102 and ENG 102. Cr.4. (8 ECTS Cr.) Offered
every semester.
POS 301 Bulgarian
Government and Politics
An
analysis of the structure and functioning of Bulgaria’s governing institutions
and political system. Special attention will be given to Bulgaria’s transition to democracy
and the political and administrative implications of EU membership. The course
does not presuppose familiarity with Bulgarian history and politics, and is
entirely based on English-language readings. Prerequisites: POS 101 and sophomore standing. Cr.3. (6 ECTS Cr.)
Offered in the spring semester.
POS 303 Conflict
and Conflict Resolution
A
study focuses on the sources and nature of conflict and the methods of conflict
management. Specifically, the course is directed toward identifying and
understanding the kinds and workings of non-violent conflict management,
including negotiation, international law, and international organizations.
Prerequisite: POS 102 and sophomore
standing. Cr.3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered in the spring semester.
POS 304 Global
Political Economy
The
course examines principles, practices, and governance of globalized production,
trade, and finance. The course also studies economic development, protection of
the environment, cultural and other issues in the context of globalization.
Prerequisite: POS 102, ECO 102, and
sophomore standing. Cr. 3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered in the fall semester.
POS 305 International
Law and Organizations
The
quest for greater global order through the development of international law and
international organizations is studied. The course introduces basic tenets of
international law and current agreements, structures, and activities of both
governmental and nongovernmental organizations engaged in global governance.
Prerequisite: POS 102 and sophomore
standing. Cr. 3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 306 Public
Policy Analysis
An
introduction to a selection of tools used to address public policy concerns and
approaches used to analyze public policies. Prerequisite: POS 201or EUR 212 and sophomore standing. Cr. 3. (6
ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 307 Research
Methods in Politics
The
research process in political science, international relations, and related
fields is presented. The course introduces several qualitative and quantitative
research methods and some basic questions of social science epistemology.
Students will design their own research proposals, including a problem
statement, literature review, methodology, and bibliography designed to answer
a question of their choosing. Prerequisite: POS
101 or POS 102 and junior standing.
Cr. 3. (6 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 401 Topics
in Politics
Advanced
study in a particular topic within political science and international
relations. Topics vary with instructor and student interest. Credits and
specific prerequisites are decided for each particular offering. Prerequisites:
Junior standing. Cr. 1-4 (2-8 ETCS Cr.) Offered every semester.
POS 481 Internship
Internships
offer opportunities for students to combine work experience with academic
guidance. For university regulations concerning internships, please see the
“Academic Internship” section of the AUBG Catalog. May be taken for Pass/Fail
credit only. Cr. 1-3 (2-6 ETCS Cr.) Prerequisite: Junior standing and
permission of instructor.
POS 492 Senior
Thesis
The
Senior Thesis allows selected students to pursue original research based upon a
research proposal. Senior Thesis is restricted to students in the Political
Science and International Relations program who possess a 3.5 or higher GPA in
courses counted toward the major, complete POS
307 Research Methods in Politics, and have their research proposal accepted by
a department panel. Students successfully conclude POS
492 with the completion of an 8,000-word thesis and a public defense. Students
working on a senior thesis in another discipline may not enroll in POS 492 in the same semester. A completed senior
thesis substitutes for the Bulgarian state exam in politics and international
relations. (WIC) Prerequisite: POS 307
and permission of the department. Cr. 4. (8 ECTS Cr.) Offered every semester.
