Political Science and International Relations Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus

Overview

Key facts

The programme at Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus provides a common foundation in the two disciplines of Political Science and International Relations together with a generic Research Methods course. Students have the opportunity to engage with contemporary thought in the social sciences and humanities and its use in unravelling the dynamics of change in social and political relations. The aim is always to provide students with the capacity to engage critically with the analysis of politics and international relations and the ways in which social scientific analyses of the world may provide a better understanding of global politics.

The common foundation comprises two core courses in social theory, one principally concerned with Social and Political Theory and the other concerned with international theory, namely International Relations in Theory and History : the making of modern world order. These theory coures are complemented by two courses reflecting core concerns of Political Science on the one hand and International Relations on the other hand, these being Comparative Political Development and Global Political Economy respectively.

Thus, equipped with the requisite theoretical and conceptual skills that underpin any serious scientific endeavour, the sequence of the courses within the programme will allow students to turn to the analysis of substantive and topical problems in Political Science and International Relations. Thus, following these foundational core course a range of electives will be offered for students to specialise or focus their study. The range of electives reflect the active research specialisms of the METU NCC PSIR staff.

Through this programme graduate students will expect to know, understand and critically evaluate a range of approaches to the study of political science and international relations, and be able to do so by gaining an in-depth knowledge and understanding during the programme of a number of sub-fields of study. Students will thus be able to handle, interpret and present qualitative and quantitative data, undertake a substantial research project (dissertation/thesis) of their choice, using the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during the programme. Amongst those skills which the students will acquire and develop are those of the acquisition and retention, analysis, critical reflection, summary and dissemination of subject-specific knowledge. Additionally, therefore, we seek to enable students to develop a critical understanding of the methods and epistemologies of modern social science.

Necessarily, in order to gain these intellectual skills students will also acquire a number of practical transferable skills, including note-taking, organisation, co-operation and team-working, presentation and communication skills.

Undertaking this Masters programme without thesis at METU NCC will also provide students with the core skills and knowledge required for a possible transition to higher levels of research.