Masters in Political Science and International Relations

The Masters in Political Science and International Relations provides an advanced and comprehensive understanding of the transformation of global politics and society. The challenges that these transformations pose both to individual states and to global society as a whole is at the heart of this master programme.

The Masters programme will enable students to address the big issues facing global decision-makers: from regional integration to democratic transformation; from the politics of intervention to the politics of reconciliation; from labour market regulation to migration management; from human security to military alliances; from the complexities of environmental degradation to the social consequences of inequality; from international law to human rights.

Those who work at the highest levels in business, government, or the non-governmental and "third" sector, increasingly need to tackle these problems in a systematic and interdisciplinary manner, and the Masters in Political Science and International Relations programme offers students the opportunity to do so.

An Outline of the Programme

The programme 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.

Is this the Masters for me ? What will I be able to do with my Masters?

This programme is designed to have broad ranging appeal to those interested in pursuing postgraduate studies in the fields of political science and international relations. Those who may find this programme of particular interest include graduates in political science, history, international relations, economics, as well as those who have experience in the development field and those who have worked with national and international organisations.

Students of Political Science and International Relations graduate to go on to pursue a range of successful careers in government foreign ministries, or in international organisations such as the EU and the UN and its agencies. Others find employment with internationally-oriented nongovernmental organisations as well as multinational corporations. Many are employed in policy analysis, policy development and policy implementation in a wide range of public and private organisations. For a large number, their degree is the basis for a career in the media and in the knowledge economy in all its forms, including journalism, TV and film production, market analysis, risk assessment, the web economy, and research and development. And of course some will stay on for further study.

Is METU NCC the place for me ?

The Masters programme is taught by a truly international cohort of faculty staff bringing the skills and qualities of the worlds leading international research universities to northern Cyprus. The Masters programme is therefore an international research-led graduate programme taught by scholars who are active in research and international academic publication of their work, and the high quality of whose degrees are recognised the world over.

METU NCC builds on the international reputation established by the Middle East Technical University, one of Turkey's premier universities, over fifty years. The Masters in Political Science and International Relations programme is determined to educate an open-minded and critical scholarship in which there should be no hindrance to the discovery and sharing of new knowledge [and] an environment should be created in which research, creativity and student self-development can be fostered all consistent with the long-established scientific aims of METU.

The design of the programme therefore draws on the international expertise in Political Science and International Relations of the faculty staff at METU NCC faculty staff on the one hand and the established solid reputation of METU departments and graduate school on the other hand, and to combine and promote the best of both legacies.

The programme is aimed at international students, including Turkish and Cypriot students and therefore we welcome applicants from all parts of the world. In addition to comparatively low international fees which nevertheless allows first-class education, we offer a range of scholarships and assistantships which make METU NCC a still more attractive option for international and local students.

The formal admission requirements can be found here and informal enquiries and questions may be sent here psirmametu.edu.tr.