To offer an honours degree programme in the field of Political Science (Bachelor of Science with Honours (BUE) and the equivalent of a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at the UK validating partner. At the end of the Programme, students should be able to: 

• demonstrate enhanced critical and analytical skills, look for underlying principles, and identify and analyse key concepts; 

• demonstrate the skill of independent thinking, good writing skills, a facility for independent learning, investigation and effective organisational skills; 
• present their own critical understanding of the issues studied to tutors and peers, and to engage in dialogue with them; 
• establish an awareness of key theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of regional and international politics, and to be able to distinguish between a variety of methods of enquiry; 
• analyse key topics related to the discipline on the basis of directed and independent reading, and to produce good quality essays while meeting deadlines; 
• understand and use the main concepts, approaches and theories of the discipline; to analyse, interpret and evaluate political events, ideas and institutions; and to relate the academic study of politics to questions of public concern which are transferable to a wide range of employment contexts and life experiences; 

• place questions of political and international order and decision-making at the centre of analysis; 
• understand elements of continuity and change in the study of politics and to be able to apply their knowledge to specific case studies; 
• work within a supportive and responsive learning environment that is enriched by research and in which the academic development and career opportunities of students are enhanced; 
• acquire key transferable skills including analysis of opinion, argument and fact; evaluation of evidence and hypothesis; synthesis of debate; appropriate use of communication and information technology; and clear communication – all of which lead to students becoming productive and interactive members of society. 

• University of Exeter – School of Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Politics – Undergraduate Study Programme.
• University of Oxford – Department of Politics and International Relations – Specifications for Philosophy, Politics, & Economics Programme.
• The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – Subject Benchmark Statements – Politics & International Relations, February 2015 (note that material from this source has been included in this programme specification with little or no modification). 

• The National Authority for Quality & Accreditation of Education in Egypt (NAQAAE), NARS Statements 

• SEEC (2016).  Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education.  Southern England Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer  

Knowledge and Understanding 

1. Selected concepts and methods involved in the academic discipline of Political Science
2. Political Science as a comprehensive discipline that deals with international and regional relations, political economy, international law, foreign policy, political economy and political theory;
3. Political phenomena, which we explore using general theories and on which we reflect both normatively and positively;
4. The workings of political institutions and actors, foreign policy, political processes and the policy outputs of governance and regulatory structures;
5. Different political systems operating at the national, Middle Eastern, and international level;
6. The interaction between national, regional, and international levels and the links between inputs, processes, and outcomes;
7. Middle Eastern and international politics framed in terms of political theory, national political systems, international relations, political economy, law, ideology, state-society relations, and foreign policy analysis;
8. The nature and significance of politics as a human activity

Subject Specific Cognitive Skills

1. Use multiple sources and critically evaluate research strategies and methods, the range employed varying according to purpose;
2. Apply concepts and theories used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideologies, institutions, and practices.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

1. Compare, contrast, and evaluate different interpretations of political issues and events in a logical, systematic manner;
2. Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems

Transferable Skills

1. Gather, organise and deploy evidence data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources;
2. Think critically and analytically about the subject matter;
3. Construct reasoned arguments based upon theoretical and empirical foundations;
4. Reflect on their own learning and make use of constructive feedback;
5. Manage their own learning self-critically;
6. Recognise the importance of explicit referencing and the ethical requirements of study which requires critical and reflective use of information and communications technology in the learning process;
7. Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing;
8. Use communication and information technology, including audio-visual technology, for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information;
9. Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time management, progressing through the degree Programme to become a mature, independent learner.

The Political Science Programme is an honours programme studied over four years. It comprises a preparatory year and a three-year degree programme. Students are required to pass 120 credits in each of the four years of the programme.  

The Programme is divided into units called modules. Each module studied successfully contributes 10, 20, or 30 credits toward the degree. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload and one credit is nominally equivalent to 10 hours of student effort. The ‘level’ of a module indicates its position in the progressive development of academic abilities and/or practical skills. In addition to presenting students with introductory modules in their discipline, the preparatory year programme provides students with English, Research Methods, History, Economics, Information Technology and Statistics modules. The remaining three years in the degree programme contain compulsory and optional modules all focused on Political Sciences. 

Preparatory Year – Level S; 120 credits at level P 

Year 1 – 120 credits at Level 4 (Certificate); 

Year 2 – 120 credits at Level 5 (Intermediate);

Year 3 – 120 credits at Level 6 (Honours);

In accordance with the University’s regulations as defined in Section 1 of the Undergraduate Regulations. 

In accordance with the University’s regulations on assessment and progression, as defined in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and the Generic Assessment criteria.  

The BUE delivers programmes based on a British philosophy of education. This results in programmes that are very much focused on the students rather than those who deliver the material. Graduates from UK programmes typically exhibit: 

• the ability to think creatively and with strong problem solving skills; 
• high level key and transferable skill sets; 
• the ability to maintain independently a high level of professional and subject specific competence (often through CPD); 
• the ability to conceptualise problems at a high level (i.e. to see the big picture); 
• diligent and ethical working practices; 
• the ability to work both independently and as part of a team; 
• flexibility and the ability to apply their subject specific knowledge to fields outside their own. 

Furthermore, this programme is delivered both with a local and UK flavour, giving students the opportunity to gain an appreciation of national and international perspectives on many aspects of professional life. This includes awareness of regional politics, cultural sensitivity, exposure to international politics, and familiarity with legal and economic frameworks. 

In addition to these attributes, the Political Science Programme receives validation (in line with QAA and professional body subject benchmark statements) from the UK validating partner. The outcome of this is the dual award of both an Egyptian degree and a BA from the UK validating partner in Political Science. 

At the time of writing, and to the best of our knowledge, this combination of learning based on a culture fostering key and transferable skills sets, in addition to technical ones, together with the UK academic validation makes our programme in Political Science quite unique in Egypt and the Middle East at large.

The Political Science Programme’s strength can be attributed to three main factors: 

1. BUE is one of the few universities in the region that offers a Final Year Project module which seeks to develop students’ research skills and their abilities to manage a major writing project independently and in self-directed learning. This is done by requiring students to submit a substantial research paper which they will work on over a period of two semesters under the supervision of a faculty member.   
2. Offers a module in the final year of undergraduate study that helps to train students for the Foreign Service, as well as, other modules that specifically address foreign policy issues.  
3. Offers students a comprehensive programme of study that incorporates modules from a variety of sub-disciplines like international law, political economy, and development.   

The Department requires all Module Leaders to develop e-learning pages for each module they teach.  This page provides students with the necessary basic documents that pertain to the module (i.e. the Module Specification, Syllabus, sample exams). In addition, Module Leaders often post helpful reading material, videos, and links to relevant cites on this page. The eLearning can be accessed either directly through http://learn.bue.edu.eg/  or through   http://www.bue.edu.eg/ and choose e-Learning.

Indicators of quality:  TQA/ESR score professional/learned bodies etc.  

The Programme adheres to the Annual Quality Assurance and Enhancement Cycle  

(AQAEC) by performing the following activities, which assist the Department in managing and maintaining the appropriate quality standards: 

1. Analysing module evaluations and programme evaluations to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. 
2.  Conducting Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) meetings every semester, to ensure support for the students’ learning experience.  This is composed of the programme management team and elected student representatives and chaired by the Programme Director.  Student representatives are encouraged to bring the opinions, suggestions and criticisms of the student body to these meetings for discussion. All SSLC meetings are minuted and action points followed up in a timely manner under the guidance of the Programme Director. The minutes of the meetings are posted on the e-learning platform and subsequently the action taken to address any issues is also posted. 
3. Preparing an Annual Programme Report which is sent to the UTLC. 
4. Following up on Exam Board meetings to ensure the appropriate marking.
5. Responding to Link Tutor and External Examiner reports. 
6. Reviewing the programme and modules annually. 
7. Holding regular staff and management team meetings to follow up on the quality cycle implementation.

If you are not familiar with a meeting environment there are a few things you should consider and take into account before you attend. Read any papers you have been sent and discuss the issues that are to be raised with students on your programme. During the meeting try to remember that you are there to represent the student body, not just to air personal opinions or grievances. Make sure you are assertive, but not to the point of ignoring other peoples contributions and feedback. It is important to share such outcomes and comments with your colleagues and fellow students so that they are aware of the work you are doing for them.

As well as taking student feedback to the SSLC meetings, you need to make sure that you take feedback from the meetings back to students. Try keeping as many students on your course as well-informed as possible about the improvements that are being made. The more students see that the system works, the more likely they are to use it themselves and let you know their views.

Before:

• SSLC in the Faculty tend to have an open agenda, if there are some specific items that you want discussed and want both staff and students to be prepared for, please let the secretary (Faculty SAR) know.
• Make sure you talk to the students on your course, and get their views in advance about any of the issues that are due to be discussed.
• If possible, meet or start an email discussion with the other Student Reps in your Department. Get a sense of the issues they are facing and any you have in common, so you can take those forward together.

During:

• Remember that the meeting is a forum to discuss issues and experiences common to more than one student in your area; they are not a forum for you to air your own personal grievances.
• State problems in as constructive a way as possible, try not to lay blame on any individual.
• Be suitably assertive – don’t be deterred from putting your point froward or sending your message across. At the same time, listen to what others are saying, and be prepared to accept that sometimes you may need to reach a compromise.
• Make sure that action points and specific deadlines are agreed on at the meetings, and take note of those which are relevant to you.

After:

• Let students in the Department know the outcomes of the meeting and report back to any individual students who asked you to raise an issue.
• Identify any issues where you need to take action, and make sure that anything that needs to be done is done before the next meeting.
• Make sure you receive and read the minutes from the meeting and that they are made available to other students who want them.

Students Representatives for Political Science at SSLC Committee 2020-2021

Students Representatives for Political Science at SSLC Committee 2019-2020

Students Representatives for Political Science at SSLC Committee 2018-2019

On October 5, 2021, the BUE Political Science Senior Year Team organised a “CV Writing Session” facilitated by Dr. Bassant Hassib. The session was primarily addressed to our recent graduates, but it was also open to current students and graduates of previous cohorts. During the session, Dr. Bassant discussed the difference between a CV and a resume, what to include and not to include in the CV, and what would make one’s CV attractive for recruiters. To further clarify, Dr. Bassant had presented samples of CVs. She also explained what is a motivation letter, why employers ask for it, and what are the components of a good motivation letter. Examples of motivation letters were presented as well.

The Political Science Outreach Team organized a session on Wednesday, September 22nd from 2:00 to 3:30 titled “Chevening Information Session”. The session was delivered by Ms. Nevine Sharaf; the Chevening Program Manager at the British Embassy in Egypt. The session provided attendees with detailed information on who should apply, what are the main requirements of the application, what does the Chevening Scholarship cover, and an overview on the Chevening Alumni community. The presentation was followed by a fruitful Q&A session.