Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and International Relations (L-36)

Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and International Relations – programme overview

The course in Political Sciences and International Relations allows students to acquire scientific and methodological knowledge based on a multidisciplinary approach.
For this reason, the student will attend courses in different academic areas, such as: History (M-STO/04), Political-History (SPS/02, SPS/06), Sociology (SPS/04, SPS/07), Philosophy (SPS/01), Law (IUS/01, IUS/09, IUS/13, IUS/21), Social-Economy (SECS-P/01, SECS-S/01, MGGR/02).
Thanks to the innovative distance learning methodology, students learn the useful skills to interpret and evaluate the typical problems of our societies. At the end of the course, students can apply for both the private and the public sector, in a national or an international environment.

Online degree

The BA degree in Political Sciences and International Relations (online) is designed for those unable to attend a traditional education programme due to distance or professional commitments.
Through Unicusano e-learning platform, it is possible to attend the Political Sciences and International Relations degree classes online, to study using computer storage media at home, at your own pace and take the exam at the nearest exam centre. Thanks to the teaching quality and to the broad number of authorised exams centres spread across Italy, Unicusano is today the best choice for students willing to earn an online degree in Political Sciences and International Relations.

Job profile. Professionals in analysis, planning and management of politics and international relations

Possible job roles:
Graduates in Political Sciences can hold roles related to the coordination and direction of the activities of organizations and professions that operate on the basis of sectoral skills, by virtue of the ability to exploit economic, political, juridical, historical, linguistic and sociological skills.

Acquired competences
Associated skills

During the course, students acquired interdisciplinary skills related to the economic, legal, political, sociological, philosophical or historical fields.
Furthermore, students will deepen the knowledge of the legal system of the European Union and other main international institutions. At the end of the course, graduates will be able to compare the different types of political and cultural systems, to examine the relations between different geopolitical areas or economic systems and the historical and philosophical roots of social and cultural phenomena

Career opportunities

With the Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences, professional and political activities can be carried out within public institutions at local, national and supranational level, including diplomatic and consular institutions; employment in the fields of economic planning and public relations or with companies related to the publishing and journalistic sectors.

Job profile. Experts of political and social systems

Possible job roles:
Graduates in Political Sciences should perform: analysis and consultancy in international matters for public administrations; drafting and coordination of projects in corporate and public policies sectors; secretarial activities of public and non-public national and local administration; secretarial activities, data collection and organisation; participation in research activities, management of study centres, evaluation of sector policies.

Acquired competences

During the course, students acquire multiple skills related to interdisciplinary cultural and professional methodologies, which allow them to examine a complex and globalised society. They will be able to apply a comparative perspective, both in a juridical-constitutional environments or in historical-political and social ones.

Career opportunities

Graduates in Political Sciences are also able to work in the field of counseling and research for parties, unions, associations; or in social fields, with minors, elderly, dependencies, immigrants, handicaps.

Job profile. Official in various areas of p.a. or private sector

Possible job roles:
Graduates deal with the organisation and management of institutions, administration of human resources or external relations.

Acquired competences

The different skills acquired during the course are related to the field of communication, (implementation, innovation of the dissemination and content transfer processes). Furthermore, students learn skills related to negotiation activities through the use of internal and external relations management techniques.

Career opportunities

The three-year Degree Course in Political Sciences and International Relations offers professional opportunities in national and multinational companies and organizations, both public and private, non-governmental organizations, offices of territorial bodies, national and international research bodies, trade unions or in the field of social and cultural cooperation.

The Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and International Relations prepares students to the following careers (ISTAT DATA):

• Administrative and technical secretaries of general affairs- (3.3.1.1.1)

Entry requirements

As well as a high school diploma or other qualification obtained abroad and recognised as valid in Italy  students should have knowledge of general culture and languages (Italian and English) .
They will be given an entry test to assess this knowledge, which will not obviate their admission to the course. However, in case of a negative outcome, basic training courses, organised in collaboration with high school teachers, will be provided to fill gaps.
The entry test may be administered according to the guidelines set out by the National School Principals Conference, which provide for a single national test to be set simultaneously in several locations. The course regulations will also specify which additional educational skills are necessary if a student fails to achieve a positive result in the entry test.
The University system allows students to complete their course within the legal duration and graduates to be able to exercise their profession as soon as possible. It is necessary that the entry skills of the enrolled students match those required by the degree course Regulations.

Educational aims and course plan outline

The Bachelor’s degree course is unique in that when students enroll in the faculty, they may have difficulty in deciding immediately which professional direction to take. The university therefore offers them a solid basic knowledge that puts them in a position to make specific choices both in terms of future jobs or whether to enroll in subsequent second-cycle degree courses. The degree course is designed to be multidisciplinary and comparative at a European and international level. It enables students to approach different training and working contexts and provides them with the kind of versatile knowledge that is increasingly appropriate in a globalised world, and encourages their active participation in civic and political life. The course aims in particular at raising students’ level of independent judgment, so that they will be able to properly and methodically address the problems which they are called on to solve, often using innovative methods and technologies. The course is intended to provide specific communication skills with particular reference to public relations and access to information and to administrative documents, privacy protection, and management of information networks for both public and private institutions. It also aims to train those who are required to work in private companies and agencies whose activities involve institutional relationships with other public bodies. The course includes the study of foreign languages and the acquisition of the social and teamwork skills that are useful in operating in different cultural, business or management contexts, also at an international level. The educational tools include all online university technologies such as online lessons, didactic material, slides, tests, lectures and seminars held in virtual classrooms and also in face-to-face classes, although the latter are not mandatory. There is a written or oral examination at the end of each course in which students are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the topics studied. Brief written papers and other intermediate forms of examination are also used provided to progressively monitor the development of students’ learning.

Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and comprehension skills

Graduates are expected to have an overall knowledge in the field of political science at an international level suitable for an in-depth and multidisciplinary understanding of the growth of internationalisation in human relations. Mastery of the course core subjects, in law, economics, sociology, history, politics, language and statistics is achieved through the study of the relevant textbooks and other educational materials. The technologies and methods used by an online university are designed to help students’ understanding of the various disciplines. These include distance learning with video lectures, notes available online, slides, tests, virtual conferences and seminars, workgroups, and also by individual relationships with lecturers and tutors, by the use of chat and email, and face-to-face lessons. Students are encouraged to discuss the topics involved with their tutors who help them and act as guides throughout their university career.

Ability to apply knowledge and comprehension skills

The curriculum enables students to apply the knowledge and understanding that they have gained during the course in terms of a more professional approach to job opportunities and careers, particularly medium-to-high level posts in public or state agencies, or international and non-governmental organisations. Graduates must demonstrate a mastery of creative processing techniques and must be able to find appropriate solutions for the problems that are typical to their field of study. The expected results are obtained by a critical approach to the texts and educational materials available for individual study, discussions in the video forum, the presentation of papers, work and training experience and the writing of the final dissertation.

Independent judgement

Graduates must demonstrate a sound knowledge of the multidisciplinary patterns underlying the study of international issues. By using their ability to analyse social, scientific and ethical issues, they should be capable of interrelating data to make original interpretations of social problems The student’s independent judgement is checked during tests, video-forums and the discussion of the final dissertation.

Communication skills

Graduates have a thorough knowledge of the techniques of communication related to their field of study.  They can use the multidisciplinary methodology to convincingly interpret the internationalisation of human relations. They also know how to interact with specialists and non-specialists, and can confidently communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions. Students can take specific courses and examinations in written and oral communication skills in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Learning skills

Graduates should have developed an appropriate level of flexibility in their interpretative and learning abilities which, along with the analysis and scientific assessment of international phenomena, can form the basis for further studies in second-cycle degree courses in the same or related disciplines. Graduates should be able to use the knowledge, tools and methods acquired during their studies to develop their skills independently in their professional or research careers.

Final exam

The degree is awarded after passing a final test, a written dissertation that assesses the knowledge and skills acquired by the students in the various disciplines of the course. The final examination, taken before a legally composed Commission appointed by the competent academic authorities consists of a discussion of a written dissertation, which can also be in a foreign language, related to a topic chosen by the candidate from the disciplines included in their curriculum. The subject of the dissertation, which must have interdisciplinary aspects, is previously agreed with the Professor of the discipline. It must be a thorough monographic research paper developed in an original way, in an assigned number of pages, accompanied by footnotes and an accurate and complete bibliography. The subject of the dissertation can be the detailed analysis of a theoretical topic, the outcome of a field of research, the development of a specific project aimed at the solution of concrete problems, or the result of experience gained during internship or workshops. The final mark is expressed in 110/110 with a possible additional mark of cum laude, and also takes into account, according to the regulations adopted by the Faculty Council, the average marks of all other examinations taken by the candidate.