The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – International Relations and Foreign Service (IRFS) program intends to contribute to national, regional and international political development based on ethically sound and sustainable approaches. Students will engage in the discourse of international politics that will be strongly grounded on the dialogue of global and local realities. They will also be prepared on the rigors of the foreign service examination so they can take their chance of becoming part of the diplomatic corps of the country or help pursue sustainable development efforts. They will engage in critical inquiries using the tools of debate, argumentation and case analysis, among others. The program will develop lifelong learners with highly transferable skills especially in pursuing diplomacy and development work in the future.

This track in International Relations and Foreign Service builds competencies for these jobs:

Local Government Service

• Protocol officers
• Policy researchers

National Government Service

• Monitoring and Evaluation Officers
• Policy researchers

Foreign Service

• Staff and officers in diplomatic and consular offices
• Protocol officers

Academe

• Academics/Professors
• Political analysts
• Policy researchers
• Parliamentarians
• Governance experts/consultants
• Legal professionals

Civil Society

• Development workers (for international and local organizations)
• Advocacy officers
• Media practitioners
• Lobbyists

CORE COURSES

• Introduction to Political Science
• Fundamentals of Political Theory
• Political Behavior
• Philippine Politics and Governance
• Readings in Philippine Public Administration
• Politics and Governance in South East Asi
• Comparative Politics
• Quantitative Methods
• Qualitative Methods
• International Relations and Politics
• Public Policy
• Conflict Dynamics and Management

PROFESSIONAL COURSE

• Public International Law
• Philippine Foreign Policy and Analysis
• Labor and Social Legislation
• Political Analysis
• International Political Economy
• Peace and Security Studies
• Sustainable Development
• International Organizations and Institutions
• Diplomatic Protocol and Foreign Service
• Review and FSOE Simulation
• Diplomatic Language 1, 2, 3, 4
• Research Proposal
• Data Gathering and Analysis
• Research Writing and Publication
• Practicum
• Policy Advocacy

ELECTIVE COURSES

• Cebuano Politics
• Current Events
• Democracy and Development
• Gender and Development
• Parliamentary Rules and Procedure
• Restorative Justice and Conflict Transformation
• Civil Relations for IRFS
• Criminal Justice for IRFS
• General Taxation for IRFS
• Introduction to Law for IRFS
• Legal Philosophy and Ethical Practice for IRFS
• Philippine Constitutional Rights for IRFS
• Powers and Structures of Government for IRFS
• Public International Law for IRFS
• Development: Concepts and Perspectives for IRFS
• Development: Methods and Tools for IRFS
• Ethics in Governance for IRFS
• Poverty: Concepts and Interventions for IRFS
• Project Development, Monitoring, and Evaluation for IRFS
• Public Fiscal Management for IRFS
• Regional and Local Governance in the Philippines for IRFS
• The Philippine Bureaucracy and Civil Service for IRFS