Introduction - Master Program in Political Sciences

Programme Profile

Political Science Master’s Degree programme, by its interdisciplinary approach brings together different disciplines in the field of social sciences in an original way that it aims to examine the different theoretical aspects of political issues in Turkey and in the world. The programme, by improving students’ academic knowledge and skills, prepares students who wish to continue their academic careers for the doctoral programmes. The programme also graduates professionals who have the necessary qualification for working in public or private sector as general managers.

Qualification Awarded

The students who have successfully completed this programme are awarded the Master’s Degree in Political Science.

Level of Qualification

This is a Second Cycle programme.

Access Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle); ALES (Academic Personel and Postgraduate Education Entrance Examination) score of minimum 65 or GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Quantitative Section score of minimum 152 (660 points according to the old scoring system) or GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) score of minimum 483; YDS (Foreign Language Proficiency Examination) score of minimum 70 in French. Those who have B2 level in DELF and C1 level in DALF certificates and the graduates of Galatasaray University are regarded as providing the conditions of French foreign language requirement.

Programme Requirements and Regulations

The Master’s Degree in Political Science is awarded to students who have successfully completed all the compulsory courses in the curriculum and the required number of elective courses (60 ECTS) with a cumulative grade point average of minimum 2.75 out of 4.00, a graduate seminar and a master’s thesis (60 ECTS).

Programme Outcomes

No	Program Learning Outcomes
1	Use major concepts, theories and approaches with an effective comprehenshion of the relationship among them.
2	Identify and gather information from credible primary and secondary sources in the field of political science; analyze and synthesize data.
3	Design, conduct and interpret the results of original research by using basic research methods.
4	Make written and oral presentations original in national and international conferences in the field of political science and share their knowledge with their counterparts in academic publications.
5	Conceive the causes of social transformations and use this capacity for the development of modern society.
6	Evaluate and interpret the historical and contemporary dynamics of the society and politics in Turkey from a scientific perspective.
7	Comprehend and analyze critically the current configuration of social dynamics.
8	Appraise the sources of societal conflict and how they can be resolved by political means.
9	Enhance awareness and sensivity towards issues related to democracy, human rights and social peace.
10	Use French, the main language of education in Galatasaray University, in accordance with the requirements of intercultural communication following publications in French and communicating with colleagues in the international environment.

Occupation Profiles of Graduates

In parallel with the multi-disciplinary approach, students who graduate from the programme find the opportunity to work in different areas of job. To meet the needs of the universities for qualified academic staff, they may pursue their academic career for doctoral programmes. In addition, the graudates of the programme will find the opportunity to use their knowledge and experience in different departments of non-governmental and international organizations; and also they may work for public institutions, printed and visual media.

Access to Further Studies

The students graduated from this programme may apply to doctorate (Third Cycle) programmes.

Grading Scheme and Grade Distribution Guidance

For each course taken, the student is given one of the following letter grades by the instructor:

Letter grades	AA	BA	BB	CB	CC	F	BL	BS
Grade points	4.00	3.50	3.00	2.50	2.00	0.00	-	-

A student who has received a letter grade of “AA”, “BA” or “BB” in any course is considered successful. Students who have received a grade of “CB” or “CC” are also considered successful provided that their cumulative grade point average is at least “2.75”. The letter grade “F” indicates “Fail”. The grade “BL” is given to a student who sucessfully completes the graduate seminar or the Master’s Thesis, whereas “BS” denotes a failing grade for the graduate seminar or the Master’s Thesis.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): The total credit points for a course are obtained by multiplying the grade points by the ECTS credits. In order to calculate CGPA the sum of total credit points earned in all the courses taken by a student is divided by the sum of all ECTS credits.

Mode of Study

This is a full-time programme.

Communication

Head of Department (or equivalent)	Prof. Dr. Yeşeren ELİÇİN
Adress	Galatasaray Üniversitesi Çırağan Cad. No:36, 34349 Ortaköy/İstanbul
Telephone	+902122274480
E-Mail	yelicin@gsu.edu.tr