Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Sociology

Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Sociology

Course Title

Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Sociology

MQF Level

6

Duration and Credits

3 Years

180 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

International Relations

An Advanced Level pass at Grade C or better, in either Arabic, or Economics, or French, or German, or History, or Russian, or Spanish, or a pass in Chinese obtained in the Chinese University/College Entrance Examination (Gaokao).


Sociology

An Advanced Level pass in any of the following subjects: Sociology, Philosophy, Geography, Economics, History, Home Economics and Human Ecology, Information Technology, Marketing, Religious Knowledge, Theatre and Performance.


International Relations

Applicants in terms of the 'maturity (adult learners) clause' are required to sit for an interview, held on a date which will be announced in due course. Once announced, this date cannot be changed. The closing date for receipt of applications from applicants in terms of the 'maturity (adult learners) clause' is 31 August 2024 at 2pm.

Applicants may also be required to submit a Learning Portfolio. Further information about the Portfolio will be forwarded to applicants.

Applicants wishing to join the part-time mode must submit their application as full-time, and then include a note in the comments box of the application form, denoting their preference to be considered for the part-time option. Such requests will be considered by the Board of the Faculty.


Sociology

Applicants in terms of the 'maturity (adult learners) clause' are required to sit for an interview, held on a date which will be announced in due course. Once announced, this date cannot be changed. The closing date for receipt of applications from applicants in terms of the 'maturity (adult learners) clause' is 31 August 2024 at 2pm.

Applicants may also be required to submit a Learning Portfolio. Further information about the Portfolio will be forwarded to applicants.

Applicants wishing to join the part-time mode must submit their application as full-time, and then include a note in the comments box of the application form, denoting their preference to be considered for the part-time option. Such requests will be considered by the Board of the Faculty.


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Applications for our February and October intakes have been officially open since the third week in November. You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

International Relations

Applicants wishing to join the part-time mode must submit their application as full-time, and then include a note in the comments box of the application form, denoting their preference to be considered for the part-time option. Such requests will be considered by the Board of the Faculty.

The undergraduate programme in International Relations offers you an academic perspective on the liaison between countries, and how bureaucratic decisions by hegemonic countries and the intervening action of administrative boards, state officials and elected representatives create a complex web of intercountry relations. During the course we will provide you with a coherent and clear image of how Western, European and Non-European countries coalesce, ranging from topics such as understanding foreign policy of USA and international economics, to international relations since 1919 and conflict resolution, to name a few. We also encourage you to participate in our Erasmus+ mobility programme, as we believe a multicultural perspective will provide a holistic academic journey.


Sociology

Applicants wishing to join the part-time mode must submit their application as full-time, and then include a note in the comments box of the application form, denoting their preference to be considered for the part-time option. Such requests will be considered by the Board of the Faculty.

In the undergraduate course in Sociology, we will provide you with an academic lens on the study of human behaviour and its causal and contingent relationship with social life in its versatile facets. By studying sociology, you will become knowledgeable on the cohesive and important structures of society and its organisations. You will have a heightened and refined awareness on topics ranging from economic and environmental sociology, to sociology of sport, law and religion. We will also encourage you to participate in an Erasmus+ mobility programme for a multicultural and diverse academic journey.


Communication and Academic Skills Programme

The communication and academic skills programme complements students’ main course of study. It introduces them to writing and presenting as situated within academic contexts sensitive to specific disciplines and develops their competences for future careers.

International Relations

Should there be the need, in addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of either 4 ECTS or 8 ECTS as applicable from the elective study-units on offer during the year.
 
Semester 1
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
IRL1025* Introduction to Economics 4 ECTS    
IRL1082 Introduction to Political Studies 6 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL1193** Introduction to Modern Europe 4 ECTS    
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
HST1126*** The Mediterranean in Modern Times 2 ECTS    
IRL1091 Soft Power in International Relations: An Introduction to the Role of Media and Culture 4 ECTS    
LIN1063 Academic Reading and Writing in English 2 ECTS    
PHI1014 Political Philosophy 4 ECTS    

* Study-unit IRL1025 is to be taken only by students who do not have an Advanced Level in Economics. It is compulsory for students who do not have an Advanced Level in Economics. Students with an Advanced Level in Economics must take 4 ECTS from the Elective Units.

** IRL1193 is to be taken only by students who do not have an Advanced Level in History. It is compulsory for students who do not have an Advanced Level in History. Students with an Advanced Level in History must take 4 ECTS from the Elective Units.

*** HST1126 cannot be taken by students following either Bachelor of Arts in History or Bachelor of Arts in European and Global History.
 
 
Semester 2
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
IRL1081 The Global Politics of Inequality: Realities and Perspectives 4 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL1088 Introduction to Foreign Policy 4 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL1089 Theories of International Relations 4 ECTS   (NC)  

 
Requirement for regular progression to Year 2:
26 ECTS credits in International Relations
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits in optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 14 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.
 
Year   (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
IRL2090* International Relations since 1919 6 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 1
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
IRL2002 Security Studies 4 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL2093 Comparative Politics 4 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL3189 International Political Economy 1 4 ECTS    
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
BKF3341 Prevention of Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing 4 ECTS    
HST3109 International Relations Between the World Wars 2 ECTS    
INL2004 International and Public Law for International Relations 6 ECTS    
INL3011 European Court of Human Rights 4 ECTS    
IRL2060 Contemporary China 4 ECTS    
IRL2075 Environmental Issues in International Relations 4 ECTS    
IRL2098 Malta in International Relations 4 ECTS    
IRL3095 Diplomacy and Diplomatic Practice 4 ECTS    
IRL3146 Foreign Policies of European States 4 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 2
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
IRL2010 International Economics 4 ECTS    
IRL2020 Nationalism in International Politics 4 ECTS    
IRL2036 Intercultural Politics in the Mediterranean 4 ECTS    
IRL2063 Introduction to Humanitarian Action 4 ECTS    
IRL2290 International Relations since 1945 4 ECTS    
IRL3007 War and Peace in the Middle East 4 ECTS    
IRL3041 Contemporary Warfare 4 ECTS    
IRL3098 International Financial Institutions 4 ECTS    
MDT3001 Israeli-Palestinian Relations: Pasts, Urgencies, Prospects 4 ECTS    

* Students who register for study-unit IRL2090 cannot regsiter for study-units HST3109 and IRL2290.

 
Requirement for regular progression to Year 3:
26 ECTS credits in International Relations
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 12 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.
 
Year   (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
IRL3096* Contemporary European Studies 8 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 1
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
IRL2099 Conflict Resolution and International Relations 4 ECTS   (NC)  
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
BKF3341 Prevention of Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing 4 ECTS    
INL3011 European Court of Human Rights 4 ECTS    
IRL2012 Foreign Policy of Russia 4 ECTS    
IRL2014 An Introduction to Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa 4 ECTS    
IRL2064 Asia-Pacific in the World 6 ECTS    
IRL2074 The Muslim-Arab World in Contemporary Times 4 ECTS    
IRL2089 Further Studies in Diplomacy 4 ECTS    
IRL3196 The Politics and the Government of the European Union 4 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 2
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
IRL3057 Synoptic Study-Unit 1: International Relations 6 ECTS   (NC)  
IRL3058 Synoptic Study-Unit 2: International Relations 6 ECTS   (NC)  
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
HST2005 Contemporary Mediterranean History 6 ECTS    
IRL2011 Foreign Policy of USA 4 ECTS    
IRL2013 Political Economy of War 4 ECTS    
IRL2058 Terror: Ideas and Realities 4 ECTS    
IRL2084 The International Relations of Small States and Territories 4 ECTS    
IRL2092 Political Movements and Parties 4 ECTS    
IRL3006 Politics and Government in the Persian Gulf 4 ECTS    
IRL3010 Norms, rights and climate justice 4 ECTS    
IRL3050 International Institutions 4 ECTS    
IRL3065 The Media and International Relations 4 ECTS    
IRL3296 External Relations of the European Union 4 ECTS    
MDT3001 Israeli-Palestinian Relations: Pasts, Urgencies, Prospects 4 ECTS    

* Students who register for study-unit IRL3096 cannot register for study-units IRL3196 and IRL3296.

 
Requirement for successful completion of Year 3: 60 ECTS credits, of which:
28 ECTS credits in International Relations
28 ECTS credits in the other area
4 ECTS credits optional study-units

Requirement for award of B.A. International Relations and in another area of study: 180 ECTS credits, of which:
80 ECTS credits in International Relations
80 ECTS credits in the other area
20 ECTS credits optional study-units

Sociology

 
Semester 1
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
SOC1012 Introducing Research Methods in the Social Sciences 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC1014 Family Life - A Sociological Investigation 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC1046 Urban Society and Culture 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC1061 Sociology of Island Life 4 ECTS   (NC)  

 
 
Semester 2
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
SOC1007 The Sociological Imaginary in Practice 2 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC1058 Health, Illness and Society 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC1060 Foundations of Sociology: Theories and Perspectives 4 ECTS   (NC)  

 
Requirement for regular progression to Year 2:
26 ECTS credits in Sociology
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits in optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 10 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.
 
Semester 1
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
SOC2102 Key Concepts in Contemporary Sociology 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC2125 Quantitative Research in Social Sciences 4 ECTS   (NC)  
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
SOC2000 Economic Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2051 Contemporary Social Issues 4 ECTS    
SOC2055 Quantitative Analysis: SPSS in Practice 4 ECTS    
SOC2067 Sociology of Disability 4 ECTS    
SOC2068 Work Placement 4 ECTS    
SOC2071 Intoduction to Demography 4 ECTS    
SOC2079 Sociology of Space and Place 4 ECTS    
SOC3028 The Sociology of Deviance 4 ECTS    
SOC3030 Sociology of Sport 4 ECTS    
SOC3031 Sociology of Politics and the State 4 ECTS    
SOC3032 Sociology of the Professions 4 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 2
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
SOC2003 Qualitative Approaches in the Social Sciences 4 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC2121 Principles of Data Visualisation 4 ECTS   (NC)  
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
SOC2007 Theories in Sociology of Religion 4 ECTS    
SOC2010 Environmental Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2018 Empirical Research in Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2025 Locating the Global Society 4 ECTS    
SOC2044 Sociology of Law 4 ECTS    
SOC2072 Demographic Processes 4 ECTS    
SOC2073 Visual Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2123 Theories of Social Policy 4 ECTS    
SOC2124 Gender: A Sociological Exploration 4 ECTS    
SOC2345 Sociology of Social Movements 4 ECTS    
SOC3005 Sociology of Money 4 ECTS    

 
Requirement for regular progression to Year 3:
26 ECTS credits in Sociology
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 16 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.
 
Semester 1
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
SOC2000 Economic Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2051 Contemporary Social Issues 4 ECTS    
SOC2055 Quantitative Analysis: SPSS in Practice 4 ECTS    
SOC2067 Sociology of Disability 4 ECTS    
SOC2068 Work Placement 4 ECTS    
SOC2071 Intoduction to Demography 4 ECTS    
SOC2079 Sociology of Space and Place 4 ECTS    
SOC3028 The Sociology of Deviance 4 ECTS    
SOC3030 Sociology of Sport 4 ECTS    
SOC3031 Sociology of Politics and the State 4 ECTS    
SOC3032 Sociology of the Professions 4 ECTS    

 
 
Semester 2
 
Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)
 
SOC3003 Synoptic Study-Unit 1 - Theory and Institutions 6 ECTS   (NC)  
SOC3004 Synoptic Study-Unit 2 - Methodology and Applied 6 ECTS   (NC)  
 
Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)
 
SOC2007 Theories in Sociology of Religion 4 ECTS    
SOC2010 Environmental Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2018 Empirical Research in Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2025 Locating the Global Society 4 ECTS    
SOC2044 Sociology of Law 4 ECTS    
SOC2072 Demographic Processes 4 ECTS    
SOC2073 Visual Sociology 4 ECTS    
SOC2123 Theories of Social Policy 4 ECTS    
SOC2124 Gender: A Sociological Exploration 4 ECTS    
SOC2345 Sociology of Social Movements 4 ECTS    
SOC3005 Sociology of Money 4 ECTS    
SOC3030 Sociology of Sport 4 ECTS    

 
Requirement for successful completion of Year 3: 60 ECTS credits, of which:
28 ECTS credits in Sociology
28 ECTS credits in the other area
4 ECTS credits optional study-units

Requirement for award of B.A. Sociology and in another area of study: 180 ECTS credits, of which:
80 ECTS credits in Sociology
80 ECTS credits in the other area
20 ECTS credits optional study-units

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2019 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts.

International Relations

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Carry out and conduct critical academic research in a professional manner as expected at an undergraduate level.
  • Have a familiarised knowledge about theories and concepts of international relations and apply them to contemporary world affairs.
  • Develop a keen sense of awareness through your refined interpretation of reading news and international events.
  • Contribute your invaluable knowledge on the subject matter to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary discursive atmospheres.
  • Understand the interweaving relationship and personal ethics present between the contingent relationship of individual decisions and national results.

Sociology

Upon successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Engage and contribute to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary discussion through your heightened capacity for critical thought and awareness of the integration of sociological concepts in a broad range of areas.
  • Use methodological research skills to conduct and write academic essays related to the subject matter.
  • Have a deep understanding of sociological concepts, theories and criticisms in its multifaceted areas.
  • Use your sociological perspective and your refined sense for critical thought and awareness by applying them to contemporary issues, both locally and internationally.
  • Interpret, analyse and create sociological hypotheses through the application of sociological theories.

Non EU Applicants:

Fee per academic year: Eur 8,500

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

International Relations

As a graduate of this programme of study you will be employable, both locally and internationally, as an intelligence analyst, policy office political risk analyst, international aid worker, public affairs consultant, diplomatic service officer and as a civil service fast streamer. If you would like to further your studies, or are considering an academic profession, then we encourage you to enrol in one of our local post-graduate courses.


Sociology

As a graduate in this programme of study you will have career opportunities, both locally and internationally, as a policy officer, advice worker, community development worker, youth worker, police officer, teacher, social researcher, human resources officer, journalist and public relations officer. If you are interested in furthering your studies, or are considering an academic profession, then we encourage you to pursue a postgraduate programme offered at our university.


Humanities Stream

 

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