Ministry of Education

Identified Competency Focus Areas and Core Courses for

Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions’ Exit Examination

Program: BA in Political Science and International Relations

Prepared By:

Dr. Bayuligne Zemedeagegnehu (Addis Ababa University)

Ato Yikeber Abebe (Bahir Dar University

July 2022
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
1. Introduction

Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is one of the oldest disciplines. Since its
introduction in Ethiopia, the discipline has been engaged in teaching and training appropriate
knowledge, skills and attitude for those seeking to work in the public, private and non-
governmental, international and domestic organizations. Besides teaching, professionals of the
discipline engaged in conducting research, and providing community services to various
stakeholders. The discipline is striving to cope up with the changing policy environment, changes
within the field of study at the national, regional, and international level.

An attempt is made to identify expected graduate profiles, competencies and learning objectives
which are essential for exit exam preparation for graduating Political Science and International
Relations students. Fifteen courses were selected for exit exam which will be started in 2022/23
Academic Year. Courses included in the exit exam have been selected by considering which
courses could best help students depending on the demand in the market for our students as well
as for future profession and specialization. An attempt is made to balance competencies of
knowledge, skills and attitudes.

2. Expected Profile of Graduates’

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The Political Science and International Relations undergraduate program aims at imparting
knowledge, skills and attitudes and abilities to enable students to be:

 Diplomats, domestic and international civil servants;

 Policy analysts of domestic and international political affairs;
 Consultants/advisors of governmental and non-governmental institutions;
 Researchers and experts of wide ranging themes;
 Program officers, evaluators, community empowerment in the areas of governance;
media, civil society organizations etc.;
 Trainers/teachers/instructors of secondary and tertiary education institutions; and
 Public/external/international relations officers.

3. Competencies and Learning Outcomes

Competencies commonly define the applied knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable students
to successfully perform in professional, educational, and other life contexts. Learning outcome,
on the other hand, is a very specific statement that describes exactly what a student will be able
to do in some measurable way at the end of the program. Graduating students in Political Science
and International Relations are expected to achieve the following competencies and learning
outcomes.

(a) Competencies

 Learn the ability to adopt to a diverse and changing systems and societies;
 Be equipped with the knowledge of modern political theories and its applicability for
contemporary state and society.
 Be acquainted with knowledge of issues and parameters to be applied in comparison
process of political systems, institutions, political practices, structures, political actors,
states, governments that could best help them to have a broader understanding of political
phenomena across the globe;
 Be equipped with basic concepts and theories of international relations;

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  Capable of understanding geopolitical strategy of superpowers and middle power
countries;
 Be able to analyze factors determining interstate relations in the Horn of Africa;
 Be capable to identify sources and subjects of international law;
 Comprehend the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa;
 Be able to distinguish threats to national security;
 Acquire the art of political communication;
 Be capable of approaching media outlet;
 Explain sources and subjects of international law;
 Be familiarized with the political dynamics and evolution of Ethiopian state;
 Capable of explaining foreign policy making processes and implementing agencies;
 Be able to appreciate the role of diplomacy in implementing foreign policy;
 Be capable of identifying principles of Ethiopian foreign relations.

(b) Learning Outcomes

At the end of the program, the students will be able to:

 Explain key concepts, theories of contemporary politics and government, political ideas,
institutions and practices;
 Relates key topics in political theories with contemporary politics and governments,
political institutions and processes;
 Compare and contrast theories of International Relations;

 Distinguish actors of International Relations;

 Discuss political ideas of prominent political thinkers of the modern period concerning
concepts about society, state, government, and constitution, sources of political authority
concepts of freedom, justice, liberties and rights;
 Discuss the concepts and theories that have been the foundations of contemporary
political discourses and practices;
 Bring to attention political ideas of non-western thinkers from Africa, Asia and South
America and indigenous people;

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 Explain the concept of federalism, the sources of these concepts and their historical
development;
 Explain the concept of federalism and how it operates in different regions of the world,
understand the sources of these concepts and their historical development;
 Use these concepts in order to critically research, analyze, and evaluate major issues in
federalism comparatively;
 Develop skills for research, argument, and analysis in order to effectively communicate
perspectives on the structures, processes, institutions, and outcomes of federal political
systems in different contexts;
 Develop skills for research, argument, and analysis in order to effectively communicate
perspectives on the structures, processes, institutions, and outcomes of federal political
systems in different contexts;
 Explain the concepts of governance and leadership, theories and perspectives;
 Examine relationship between governance and leadership;
 Discuss the role of leadership in serving the public and private sectors;
 Develop leadership skills and ability to utilize the same in practice;
 Explain the nature and the forms of state-society relations in countries in the Horn of
Africa, with the forms and norms of interaction among state-actors in the region;
 Reflect on the roles and functions of local governments and inter-governmental relations
in contemporary literature on the subject;
 Explain the history of the formations of local government in Ethiopia and the factors
accounting in organizing the same in different forms in different periods and contexts in
the modern history of Ethiopia;
 Conduct study and analyses of Intergovernmental Relations and thematic areas in this
regard and demonstrate how these relate with issues of political stability, governance and
sustainable development in Ethiopia;
 Elaborate the interaction between the media and politics;
 Define the key concepts, actors and modalities of political communication;
 Comprehend media politics and the changes it resulted in the political process;
 Discuss the nature and impact of internet based political communication and media
politics;

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 Explain how governments engage media to manufacture consent;
 Synthesis the practice of media politics and political communication in democratic and
non-democratic systems;
 Grasp the concept of geopolitics and its relationship with national security of states;
 Identify and utilize key theoretical perspectives in the study of geopolitics in relation to
national security;
 Apply or relate the theoretical knowledge of geopolitics and national security to selected
case of foreign policies and practices of states;
 Identify the nature of international law and the structure of the international legal system
and explain the basic elements of public international law;
 Analyze the impact of International Law on diverse peoples, and critique the operation of
international law from a range of ethical perspectives;
 Reflect on International Law in different contexts, including the law surrounding the use
of force, norms governing environmental issues at the global level;
 Define the concepts of foreign policy and diplomacy, identify the purposes of foreign
policy, the concept of national interest, institutions of foreign policy decision making and
implementation in the context of the dynamic field of International Relations;
 Define the concept of diplomacy and its relationship with the concept of foreign policy;
 Explore the various dimensions and roles of diplomacy;
 Analyze different forums of diplomacy, negotiations and conflict resolution including by
way of simulations exercises;
 Engage in negotiations in an international context, including preparing files for
international negotiators and contributing to efficient teamwork;
 Develop a deeper understanding and knowledge of political participation and civic
engagement
 Distinguish of the underlying theories and key ideas central to political and civic
engagement including democracy, citizenship, community, deliberation, leadership, etc;
 Explain political and civic engagements in interaction with community and in different
organizational settings;
 Develop innovative skills in the conduct of civic activities;

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 Develop a deeper understanding and knowledge of political participation and civic
engagement;
 Explain of the underlying theories and key ideas central to political and civic engagement
including democracy, citizenship, community, deliberation, leadership, etc.;
 Identify political and civic engagements in interaction with community and in different
organizational settings;
 Develop innovative skills in the conduct of civic activities;
 Identify and discuss the various perspectives of state and society, the conceptual
underpinnings, and the manifestations of the state, and the various categories of the
society
 Explore the various issues and forms of interactions in the relationships between state
institutions and the various categories of the population
 Make critical assessment of the perspectives on or the dynamics of state & society and
factors which affect or determine social, political and economic outcomes of the
interactions
 Explore prospects of democratizations and prospects of sustainable development
 Deepen the knowledge of students in international relations in the context of foreign
policy and relations;
 Explain how states organize institutions to make and implement foreign policy;
 Explain how states’ foreign policies are designed, information are gathered and analyzed,
and policy makers are advised;
 Grasp and elaborate factors shaping the formulation and implementation and conduct of
Ethiopian foreign policy and relations;
 Explain the external and domestic context of Ethiopia’s foreign policy;
 Elaborate the major patterns and determinants of Ethiopian foreign policy;
 Define the concept comparative politics, and conduct the comparison of political systems,
structures and functions of political institutions;
 Appreciate how different factors, political contexts result in differences in institutional
arrangements, and shape political processes and outcomes;
 Apply knowledge about comparative politics in the analysis of political systems,
institutions, processes and outcomes in different contexts;

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  Comprehend political developments in Ethiopia since the late 20th Century;
 Explain the political dynamics that led to the 1974 revolution, land reform, socialism and
military rule;
 Discuss the introduction of particular form of federalism and its implications;

III. Courses to be Included in the Exit Exam

 Introduction to Politics and Government

 Introduction to International Relations
 Modern Political Theory
 Introduction to Governance and Leadership
 Introduction to Comparative Politics
 Theories of State and Society
 Theories and Practices of Local Government
 Politics and Government in Ethiopia
 Politics and Interstate Relations in the Horn of Africa
 Geopolitics and National Security
 International Law for Political Science Students
 Media Politics and Political Communication
 Geopolitics and National Security
 Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
 Ethiopian Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

IV. Categorizing Courses into Themes

Theme Selected Courses ECTS/Cr.Hrs

Theme I: State and Society Theories of State and Society 5/3
Comparative Federalism 5/3
Modern Political Theory 5/3
Theme II: Politics and Introduction to Politics and Government 5/3
Government Introduction to Governance and Leadership 5/3
Introduction to Comparative Politics 5/3
Politics and Government in Ethiopia 5/3

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 Media Politics and Political Communication 5/3

Theme III: International Introduction to International Relations 5/3

Relations Politics and Interstate Relations in the Horn of Africa 5/3
International Law for Political Science Students 5/3
Geopolitics and National Security 5/3
Theme IV: Foreign Policy Foreign Policy and Diplomacy 5/3
and Diplomacy Ethiopian Foreign Policy and Diplomacy 5/3

Total 75/45

V. Conclusion

Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is a discipline that deals with the study of political
phenomena (theory and practice of government and politics) at local/state, national and international
level. Its goal is to deepen student understanding of the forms and nature of political action and to develop
theoretical tools for interpreting politically meaningful phenomena or practices.

In this document, an attempt is made to select courses for exit exam. Besides, we have prepared
competencies and learning outcomes mainly based on the harmonized curriculum. In preparing
competencies and learning outcomes we have also tried to take into account curriculum
variations in different public institutions. We have also considered operational definition of
competencies and learning outcomes. Competencies are bundles of the essential knowledge,
skills, and abilities (KSAs) students are expected required to achieve an acceptable level of
performance, while learning outcomes are measurable statements that articulate at the beginning
what students should know, be able to do, or value as a result of taking a course or completing a
program.

The aim of the exit exam is to enable students to acquire core competencies and achieve learning
outcomes for the selected courses in Political Science and International Relations. Having
selected fifteen courses, we have tried to align competencies with learning outcomes. Alignment
with the competency is the congruence of the learning outcomes to the level of knowledge,

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skills, and attitudes described in the competency. Students who have completed the
undergraduate program are expected to take the national exit exam to fulfill the requirements set
by the Ministry of Education.