Bachelor of Arts in Media and Mass Communication – International Relations
About Specialization
Program Learning Outcomes
About Specialization
Making Ideas Universal
The College of Media and Mass Communication offers an undergraduate degree in International Relations, that is crucial to examining fundamental contemporary issues. The accredited program is of a contemporary standard, with the addition of specific areas of recent innovations in e-disciplines. There is a great emphasis on supporting students throughout their studies. Students are able to access a wide range of resources and benefit from impressive modern teaching techniques including e-learning. The program package is structured to take students gradually from one level to the next in eight semesters.
1. Develop understanding of the key economic, political, security, cultural & legal features of the globalized world.
2. Acquire a comprehensive knowledge of world and Middle East history.
3. Develop knowledge in diplomacy, environment and contemporary issues in the modern world.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate the ability to know, evaluate and apply basic mass communication messages in the communication theories.
2. Effectively communicate with others in interpersonal, small group and public speaking situation.
3. Capable to use appropriate research methods to answer relevant questions.
4. Demonstrate sensitivity to the ethical issues to their practice.
5. Ability to think critically about the relationship between mass media, society, and between nation-states.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
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ACCREDITATION
The American University in the Emirates is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education – Commission for Academic Accreditation | caa.ae
Preparatory Courses
Prior to their enrollment in the program, students applying for Bachelor of Arts in Media and Mass Communication must sit for the placement test related to the program, failure to successfully passing the placement test, they are required to enroll in the following courses:
| # | Course Code | Course | Credit Hours | Exemption Condition |
| 1 | CIT 90 | Computer Preparatory | 0 | Passing the Placement Test |
| 2 | ENG 99 | Academic Writing (*) | 0 | Passing the Placement Test |
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Course Category
Total Number of Courses
Total Number of Credit Hours
General Education Courses
19
57
Core Courses
9
24
Specialization Courses
11
30
Free Elective
5
15
Total
44 Courses
126 Credit Hours
FEE STRUCTURE
Tuition (One Semester)
………
Approx. 27,829 AED
One academic year is two semesters
Admission (One Time)
………
3,150 AED
Last Updated on October 7, 2024
General Education Courses
Core Courses
Specialization Courses
Free Electives
General Education Courses
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
19 COURSES | 57 CREDIT HOURS
A: University Core Requirements
The student selects 6 credit hours (2 courses) from the list below:
The purpose of this course is to facilitate the process of transition into the new academic and cultural environment for the new students enrolled in the AUE. Furthermore, it aims to promote their confidence so that they could succeed and meet their academic requirements. The course assimilates academic content with interactive in-class activities to ensure understanding of curricular options and begin to develop a future career plan through self-reflection.
Innovation is the engine of opportunity and, acting as a catalyst, this course is intended to ignite an interest in innovation and inspire entrepreneurial action. At the core of innovation and entrepreneurship is a commitment to experiential learning that will encourage students to engage in critical thinking, creative problem-solving while also equipping them with the soft skills needed in their pursuit of academic and professional endeavors. Students will discuss the relevance and role of innovation and entrepreneurship in work and life situations; determine opportunities for creative disruption and design a strategy for its implementation; develop a practical understanding of innovation through thoughtful debate and exercises, and demonstrate critical thinking and individual insight with a personal mastery portfolio.
B: Languages and Communication Studies
The student selects 9 credit hours (3 courses) from the list below:
This course focuses on improving students’ basic critical reading and writing skills in English so that they can successfully write free-error varied sentences and paragraphs. The course also focuses on contextualized mechanics instructions and sentence skills.
The intent of this course is two-fold. First, it introduces students with the basic research terminologies. Second, it familiarizes them with the process of research from choosing a topic to writing the proposal. Students will be immersed in hands on experience where they will be introduced to research concepts that will help them understand, interpret, and critique a scientific research. Contents to be covered include the language of research, types of research, elements of scientific research proposal, writing an academic research proposal using APA style, research ethics, crafting data collection instruments, and interpreting data.
Students must take one of the following Arabic Language courses:
This course is designed to enable students to analyze multiple texts in various fields of knowledge. In order to be able to distinguish between texts despite their difference of contents, it also enables student to simulate those texts in a correct way, and to transform the information into skill and behavior. And since writing is an integrated building process, and that the building is affected by its parts, therefore student needs models, linguistic laws, planning, cohesion and goals including: news and inquiries, demand and influence of the recipient.
This course is based on the principle that “Education” is an accumulative task especially when it comes to language learning. This process undergoes specific stages to assist the non-Arabic speakers to reach the ultimate goal which is to acquire the required skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) easily and accurately. To achieve this aim, text-based dialogues are provided as a head start for the non-Arabic speakers to continue to the higher levels. The course also provides basic elements for reading, writing, dialogues, and listening to assist the learners to confidently interact with the Arab community.
This course is designed to enable the Arabic-speaking student with the necessary language skills, especially focusing on the steps of writing reports, official letters and systematic research. To achieve this, and to develop the student’s abilities to understand correctly what he reads and listens, and to gain the ability to write articles, reports, meeting minutes and recommendations of conferences and seminars in a sound manner, the course was concerned with training the student in basic writing skills; such as multiple spelling rules, punctuation marks, paragraph system, and essay writing progressively.
C: The Natural sciences or Mathematics
The student selects 6 credit hours (2 course) from the list below:
The natural science course incorporates a wide range of subjects sciences such as astronomy, geology, biology, chemistry, and environmental science. The course will present the scientific facts of astronomy, the Earth and its weather, water, and environment, biology, and nutrition with the chemicals of life. The course emphasizes understanding the core principles of different branches of science and their effects on our lives. Moreover, the course explores the scope of natural phenomena, changing environmental conditions, general health rules of nutrition, and the variety of living organisms. The course helps the students to acquire skills in observation, critical thinking, analyzing, interpreting, understanding, and discussing scientific terminology and facts.
This course gives a thorough introduction to sustainable energy, conservation, and energy efficiency within the UAE and the world. It will explore the relationship between energy, environment, economy, and ecological well-being. It will discuss energy production from the biology, natural science, environmental science, and social sciences perspectives. A variety of topics will be introduced including global warming, climate change, sustainable food production, solid wastemanagement, environmental and natural resources laws. The course includes the growing challenges of climate change and energy crises and proposes solutions to overcome them.
The ‘Principles of Environmental Science course is designed to introduce the fundamental concepts of environmental science to undergraduate students. It includes topics from different areas of study such as ecology, biology, soil science, and atmospheric science. The course aims at raising environmental awareness among students and providing them with the scientific knowledge and skills to identify, prevent and solve environmental problems. Additionally, it deals with ecological concepts, organism interactions, communities, and ecosystems. The course focuses on key areas of population dynamics, biodiversity, human activities, environment-managed ecosystems, air quality, water, and solid waste management.
This course is designed to develop a good understanding of the fundamental concepts of mathematics. It also stresses crucial cognitive transferable skills such as the ability to think logically and concisely. Mastering this course will give students the confidence to go on and do further courses in mathematics and statistics.
D: The Social or Behavioral Sciences
The student selects 18 credit hours (6 courses) from the list below.
An introduction to the science of psychology, its theories, and foundations. The course is focused on principles and research methodologies, including the following topics: history of psychology, the biology of mind, memory, learning, child and personality development, psychological disorders, and therapy. The course aims to introduce the basis of psychology, provide the foundational knowledge to pursue the subject in more depth in the future, and build an ongoing interest in the application of psychology in everyday life.
This course serves as an introduction to the interdisciplinary and multifaceted social sciences. The content of the course covers the range of different disciplines that social sciences consists of, namely: anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, and to a lesser extent also history and geography. The secondary aim of the course is moreover for students to develop their critical thinking skills by engaging actively with material about social issues, social change, and social institutions.
This course will introduce the students to the key concepts of Political Science and its principal tools. The course will discuss the role of main political actors in the field of politics and their function.
This course introduces the science of Sociology. Students will examine Society, Institutions, and the relationships that make up a social context. The scientific methodology used to study social interactions, stratification, and other elements of sociological inquiry will be discussed to emphasize the core concept of sociology as a systematic study of societies and social structures
This course provides an understanding of anthropology, the study of human beings throughout time and space. Anthropology is a broad discipline that studies humans from a holistic perspective looking at both biological and cultural aspects. Anthropologists use different methods to understand and study humans. During this course, students will experience ethnographic fieldwork.
This course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of geography. Emphasis is on concepts that are necessary to understand global, regional, and local issues. This course also includes topics on both human and physical geography.
E: The Humanities or Arts
The student selects 12 credit hours (4 courses) from the list below:
This course explores Arab art and aesthetics from the beginning of the twentieth century to date. The students will learn about the contemporary art and design movement in Arab countries, the expression of cultural identity, as well as the factors involved, and changes in aesthetics from Islamic to Arabic art. They will also study and analyze the role of pioneer artists from various generations with emphasis on their influence on contemporary Arab art.
This course will introduce the students to the key concepts of philosophy and its principle tools. The course will discuss the schools of philosophical thought and will apply philosophical analysis to the topics of knowledge, religion, mind, freedom, responsibility, and ethics.
This course provides an overview of Middle-Eastern History, including the sources of Middle Eastern History. The course will conclude with discussions about perspectives on Middle-Eastern History.
This course provides an overview of World / General History. The course will conclude with discussions about perspectives on World History. It surveys the history of humankind from 250CE till 1990 CE. In addition, interregional, comparative, cross-cultural, transnational, and historiographical topics will be considered. The objective of the course is to explore the roots of contemporary globalization and to develop historical thinking and writing.
This course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of English literature in the United States. It will familiarize the students primarily with early Anglo-American writers and the different literary movements that took place in the United States. Today American literature includes many minority literary works, but the historical matrix remains Anglo-Saxon if we are to consider the dominant culture as the starting historical point.
This course aims to focus on the evolution of Islamic Art through a chronological overview of various trends and approaches throughout history. Students will explore and analyze the rise and influence of Islam leading to the formation of a new artistic culture the world over.
F: Islamic Studies
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below
This course will expand students’ knowledge to enable them to understand the Islamic culture and its characteristics. It analyzes the sources of legislation in Islam. It offers a review of the history of Islam and how it is currently the fastest-growing religion in the world.
The course is designed to give an in-depth understanding of the Islamic civilization. It deals with the universal principles that went into the making of the Islamic civilization. It examines the basic ideas of Islamic civilization besides exploring their contemporary relevance and challenges. The course seeks to effectively address the notion of the ‘clash of civilizations.
G: UAE Studies
The student selects 3 credit hours (1 course) from the list below
The course is designed to introduce the UAE and GCC society with its historical background and uniqueness. It is aimed at enabling students to understand the specific features of the society along with its customs, traditions, and lifestyle. The course will introduce the processes and the challenges of development as well as the future aspirations of the UAE and GCC Society.
Core Courses
CORE COURSES
9 COURSES | 24 CREDIT HOURS
This course is a fully developed introduction to the fundamentals of the theories that define the communication discipline and professions. This being journalism, public relations, multimedia productions, and s. Covering the main questions and theories emphasizing the emergence of mass communication in the UAE and the Gulf States (GCC) at large.
Social media are constantly changing the ways masses communicate with each other and the business. Students comprehend different types of social mediums, tactics, and how social media changed the way we interconnect and collaborate with the world, professionally and in personal lives. Students will be required to apply their insight about the subject by contributing on available social mediums and platforms through intuitive course projects. The course will investigate the connection amongst media and human conduct, and will examine how corporations are capitalizing through social mediums
A course designed for the student interested in developing speaking skills. Emphasis will be placed on organization, supporting material, delivery, and audience analysis. Further attention is given to the study of social relationships and the communication process.
This course provides the students with the basic knowledge base of public opinion and propaganda. Covering the discourse of Public knowledge, public policies and diplomacy. The main skills attained will enclose negotiation, critical analysis and knowledge in the public domain. Principally, the major components are the political and social aspect of public opinion and propaganda.
This course will provide the students with a comprehensive overview of writing for the Mass Media. The students are expected to understand the basic principles of writing for the mass media.
Pre-Internship is designed for students seeking an internship. The course will prepare students to successfully plan their internship by researching and identifying potential internship opportunities, creating professional resume and letter of introduction, developing interviewing and networking skills as well as a portfolio per industry requirements. Students will go through different learning modules including experiences, team work skills, communication skills, leadership skills, problem solving, self-management and professionalism to be able to make the most of their internship.
Internship is an experience external to the University for a student in a specialized field involving a written agreement between AUE/the Training and Continuing Education Centre and MMC Firms. AUE internship course provides experience related to each student’s academic specialization and the opportunity is open to all MMC students who have completed 90 Credit Hours, and who have a GPA of at least 2.00. The internship course is an ongoing seminar between the student, the faculty member, and the workplace/ employment supervisor at the end of which, each student presents his/her project to his/her class and the MMC faculty summarizing the internship experience and how it has influenced their education and career objectives.
This course examines the role of the mass media in modern society and the influence of media institutions and messages on individuals, communities, and society. The course includes an overview of the basic methods associated with media research. Students will be asked to integrate theoretical knowledge into media research areas relevant to communication professionals today.
The Media Law and Ethics is a course which teaches the ethical and judicial issues in mass communication. Regulations concerning advertising, PR and journalism including the social media are also topical in this course. Issues such as censorship, libel, personal privacy, ownership of information will be leaned in a basic sense.
Specialization Courses
SPECIALIZATION COURSES
11 COURSES | 30 CREDIT HOURS
Students in International Communication will build personal understanding of relevant areas of 1) communication, 2) strategic messaging, 3) international health communication, and finally, 4) international relations including its relation to cultural studies of global media. This intensive course critically engages with key areas such as: global communication, international politics, transnationalism, security, stakeholders, social movements. Students observe contemporary developments in the realm of global and transnational media. Examples include East/West relations, global online communities, global/local interactions, transnational media and media flows, role of technology, models of mass communication, cultural production of global media, hybridity, etc. Students gain an appreciation for the scale and scope of global communication across borders and how new subcultures form through surprising interfaces between peoples and nations.
This is an introductory Level III course on International Relations (IR) which is foundational for all students who want to become familiar with the theoretical and conceptual language of IR as a subset of political science. The course will begin by teaching students the basic theories, concepts, methods, and principles used in the field as well as with the formation, evolution, and extension of the modern nation-state system and its challenges by discussing concepts such as sovereignty, free-trade, and civilization, including themes such as pre-emptive war, Global War on Terror, and Liberal (humanitarian) Interventionism. To do so, students will familiarize themselves with conceptual frameworks necessary to critically evaluate events (i.e., Arab uprising) by attempting to explain their effects – especially in the Arab World – through three facets: 1) International Security (IS), 2) International Political Economy (IPE), and 3) International Law (IL). To do so, following week 4, students will be introduced to a thematic exploration of major topics of international relations by moving beyond “Mainstream” approaches thereby familiarizing themselves with how a “Critical/Alternative” approach seeking to deconstruct and reveal the limit of mainstream (realist) communicated narratives in channeling justice. These include topics relating to Terrorism, Pre-Emptive War Strategy, National Security Doctrine, Internal and External Displacement, Private Military Contractors, Humanitarian Intervention, and Democratization.
International Journalism focuses on the origins, development, export and modern Western journalistic practice. Beginning with the origins of the field in the age of mercantilism, this course traces the rise of newspapers in the 19th and 20thcenturies and the rise of what Jurgen Habermas called the “public sphere.” As such, important parallels are drawn with the functioning of contemporary democracies and the export of the Western “free press” model of journalism. The course incorporates consideration of comparative media systems, including Western (“free” or “public service”), developing, revolutionary and authoritarian (formerly, Soviet), and the impact of current events such as political turmoil, climate change, COVID-19, etc., on the Western and developing models. Students in the course will gain expanded knowledge of the history and origins of journalism and will refine skills that allow them to meaningfully critique journalism and compare and contrast among existing media systems. Students should also gain exposure to work of professionals in the field, e.g., celebrated journalists, international correspondents, etc. Students should gain an opportunity to better understand the profession of international reporting and read some classic examples of journalism by international reporters, while being inspired to produce their own work.
This course introduces students to Critical Media Studies (CMS) by utilizing Critical Security Studies (CSS) thereby further analyzing the links between communication, political sociology, and government. Traditionally, mainstream security studies structuring International Relations (IR) literature focuses on state security and the state as the main referent object thereby reifying a (neo)-realist and/or (neo)-liberal lenses to communicate and frame political issues informing world events. This course is divided into 3 parts. The first part will introduce students to the evolution of media in the Arab world. The second section will introduce students to a variety of critical approaches and/or frameworks to further deconstruct the effects and relations linking media, politics, and government. These include Critical Theory, Discourse Analysis, Postcolonialism, Post-Structuralism, and Securitization Theory. The themes this course will analyze and debate using the aforementioned approaches include: the Environment, Gender, Modernity, Civilization, Migration, Border Security, and finally, Terrorism. In short, our goal is to use a CMS and CSS approach to broaden our intellectual horizon thereby interpreting, communicating, and explaining contemporary issues by navigating inter-disciplinary approaches accenting politics, media, and government.
Media and conflict course is an important course that allow the students to develop an understanding of how media deals with the critical issues like war, security, and conflicts in national and international contexts. The course will provide a cross-disciplinary approach considering both cultural and political dimensions relating to media responses. The course will focus on some several thematic issues like a) public diplomacy and soft power, b) the role of new media in perceptions of conflict, circulation, and reception of imagery of conflict, and finally, c) the effects of news reporting on government policy and NGO activity.
This Level 4 course seeks to extend students with a multi-disciplinary and critical understanding of the complex ways in which peoples conduct politics in the Arab and non-Arab world. It addresses the questions of Why, what, and how to study and compare different political and economic systems. From a Comparative Political perspective going beyond a problem-solving approach in tandem with the use of a critical political sociology approach, the course examines the historical, economic, social, and cultural factors that have shaped politics across the East (i.e., Orient) and the West (i.e., Occident) during the 20th and 21st century. It aims to make students cognizant of historically contingent concepts and/or theoretical frameworks, such as the Nation-State and the Ummah, Modernization theories and the Dependency School, Religion and Secularism, and finally, Globalization and Social Movements, thereby equipping students with conceptual tools helping them compare different societies and explain their failure and/or success in developing political-economic system. Themes this course will navigate include gender and politics, social movements, and the Arab uprising, “civil society” and globalization, and finally, the global political economy, are examined in order to illustrate the changing and differing nature of politics in the Arab and non-Arab world in recent years.
What does it mean to think, and act, ethically and morally in the world? What is the relationship between ethics, politics, and power? The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the necessary theoretical, philosophical, and historical perspectives allowing them to think critically about theories and issues related to relation between ethics and politics. International ethics is a rapidly expanding field within the discipline of International Relations because of the clear moral and unethical posture of many recent global problems occurring, and concepts accenting, the 20th and 21st century. In relation to events these include exponential poverty and inequality, climate change, universalizing/globalizing a particular philosophical worldview, internal/external displacement, and pre-emptive war(s). In relation to concepts these include the nation-state and ummah, religion and secularism, reason and revelation, free-trade and fair-trade, human and citizen. This course will examine mainstream International Relations theoretical perspectives (i.e., neo-realism and neo-liberalism) and will then move on to discuss the incorporation of different/critical theoretical perspectives. These approaches are necessary to examine ethical issues, including the ethics of war and the global war on terror, the political economy, the recent refugee crisis, and humanitarian interventions. By the conclusion of the course students should have familiarized themselves with the limit of mainstream approaches to IR and use critical approaches aiding them to analyze issues thereby making global political relations more ethical.
With our planet’s population now more urban than rural, a visible pyroxene, more than 30 years of above average global surface temperatures, changing geopolitical relationships that shape migration, military engagement, and markets, the world is in constant turmoil. But beyond the fact of flux – which is a natural human phenomenon – what are the politics of these ecological and social challenges? Some transformations generate environmental and social harm, while others promote a shift to greater equity and sustainability. In light of these sociological tensions, this course on sustainable environmental politics takes as its focus the politics of reconstruction and transformation. Our main framing question is the following: how and with what consequences are humans transforming our planet? As a Level 4 course, the students will be exposed to multiple perspectives to answer this question. Throughout this course, with an international relations lens, we will investigate the nature of – and responses to – global environmental challenges and changes, considering a critical approach to questions and assumptions examining a number of key areas such as global environmental politics, including transnational governance, political economy, and environmental justice.
This Level 4 course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the relation between cultural diplomacy (i.e., soft power or smart power) and International Relations. A foreign policy and its transcultural relations can succeed or fail depending on the cultural traits embodying and communicated between two or more countries. Cultural diplomacy – as an (re)emerging type of public diplomacy – is one of the main instruments of political power and in many contexts is more effective than the application of coercion and declaration of war by a state. In fact, many of the global issues facing the world today are incapable of a military solution, thereby lending themselves instead to (cultural) diplomacy to address. This course delves into the history of diplomacy and the role of “culture” in mitigating or faltering diplomatic relations by providing students with a “cultural understanding” of the institution of diplomacy and how it has evolved in the 20th and 21st century. The multiple diplomatic vehicles navigated throughout this course emphasizing the practice of cultural diplomacy include: Gastronomy, Sports, Artistic Sites (i.e., museums, movies, festivals), and Educational Exchange Programs. While a realist approach to international relations considers diplomacy – therefore culture – as trivial since it is interests rather than principles that inform such worldview, this course seeks to emphasize why and how an international relations based on civilizational homogeneity rather than cultural heterogeneity complicates cooperation between different cultural backgrounds. Since the course is divided into 3 sections, by the end of the course, students will be able to understand the conceptual foundations of cultural diplomacy as a field as well as to analyze a variety of past and current examples of successes and failures in diplomacy such as the lack of inter-religious dialogue or the lack of dialogue that exists between certain cultures and societies of the world.
Media and Mass Communication students are required to complete a one-hour course in preparation for the Capstone Graduation Project in International Relations. Students must understand the dimensions of the Capstone Graduation Project in which they will develop proficiency in the core knowledge of their specialization. Students will be introduced to the expectations of a Capstone project in International Relations, as well as a gentle introduction to fundamental theories and philosophy surrounding research. Students gain an opportunity to also refine their verbal skills through debate and reflection on key concepts. The Capstone Seminar is intended to introduce students to the concepts of field-based contextual analyses. The Capstone Seminar will prepare students to undertake the Capstone project which is vital to attaining the AUE degree. The seminar will also include reflections on special topics, e.g., digital media, technology, research methodologies, globalization, intercultural communication, and others that specifically impinge on the field of IR and its future.
Media and Mass Communication students are required to complete a three-credit hour course on the Capstone Graduation Project. To be graduated, students are requested to demonstrate that they have developed capability and proficiency in the core knowledge of their specialization and can show capability in learning aptitudes in the four specializations. It will be a challenging and thorough adventure however the reward for undertaking a significant experience are enormous and will without a doubt give AUE graduates a capable begin in vocation they may pick. Moreover, English dialect and innovation capability should likewise be illustrated. The Capstone Graduation Projects ought to be as field-based. The Capstone Graduation Project is intended to give students a helpful working comprehension of the requirements and desires expected to move on from AUE.
Free Electives
ELECTIVE COURSES
5 COURSES | 15 CREDIT HOURS
15 Credit Hours must be chosen from any other college/specialization in condition the prerequisites of the chosen courses are met.
RECOMMENDED STUDY PLAN
ATTENDANCE
Student builds the schedule based on available offered courses in the registered semester
Weekday Morning Classes
TUE – THUR | BETWEEN 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
MON – WED | BETWEEN 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
MON – WED | BETWEEN 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Weekday Evening Classes
TUE – THUR | BETWEEN 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
MON – WED | BETWEEN 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
MON – WED | BETWEEN 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM