Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (BA PoS).

 

Program Description

The program outcomes reflect the set of competencies and values the learners will be able to demonstrate at the time of graduation from the BA PoS program. The program outcomes shall flow from the respective mission/vision and graduate attributes of the higher education institutions and shall translate into the level of course outcomes and learning outcomes (lesson/topic level). The program outcomes are achieved through a more detailed list of identified core competencies expressed as behaviors that can be observed and assessed. The competencies are a collection of related knowledge, attitude and skills required to successfully perform tasks that support the desired program outcomes of a course or series of courses.

These standards merely provide the core outcomes for the BA PoS program. Each institution shall be given the flexibility to design its own set of program outcomes depending on their thrusts, niches and strengths. There can also be institutional type-dependent outcomes. The focus of each institution can vary according to its dominant mission who may find expression in extensive research, professional training or relevant outreach/extension work.

On the other hand, the Commission in consultation with relevant stakeholders shall ensure that the core outcomes are responsive to the needs of the sector it serves.  These outcomes are derived from a combination of both national and benchmarked standards such as the Philippine-Qualifications Framework (PQF), the CMO 46 series of 2012 and similar programs in the Asia-Pacific Region and other regions of the world in terms of quality standards.

The American Political Science Association, the first association of political scientists to distinguish the discipline form others, defines Political Science as the study of governments, public policies and political behavior, using both humanistic and scientific perspectives and skills to examine all countries and regions of the world.  From this definition, it is important to emphasize that the discipline deals with a rather broad spectrum of concerns, understanding the links between the individual (micro) and the institutional (macro), and the connections between the national and global structures of policy making and politics.  Political Science scholars, national professional associations with their distinctive traditions and interests, and scholarly outputs have also been growing in number throughout the world, as evidenced by the growing membership and activities reported by the International Political Science Association.

While the undergraduate program must conform the minimum requirements set forth, Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) that offer the program are given the latitude to add courses that are deemed necessary to allow the students a deeper exploration and understanding of the various fields in the discipline and equip them with the competencies necessary to assess and respond to a myriad of political concerns and problems that require particular policies, programs or in general, political action.

 

Program Outcomes:

Students in the discipline must exhibit the following competencies at the end of the undergraduate program. Graduate should be able to:

1. Compare, contrast and classify the major concepts in the discipline
2. Recognize and define the distinctiveness of the discipline, its subfields, theories and methods
3. Design and execute research inquiries using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods guided by theories or conceptual frameworks
4. Demonstrate written, visual and oral presentation skills to produce and present analytical reports
5. Critique, judge and respond to current issues and problems based on a substantive understanding of the historical and contemporary  developments in the national and global  contexts
6. Develop a predisposition towards ethical political involvement and practice in various forms and on different levels of engagement

 

Competencies

To achieve the set program outcomes, the following core competencies are hereby identified:

Competencies Details

Knowledge

1. Articulate and deploy major concepts in the discipline
2. Recognize and define the field, distinguish its sub-fields, theories and methods

Skills and Abilities

1. Design and execute research inquiries using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods guided by theories or conceptual frameworks
2. Demonstrate written, visual and oral presentation skills to produce and present analytical reports
3. Critique, judge and respond to current issues and problems based on a substantive understanding of the historical and contemporary developments in the national and global contexts

Attitude/Values

1. Manifest a predisposition towards ethical political involvement and practice in various forms and on different levels of engagement 

 

General Education, Major and Elective Courses

The curriculum for the program includes a set of general education course, a defined set of major courses that the students are required to take course in specific fields of the discipline that the student may wish to focus on, and elective courses taken from other social science or related degree programs.

The general education courses essentially prepare the students for the study of Political Science, refining their knowledge of the humanities, developing their reading and language proficiency, and providing requisite quantitative competencies.

 

Other Electives (in any discipline)

Means of Curriculum Delivery

The BA Political Science department can employ a range of instructional methods that are particularly suited to the field:

• Use of a variety appropriate teaching/learning methods and strategies based on learning objectives, learner characteristics, time requirements, involvement of communities, organizational dynamics, needs and policies, available resources and instructional setting
• Selection of relevant topics and issues
• Samples of instructional methods well suited to the study of politics and governance:

• Active learning methods/cooperative learning
• Hands-on/participant observation and discovery
• Theory-driven inquiry
• Community-based action research and problem solving
• Issue investigation
• Service learning
• Simulations and models
• Case studies
• Project-based leaning
• Problem-based learning