The Department of International Relations leads the field in Turkey in terms of both quality and quality of the courses it offers. The 18-strong Staff draws from Turkey, Western Europe and North America. Staff members’ specialities range from Security Studies, International Political Economy, and Diplomatic History to European and Russian Studies. The Department offers a wide variety of courses including International Relations Theory, International Law, Foreign Policy Analysis and Turkish Foreign Policy; area studies courses on the European Union, Central Asia and the Caucasus; and speciality courses on Peace, Conflict and Security Studies.

Bilkent University’s Department of International Relations has established strong links with prestigious higher educational institutions from around the world. Students are offered the privilege of choosing from a wide list of Erasmus and other partners to spend a semester or year abroad. The Department also hosts exchange students in increasing numbers, which allows studying international relations in the truly international environment of Bilkent University.

The Department of International Relations also offers a separate dual diploma joint degree program in Global and International Affairs (GIA) with State University of New York (SUNY) Binghamton, USA.

Students are also encouraged to study another major language (other than English). Courses on a wide variety of European and other world languages are offered every semester.

The degrees offered by the Department of International Relations are BA, GIA (joint with SUNY) MA, MIAPP, and Ph.D.

Educational Objectives and Skills Acquired Toward Career Prospects:

  • Our department’s research priorities are closely aligned with our innovative and pluralistic curriculum.
  • Our curriculum reflects current trends in the study of international relations including internationalised teaching and research, and cross-disciplinary approaches.
  • The main objective of our cross-disciplinary approach is to encourage critical thinking and the application of acquired knowledge.
  • Our alumni success stories attest to the high-standards we set in terms of our educational objectives.