Information
Why study at Middle East Technical University?
The Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the Middle East Technical University has a long and pioneering tradition in the studies of politics and administration in Turkey. Founded in 1956, the Department offers programs for the B.S, the M.S. and Ph.D degrees. More than eighteen hundred students have been graduated from the Department since 1956. At the present, there are approximately 600 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. In keeping with METU's tradition of an international student body, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration has always had foreign students. Currently, there are 24 full-time and 13 part-time faculty members in the department who teach courses on a variety of topics. Faculty members of the department comprise academics with a variety of specializations, not only in political science and public administration but also in such related disciplines as history, sociology, cultural studies, media and communication studies and area studies. Through its faculty members, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration is also closely associated with several interdisciplinary graduate programs and research centers of the METU. Among them the Center for Urban Policy Planning and Local Governments, Gender and Women's Studies Program, Center for European Studies and Center for Black Sea and Central Asian Studies are particularly relevant in terms of opening up research interest and opportunities to the Department's students.
Our students are encouraged to learn a second foreign language other than English during their undergraduate education, since the department aims at training international competitive graduates in a globalizing world.
Students can also take different social science courses from other departments. They are asked to choose an area of concentration (either political science or public administration) at the beginning of their fourth year in order to acquire a deeper insight in their chosen field.
The graduates of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration are awarded teaching and research assistantships, scholarships and fellowships by leading universities world-wide (and developing universities of Turkey) as well as by such national and international donors as the British Council, Fullbright Commission, and the Turkish Academy of Sciences. Many of our graduates are also employed as academic staff in other universities in Turkey. These graduates, who do not want to go on to further education, have traditionally been preferred candidates for employment in the most competitive posts in both public and private sector. They enjoy very high rates of employment in record time upon graduation and have been very successful managers and executives.
What is Political Science and Public Administration?
Political Science and Public Administration are two closely related fields which deal with the scientific study of political and administrative subjects.
The discipline of Political Science analyses the processes by which resources are allocated and values are developed and discussed within a political system. The discipline explores concepts like power, authority, legitimacy, social class, gender, ethnicity, political participation on the one hand, and institutions like state, government, political parties, pressure groups and international organizations on the other. The discipline also deals with political ideas and ideologies relating to issues like political justice, ideologies and political ideas such as liberty, democracy, morality, and equality.
The discipline of Public Administration analyses the processes by which decisions and policies are made within administrative systems and particularly within the state. The discipline also deals with the practical side of government; through the analysis of the organization, management and implementation of public policies and public organizations at national and local governments. As such, it involves program management (planning, decision-making, organizing, leading, implementing and evaluating) and resource management (human resource management and budgeting).
Political science and public administration both focus on the public arena of human society and by virtue of the commonality of their subject matters they are intricately related to one another. Public administrators cannot ignore the political environment as public policies are decided by the dynamics of political forces. Likewise, politicians cannot ignore public administrators as public policies are implemented by public administrators.
What is the importance of Political Science and Public Administration?
Political Science and Public Administration are major social science disciplines, which help us understand the political, social and economic processes and their transformation at both local and international levels. They expand our horizons by providing insight into several problems of everyday life from scientific and enlightened perspectives. They prepare us to become more conscious, rational, and effective citizens and more constructive participants in public affairs of both Turkey and the world. These disciplines empower students by providing the knowledge and necessary skills to be professionals in the public domain. Since the study of politics and administration combines both theory and practice, studying Political Science and Public Administration is challenging and rewarding and caters to the interests and capabilities of many people.
What can you do with Political Science and Public Administration degree?
A degree in Political Science and Public Administration can be useful in a wide variety of vocations and/or large organisations. Any profession involving the public domain would benefit from the knowledge and skills gained by an undergraduate degree in the field. With this degree, the graduates get access to several different careers in the public and private sector in Turkey as well as the international arena. On the national level they work as middle and top managers in various public institutions such as the State Planning Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, Undersecretary of the Treasury, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, General Secretariat for European Union, as well as numerous local and municipal government positions throughout the country. Our graduates are also highly demanded by various public and private finance institutions and banks, as well as the news media. It is also possible to pursue a career in the academic world and more specialised professional positions if one continues academic training in Political Science and Public Administration or in one of the other related social science disciplines such as international relations, economics, sociology etc. as well as in interdisciplinary fields such as area studies, gender and women's studies, urban planning etc.