International Relations

General Information about the Department

As an interdisciplinary field of study, International Relations examines the interactions among states, international organizations and other types of actors that influence international politics and analyzes the structure and operation of the international system. The Department of International Relations at Anadolu University aims at training students to comprehend and interpret interactions at the international level, have a good command of at least one foreign language, think analytically, and be lifelong learners. The Department also seeks to equip its students with the necessary knowledge and scientific perspective in international relations. As part of Anadolu University’s Central Open Education System, the Department offers two separate undergraduate programs: BA in International Relations (in Turkish) and BA in International Relations (in English). Each program offers online courses related to the major areas of International Relations such as International Economics, International Law, International Politics, International Political Economy as well as International Relations Theories and Regional Studies. The courses are semester-based, and the period of study is four years. Students living abroad can also get enrolled in both programs as Anadolu University delivers open education programs in countries in Western Europe, North America, the Balkans, and Middle East and North Africa. Students are required to take four exams in the fall and spring semesters (midterm and final exams for each semester). They take the exams in the cities in Turkey or abroad where the open education bureaus they got enrolled is located. The basic learning material is course textbooks that are prepared according to distance education’s self-study principles by academicians who are experts in their fields. As support materials, TV programs related with the course contents are prepared and Internet-based support services are offered.

Career Opportunities

The graduates of International Relations (IR) Undergraduate Programs can be employed at a wide variety of jobs in different career areas such as public and private sectors, international organizations, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media corporations, and banking sector. The career that has priority for IR graduates is the diplomatic mission. IR graduates can be assigned the title “diplomat”. They can be employed as attaché, consul, consul general and ambassador. They are employed as officials and specialists responsible for foreign affairs of our country at public institutions firstly at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Industry and Technology. Our graduates are also employed at the “Directorates of Foreign Affairs, Directorates of European Union and Foreign Affairs” at the other ministries and public institutions.

Another career field where mostly IR graduates are employed is the international organizations. At United Nations (UN) and its affiliated institutions like UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNCHR their central offices abroad and representative offices in Turkey graduates are employed. Also they can work as specialists and consultants at international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF and at international NGOs.

At the private sector, one of the fields IR graduates are preferred is banking and financial sector. They can work at big corporations and small and medium sized enterprises as administrators, consultants and specialists. Especially at multinational corporations (MNCs) and firms that have foreign trade relations, our graduates are mostly preferred.

A significant number of IR graduates can prefer to study at postgraduate programs such as Masters and PhD degree programs and have academic career at national or international institutions. Besides higher education institutions, they have job opportunities at think tanks that conduct academic research in the country and abroad. They can work as administrators and project coordinators at NGOs; specialists and researchers at think tanks and research centers.

Why international students should choose this department to study

The Department of International Relations at Anadolu University provides a vibrant academic environment where students of IR can enrich their knowledge and perspectives in international relations. The Department also offers online sessions, lectures and written materials all prepared by eminent academics of the field. It makes you to join a growing multinational network consisting of students from different parts of the world. Furthermore, the open and distance education (online) system is very flexible, providing students who are not able to attend face to face course with an opportunity to continue their education.

Contact Information

Address: Anadolu Üniversitesi, Yunus Emre Kampüsü, İktisat Fakültesi, 26470 Tepebaşı/Eskişehir, TURKEY

Telephone: +90 222 355 05 80 / Ext.: 2743/2742/2632

E-mail: iktfak@anadolu.edu.tr