Historical Background
The International Relations and Diplomacy Department at Catholic University in Erbil was founded in 2015 alongside the establishment of the university. The Department was one of the original academic departments established to reflect the university’s vision and mission of providing high-quality education grounded in ethical values and global awareness. With the events happening in the region, the Department was designed to equip students with the needed knowledge and skills to understand complex political dynamics, foster diplomacy, and contribute to regional peacebuilding efforts, especially in post-conflict societies like Iraq. From the beginning, CUE’s IR department has played a significant role in promoting academic excellence and critical thinking within the university.
Mission
Our mission is to equip students from diverse backgrounds with proficient skills and interdisciplinary perspectives grounded in the theory and practice of International Relations and Diplomacy. With a curriculum defined by academic rigor, supplemented by experiential learning that focuses on the unique political landscape of Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the Middle East, we prepare our students with the required skills and ethics to become diplomats, policy advisors, researchers, analysts, public relations professionals, as well as effective members of international and non-governmental organizations.
Vision
We aspire to be a leading department for academic excellence and diplomatic studies by collaborating with national and international institutions with the aim of navigating global political challenges and conflict resolution with emphasis on Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s role in the rapidly changing international order.
Program Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the international political system, key actors, and institutions that shape contemporary global governance and its impact on regional, national, and local structures.
- Apply major theoretical frameworks to analyze both historical and contemporary relevant global issues with emphasis on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and its diversity.
- Analyze critical global, regional, national, and local relevant issues with a lense of ethical leadership.
- Implement the basics of research methods to navigate international affairs and analyze policymaking processes with academic rigor for the common good.
- Communicate effectively in academic and policy-oriented settings through written, oral, and digital means, with clarity, precision, and contextual awareness.
Student Learning Opportunities
International Relations and Diplomacy students have access to credit-bearing opportunities beyond the confines of traditional classrooms, allowing them to fulfill graduation requirements through flexible, accelerated, or experiential pathways. These enriched educational experiences include advanced developmental courses that deepen their academic foundation, research assistantships that cultivate investigative skills, and study abroad or exchange programs with transferable credit options that broaden their global perspectives. Students may also engage in service-learning or community-based projects integrated with academic credit, participate in hands-on fieldwork, and attend professional training workshops. Additionally, internships or work-based learning programs offer practical experience while contributing directly to their academic progress.
These options support academic enrichment, career exploration, and global competitiveness while gaining real-world skills or college-level experience.
Curricula
| First Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR1101 | An Introduction to IR | 6.00 |
| 2 | IR1102 | An Introduction to Politics | 6.00 |
| 3 | IR1103 | History of International relations | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR1105 | Kurdology Kurdish Language | 4.00 |
| 5 | EN1106 | General English I | 5.00 |
| 6 | IR1104 | Academic Debate | 4.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| Second Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR1201 | Key Concepts In IR & Politics | 5.00 |
| 2 | IR1202 | Ancient Political Thought | 5.00 |
| 3 | IR1203 | Globalization | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR1205 | An Introduction to Economics | 5.00 |
| 5 | EN1206 | General English II | 5.00 |
| 6 | IT1206 | Computer Skills | 5.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| First Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR2301 | Medieval & Modern Political Thought | 5.00 |
| 2 | IR2302 | Political Ideologies | 5.00 |
| 3 | IR2303 | Political Systems & Comparative politics | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR2304 | An Introduction to Political Sociology | 5.00 |
| 5 | IR2305 | An Introduction to International Law | 5.00 |
| 6 | EN2107 | English Communication | 5.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| Second Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR2401 | Contemporary Global Issues. | 6.00 |
| 2 | IR2402 | Contemporary Political Thought | 5.00 |
| 3 | IR2403 | Political Economy | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR2404 | International Security | 5.00 |
| 5 | IR2405 | Political History of Middle East and Iraq | 4.00 |
| 6 | EN2407 | Professional Writing | 5.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| First Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR3501 | International Organizations | 5.00 |
| 2 | IR3502 | Terrorism and Violence | 6.00 |
| 3 | IR3503 | International Crisis management | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR3504 | Ethics in IR | 4.00 |
| 5 | EN3507 | Business Communication | 5.00 |
| 6 | IR3506 | Elective | 5.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| Second Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR3601 | Human Rights | 5.00 |
| 2 | IR3602 | Research Methodology | 6.00 |
| 3 | IR3603 | Social Movements and IR | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR3604 | Regional Organizations | 5.00 |
| 5 | IR3605 | Developmental Studies | 5.00 |
| 6 | IR3606 | Elective | 4.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| First Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR4701 | Diplomacy | 6.00 |
| 2 | IR4702 | Foreign Policy | 5.00 |
| 3 | IR4703 | Diplomatic Protocol and Etiquette | 4.00 |
| 4 | IR4704 | Nationalism, Ethnicity and Identity | 5.00 |
| 5 | IR4705 | Geopolitics | 6.00 |
| 6 | IR4706 | Elective | 4.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
| Second Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | M Code | Module Title | ECTS |
| 1 | IR4801 | Foreign Policy of Great Powers | 5.00 |
| 2 | IR4802 | Iraq and Regional Relations | 5.00 |
| 3 | IR4803 | Minority Studies | 5.00 |
| 4 | IR4804 | Elective | 5.00 |
| 5 | IR4805 | Final Project | 10.00 |
| Total: 30.00 | |||
Class Schedule
Access the official weekly timetable for the International Relations and Diplomacy Department at CUE. Please download the PDF below to view detailed information about courses, lecture halls, and session timings.
