Department of Political Sceince and Public Adminstration

HOD'S WELCOME MESSAGE

Prof. A.O. Oronsaye

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

It is with great pleasure that I welcome all students of Political Science and Public Administration into a new Academic session.

As a University which was founded by the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, with the primary focus of promoting both academic excellence and spiritual maturity, we as members of this great institution must not lose sight of our responsibilities towards the achievement of the goals of this primary aim. We must continue to strive hard to produce students who are sound academically and with well-developed and adjusted personalities as defined by the vision of this great Institution.

Specifically, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration is charged with the responsibility of training young men and women for future leadership roles in the Bureaucracy, Industries, Diplomatic services, International Organisations, etc.

We, as a group of Educators in this Department, work relentlessly to achieve and maintain the quality Teaching and Research skills necessary for the enhancement of the learning abilities and capacities of our students. To broaden both the minds and horizons of our students, we also try to inculcate in them reading habits. We introduce them to books in the fields of Politics, Philosophy, Administration, etc. The ultimate aim is to produce graduates who not only love to read, but who also love to write and write well.

Our great nation, Nigeria, occupies a prominent role in the contemporary world and more so in Africa and the entire Black world. We therefore need to raise future generations of young men and women who have a vast knowledge of History, Government and International studies. To this end, our Professors and other grades of Lecturers are always on ground to provide all the required teaching services to students, along with general counselling whenever the need arises.

Once again, I welcome all students to school and specifically to the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. And I must not fail to seize this opportunity to reiterate our role as in loco parentis to all our students.

I wish you all a happy and fruitful time in Benson Idahosa University.

Historical Background

The Department of Political Science and Public Administration was established in February 2002 when Benson Idahosa University was granted a license by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate as a full-fledged private university. The Department started as the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Sociology and Anthropology, with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology becoming autonomous in 2005. The Department of Political Science and Public Administration has grown in length and breadth. The first set of graduates graduated in the 2004/2005 session with three students, who were Public Administration students of the Christian Faith University (CFU) affiliated to the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. It is on record that the Christian Faith University (CFU) metamorphosed into the Benson Idahosa University in 2002. The Department, which has been graduating students annually since the 2004/2005 session, also run post-graduate programmes with its maiden post-graduate students graduating in the 2011/2012 academic session. The post-graduate programmes are M.Sc. Public Administration, Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA). The growth and expansion in the Department is also reflected in the increased academic staff strength from six (6) in 2002 to eleven (11) in the 2012/2013 session. Three of the academic staff are on the Professorial rank with four Senior Lecturers, one Lecturer Grade I, two Lecturers Grade II and one Assistant Lecturer.

Our Objectives

PHILOSOPHY

The Philosophy of the academic programme of the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration is to achieve improved standards of staffing, teaching and research. The Department provides potential students with ample opportunity to develop and inculcate the spirit of self-reliance and self-confidence. This philosophy is to produce Political Science and Public Administration graduates with critical minds, requisite abilities, and skills to analyse, comprehend, predict and influence factors which shape and mould power relationships in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration is designed with a focus on achieving the following aims and objectives:

Prepare students interactively through the programme to understand social and political problems;
Acquire skills to understand, interpret political and governmental behaviours and institutions;
Provide leadership to a society that will use its collective resources more effectively for the general welfare.
Give students, sound grounding in fundamental issues in the governmental process, social conditions that create the need for governance;
Understand governmental structures, procedures, control and relationships among governments in federalism and between the government and sub-national entities in the Nigerian State.
Prepare students to assume the duties and obligations of citizenship;
Adequate development in students, such as skills and competence that will enable them to be self-reliant with adequate entrepreneurial skills;
Provide the students with the skill base that will enable them to proceed to higher levels of studies in political science and public administration.

Our Courses

100 LEVEL – FIRST SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 111	Introduction to Political Science	3
POL 112	Nigerian Constitutional Development	3
CSC 111	Introduction to Computer Science and Basic Programming	2
GST 111	Use of English and Library I	2
GST 112	Philosophy and Logic	2
IDS 111	Rudiments of the Christian Faith	2
FRN 111	Functional French	0
ELECTIVES: Choose two from the following:
BUS 111	Introduction to Business I	3
ECO 111	Principles of Microeconomics	2
MAC 111	Introduction to Mass Communication	3
SOC 111	Introduction to Sociology	3
REQUIREDCDS 113	Community Development I	–
	Total Credits	21/22

100 LEVEL – SECOND SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 121	Introduction to African Politics	3
POL 122	Basic Organs of Government, the Citizens and the State	3
CSC 121	Introduction to Computing II	2
GST 122	Nigerian Peoples and Cultures	2
GST 123	History and Philosophy of Science	2
IDS 121	Christian Life	2
IDS 123	Life and Times of Archbishop Benson Idahosa	2
FRN 121	Functional French	0
ELECTIVES: Choose two from the following:
BUS 122	Introduction to Business II	3
ECO 121	Principles of Macroeconomics	2
MAC 121	African Communication System	3
SOC 122	Introduction to Psychology	3
CDS 123	Community Development II	—
	Total Credits	23/24
	TOTAL SESSIONAL CREDITS – 44/ 46

200 LEVEL – FIRST SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 211	Introduction to Public Administration	3
POL 212	Nigerian Government and Politics I	2
POL 213	Introduction to International Relations	3
POL 214	Introduction to Political Analysis	2
CSC 211	Introduction to File Processing	2
IDS 211	Christian Life	2
FRN 211	Functional French	2
For Direct Entry Students Only:
GST 111	Use of English and Library I	2
GST 112	Philosophy and Logic	2
IDS 113	Community Development I	—
ELECTIVES : (3 Units) Choose two from the following:
BUS 211	Principles of Management I	3
SOC 212	Social Change I	3
REQUIRED CSS	Community Development	—
	Total Credits – 19 0r 23( for Direct Entry)	19/23

200 LEVEL – SECOND SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 221	Basic Statistics for Political Science	3
POL 222	Nigerian Government and Politics II	2
POL 223	Introduction to Local Government	3
POL 224	Foundations of Political Economy	3
GST 222	Peace and Conflict Resolution	2
IDS 221	Evangelism, Mission and Disciple-Making	2
FRN 221	Functional French II	2
(For Direct Entry Students Only)
GST 121	Use of English and Library II	2
GST 122	Nigerian Peoples and Culture	2
GST 123	History and Philosophy of Science	2
ELECTIVES: (3 Units) Choose two from the following:
POL 225	Politics of Women Liberation	2
BUS 221	Principles of Management II	2
SOC 225	Structure of Nigerian Society	2
	Total Credits 19 or 23 (for Direct Entry)	22 / 24

300 LEVEL – FIRST SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 311	History of Political Thought I (Liberalism)	2
POL 312	Logic and Methods of Political Inquiry	3
POL 313	Politics of Development and Underdevelopment	3
POL 314	Theories and Practice of Administration	2
POL 316	Decision Making and Public Policy Analysis	3
POL 317	Theories of International Relations	3
PUL 212	Introduction to Administrative Law	3
ENT 318	Entrepreneurial Development I	2
ELECTIVES (3 Units): Choose one from the following:
POL 315	Rural Development	3
POL 318	Comparative Government and Politics	3
POL 319	Politics of the Budgetary Process	3
	Total Credits	21/24

300 LEVEL – SECOND SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 321	Research Methods and Statistical Analysis	3
POL 322	Nigerian Public Administration	3
POL 323	Contemporary Political Analysis	3
POL 324	Political Behaviour	2
POL 326	History of Political Thought II (Marxism)	2
ENT 328	Entrepreneurial Development II	2
ELECTIVES (3 Units): Choose two from the following:
POL 325	Comparative Federalism	3
POL 327	Nigerian Local Government Administration	3
POL 329	Third World and Dependency	3
POL 320	Management Accounting and the Emerging	3
	Total Credits	18/21

400 LEVEL – FIRST SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 411	Comparative Local Government	3
POL 412	Development Administration	3
POL 413	International Economic Relations	3
POL 414	Inter-Governmental Relations	3
POL 417	Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Electoral Process	3
ELECTIVES: Choose two from the following:
POL 410	Foreign Policies of African States	3
POL 416	Public Personnel Administration	3
POL 418	Politics of Labour Relations	3
ECO 313	Public Finance	2
	Total Credits	18/19

400 LEVEL – SECOND SEMESTER COURSES

COURSE CODE	COURSE TITLE	CREDITS
	COMPULSORY
POL 422	Issues in Nigerian Politics and Administration	3
POL 423	State and Economy	3
POL 426	Nigerian Foreign Policy	3
POL 430	Original Research Essay	6
ELECTIVES: Choose two from the following:
POL 421	Politics and Law in Africa	3
POL 424	Foreign Policies of Superpowers	3
POL 425	Comparative Public Administration	3
POL 428	Insurgency and Counterinsurgency	3
	Total Credits	18/19

Admission Requirements

The mode of entry into the Degree programme is either by JAMB-UTME or Direct Entry.

Entry by JAMB-UME (Four Academic Years)

This mode of entry requires the following minimum qualifications:

Five credits in General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level or the Senior Secondary School (SSS) Certificate or Cambridge School Certificate, which should include English Language, Mathematics, Government or History, obtained in not more than two sittings.
Five credits in National Examinations Council (NECO), which should include English Language, Mathematics, Government or History, obtained in not more than two sittings; or
Any other equivalent qualification is subject to ratification by the University Senate and the University Matriculation Board.
In all these, the subjects required for the Joint Matriculation Examinations Board (JAMB) are:
- English Language;
- Mathematics;
- Government or History;
- Plus any other two or more relevant subjects.

Direct Entry (Three Academic Years)

This mode of entry requires the following minimum qualification:

Requirements as in (A) (i), (ii) and (iii) above; plus
Any of the following qualifications:

General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced level or Higher School Certificate (HSC) with a minimum of two principal papers (at appreciable high grades) of “A” to “C” only, obtained in one sitting in the following subjects: Government, Economics, History, or British Constitution or three subjects in one sitting with grades between “A” and “E”;
Diploma in Public Administration (DPA) with a credit grade or a minimum of merit grade, including other Diplomas such as social work, law, International Relations, etc., acceptable by the UMB or the Faculty Board;
Ordinary National Diploma (OND) from a recognised Polytechnic or College of Technology with a minimum of upper credit in a relevant discipline such as Government, Political Science or any Social Science discipline.
National Certificate of Education (NCE) with specialisation in Government or any social science discipline with a minimum of Upper credit.

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