THE IBRAHIM BADAMASI BABANGIDA GRADUATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Graduate Program in International Studies, University of Liberia, was established in 1988. The program was designed to enable students to specialize in International Relations, Political Theory, Comparative Politics and American Government and Politics. The duration of the program is two years for full time students and four years, but not more than five years for Part-time Students. During the first year, all enrolled students are to register for compulsory core courses that reflect a general and broad coverage of Political Science. The subsequent year allows students to specialize intensively in their respective areas of greater interests. A minimum of forty-eight credit hours of graduate work must be completed in graduate studies including six credit hours devoted to thesis for the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree. Students who are admitted to candidacy for the M.A. degree, must have completed in residence, at least three credit hours of grade “A” and at least fifteen credit hours with an average grade of “B” or better. There is no discrimination in the admission policy. 

Admission is open to holders of Undergraduate degree from any accredited University or comparable institution with 23 cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. Consideration is given in special cases when applicants with at least 2.7 cumulative grade point average, are admitted on a Provisional Status for one semester only. Another aspect of a special case is when applicants without comparable background in Political Science are admitted. They are required to rectify their deficiencies in their undergraduate preparations successfully completing four pre-requisite non-credit courses with a minimum of “B” or better before admission into the regular graduate program. At present, applicants to the program are required to sit for the General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) administered by the Testing and Evaluation Center, and successful candidates are forwarded to the program. At IBB a full-time student is allowed to carry 12 credits hours per semester.