Program title and program code
Bachelor of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies
15.BA.0554/5/6/7
Authoring Team
Department of Bachelor of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies
Date Document Prepared
January 5th, 2021
Date of Initial Accreditation
July 1st, 2013
Date of International Accreditation
N/A
Academic Unit Delivering the Program
College of Security and Global Studies
Interdisciplinary or Jointly Offered Program
N/A
Delivery Support Partner (As Applicable)
N/A
Delivery Mode
On Campus (Face-to-Face) Full Time
Educational Aims of the Program
Goal 1: To be a career path program that will graduate experts, decision-makers and leaders in the field of security and strategic studies.
Goal 2: Motivate students to engage in constant learning inside and outside of the class; learn how to research and propose recommendations in the field of specialization in Security and Strategic Studies.
Goal 3: Offer quality teaching and research learning resources environment, conducive for undergraduate students.
Goal 4: Assure quality and consistency in learning outcomes of both theoretical and practical value, meeting the national market demands.
Goal 5: Continuously develop the program, ensuring operating strategic standards are met, aligning with the AUE’s mission; aligning with national and international standards and strategies and methodologies to produce original and advanced research in the intelligence and security field
Program Learning Outcomes
PLO1: Identify and Illustrate the concepts and principles of security and strategic studies.
PLO2: Interpret and apply the practices and theoretical approaches of disaster, crisis, emergency, and risk management.
PLO3: Develop and implement planning methods and processes for disaster, crisis, emergency, and risk management.
PLO4: Examine and assess the features of national and global affairs in security and strategy. PLO5: Identify and appraise the interdisciplinary implications of existing and future security threats and challenges
Completion Requirements
For undergraduate degree completion, undergraduate students must satisfy the following requirements:
1. Earn a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on a scale of 4.00.
2. Successfully complete all courses as described in the study plan
3. The Degree Completion requirements must be met minimum within 4 years and maximum within seven years.
4. Transfer students must successfully earn a minimum of 50% of the course credits for the program at AUE.
Program Structure
General Education Courses: 12 Courses (36 C.H)
Core Courses: 19 Courses (54 C.H)
Specialization Courses: 5 Courses (15 C.H)
Elective Courses: 5 Courses (15 C.H)
Total 40 Courses (120 C.H)
Support for Students & their Learning
The University provides various academic and student support services that aims to engage students in structured co-curricular activities and avail other support services to facilitate a holistic educational experience during their tenure at the University. The student services units at the University collectively provide quality support to students in terms of activities, career services, learning resources, academic advising, guidance and counseling, and financial support services.
Criteria for Admission
Freshman:
i. Holders of UAE Secondary School Certificate
Original Copy of the General Secondary School Certificate, attested by the UAE Ministry of Education. The minimum score average required for direct admission is based on the academic stream followed by the applicants during their senior school year ,as following: ·
- Advance/ Scientific stream: Minimum average is 75%
- General/ literary stream: Minimum average is 80%
- Other Streams (Technical, Vocational, Commercial ,,, etc): Minimum Average is 80%
ii. International students
Applications of holders of a non UAE High School Certificate, obtained abroad, are processed in accordance with the relative decrees by the UAE Ministry of Education, as follows: In general, holders of the National High School Certificate of a foreign country are eligible for admission if:
- The minimum average for admission as stipulated in part (i) is applied.
- The certificate is considered for admissions in public universities of the Country where it was delivered,
- The certificate was obtained after at least 11 years of schooling,
- The certificate includes at least 6 subjects covering the four areas: Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, and Social Sciences & Humanities or Arts.
- Holders of High School Certificates from countries having two-levels High School Certificates must submit the certificate of the higher level.
- Applicants are required to submit certificate of equivalency for their High School Certificates from the UAE Ministry of Education.
iii. Holders of American High School Diploma:
- The minimum average for admission as stipulated in part (i) is applied.
- High School Diploma (grade 10, 11 & 12) attested by the UAE Ministry of Education.
- Applicants are required to submit certificate of equivalency for their High School Certificates from the UAE Ministry of Education
iv. Holders of British System Certificate (IGCSE, GCSE):
The minimum required for university admission is a total of seven (7) subjects at O-level and AS/A2 level (5 o-level plus 2 AS/A level),with a minimum grade of “C”
The courses should cover at least four of the following fields:
- Mathematics
- Languages
- Sciences
- Social Studies and Humanities
- Arts and Design
in addition, students will need to submit the following documents to complete their admission process:
- School Leaving Certificate (Grade 13)
- Applicants are required to submit certificate of equivalency for their High School Certificates from the UAE Ministry of Education.
English Proficiency Requirement
In alignment with UAE Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) standards, all applicants for the Bachelor of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies should submit original valid copy for any of the following English proficiency exams:
| TOEFL ITP | 500 |
| TOEFL iBT | 61 |
| IELTS Academic | 5.0 |
| City & Guilds, International Test of English for speakers of Other Languages ESOL (IESOL) | B2 |
| EmSAT -English1 | 1100 |
| The Pearson test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | 44 |
| The Cambridge English: Advanced Test of English | 41 |
Placement Tests
All new applicants to undergraduate programs will need to sit for placement tests according to their program of study.
Admission Essay
The length of the essay should not be less than 250 words, and The essay will be evaluated during the admission interview by the faculty member who will conduct the interview in order to evaluate the applicants’ writing skills .
The essay should mainly tackle the following areas:
a) What are your vision and goals for your future?
b) How and why will a degree from AUE help you achieve your vision and goals?
c) The university slogan is “Nothing is Impossible” How does this apply to your life?
d) If AUE offers you a seat, how would you contribute to your university?
e) How does your professional & academic background prepare you for success in the future?
Admission Interview
All applicants to undergraduate programs will need to sit for admission interviews with faculty members from the college which they intend to join. The interview is evaluated through a designated rubric, which assesses the following areas:
- Written skills (through admission essay)
- Oral communication skills
- Leadership, initiative, and extracurricular activities
- Ability to succeed in the desired major
- Community engagement
- Recommendation letters (if any)
- Professional presentation and nonverbal cues
Identification
All applicants will need to submit an original valid copy of the following:
- Passport
- Emirates ID
- 4 recent passport-size photographs
- Certificate of Good Conduct (From police authorities in the UAE)
Facilities, including laboratories, studios or other specialist resources supporting the program;
The University possesses on campus total of 20 laboratories with 420 seating capacity, in addition to the University library that holds approximately 126 seats with four study rooms and 12 computer stations to facilitate and support students educational and research requirements.
Methods for Evaluating and Improving the Quality and Standards of Teaching and Learning;
To ensure a holistic approach towards the assessment of the effectiveness of teaching and learning, the BSSS program undertakes several key interrelated steps through lesson observation surveys, Student-Faculty Evaluation, and Class Observation Surveys. Based on the analysis and outcomes of the evaluation, the Chair of Department as part of the annual planning and assessment framework suggests improvement plans to reinforce teaching practices aiming to improving student outcomes.
Assessment Plan for Program Learning Outcomes
All Program Learning Outcomes are annually assessed, by assigning the Program Learning Outcomes to appropriate University’s strategic objectives. The Department Chair and program faculty members play a pivotal role in all facets of the program evaluation process: determining student learning outcomes, designing assessment plans, performing evaluations, reviewing assessment results, and using assessment findings to make program changes.
The one-year academic program plan involves direct and indirect measures for measuring the achievement of the defined Program Learning Outcomes. The curriculum mapping is essential part of the program assessment plan which involves regular examination and consistency of the mapping of course learning outcomes (CLOs) and program learning outcomes (PLOs).
At the end of the academic year, the program assesses its performance and success by analyzing and explaining what has went according to the plan and what did not go well along with appropriate supporting evidence of the outcomes. Based on the use of results, the program provides an improvement plan for each of the unattained goals for the next cycle, presuming that the planned objectives are attained in line with the defined targets. As a result, the program prepares Strategic Plan Annual Plan Reports (SPARs) which document the overall performance showing the use of results.
Indicators of Quality and Standards
- Student’s achievement of CLO 70% and above
- Student’s achievement of PLO 70% and above
- Students Evaluation on Course and faculty
- Benchmark the program with comparable programs offered in other institutions
- Program Annual Planning and Assessment Report
Program Matrices or Schematic:
Schedule of Delivery
BSS Course Schedule Fall 2021-2022
Program Learning Outcomes mapped to Course Learning Outcomes
CLO mapping to PLOs
Program Learning Outcomes mapped to descriptors of the QFEmirates for the appropriate program level;
PLO Mapping to QF Emirates
Teaching and Learning Methods
Faculty members in the Bachelor of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies employ a blend of instructional methodologies that include (a) expositive methods where the faculty member presents knowledge and the concepts on the subject to students during the classroom setting. Students are expected to acquire the knowledge and concept presented by the faculty and reflect their interpretation of information through assessments and activities. Furthermore, faculty encourages students’ engagement and interaction through frequently asking questions and providing regular feedback to students. (b) application methods that engage students in practical activities, from basic to more advanced approaches such as demonstration-practice techniques, scenario-based activities, project work, and/or research activities, and (c) collaborative methods that focus the social aspect of learning and allow students to exchange ideas among other classmates through class discussions, debates and presentations.
The application of critical thinking skills is emphasized to foster deep learning, and the use of collaborative learning skills to facilitate “real-world” problem solving. The instructional process is embedded to help students develop research and writing skills in order to design practical and effectiveness solutions. All courses in the program includes a data-driven evaluation component, which focuses on systematic outcomes and results, which are clearly tied to courses goals and objectives.
Assessment Methods
The program maintains a comprehensive syllabus for each course offered, that is accessible to every designated faculty and enrolled student. Each course syllabus comprises of adequate information to instruct faculty members throughout the course, and to aid students to be aware of the course learning outcomes, weekly topics, courses assessments and learning materials, in adherence to the CAA standards, Annex 13 Course Syllabi. The course syllabus outlines the deployment of different types of assessment methodologies applied within courses and outlines the mapping of the course assessments towards the appropriate course learning outcomes which are graded based on approved rubrics to ensure consistency and moderate grading on the students work.
The assessment activities implemented to evaluate the achievement of the learning outcomes includes a wide range of formative and summative approaches. They include but not limited to case studies, projects and presentation, and research papers. These assessments are related to the direct performance measures of student success.