Executive Summary

As a post-conflict nation transitioning into durable federalism, Somalia encounters highly interconnected political, administrative, and civil security conditions that necessitate capable, far-sighted, and analytical public leadership. The Master’s Degree in Political Science at the Somali National University’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research was established specifically to counteract the historical deficit of technical administrative capacity and strategic leadership within our public sectors. This advanced program focuses on localized institutional issues, including democratic state-building, state-level administrative fragmentation, constitutional engineering, and structural public policy formulation. By designing a deep framework built directly upon the university’s comprehensive undergraduate social science foundation, the program blends rigorous scientific theory, comparative policy models, and deep conflict resolution skills to produce public executives who can effectively steer the nation toward enduring institutional stability and democratic resilience.

Strategic Focus Domains

1. Theoretical Mastery & Academic Foundation

Candidates evaluate comprehensive theoretical frameworks and localized socio-political case studies across their structured modules, focusing on political sociology, theories of state and society, and comparative political institutions. This deep intellectual exposure enables students to grasp structural concepts of legitimate statehood, legislative frameworks, and the complicated interface of religion and politics, providing a solid foundation for evaluating state development.

1. Methodological & Analytical Implementation

The program layout prioritizes clear empirical competence, teaching students advanced qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research designs. Candidates master practical political communication tools, public sector evaluation frameworks, and national security risk assessment models. This hands-on capability allows them to critically evaluate public policy defects, process public opinion data, and generate concrete, evidence-backed administrative recommendations.

III. Research Integrity & Professional Leadership

Adhering strictly to standard international research ethics, the curriculum prepares students for rigorous independent inquiry, mandatory anti-plagiarism guidelines, and comprehensive master’s thesis defenses. Through interactive seminars in local public administration, multi-party conflict mediation, and civil policy advocacy, candidates develop the strategic leadership competencies and ethical standards needed to run government institutions and civic movements.

Candidate Profile & Career Pathway

This postgraduate curriculum is precisely developed for career civil servants, policy analysts, community leaders, and research directors intending to lead state institutional design. Upon the successful completion and oral defense of their research thesis, graduates move directly into critical executive roles across multiple high-level fields:

• Government & Public Administration — Serving as senior advisors, public administrators, institutional designers, and planning directors within federal ministries, regional state commissions, and localized government authorities.
• International & Regional Organizations — Coordinating institutional development, democratic support, and post-conflict governance programs with the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), IGAD, and non-governmental entities.
• Policy Research, Diplomacy & Civil Society — Directing empirical governance research within domestic think tanks, steering advocacy frameworks within non-governmental networks, or managing diplomatic negotiations and national conflict mediation boards.

Curricular Roadmap & Academic Milestones

Academic Term	Code	Course Title / Module Name	Credits	Classification
First Semester	PC 1101	Political Communication	3	Core Requirement
	CPS 1102	Comparative Political System	3	Core Requirement
	TSS 1103	Theories of State and Society	3	Core Requirement
	IAP 1104	Introduction to African Politics	3	Core Requirement
Second Semester	IP1205	International Politics	3	Core Requirement
	RM1206	Political Sociology	3	Core Requirement
	NSS1207	National Security Studies	3	Core Requirement
	RP1208	Religion and Politics	3	Core Requirement
Third Semester	FPA2309	Foreign Policy Analysis	3	Specialization
	PS2310	Research Methodology	3	Faculty Core
	ID2311	International Development	3	Specialization
	PE2312	Political Economy	3	Specialization
Fourth Semester	MATH2413	Thesis Writing	3	Degree Milestone / Viva Voce