The Department of International Relations began as an International Relations Program in Fall 2012/2013 after the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research initially accredited it. A coordinator chaired the Program until 2015/2016 when it was renamed Department of International Relations which is now headed by a department chair. The Department of International Relations strives to be leading, locally and regionally, in providing quality teaching and learning, research, community service, and academic programs that contribute to meeting the needs of the local, national, and regional communities
The number of our students grew substantially, from 11 students when the program began to over 400 students in Fall 2019/2020. To provide more opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, the Department is in the process of expanding its academic programs to include a BSc. degree in Political Science and a master's degree program in International Relations. Embracing diversity in its faculty, the Department features faculty members with doctoral degrees from universities in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, and Poland.
