Office of the Coordinating and Planning of the International Study Centers
1. Introduction
In 1990, PNU has commenced its overseas activities to revive the national identity of Iranians residing abroad and benefit from their technological, scientific and research potentialities and transfer their knowledge and experience to IRI and disseminate Persian Language and Literature throughout the world.
This office in its 2013-2014 academic years has 1368 Iranian and non-Iranian students in 3 degree levels of Bachelor (20 programs and fields of study), Master (39 programs and fields of study) and PhD (8 programs and fields of study) in 63 countries and 85 cities of the world. 308 of these students are from Afghanistan, Belarus, Lebanon, and Kuwait and the increasing interest of the applicants in studying at PNU led to the establishment of International Centers and Representatives in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Oman, Belarus, Tajikistan, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia and India, and some International Centers in the country (i.e., Kish, Asalooyeh and Gheshm). This office is also going to change the status of its 20 internal centers to International Centers.
Programs are on offer in Persian Language making use of several media. Instruction in other languages is eligible on demand and in case of having the required educational materials in that language. This office works under the supervision of the president of PNU and the Overseas Council. The members of this council are as the following: Vice-President for Education, Vice-President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Provincial Coordination, Director for the Statistics and Information Technology, Director General for the Office of the Coordinating and Planning of the International Study Centers, one of the Directors of the International Centers, Representative of the President and one of the University Faculty Members Knowledgeable in International Issues.
2. Admission
2-1 The Admission of Applicants in International Centers
Currently, applicants can continue their studies in these centers either through encompassing degree programs or by taking part in the National University Entrance Exam held by the National Organization for Educational Testing. Moreover, this office is going to hold special exams designed particularly for its international centers students.
2-2 The Admission of Iranian and Non-Iranian Applicants
This type of applicants will be admitted based on:
· Having Diploma degree issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology or the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Training of Iran for Bachelor level
· Having Bachelor Degree for Master level
· Having Master Degree and passing the paper-based exam and interview for PHD level
Note: PhD level applicants can continue their studies only in the field that they have got their MA. They should have also research, scientific and cultural records verified by PNU.
Non-Iranian applicants should have also a verification of their last educational records issued by either the IRI embassies or consulates on student residence or the Department of International Affairs and Schools Abroad or the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. In addition to having the above-mentioned conditions, these applicants are required to be familiar with Persian Language.
3. Required Documents for Registration
· Completed registration form
· A certificate for physical and psychological health
· A certificate for not having any record in one’s respective or resident country
· A copy of birth certificate and ID card or residency card and a copy of all of the passport pages
· An undertaking note for the payment of tuition fee
· Student visa (only for non-Iranian applicants who are going to continue their studies in one of the International Centers in IRI)
· Residency visa (only for Iranian applicants residing abroad)
· Last authentic educational records
4. Educational Evaluation
Students of each three degree levels will take part in the final exams at the end of each semester. These exams are held annually on May and June around the world either in the IRI embassies, consulates and cultural centers on students’ residence or on-line or in the International centers.
Based on the specified titles of the programs, international students have to take part in the collective exam at the end of each degree level and they should have obtained the passing score in this exam. Non-Iranian applicants and those students who have taken all of their exams on-line are exempted from participating in the collective exams.
By making use of electronic media in the administration of exams, the students of this center has benefited from 35% of reduction for the payment of the tuition fee.
5. Tuition Fee
The tuition fee will be specified annually by the University Board of Trustees on the basis of local and competitive conditions of PNU with other universities. The tuition fee of the students of the internal international centers will be one and a half to two and a half times as much as the tuition fee of the encompassing degree programs and the tuition fee of the students of the International Centers will be based on the table of the tuition fees authorized by the board of trustees (in Euros).
6. Recognition of Degrees
The graduates of this university will receive their degree from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. This degree is valid for the continuation of the education in upper levels in Iran as well as abroad, and for employment in all of the institutions and public organizations.
7. Students as Guests
PNU has provided the possibility of becoming a guest student for those students who have done part of their studies abroad and now for any reason they have to come back to Iran (only for the Bachelor and Master Degree Level students). Moreover, government or non-government employees that are PNU students or the students of other universities in Iran who may have to traveled and resided in abroad countries, while continuing their studies, can continue their studies abroad by having consultation with this office.
8. PhD Degree Programs for International Centers
This office admits students for PhD degree level in its representatives in the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan in the 2013 academic year after holding entrance exam, reviewing the research, scientific and cultural records of PhD applicants and interviewing with them. PhD programs have specified by the office of the MSRT Higher Education Developing Council.
The formal language of these programs is Persian and the content of these programs have specified based on the MSRT programs' list. PhD students have to participate in all of the classes. The number of the admitted students cannot exceed more than seven. Students of the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan representatives are not allowed to transfer to Iranian Universities. (Those students who have admitted as Afghanistan representative students are not permitted to take part in the entrance exam for Kabul center even if they have withdrawn from their study.)
PHD degree program students would graduate after having passed their courses, collective exam, general Language exam and obtaining the passing score for their doctoral dissertation.
9. Afghanistan PHD Degree Programs
General International Law, Persian Language and Literature, Economical Sciences
10. United Arab Emirates PhD Degree Programs
Teaching English Language, Distance Education Planning, Applied Mathematics (Operational Research (Control and Optimization)), Pure Mathematics (Commutative and Homological Algebra), Persian Language and Literature, Health Psychology
11. Programs on Offer in the InternationalCenters and Representatives
· Bachelor Degree Programs:
1. Theology and Islamic Sciences (Jurisprudence and Basics of Islamic Law) 2. Accountancy 3. Law 4. Human Geography (Rural, Urban) 5. General Psychology 6. Persian Language and Literature 7. Educational Sciences (Educational Planning Management) 8. Computer Sciences 9. History 10. English Language Translation 11. Business Administration
12. Computer Software Engineering *13. Industrial Engineering *14. Physical Education 15. Tourism Management *16. Project Management Engineering *17. MBA Engineering *18. Information Technology Engineering *19. Public Administration 20. Political Sciences
· Master Degree Programs:
1. Teaching English Language 2. History of Shiah
3. Philosophy and Islamic Kalam 4. Theology and Islamic Sciences (Tradition and Koranic sciences) 5. Theology and Islamic Sciences (Jurisprudence and Basics of Islamic Law) 6. Nahj-ol-Balagheh (Principles of Religion and Alavi Studies) 7. History (IRI History) 8. Natural Geography (Climatology of Environmental Planning) 9. Geography and Rural Planning 10. Geography and Urban Planning 11. International Law 12. Private Law 13. Criminal Law and Criminology 14. General Psychology 15. General Linguistics 16. Persian Language and Literature 17. Educational Sciences (Curriculum Planning) 18. History and Philosophy of Education (Education) 19. Economical Sciences 20. Public Administration (Human Resources Management) 21. Public Administration (Management of Change) 22. Public Administration (Methods and Organizations) 23. Executive Management 24. MBA 25. Business Administration (Marketing and International Commerce) 26. Ethics (Philosophy of Ethics) 27. Physical Education and Sports Sciences (General) *28. Applied Mathematics 29. Pure Mathematics 30. Physics (Nuclear) 31. Information Technology Management *32. Computer Engineering (Software) *33. Industrial Engineering *34. Accountancy
35. Sociology 36. Art Research 37. Architecture 38. Political Sciences 39. Social Sciences
· PHD Degree Program:
1. International Law
2. Persian Language and Literature
3. Economical Sciences
4. Teaching English Language
5. Distance Education Planning
6. Health Psychology
7. Pure Mathematics (Commutative and Homological Algebra)
8. Applied Mathematics (Operational Research)
*These programs are on offer only in the centers that have the required facilities.