Bachelor of Arts in Global Affairs and Digital Diplomacy
Africa negotiates continuously — on trade, on climate finance, on data flows, on critical minerals, on technology standards — and it does so with delegations that are frequently outnumbered and out resourced. The gap is not commitment but p...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- Foreign service officer
- trade negotiator and analyst
- international organisation programme officer
- policy analyst
- political and country risk analyst
- corporate government affairs officer
- regional integration specialist
- researcher in a think tank.
Employer types
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions
- the African Union, East African Community and regional bodies
- the United Nations system and international organisations
- trade ministries and negotiating teams
- non-governmental and humanitarian organisations
- corporate government affairs functions
- and research institutes.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- Competitive but genuinely accessible entry to diplomatic, multilateral and corporate affairs careers, strengthened by technical and negotiation differentiation.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Bachelor of Arts in Global Affairs and Digital Diplomacy. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 101 | AI Fluency I: How Intelligent Systems Work Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| GLA 110 | International Relations: Theory and Practice Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| GLA 111 | African International History and Political Economy Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 112 | Data and Quantitative Methods for Global Affairs Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| GLA 113 | Academic and Diplomatic Writing Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 102 | Quantitative Reasoning and Evidence Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| GLA 130 | International Law and Institutions Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 131 | International Trade, Finance and Development Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 132 | Negotiation Practicum I: Bilateral and Multilateral Method Performance | 5 | 1-0-8 |
| GLA 133 | Second Language I Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| COP 190 | Workplace Immersion (4 weeks, recess term) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 201 | Ethics, Society and the African Context Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| GLA 210 | Technology, Data Flows and Digital Trade Governance Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 211 | Regional Integration and the African Union System Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| GLA 212 | Security, Conflict and Peace Processes Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| GLA 213 | Second Language II Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 202 | Human Advantage: Argument, Writing and Teams Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 290 | Co-operative Education Placement I (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| GLA 230 | Diplomatic or Organisational Placement Performance | 5 | 0-0-0 |
| GLA 231 | Political and Country Risk Analysis Performance | 3 | 1-0-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 301 | AI Fluency II: Building, Evaluating and Auditing Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 390 | Co-operative Education Placement II (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| GLA 310 | Negotiation Practicum II: Live Simulation with External Delegations Performance | 5 | 1-0-8 |
| GLA 311 | Climate, Energy and Resource Diplomacy Both | 3 | 1-2-2 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 302 | Enterprise, Employability and Financial Literacy Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| FDC 401 | AI Fluency III: Domain Deployment, Governance and Assurance Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| FDC 402 | Capability Portfolio and Day One Preparation Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| GLA 330 | Global Affairs Capstone: Negotiation Brief or Policy Commission (client verified) Performance | 8 | 0-2-14 |
| GLA 331 | Public Diplomacy, Media and Strategic Communication Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
Total credit units: 133
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Bachelor of Arts in Global Affairs and Digital Diplomacy
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
TERM 1 (SIX MONTHS) | FORMERLY YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1
Year 1 · this step is worth 22 CU
Cumulative
22
Programme total
132
22 CU of 132 CU completed by the end of this step (17%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems FluencyLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential ReasoningLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual Judgement CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C4Communication and Persuasion CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C5Disciplinary MasteryLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C7Problem Framing and Systems Thinking CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
Critical capabilities for this programme: Ethical and Contextual Judgement · Communication and Persuasion · Problem Framing and Systems Thinking · Stewardship and Public Contribution. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Analyse international political and economic developments with rigour and independence.
- PLO 2Prepare and conduct a negotiation, including position papers and fallback strategy.
- PLO 3Explain the technological and data dimensions of contemporary international agreements.
- PLO 4Apply international law and institutional procedure correctly.
- PLO 5Represent a position publicly, in writing and under hostile questioning.
- PLO 6Assess political, security and country risk with evidence.
- PLO 7Work effectively across languages, cultures and institutional systems.
Why this programme exists
Africa negotiates continuously — on trade, on climate finance, on data flows, on critical minerals, on technology standards — and it does so with delegations that are frequently outnumbered and out resourced. The gap is not commitment but p...
Admission requirements
UACE with two principal passes in any subjects, plus UCE with five passes including English. Competence in a second language is an advantage and is developed within the programme. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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