Spring 2018

Basic concepts of world affairs for non-majors. Development ofcompetency to understand and critically evaluate global relationsand international events, stressing empirical approaches. Not available for major credit.

Exploration of the major social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical disagreements that exist between scholars, leaders, and citizens concerning today's most serious environmental issues and problems. Not available for credit to environmental studies majors and minors.

Comprehensive introduction to contending theoretical and analytical approaches; development of critical, evaluative, cognitive, and analytical competencies regarding historical and contemporary issues.

Introduction to theoretically oriented research approaches and designs; emphasis on the logic of argumentation.

Introduction to historical research methods with an emphasis on historical texts and modes of discourse.

Economic and political concepts necessary to the understanding of the modern global economy. Topics include international trade, foreign investment and migration.

The role and evolution of espionage and intelligence as tools of statecraft are examined. Open, covert, clandestine, counterintelligence programs and oversight processes are considered.

Examines the strategies for managing global issues in the post Cold War period. Explores ways that international institutions, national governments and non-state actors work separately and together to provide order and control over complex international issues areas. Issues that will receive attention could include financial and monetary relations, trade and foreign investment, preservation of the environment, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, population and migration, terrori

The emergence of international organizations as a permanent feature in world politics; role of the United Nations Organization as well as regional international organizations.

Analysis of recent events, forces, and conditions in the international political system.

Interdisciplinary study of the pursuit of peace, including causes of wars, arms races, conflict resolution, peace movements, nonviolent resistance, and peace with justice.

Africa remains the world's poorest region; why? since when? will it remain so? tentative answers drawn from a number of disciplines.

Explore causes of human security threats, challenges to state sovereignty, and actions to address failed states, conflicts and protect people through humanitarian intervention.

Examines the politics of managing the global environment. The nature of ecosystems, commons problems, population and resource utilization problems along with biodiversity and global governance are emphasized.

The U.S. economy and political-economic institutions in comparative perspective; economic diplomacy and policy; role of trade barriers, exchange rates, foreign aid, energy, foreign investment.

The international financial and monetary regime, its evolution and the problems facing it today

Exploration of questions and concepts in international economics and politics, especially as they relate to flows of trade, capital, people, and problems across borders.

Economic reform, the open door, and China's changing role in the international system. Relations with the United States, Japan, and other key powers in Asia. Tensions between the interests of American business and the human rights community over China policy.

Sources, consequences, challenges to China's economic growth, including rural and urban economies, entrepreneurship, central and local governments, inequality, trade, investment, finance, demographics, and the environment.

Causes and effects of use and spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; responses to WMD, including deterrence, preventive war, and non-proliferation policies and negotiations.

Overview of Tsarist and Soviet experience as background to detailed examination of the political, economic and ideological forces behind contemporary Russian foreign policy.

Exploration of international law and international politics, including sovereignty, war, international tribunals, the environment, and human rights.

Presents critical perspectives to analyze U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, including the discourses surrounding energy security, military interventionism, globalization, democracy promotion, and terrorism.

Introduction to problems and issues in the Middle East today: religio-ethnic rivalries, conflicting nationalisms and ideologies, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Middle East oil.

The main economic development themes and strategies in Latin America over the past century. The interplay between domestic and international variables, and the resulting dynamic changes.

Examines Latin America's experience with democracy emphasizing events since the 1980s. Analyzes the roles of interest groups, ideology, domestic politics, bureaucratic processes, perceptions and analogical reasoning.

Examination of diplomatic and moral relationships between sovereign states and transnational non-state actors, both benevolent (humanitarian groups and philanthropies) and malevolent (mercenaries, pirates and terrorists).

Modern and post-modern perspectives on changes in the inter-state system, relations among cultures and civilizations, the conditions of ecologically sustainable human development.

Origins, intensity, management and/or resolution of regional conflicts in developing countries and the role and intervention of great powers.

Introduction to key security trends in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing strategic competition between U.S., Russia, and China; regional military capabilities; rise of neutrality politics.

(Paris Semester only) Historical overview of interactions between Muslims and Europeans. Islam: origins, history and circumstances that led to its revival. France's immigration policy.

Intensive internship experience in international relations professional areas with academic research component (may be repeated for credit different semesters)

Collaborative research projects under faculty supervision. Regular skills training and professionalization workshops.

Causes of war; means of prevention and consequences of war.

Addresses unfinished question of public policy. Provides experience in interviewing and field research, oral presentation and collective discussion and deliberation. Open to juniors and seniors only.

Intermediate statistical computing and data visualization in R. Focus the on graphical presentation of complex statistical relationships. Students create publication-ready figures for actual faculty research projects.

Should environmental issues be treated as threats to security? Survey of recent literature explores global environmental politics using a security framework. Recommended preparation: Environmental studies course work.

Introduction to important economic issue areas that are understood as security-related in the contemporary world: population, food, trade, debt, etc.

Factors determining the feasibility, desirability and limits of economic globalization; the dynamics triggered by the Global Financial Crisis and the backlash against Globalization.

Explores origin and nature of ethnic strife among post-socialist states (ethnicity and national revival, modern histories of East-Central Europe and Russia, problems and conflict resolution).

Economic, political, territorial, and security issues; foreign policy decision-making; relations with major powers and neighboring states.

Critical discussion of alternative approaches explaining the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy: domestic politics, organizational processes, group dynamics, individual personality and perception.

Exploration of the influence of American religion on foreign policy from Colonial Era to present; how the news media, reporting on international stories, shapes public opinion.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Local, national, and international internships. Not available for graduate credit.

Preparation and oral defense of senior honors thesis before supervising faculty and fellow honors students. Senior status and acceptance to program required. Recommended preparation: IR 311.

Selected topics in various special areas within international relations, which may vary from semester to semester or within semesters.

Analyzes the role of memory on national identity formation and justification of foreign policy goals, particularly its impact on international propaganda and persuasion efforts.

Research problems in political, economic, military, and ideological issues.

Research leading to the Master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Study of contemporary institutions in selected regions of the world. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department.

Subjects specifically relevant to an international relations field; conducted for Ph.D. students, sometimes conducted as intensive short courses.