Spring 2024

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 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.

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

An introduction to debates about the intersection of religion and conflict in politics and international affairs; theoretical, classical, and contemporary issues.

An examination of the role women have played in world politics focusing on issues of war and peace, the environment and the global economy.

Explore causes of human security, international responses to issues like violence, displacement and climate change; and the costs, benefits and effects of humanitarian intervention.

Impact of technological advances to global security and development. Focus on surveillance and cyber conflict; nuclear weaponry, aviation and UAVs missiles and BMD; submarines and ASW.

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.

Examination of key ideas from economics, demography and technology. Guest lecturers illuminate possible conditions of the Global Economy in 2040.

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.

Analysis of U.S. foreign policy since 1945 as a basis for understanding significant new trends. Explanation of contemporary issues in U.S. relations with other nations.

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

Critical perspectives on U.S. relations with the Middle East, including the discourses surrounding democracy and globalization.

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

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.

Analysis of Mexico and U.S.-Mexico relations, both historically and in the present day, to understand better the challenges in this key bilateral relationship.

Introduction to historical, thematic perspectives of French foreign policy since 1945 including review of external and internal constraints influencing foreign policy. (Paris semester only).

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

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.

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

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.

Examines causes, consequences and how to combat corruption as an economic, political and social problem.

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.

China's rise in the international political economy raises policy research questions, including an analysis of how this trend relates to U.S and Latin American relations. Recommended preparation: Micro and macro economics

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

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.

Focus on current politics in Latin America. Address a range of themes: electoral democracy, citizenship, political inclusion, human rights, corruption, economic inequality.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Explores cybersecurity, privacy, network neutrality and other critical issues in internet governance through the lenses of international political economy and media theories.