500 Dual Level Courses
Please note: The syllabi available for viewing on this website are intended for general informational purposes only. The actual syllabi used in class will change from semester to semester; additionally, professors often make minor changes to assignments over the course of the semester. Students should use the syllabi distributed in class as a guide for course assignments and book purchases and should not rely on the syllabi posted here, unless directed to do so by their instructor.
JUMP TO MIDDLE – - | – - JUMP TO END
CAS IR 500 Topics in International Relations
Examines various aspects of International Relations. Topics vary from semester to semester.
CAS IR 503 (PO 570) United States Foreign Policy in the Middle East
Examines the historical development and present status of the United States’ association with the Middle East: American commercial, economic, political, military, and humanitarian interests in the area and their interaction. Norton
CAS IR 504 The Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula
Prereq: Limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. The Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula system as a major focus of international concern. An in-depth examination of the political, economic and societal evolution and dynamics of these states: their interrelationships; superpowers’, European, and Japanese policies toward them. Norton
CAS IR 506 India: An Emerging World Power
Prereq: Junior standing or consent of instructor. Examines the complex dynamics of India’s emergence as an independent nation, its continuance as a vibrant if contentious democracy, the ways in which the Indian democratic and international experience has been shaped by its history, culture, political structures, society, and economy. Haqqani
CAS IR 507 The Muslim and Western Worlds — Prospects for a “Clash of Civilizations”
This course explores the perennially troubled relationship between the Western and Muslim worlds. Its central aim is to shed light on the realities and mutual misperceptions that give credence to the perceived cultural fault line between Muslims and Westerners. Dunbar
CAS IR 508 Islamic Political Movements and U.S. Policy
Studies the origin and impact of various revivalist Islamic political movements and their intersection with U.S. foreign policy. Examines their ideologies, their views of the West, and their contribution to the rise of terrorism. Haqqani
CAS IR 509 (PO 573) Islam in Middle East Politics
Analysis of Islam in the classical and popular forms; examination of the role of the Muslim religion in the international politics of the modern Middle East, especially Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Libya; their interrelationships and their attitudes toward the West. Norton / Rollman
CAS IR 511 The Middle East Today
A critical survey of the rise and development of modern nations, states, and economies in the Middle East and North Africa since 1900 that provides context and perspective essential for understanding contemporary issues (e.g., peace process, gender relations, religion’s roles, democracy). Rollman
CAS IR 513 (PO 546) Bureaucracy and Governance: A Comparative Inquiry
Prereq: Junior standing or consent of instructor. Bureaucracy is not only credited with underpinning economic development but also blamed for corruption and inefficiency. Exploring both theory and comparative development, this course looks at some of the most basic and important issues informing our understanding of governance. Fewsmith
CAS IR 516 Intelligence and Homeland Security
Aspects of homeland security, including information and intelligence sharing, the role of first responders, the structure and functioning of the system, and defensive and operational aspects. No prior knowledge of intelligence or security issues required. Hulnick / Wippl
CAS IR 520 (PO 562) The State and Public Purpose in Asia
Explores how non-communist Asian governments have attempted to advance public purpose, and how organizational factors in countries’ governments affect their ability to do so. These questions are addressed in a comparative framework considering theory and cases. Grimes
CAS IR 521 Congress and National Security
Seminar on the constitutional, historical, and practical role of the U.S. Congress in foreign defense policy. Analyzes the powers of the relevant committees and illustrates Congress’ role in war making, treaties, appointments, and broad policy directions. Wippl
CAS IR 522 (HI 566) Ideas and American Foreign Policy
Examines the intellectual foundations of U.S. foreign policy from the founding of the republic to the present. Bacevich
CAS IR 527 (PO 527) Political Economy of China
Addresses: How did China implement economic reform? What were the progresses and limitations? How is China’s political-economic development influencing the global system? Discussions are conducted in a comparative perspective. Countries of reference include Japan and India. Ye
CAS IR 531 Intercultural Communication
Examines communicative problems that arise in contact between people from different cultural backgrounds in everyday life, social service encounters, and business transactions. Uses interdisciplinary approaches to study how verbal and nonverbal presentation, ethnic, gender, and cultural differences affect communication. Haqqani / Maître
CAS IR 535 Diplomacy and Statecraft
Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Examines the mechanisms and process of diplomacy in historical context, to assess approaches to the implementation of foreign policy, analyze the success and failure of these approaches in different circumstances, and consider wider issues in the application of statecraft. Goldstein
CAS IR 536 (GE 536) European Environmental Policy
Focuses on key concepts, actors, and issues related to European integration, environmental policy making, and sustainable development. Also examines transatlantic environmental relations and the role of the European Union in global environmental governance. Selin
CAS IR 538 France, Europe, and the World: The History of French Foreign Relations in Modern Times
An advanced research colloquium restricted to history and international relations concentrators and graduate students that will explore the evolution of France’s position in Europe and the world from the beginning of the First World War to the present. Keylor
CAS IR 539 State-Formation and Nation-Building in Southeastern Europe: From Byzantium to Brussels
This course examines the politics of Southeastern Europe after the Cold War, in terms of the twin processes of state formation and nation building. The unity and diversity of Balkan politics are explored through Byzantine, Ottoman, Cold War, and EU histories. Prodromou
CAS IR 540 Committing to Defend Europe: The U.S. and the U.K.
Parallel history of twentieth-century U.S. and U.K. departures from isolationism. Emphasis on three instances of overcoming reluctance to commit forces to the continent: World War I, World War II, and the creation of NATO. Attention to current NATO policies and questions about its future. Fromkin
CAS IR 542 (PO 556) The Reemergence of Russia
Disintegration of the old Soviet system and signs of a reemerging Russia; careers of Gorbachev and Yeltsin and their attack on the foundations of Stalinism; Moscow’s role in the 1989 revolutions; the August 1991 coup d’ètat. The legacy of communism in the present medical and ecological crisis; current political developments. Lukes
CAS IR 543 (PO 557) The Changing Face of Eastern Europe
Domestic and foreign policies of East European states, their relations with the former Soviet Union and with each other. Emphasis is on the period 1989-1992, but recent events are presented within the historical contexts. Analysis of the formation and subsequent implosion of the Soviet sphere in Europe. The collapse of communism in Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and its impact on the Soviet crisis, the Western alliance and international relations. Lukes
CAS IR 546 Power and Legitimacy: Ideology as a Political Tool
Using original texts from Plato to Havel, political theories and ideologies are studied as instruments of power. Analysis of the relationship between ideas, political elites, institutions, decision-making processes, and legitimacy. Emphasis is on the newly emerged post-totalitarian states. Lukes
CAS IR 548 United Nations Peacekeeping
Provides an understanding of the problems confronting United Nations-led efforts to prevent armed conflict before it starts, contain and end such conflicts once they start, and create conditions whereby an enduring peace can be maintained. Dunbar
CAS IR 549 Politics and International Relations of the Federal Republic of Germany
Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Analysis of contemporary German polity; domestic and international forces that have created the strengths and weaknesses of the present-day German state; implications for the viability of German political institutions and for Germany’s present and future role in the world. Berger
CAS IR 550 European Integration
Assesses the meaning of ” European Union” in its domestic, foreign policy and economic dimensions. To understand the opportunities and limits of cooperation and conflict, relevant areas of European Community policy are discussed from a functionalist and realist perspective. Schmidt
JUMP TO TOP – - | – - JUMP TO END
CAS IR 551 Social Europe: Identity, Citizenship, and the Welfare State
Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. The past, present, and future of “social Europe.” Impact of European economic and political integration on national identities, cultures, politics, and citizenship; EU policies affecting these social constructions; and changes over time in the welfare state. Schmidt
CAS IR 552 Nordic Europe
A brief historical overview of the region from the Viking Age to the emergence of the modern states is followed by study of the Nordic countries with respect to the European Union, security arrangements, and assistance to the developing world. Corgan
CAS IR 553 Masterworks of International Affairs
Close reading of one or more of the following, with applications of their teachings to historic and contemporary problems: Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War; Xenophon, Anabasis and the Education of Cyrus; Tacitus, The Annals; Sun Tsu, The Art of War; Kau-tilya, The Arthasastra; Persia’s Shah Nameh; Machiavelli, The Prince and The Discourses; Winston Churchill, The Life of Marlborough; Clausewitz, On War; and Charles DeGaulle, France and Her Army and The Edge of the Sword. Fromkin
CAS IR 556 Current Intelligence Issues
Examines U.S. intelligence needs, with an emphasis on preparing for international developments in advance. Addresses issues of transnational terrorism and proliferation in additional to traditional concerns such as rogue states, counterintelligence, organized crime, regional rivals, and rising powers. Wippl
CAS IR 557 Guerrilla Warfare and Terrorism
Advanced undergraduate course dealing with recent and ongoing guerrilla and terrorist campaigns worldwide. Origins, ideologies, and doctrines. Maître
CAS IR 560 (RN 560) The Politics of Religion, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in International Relations
Prereq: junior standing. Explores causes, consequences, and patterns of resurgent religion, ethnicity, and nationalism in post-Cold War international relations, using interdisciplinary scholarship, policy literatures, and case studies. Prodromou
CAS IR 561 (RN 561) The Multiple Modernities of Religion and International Relations
Explores role of religion in contemporary international relations as part of broader problems of what constitutes the common core of modernity. Review scholarly and policy literature, and case studies, to elucidate intellectual and operational diversity of religion in international relations. Prodromou
CAS IR 562 Politics and Religion in Modern Europe: Church-State Relations in Comparative Perspective
This course examines the relationship between politics and religion in modern Europe. Through a comparative treatment of church-state constitutional arrangements in a religiously plural Europe, the course considers the implications for issues of public religion, human rights, and democracy. Prodromou
CAS IR 566 Democracy in Latin America
Provides an overview of democracy’s achievements and challenges in Latin America. Draws comparisons between stable and unstable democracies in the region, and analyzes the reasons for, and implications of, these differences. Blanco
CAS IR 567 (PO 567) Latin American Politics
The nature and evolution of politics in the region, with emphasis on 20th Century patterns in specific countries. Considers the physical, historical, social, and economic constraints that have affected political development and the various explanations available to advance our understanding. Palmer
CAS IR 568 (PO 568) U.S.-Latin American Relations
The international context within which Latin American countries operate, with primary emphasis on U.S. policy toward the region. Includes historical overview, the policy-making process itself, and case studies of specific policy issues. Blanco / Palmer
CAS IR 570 Politics and Social Change in Postwar Japan
A survey of Japanese political development from 1968 (the Meiji Restoration) to the present, followed by a detailed analysis of the social and economic bases of Japanese politics, contemporary institutions and processes, and domestic and foreign policy issues. Berger
CAS IR 572 The Latin American Military
Addresses the Latin American military’s historical development and current role within the context of the authoritarian tradition. Political disposition, military capabilities, and the armed forces’ strategic thinking are considered. Blanco
CAS IR 573 Introduction to Public International Law
Considers the role of international law in efforts to solve current problems of world order. Emphasis on environmental protection and the regulation of ocean space and resources; the role of law in conflict and cooperation, and in the quest for international security. Chehabi
CAS IR 574 (PO 574) Ethics and International Relations
Examines important ethical approaches to normative controversies of contemporary world politics. Such questions as: Is my nation always right? Can war be justifies? Is terrorism always wrong? What is the place of human rights in foreign policy? Jackson
CAS IR 575 (PO 553) Political Economy of Mexico and NAFTA
Explores the dynamics of contemporary Mexico’s political economy and Mexico’s participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement in order to understand the causes and effects of the profound transformation of Mexico in recent years. Addresses challenges that lie ahead. Thacker
CAS IR 577 (PO 578) Foreign Policy of the People’s Republic of China
Explores China’s perception of its role in the world, its evolution from a regional to a world power, and its security and economic relationships within the international system. Relationships with the superpowers, Third World, and world economy, focusing on technology and capital transfers. Fewsmith
CAS IR 578 Foreign Intelligence and Security Systems
Description and analysis of the intelligence and security systems of major nations in the western, eastern, and developing worlds. Organization, practices, and programs are explored to define patterns of behavior and the effect on the security policies of foreign nations. Hulnick
CAS IR 579 (PO 579) Japan in International Politics
International and domestic influences on Japan’s international behavior in the past as a predictor of Japan’s future role in international politics. Covers Japan’s role in the Cold War, post-war Asia, and the management of the global economy. Examines viability of post-Cold War US.- Japan relationship. Berger / Grimes
CAS IR 581 The Evolution of Strategic Intelligence
Prereq: limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Examines the uses of strategic intelligence by modern world leaders in shaping policy and the effects of intelligence on world events. Various uses of intelligence – collecting information analysis, counterintelligence, and secret operations – are explored with emphasis on the period from the Congress of Vienna to the end of the Cold War. Hulnick / Wippl
CAS IR 582 (PO 582) Taiwan: Politics and Transformation
Examines Taiwan’s history, economic development, ethnic identity, democratization, and its controversial position in international politics as a key to understanding questions of political economy, democratic transition, and East Asian security. Fewsmith
CAS IR 583 Aspects of Defense Planning and Technology
Limited to seniors and graduate students. An introduction and survey for the non-specialized student. Topics include superpowers in military alliance, conventional and nuclear defense, doctrines and their tools, defense industries in free economies and under socialism, efficiency and national defense, NATO and the Falklands War, and concepts of interoperability. Maître
CAS IR 585 (PO 558) Problems and Issues in Post-Mao China
An in-depth examination of politics in post-Mao China, this course focuses on several critical issues and uses various conceptual frameworks to try to understand why the reform process broke down and examines prospects for the future. Fewsmith
CAS IR 586 Islam in South Asian Politics
Prereq: limited to seniors and graduate students except by consent of instructor. Examines the relations among state, politics, and Islam in South Asia, with particular focus on the unsolved conflicts over Kashmir and Afghanistan. Haqqani
CAS IR 587 Political Economy of the Middle East
Considers the state of the Middle Eastern political economy and focuses on the failure of the rentier state and the difficulty of political and economic liberalization. Themes are petroleum, the uncertain course of political pluralism, and political Islam. Dunbar
CAS IR 589 North Atlantic/European Security Issues
Examination of the post-Cold War security environment in the North Atlantic/greater Europe context. Exploration of threats to security, mechanisms in place and emerging (NATO, CFE, WEU, etc.), and challenges posed by changes since the fall of 1989. Corgan
CAS IR 590 (PO 550) Political Economy of Latin America
Addresses historical and contemporary issues in Latin American political economy. Uses case studies and cross-regional comparisons to assess competing explanations. Analyses the current political and economic situation facing Latin America in its quest for economic growth and development. Thacker
CAS IR 591 (HI 591, UNI SS 591) The Making of the Modern Middle East
Examines the modern Middle-East, with its new and old states and its current contested frontiers as a product of European rivalries in the region in war and peace, 1798 – 1922. Fromkin
CAS IR 594 (GE 594) Global Environmental Negotiation and Policy
Key concepts, actors, concerns, and issues related to the process of negotiating global environmental policies. Overviews of the international system and environmental problematic; an international negotiation simulation; case studies of global agreement on ozone depletion, climate change, desertification, and biodiversity, among others. Selin
CAS IR 596 Globalization and Contemporary Capitalism in Advanced Industrialized Nations
How has globalization affected national sovereignty and control? Competing hypotheses are examined with specific reference to the internationalization of trade and the financial markets, and its impact on the three postwar models of capitalism. Schmidt
CAS IR 597 (GE 597) Development and Environment in Latin America
Provides an empirically based understanding of the social and environmental aspects of economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for purposes of analyzing the numerous trade and development policies that nations in LAC are currently considering. Gallagher
CAS IR 598 International Business Intelligence and Security Practices
Introduction to practices of international business intelligence and industrial security, including legal and ethical issues, and investment and market analysis for strategic planning. Lectures are supplemented by a team exercise on dealing with risk in the overseas environment. Hulnick
CAS IR 599 (GE 599) Science, Politics, and Climate Change
This course applies a science and technology studies perspective to climate change science and policy. The course examines the relationships between scientific and political systems with a focus on climate change science and policy at global, national and local levels. Selin
JUMP TO MIDDLE – - | – - JUMP TO TOP