CAS PO 327 Non-State Actors in International Relations (4 credits)
Examines the important role of non-state actors in international relations. Non- state actors include sub national governments, international organizations, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, violent groups, for-profit security firms, social movements, and grassroots organizations.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 329 International Political Economy (4 credits)
Emphasizes the dynamic interaction between politics and economics to understand and explain historical and contemporary issues in international political economy, including international monetary, trade, investment, financial, and environmental relations. Considers emerging challenges and structures in the international political economy.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

*Meets with CAS IR 390.

CAS PO 343 Europe and International Relations (4 credits)
Provides an overview European affairs. Topics include the foreign policies of  European nations, the dynamics of European integration, NATO, international migration and ethnic conflict,  and European relations with the United States, Russia, and neighboring countries.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 351 China:  from Revolution to Reform (4 credits)
Explores the economic, political, and social upheavals that followed the Chinese  revolution in 1949 and the cause of subsequent inauguration of reform in the late 1970s. Analyzes the  tensions that brought about the 1989 upheaval in Tiananmen Square, as well as the implications of China’s  emergence as an economic power. This course fulfills a single unit of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Historical Consciousness
  Social Inquiry I

*Meets with CAS IR 370.

CAS PO 352 Rise of China (4 credits)
China’s political, economic, and strategic development since the late nineteenth  century, with emphasis on the period since 1949. Examines three questions: In what ways is China rising?  How did it happen? What are the impacts of China’s rise on the U.S. and the global system? This course fulfills a single unit of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Social Inquiry I
  Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  Research and Information literacy

*Meets with CAS IR 365.

CAS PO 354 Southeast Asia in World Politics (4 credits)
Examines Southeast Asia as an important emerging political, economic, and security region in world politics. Background materials, including the region’s history, cultural diversity, and geo-strategic position, are given weight in the course. This course fulfills a single unit of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Oral and/or Signed Communication
  Critical Thinking

CAS PO 355 International Relations of South Asia (4 credits)
Introduction to South Asia and regional conflict and cooperation. Focus on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka inter-state relations; great power interventions; power distributions; norms; political, military, and economic conflict and cooperation.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements

CAS PO 356 Nuclear Security (4 credits)
Provides students with the foundation for understanding nuclear security in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the American Cold War experience, the growing threat of nuclear proliferation, the renaissance of civilian nuclear power, safeguards, and nuclear weapons under budget constraints. Effective Fill 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Ethical Reasoning
  Oral and/or Signed Communication
  Teamwork/Collaboration

CAS PO 357 Causes of War and Peace (4 credits)
War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen? This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Ethical Reasoning
  Social Inquiry II

*Meets with CAS IR 347.

CAS PO 360 Introduction to Latin American Politics and International Relations (4 credits)
(BU Hub Pathway: Social & Racial Justice)

Introduction to the patterns and complexities of Latin American politics and foreign policies. Focuses on the distinctive Latin American political experience and alternative explanations for it, including  colonization, the international economy, and human and material resource capacity and utilization. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Historical Consciousness
  Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

*Meets with CAS IR 367.

CAS PO 377 Africa in International Politics (4 credits)
Introduction to the international relations of post-colonial Africa. Core themes   include the politics of post-independence international alignments, the external causes and effects of   authoritarian rule, and Africa’s role in the global political economy.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

*Meets with CAS IR 351.

CAS PO 380 Special Topics in IR (4 credits)
Recent topics include:  Wars, Peace, and Diplomacy and The Middle East in Crisis.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 381 History of American Foreign Relations Since 1898 (4 credits)
Analysis of the history of American foreign policy from the perspective of the changing world and regional international systems; emphasis on the effect of these systems and the impact of America on the creation and operation of international systems. This course fulfills a single unit of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Historical Consciousness
  Social Inquiry II

*Meets with CAS IR 376 AND CAS HI 287.

CAS PO 384 Global Governance and International Organization (4 credits)
Provides an overview of major theoretical perspectives on the creation and function  of international organizations, comparative case studies of selected organizations, and an examination of  present and future roles of international organizations in selected issue areas. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Social Inquiry I
  Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy

CAS PO 503 U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Senior standing.

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.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 533 Globalization of Nationalism (4 credits)
This course focuses on the problem of nationalism, distinguishing types, examining origins, and analyzing political, social, and economic implications. Emphasis in Spring 2016 is on nationalism’s spread into territories in Asia, specifically China, and under the cover of religion (e.g., ISIL) and secular social movements (e.g., “June Days” in Brazil).

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 536 Social Europe: Identity, Citizenship, and the Welfare State (4 credits)
Prerequisite: 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.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

*Meets with CAS IR 551.

CAS PO 552 Japan in International Politics (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

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 the post-Cold War U.S.-Japan relationship.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 558 War and Society in the Modern Age (4 credits)
This course takes a state-oriented approach to understanding war in the modern age (as distinct from focusing on segments of the armed forces). How states fight wars and how changes in warfare affect the relationship between state and society. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Historical Consciousness

CAS PO 559 Wars, Peace, and Diplomacy (4 credits)

Why do wars occur? What constitutes peace? How is peace maintained or lost? What are the virtues and deficiencies of diplomacy as practitioners have implemented it? How do memory, justice, and the requirements of security interact in the international arena? Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  Ethical Reasoning

CAS PO 560 Rwanda: Genocide and Its Aftermath (4 credits)
Prereq: Freshman Writing Seminar

Explores the factors that led to the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, how Rwanda compares to other cases of genocide and extreme violence, and the efforts in post-genocide Rwanda to rebuild, pursue justice, and promote reconciliation. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area(s):

  Writing-Intensive Course
  Ethical Reasoning
  Research and Information Literacy

CAS PO 565 U.S. Latin American Relations (4 credits)
(BU Hub Pathway: Social & Racial Justice)
Prerequisite: First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)

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. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Historical Consciousness
  Critical Thinking
  Writing-Intensive Course

*Meets with IR 568.

CAS PO 576 The Foreign Policy of the People’s Republic of China (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

Explores the evolution of China’s perceptions of its role in the world. Emphasizes both China’s changing security and economic relationships within the international system, and its attempts to evolve from a regional to a world power. In addition to a critical examination of China’s relationships with the superpowers and Third World, this course examines China’s changing relationship to the world economy, with particular reference to technology and capital transfers.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 577 The Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula (4 credits)
Prerequisites:Limited to Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students AND First-Year Writing (WR 120 or equivalent) 

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. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  Critical Thinking
  Writing-Intensive Course

CAS PO 578 The United States as a World Power (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students only.

The course material is organized along a debate format. Although the course is primarily concerned with twentieth-century US foreign policy, attention is also given to eighteenth-and nineteenth-century issues.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 582 North Atlantic/European Security Issues (4 credits)
Perquisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of the post Cold War security environment in the North Atlantic and greater European context. Exploration of threats to security, mechanisms in place and emerging (NATO, CSCE, CFE, WEU), and challenges posed by changes since fall 1989.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

*Meets with CAS IR 589.

CAS PO 583 Gender and War (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

Examines gender constructions in world politics. Topics include gender biases in international relations theories, female and male roles in war, and rape as an instrument of warfare. Also assesses roles of women as leaders, actors, and objects of foreign policy.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 586 Science Fiction and World Politics (4 credits)
Uses science fiction literature as a starting point for an analysis of themes that concern scholars of present international relations, and those interested in imagining and making alternative political futures. Topics include causes of war, distribution of wealth and power, and consequences of nationalism.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

CAS PO 589: Religion and International Relations (4 credits)
Prerequisite: Junior standing of consent of instructor AND First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)

Explores the role of religion in contemporary international relations in the context of questions about the common core of modernity. Reviews scholarly and policy literature, and case studies, in order to elucidate religion’s intellectual and operational diversity in international relations. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area(s):

  Oral and/or Signed Communication
  Critical Thinking
  Writing-Intensive Course

*Meets with CAS IR 561 and STH TX 874

GRS PO 771 Approaches to the Study of International Relations (4 credits)
Graduate Core Seminar.

Focuses on approaches and theories of international relations, rather than international events. Compares historical, descriptive, normative, and scientific approaches. Surveys a variety of theories on international conflict (e.g., war, arms races), and theories of international integration (e.g., alliances, trade).

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 789 The United States and the International Relations of the Asia-Pacific (4 credits)
Focuses on contemporary issues in U.S. relations with Japan, China, Taiwan, North and South Korea, and Russian involvement in East Asia. The implications of social economic, political, strategic changes in East Asia for U.S. policy and the management of international affairs are highlighted.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 796 Ethics and the Use of Force (4 credits)
Acquaints students with the great debates in the ethics and law of war, and examines how the resort to and conduct of war is, or is not, circumscribed by normative concerns.

*This course does not currently satisfy any BU Hub requirements.

GRS PO 971 Directed Study in International Relations (Varying Credits)