Curriculum
The program is divided into two phases. Students will enroll in two courses during each phase for a total of 4 courses and 16 Boston University units. Courses listed below may be offered only in the first half or only in the second half of the term, so please consider multiple course options as you are planning your term.
CAS AH 308
“From Caesar to Corbusier:” The History of Switzerland Through its Art and Architecture
This course covers the history of Switzerland through its art and architecture, from the Romans to the twentieth century, setting the country’s development in a wider European context and covering the main movements in art and architecture over that period.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
CAS IR 445/CAS PO 243
Introduction to Public International Law
Prerequisites: at least two classes in international relations, law, or related social science coursework.
Public international law governs primarily, though not exclusively, the relations between states. The core areas of this law are its subjects; sources (or means of creation of law); the rules governing responsibility for breaches of international obligations, and those relative to dispute settlement. The decentralized structure of the international legal order means that a particular important question is when, and under what conditions, states can safeguard their rights by recourse to the use of force. The course is taught by lectures, extensive reliance being placed on primary materials (e.g., treaties, resolutions) and on decisions of international courts and tribunals. These can be supplemented by readings, such as those listed below, and drawn mostly from M. Evans (ed.) International Law, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2018.
- Units: 4
CAS LF 113
Intensive Beginning French
Intensive French course for beginners.
(If CAS LF 111, 112, or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course cannot be taken for credit.)
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
CAS LF 211
Third-semester French
Prerequisite: CAS LF 112 or placement test results
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
CAS LF 212
Fourth-semester French
Prerequisite: CAS LF 211 or placement test results
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
CAS IR 418/CAS PO 247
Politics, Nations and Identity in the New Europe: Switzerland and the European Union
This course introduces key political, social, and cultural issues in contemporary Europe and Switzerland, including immigration and integration, conflict and terrorism, and EU-Swiss relations. It also provides students with a foundational understanding of social science methods for operationalizing and investigating sociopolitical questions. The course explores key social science concepts, such as identity and democracy, the emergence of nation-states in Europe, the history and rationale of the European Union (EU), EU security, EU citizenship, and the challenges of EU enlargement. It will also discuss Switzerland’s history, society, politics, and Switzerland-EU relations. Students will engage in hands-on activities and discussions on controversial and pressing topics in contemporary Europe. The class has no prerequisites.
- Units: 4
CAS PO 242/CAS IR 444
The Activities of International Organizations
Prerequisite: CAS IR 445
This course aims to critically analyze the influence of international organizations, with a primary emphasis on the United Nations, in shaping global relations and international law. It will explore key principles guiding these organizations, including their legal status, authority, and accountability for breaches of international law. The course will also delve into the realm of international human rights law (IHRL) and use Geneva-based international organizations as an example. It will critically analyze the operations of relevant mechanisms established through charters and treaties, with a special emphasis on the UN Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Committee. Meeting experts and organizing field visits will enhance students’ learning experience by connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world applications through live case studies.
- Units: 4
- BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Ethical Reasoning
SPH PH 506
Principles of International Health
Principles of International Health is designed for students with an interest in the theory and practice of health management in developing countries. There are no prerequisites: students with a background in international relations, politics, and economics will all find that the course touches on issues relevant to their main field of study. The course is divided into six topics, including nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases. Policy issues involving research into the causes of illness and the treatment of disease in the developing world will also be discussed. There will also be many specialized guest lectures by international experts from the World Health Organization or other health care organizations based in Geneva and field trips to some of these organizations.
- Units: 4
SPH PH 507
Controversies in International Health
This course introduces students to the international organizations active in the field of public health by examining the international character of health—particularly with the emergence of HIV/AIDS, multinational droughts and famine, humanitarian crises, and the threat of infectious pandemics like coronaviruses and avian flu. This course will place an emphasis on issues involved in best coordinating the efforts of agencies involved to achieve the greatest benefit for afflicted people. Through a series of lectures with international health specialists and structured visits to international aid institutions, students will learn about the social development goals, administration of international health organizations, the international difficulties arising from third party relief work, social determinants of health, health care and gender issues, and global pharmaceutical trade.
- Units: 4