Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

View courses in

  • GRS IR 630: Money, Guns, and Power
    (Meets with CAS PO 569.) What is the relationship between money and war? This course explores the relationship between money, guns, and power through the lens of American and European military spending and through larger theoretical conversations on the concept of power.
  • GRS IR 653: Forced Migration and Human Trafficking: Virtual Policy Incubator
    Causes and impact of forced migration and human trafficking. Role of conflict and state formation; emergence of international human rights and domestic asylum laws; role of international organizations, private sector and security forces in both combating and enabling human trafficking.
  • GRS IR 660: Rwanda: Genocide and Its Aftermath
    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 areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • GRS IR 661: American Grand Strategy
    Traces the United States' engagement in world affairs by evaluating U.S. grand strategy - its theory of how to 'create' security for itself in an often-threatening world. Using history and theory, identifies changes in U.S. strategy and evaluates policies today. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • GRS IR 680: Political Economy of Human Development
    Examines human development in low- and middle-income countries from applied economics perspective. Topics include: (1) economic growth, inequality, and poverty; (2) health, nutrition, and education; (3) agriculture, environment, and resource management; and (4) social and political factors in economic development. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking.
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Critical Thinking
  • GRS IR 695: Internship in Global Studies
    This course complements an internship opportunity outside of Boston University. Provides a framework for understanding the relationship between academic studies, pre-professional development, and work experiences. Emphasizes the link between academic and career goals. Course is repeatable for credit for a maximum total of 4 credits, of which only 2 can be counted toward the major.
  • GRS IR 700: Topics in International Relations
    Examines various aspects of international relations. May be repeated for credit if topics are different. Topic for Fall 2023: Section A1: Contracting for Next Generation Technology. What contracts and other governance arrangements do we need for new services which are emerging such as Amazon, Uber and beyond? This course draws on contract theory, engineering economics, and other new fields of economics to answer this question.
  • GRS IR 703: International Security
    Introduces core concepts of international security, including deterrence, balance of power theory, alliance politics, arms races, asymmetric warfare, and non-traditional security concerns such as terrorism. Topics are considered from both a theoretical basis and in historical and contemporary context.
  • GRS IR 732: Public Diplomacy
    Public diplomacy is the principal way in which states engage with overseas publics. The course examines the principles, functions, and practices of public diplomacy, as well as how they are affected by technological and political change.
  • GRS IR 735: Global Health Diplomacy
    Examines how diplomatic action has addressed global health challenges, the strengths and weaknesses of these efforts, including in the COVID pandemic, and how global health has emerged as a field for competition among states and other stakeholders.
  • GRS IR 759: Understanding Global Money
    Explores the causes, mechanisms, and effects of the globalization of financial markets. Major topics include financial crises, the role of the dollar and other fiat and crypto currencies, cross-border capital flows, development and climate finance, financial regulation, and cooperation among central banks.
  • GRS IR 778: Problems of Strategic Intelligence
    Explores major aspects of strategic intelligence; interrelationship of intelligence and other aspects of foreign policy; performance of U.S. intelligence community; and intelligence as a tool in the formulation of foreign policy.
  • GRS IR 780: CIA's National Clandestine Service
    The National Clandestine Service spends 15% of the US Intelligence budget but receives 95% of public and private scrutiny. Examines the unique legal mandate and culture of the clandestine service: espionage, covert operations, counterintelligence, and special operations.
  • GRS IR 788: International Relations of Asia-Pacific
    Focuses on the Asia-Pacific region. Analysis of issues that have defined international relations; the impact of the Cold War, of regional economic growth and dynamism, and the emergence of contention over regional identity and its relations to global politics.
  • GRS IR 789: Globalization, Development, Governance
    Covers the history, theory, and contemporary policies of the Bretton Woods Institutions and their offshoots, as well as the newly established development banks, with special emphasis on sustainability policy perspectives.
  • GRS IR 798: Global Development Capstone
    (Meets with GRS EC 798 and GE798.) Capstone course for MA students in Global Development Policy and Global Development Economics. Students, working in groups, design and carry out an interdisciplinary policy analysis comparable to those performed for a government or nonprofit agency.
  • GRS IR 799: Master's Paper
    Provides structure and support to Masters paper writers, through individual mentorship of a faculty member. Goals include formulating researchable questions, creating viable research and writing strategies, and critiquing intermediate efforts. Normally taken in final semester for 4 credits. May be taken in two consecutive semesters with permission.
  • GRS IR 825: Seminar: Women and Social Change in the Developing World
    (Meets with GRS SO 820.) Studies women in nonindustrial countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, stressing empirical research, theory, and methodology. Comparisons between regions and with industrial countries. Focus on sex segregation, female labor force participation, migration, fertility, family roles, and women and political power.
  • GRS IR 901: Directed Study 1
    Advanced independent study in international relations under the supervision of a faculty member. Usually requires a formal research paper. Hours arranged. For Fall 2017 the topic for Section X4 is "Inside the G20: Managing Crisis, Uncertainty, and Economic Disorder." Addresses development of G-20 as a mechanism of global governance. Reviews history of G- 20 Summit since its establishment in 2008, focusing on accomplishments, internal dynamics, and changing missions. Considers the capacity of G-20 to address global challenges going forward. The topic for Section X5 is "Combatting Human Trafficking." Addresses history, current scope, and emerging issues surrounding human trafficking. Focuses on role of private sector, entrepreneurship, and innovation in fight against human trafficking; intersection with other forms of illicit trade; cyber-trafficking and the Internet; and linkages to environmental concerns.
  • GRS IR 902: Directed Study 2
    Advanced independent study in international relations under the supervision of a faculty member. Usually requires a formal research paper. Hours arranged. Spring 2017 topic for Section X4: Investigates how public policy is made and implemented at global level, as well as global impacts on local policy. Surveys academic literature and case studies in environment, development, and public health (prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor). Spring 2017 topic for Section X5: International Project Management. (prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor) Focuses on international project management by studying public and private development and innovation programs throughout the world, including large- scale infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, technology, and environmental programs and the critical strategies used to advance and improve societal interests.

Back to full list of Graduate School of Arts & Sciences