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The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. 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.

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  • CAS IR 362: Politics of the European Union
    Introduction to the European Union. Covers EU decision-making, responses to crises (pandemic; war on its border, changing geopolitical/ economic relations) and political systems of major member states, along with challenges such as its democratic legitimacy and the rise of populism). Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Social Inquiry 1.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 363: Economic Cooperation in East Asia
    Prerequisites: CASIR 271/PO 171 and an international economics class (CASIR 292, CASIR 399, CASEC 392, or QSTIM 345). - Explores the growth of economic cooperation in East Asia and Asia-Pacific to promote trade, finance, development, and sustainability. Analyzes both economic incentives for cooperation and effects of political and economic competition among China, Japan, the U.S. and other regional actors. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS IR 365: Rise of China
    How has China risen economically in the last four decades? How different was the Chinese economic model compared to other Asian nations and western models? In what aspects has China's political system been changed or unchanged during its economic rise? What opportunities and challenges are presented with the economic rise of China in the region and in the world? The course offers foundational knowledge on China's economic reform, domestic politics, and global implications, evaluates public and policy debates, and applies the process and methods of social research. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 367: Introduction to Latin American Politics and International Relations
    (Meets with CAS HI 399 and CAS PO 360.) Examines patterns and complexities of Latin American politics and foreign policies. Focuses on a range of Latin American political and historical experiences, from colonization to global inequality to the impact of Indigenous, Black, feminist and other social movements in the region. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 368: Contemporary East Asian Economics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC101 & CASEC102) - Meets with CAS EC 368. An introduction to the economic history and institutions of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. Topics include structural change, trade, labor markets, corporate organization, financial systems, and macroeconomic and industrial policy. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 369: Southeast Asia in World Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASIR271 OR CASIR251) - Meets with CAS PO 354. 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. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS IR 370: China: From Revolution to Reform
    (Meets with CAS PO 351.) Introduction to modern Chinese politics including the development of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the political development of the PRC since its founding in 1949. Focus is on the party's official policy and its changing relationships with the people of China. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 373: Global Governance and International Organization
    Introduces the concept of global governance and examines roles of international organizations in select issue areas, taking into account perspectives of both industrialized and developing countries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 374: Introduction to Security Studies
    Analysis of the factors determining national and international security. Examines the historical relationship between military power and politics. Topics include causes of war, conduct of war, prevention of war. Students cannot receive credit for both CAS IR 374 and CAS IR 385. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 375: International Law and Organizations
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASIR 271/PO 171 or IR 230 or IR 349, or IR 350. - International law and international organizations are central to the conduct of international relations, generating both cooperation and conflict. This course provides a historical and theoretical introduction to the rules, principles, and institutions of public international law.
  • CAS IR 376: History of American Foreign Relations since 1898
    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. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS IR 378: Intelligence in a Democratic Society
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASIR271) - The intelligence process and its role in democratic societies; the organization and functions of the U.S. intelligence community; techniques of intelligence collection, analysis, counterintelligence and covert action; assessment of problems and attempted solutions in the United States and other democracies. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS IR 379: Civil-Military Relations: Theory and Practice
    Examines the tension between political leadership and the military force in the U.S. and the world. Students analyze civil-military relations theory and history, and the responsibilities of the military, civilian leadership, and the public. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS IR 380: American Foreign Policy: Practice and Process
    Explores how American foreign policy is made and implemented. How do societal forces, governmental and bureaucratic structures, and leadership define American national interests and translate them into America's engagement with the world?
  • CAS IR 381: Cities in the Middle East: Mecca to Dubai
    Examines Middle Eastern history through the lens of its cities because cities have always been pivotal sites of governance, religious life, cultural development, architectural legacies, and political protest. Today, they are the epicenter of neoliberal globalization. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 382: Understanding the Modern Middle East
    Provides an introduction to the Middle East and North Africa region. Surveys the region's historical political development throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, exploring themes of colonial and imperial encroachment, state formation, statebuilding, institutional development, and state-society relations. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 386: Nation Building and Erosion in Africa
    This course is an overview of nation-building in Africa since the era of decolonization. It focuses on key events in modern African political history: post -independence transformation, the role of Pan-Africanism, and the politics of social movements. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 389: Technology and Global Governance
    Undergraduate prerequisite: One Social Inquiry I unit. - The international world order, largely forged after World War II, has come under increasing strain. The course critiques the traditional state-centric approach to global governance in which international organizations such as the United Nations and World Trade Organizations develop rules which nation-states follow. Provides an alternative approach of global governance - "experimental governance" - which can complement the state-centric approach. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Social Inquiry II.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS IR 390: International Political Economy
    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.
  • CAS IR 393: Technology and Economic Development
    We use breakthroughs in New Institutional Economics, social network analysis and contract theory, to study new technological innovations in Africa and other developing regions. These include 'mobile money' in Kenya and Hello Tractor (an 'Uber for Tractors') in Nigeria. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Teamwork/Collaboration

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