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Courses

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 HI 851: Recent American History
    Advanced graduate seminar that investigates significant problems in the history of the United States since 1900. The specific focus of the seminar changes from year-to-year. Topics have included "Politics and Popular Culture in Twentieth Century America" and "State and Society."
  • CAS HI 856: Historical Methods
    This seminar explores the variety of methods historians employ to research and write their histories as well as influential theoretical approaches (including from other fields such as anthropology, geography, and sociology) and their practical applications for historians.
  • CAS HI 870: African Historiography
    Examines historical writing about the African continent through key trends in the study of themes and regional historiographies. Also highlights recent works in the field.
  • CAS HI 900: Dissertation Writing
    Graduate Prerequisites: dissertation level in History. - A workshop designed for students writing a dissertation that provides them with critical responses to their work and addresses important issues associated with becoming a professional historian.
  • CAS IR 500: Topics in International Relations
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit if topics are different. Topic for Fall 2025. Section A1: Financing Development in Africa. Canvases the set of development challenges that African countries face and the avenues and opportunities for mobilizing the necessary financing in order to meet the region's development goals.
  • CAS IR 501: Conflict and Cooperation in Asia
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Meets with CAS PO 554. Investigates patterns of conflict and cooperation in South and East Asia surrounding issues ranging from water resources and health to borders and war. Analyzes how such issues contribute to instability in the region, as well as methods of cooperation.
  • CAS IR 502: Latin American Political Parties
    Meets with CAS PO 561. Parties and party systems of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Historical origins and labor incorporation. Populist, working-class, and hegemonic parties. Market reform and party system transformation or collapse. Ethnic parties, clientelism, rise of a new Left. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS IR 503: The U.S. in the Middle East
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing. - Meets with CASPO 503. 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.
  • CAS IR 504: Politics of the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: Limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Graduate Prerequisites: Limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Meets with CASPO 577. An in-depth examination of the political, economic, and societal evolution and interactions of states and non-state actors in the Persian Gulf and Arabian. Critically assesses dominant political narratives. Considers factors ranging from politics and history to demography and resources. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 505: Arms Control and Proliferation of Weapons
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Examines why and how arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation have become important issues in modern diplomacy. Analyzes the progress made in concluding global and regional agreements, verification and compliance techniques, and their role in post-Cold War security issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 509: Islam in Middle East Politics
    Meets with CAS PO 556. 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.
  • CAS IR 510: Comparative Immigration and Racial Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior Standing or consent of instructor. - Examines immigration policies and domestic racial hierarchies across world regions and regime-types. Role of immigration and racial hierarchy in economic development, state formation, nationalism, and electoral politics in three largest migrant-receiving regions: North America, Western Europe, and the Persian Gulf.
  • CAS IR 516: Intelligence and Homeland Security
    Introduces students to the interplay of intelligence and homeland security by answering questions such as: Who threatens? How and why do they threaten? Who protects the homeland? How do they protect us? What ethical framework should we apply? Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS IR 517: Balkan Politics and International Relations
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First-Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., WR120) - Examines history and current state of international relations and security issues in the Balkans. Addresses both intra-Balkan relations and Balkan states' security options, with particular focus on EU, European security architecture, NATO, and the role of Russia and China. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 519: People Power in Global Politics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Explores how everyday people shape global politics, drawing on classic studies of political anthropology as well as more recent examples of transnational and digital activism.
  • CAS IR 520: The State and Public Purpose in Asia
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: juniors & seniors in Internat'l Relations, Pol. Science, and Asian Studies who have completed the 1st-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR100 or 1 20) & Writing, Research & Inquiry (WR150, 151, 152). - Meets with CASPO 550. Comparative exploration of the economic and political institutions of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, drawing on political and economic theory. Addresses how relationships among state, business, and labor have affected industrial development and contemporary economic activity. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 521: Intelligence, Congress and the Formulation of National Security Policy
    Examines the role and influence of Congress on the intelligence agencies of the US, Congress's oversight of intelligence collection, counterintelligence, covert action and surveillance in relation to the executive powers. Explores the influence of espionage on national security policy. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Oral and Signed Communication.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS IR 523: Cybersecurity and U.S. National Security
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: open to juniors and seniors in International Relations and Political S cience who have completed the First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or 120) and Writing, Research & Inquiry (WR 150, 151, 152). - It is highly recommended that students have previously taken a 200 or 300-level IR course. Students who have not met these requirements need instructor approval to take this course. Addresses the challenge of cybersecurity in times of war and peace, with particular focus on U.S. national security. Explores cyber weapon systems and doctrine, the problem of attribution, and "gray zone" issues including information operations and election interference. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS IR 525: 21st Century Deterrence: Nuclear, Space, Cyber
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Examines the challenges of deterrence in an era of multipolarity, proliferation, and technological change, with a particular focus on nuclear weapons, the militarization of space and cyber warfare. Analyzes strategic planning and posture reviews and their consequences for deterring adversaries. Effective Fall 2020, 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 526: National and Homeland Security Law
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First-Year Writing Seminar (CASWR 120 or equivalent) and CASIR 271. - This course examines national and homeland security law as the balance between the state's requirement for security juxtaposed against civil liberties. We study the Constitution, judicial cases, and other primary sources focusing on specific topic areas. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Writing-Intensive Course

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