500 Level

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

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.

Explores political parties and party systems of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela; the historical origins and labor incorporation; populist, working-class, and hegemonic parties; market reform and party system transformation or collapse; as well as ethnic parties, clientelism, and the 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.

Prerequisite: Senior, graduate student, or consent of instructor.

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.

Explores the Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula system as a major focus of international concern. Provides 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.

Explores arms control and disarmament in modern diplomacy; international agreements; global control and dangers of proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; the impact of terrorism; small arms and conflict; as well as new ideas in global arms control.

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

Today, India is a nuclear power with a huge and growing economy. This, along with the rise of China and 9/11, has catapulted India into the international limelight. This course examines India’s rise, focusing on its foreign policy and international role.

Investigates the origins and practices of prominent Islamists and grassroots Muslim political movements. Emphasis is on the co-evolution of states and religious movements, the emergence of religious democrats, the dynamics of transnational mobilization, and recognizing politics in unusual places.

Examines immigration policies and domestic racial hierarchies across world regions and regime types as well as the role of immigration and racial hierarchy in economic development, state formation, nationalism, and electoral politics in the three largest migrant-receiving regions: North America, Western Europe, and the Persian Gulf.

A critical survey of the rise and development of modern nations, states, and economies in the Middle East and North Africa since 1900. Provides context and perspective essential for understanding contemporary issues (e.g., peace process, gender relations, religion’s roles, democracy).

Bureaucracy is not only credited with underpinning economic development but also blamed for corruption and inefficiency. Exploring both theory and comparative development, this course looks at some of the most basic and important issues informing our understanding of governance.

Examines the evolution of British foreign policy over time as well as the nature of Great Power rivalry. Key themes include formulation of national diplomatic strategies, policy coordination, diplomatic vs. military considerations, alliance politics, and policy over-stretch.

Explores aspects of homeland security, including information and intelligence sharing, the role of first responders, the structure and functioning of the system, and defensive and operational aspects. No prior knowledge of intelligence or security issues is required.

Examines the history and current state of international relations and security issues in the Balkans. Addresses both intra-Balkan relations and Balkan states’ security options, with a particular focus on the EU, European security architecture, NATO, and the role of Russia and China.

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

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.

Explores how noncommunist Asian governments have attempted to advance the public purpose and how organizational factors in countries’ governments affect their ability to do so. These questions are addressed in a comparative framework, considering theory, and cases.

Examines the role and influence of Congress on the intelligence agencies of the U.S. as well as 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.

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What are the causes and consequences of nuclear weapons and their related technologies? How are nuclear technologies, equipment, and materials managed at the international, regional, and national levels? What is the ‘global atomic marketplace’ and how can it be controlled to contain proliferation threats? What are the tools of nonproliferation and counterproliferation that have been adopted by the United States and its allies? What policy lessons can be derived from those past policies? How has radioactive poisoning from nuclear tests, nuclear facilities, and accidents affected lives, and how effective have mitigation and redressal been? These are some of the questions that this course will examine.

Prerequisite: Open to juniors and seniors in International Relations and Political science 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 challenges of cybersecurity in times of war and peace with a 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 Communications, Writing-Intensive Course, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

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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. During this course, students will analyze strategic-level national and international strategy and policy documents, and posture reviews and their efficacy in deterring adversaries.

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Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

This course will examine national security and homeland security law as the balance between the State’s requirement for security juxtaposed against the citizenry’s civil liberties. Specific topics will be introduced, drawing on case studies, and analyzing the relevant policy implications.

Explores questions including: how did China implement economic reform? What were the signs of progress and limitations? How is China’s political-economic development influencing the global system? Discussions are conducted from a comparative perspective. Countries of reference include Japan and India.

Analyzes the prospects for a peaceful transition in Cuba and the pressures for greater openness and democratization today. Discusses the factors that facilitated Castro’s Revolution and Cuba’s continuing impact on the policies of the U.S. and other countries.

Examines communicative problems that arise in contact between people from different cultural backgrounds in everyday life, social service encounters, and business transactions. Uses interdisciplinary approaches to study how verbal and nonverbal presentation, ethnic, gender, and cultural differences affect communication.

Analyzes divergent outcomes of the Arab uprisings by framing them along a historic continuum of domestic, regional, and international political developments. Examines how linkages between regional and international states and actors have affected historical and contemporary state-building and transitional outcomes.

Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, as well as Oral and/or Signed Communication.

Analyzes independent black Africa; factors of continuity and change in modern Africa as well as problems of political order and the ambiguities of independence. Case studies of individual countries will be selected for additional emphasis on specific issues and problems of developing countries.

Examines the mechanisms and processes of diplomacy in a historical context to assess approaches to the implementation of foreign policy, analyze the success and failure of these approaches in different circumstances, and consider wider issues in the application of statecraft.

What can we learn from the past? How can we use history to understand the past, the present, and anticipate the future? This course introduces students to historical thinking to make sense of contemporary issues in national and international politics.

Explores the disintegration of the old Soviet system and signs of a reemerging Russia; the careers of Gorbachev and Yeltsin and their attack on the foundations of Stalinism; Moscow’s role in the 1989 revolutions; the August 1991 coup d’ètat; the legacy of communism in the present medical and ecological crisis; as well as current political developments.

Explores domestic and foreign policies of East European states, their relations with the former Soviet Union, and with each other. This course will have an emphasis on the period 1989-1992, but recent events are presented in the historical contexts. The class will conduct an analysis of the formation and subsequent implosion of the Soviet sphere in Europe. Examines the collapse of communism in Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria and its impact on the Soviet crisis, the Western alliance, and international relations.

Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor. First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g. CAS WR 100 or WR 120)

Humanitarian crises inflict vast suffering on people, upend economies, and threaten regional stability. This course investigates how diplomacy involving diverse stakeholders and tools can support solutions, even when conflicts evade comprehensive resolution, focusing on the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises.

Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communications, Writing-Intensive Course, and Ethical Reasoning.

Examines the challenges facing the United Nations and other international organizations in preventing, containing, and ending armed conflict, as well as their role in creating conditions for reconciliation, transitional justice, and institution building.

Assesses the meaning of “European Union” in its domestic, foreign policy, and economic dimensions. Students will gain an understanding of the opportunities and limits of cooperation and conflict. Relevant areas of European Community policy are discussed from a functionalist and realist perspective.

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

Explores the past, present, and future of “social Europe.” Examines the 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.

Examines U.S. intelligence needs, with an emphasis on preparing for international developments in advance. Addresses issues of transnational terrorism and proliferation in addition to traditional concerns such as rogue states, counterintelligence, organized crime, regional rivals, and rising powers.

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An advanced undergraduate course dealing with recent and ongoing guerrilla and terrorist campaigns worldwide as well as their origins, ideologies, and doctrines.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing. First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)

An experiential course in which students of international relations and computer science collaborate to map online hate speech. Assesses causes of hate speech, dynamics of viral content, and approaches to prevent harm. Evaluates attempts to automate the identification of hate speech and measure its prevalence.

Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, The Individual in Community, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

Analyzes the determinants of successful leadership in large organizations, with particular focus on how to transform dysfunctional organizational cultures. Using case studies from the U.S. military and large corporations, this course addresses how to identify root causes of problems and impediments to change.

Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

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Surveys 20th and 21st-century ethno-nationalist movements around the world. Explores how ethnic conflict, including inter-state and civil wars, challenges international peace and security. Addresses both Western and non-Western theories of nations, nationalism, identity, and ethnicity to explain group mobilization.

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

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.

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

Explores the contested role of religion in modern politics and its implications for civil life. Begins with the West and includes Islam in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Evangelism in Latin America and Africa, Hindu nationalism, and Buddhism in China.

Offers a historical and comparative examination of industrialization and globalization in the contemporary world. Focusing on rising powers, this course examines different waves of industrialization, immigration, and globalization, as well as the business-state relations in different regions and nations.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the U.S. has deported over 10 million Latin Americans. Drawing on history, anthropology, sociology, and films, this course explores how certain people – mostly Latin Americans – came to be considered deportable over time.

Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course and Ethical Reasoning.

Examines the international context within which Latin American countries operate, with primary emphasis on U.S. policy toward the region. This course includes a historical overview, the policy-making process itself, and case studies of specific policy issues.

Introduces an analytical framework for understanding the operation of key monetary and financial institutions in the global economy, with a particular focus on settlement and liquidity. Examines interface between private and public sphere, and between money view and standard economics and finance.

The role of international law in efforts to solve current problems of world order. Emphasis on environmental protection and the regulation of ocean space and resources. The role of law in conflict and cooperation, and the quest for international security.

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International law governs the use of force, the conduct of armed conflict, and the adjudication of war crimes. This course explores the strengths, limits, and blind spots of these three bodies of law through a broad range of topics.

Explores China’s perception of its role in the world, its evolution from a regional to world power, and its security and economic relationships within the international system. Also examines relationships with global superpowers, the Third World, and the world economy, focusing on technology and capital transfers.

Examines the international and domestic influences on Japan’s international behavior in the past as a predictor of Japan’s future role in international politics. This course 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.

Prerequisite: Junior or higher standing.

Examines the uses of strategic intelligence by modern world leaders in shaping policy and the effects of intelligence on world events. Various uses of intelligence – collecting information, analysis, counterintelligence, and secret operations – are explored with emphasis on the period from the Congress of Vienna to the end of the Cold War.

Examines Taiwan’s history, economic development, ethnic identity, democratization, and its controversial position in international politics as a key to understanding questions of political economy, democratic transition, and East Asian security.

Addresses principles and practices of U.S. defense planning. Investigates how the Department of Defense receives and develops strategic direction, builds military capability, and executes operational missions. Examines the requirements, acquisition, and resource allocation process for new weapon systems.

An in-depth examination of politics in post-Mao China, this course focuses on several critical issues, uses various conceptual frameworks to try to understand why the reform process broke down, and examines prospects for the future.

This course offers an examination of the post-Cold War security environment in the North Atlantic and greater European context. Explores threats to security, mechanisms in place (NATO, CSCE, CFE, WEU), and challenges posed by changes since fall 1989.

Explores historical and contemporary issues in Latin American political economy. This course uses case studies and cross-regional comparisons to assess competing explanations. Analyzes the current political and economic situation facing Latin America in its quest for economic growth and development.

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or consent of instructor.

Gender inequality is an enduring social phenomenon, despite variation over time and place. This course analyzes the political, economic, and social dimensions of gender inequality. It follows a comparative approach, focusing particularly on empirical analysis while also addressing fundamental normative issues of fairness.

Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.

Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor.

Examines the role of international institutions in economic development. Analyzes how development-related international institutions make rules and affect national policy choices. Applies those lessons to concrete policy challenges, including possibilities for institutional reform.

Much of the world’s population is “economically excluded,” lacking access to essential services and resources, including electricity, credit, drinking water, and the internet. This course examines how new and existing technologies may be used to expand economic inclusion in the developing world.

Examines key concepts, actors, concerns, and issues related to the process of negotiating global environmental policies. This course provides an overview of the international system and environmental problems as well as an international negotiation simulation. Case studies of a global agreement on ozone depletion, climate change, desertification, and biodiversity, among others will be explored.

How has globalization affected national sovereignty and control? In this course, competing hypotheses are examined with specific reference to the internationalization of trade and the financial markets, and its impact on the three postwar models of capitalism.

Prerequisite: CAS IR 292, CAS IR 590, or CAS GE 100 & junior or higher standing or consent of instructor.

This course provides an empirically based understanding of the social and environmental aspects of economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for purposes of analyzing the numerous trade and development policies that nations in LAC are currently considering.

This course applies a science and technology studies perspective to climate change science and policy. Examines the relationships between scientific and political systems at global, national, and local levels.