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International Relations

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  • CAS IR 230: Fundamentals of International Politics
    Introduction to basic concepts of international politics: the state system and types of states, modern ideologies, legal frameworks of international transactions, and political regions. Also raises key issues such as population, the environment, war, and international law. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS IR 234: Fundamentals of Strategic Intelligence
    What do intelligence agencies do and why? Intelligence is a crucial but widely misunderstood element of foreign policy decision making. Addresses intelligence gathering, analysis, and covert action, as well as key legal and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 240: America Abroad: Debating the U.S. and the World since 1789
    Introduces students to debates and associated concepts over the United States' role in international affairs since independence. Using history and theory, explores core elements in these debates, examines changes in US policy over time, and evaluates historical and contemporary policies. Effective Spring 2021, 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 242: Globalization and World Poverty
    Addresses enduring global poverty and race, ethnic, gender, and class inequalities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Focuses on colonialism and post-colonialism, strategies of development, urbanization, immigration, religion, politics, women, drugs, social justice, and health issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 250: Europe and International Relations
    Meets with CAS PO 343. Provides an overview European affairs. Topics include the foreign policies of European nations, the dynamics of European integration, NATO, international migration and ethnic conflict, and European relations with the United States, Russia, and neighboring countries.
  • CAS IR 251: Introduction to Comparative Politics
    Undergraduate core course. Meets with CAS PO 151. Examines different patterns of political development and contemporary politics in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Introduces the comparative method in political science and competing theories of political development and political change. 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, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 271: Introduction to International Relations
    Explores major issues in international relations, including conflict, cooperation, and governance. Addresses dominant international relations theories and their application. Investigates state system, international law and organization, transnational actors, state behavior, and globalization. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. 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 275: The Making of Asia
    Explores the diverse experiences of modernization and development in China, Japan, Korea, as well as the countries of Southeast Asia. Also examines the domestic and international impacts of growing social-economic ties, as well as the complex security challenges among Asian states. 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 290: Drugs and Security in the Americas
    (Meets with CAS HI 331). Drug trafficking has become a dominant issue in U.S.- Latin American relations. This class examines the War on Drugs from both U.S. and Latin American perspectives in order to draw out racial, socio-economic, political, and gender-based dimensions and explore alternatives. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS IR 292: Fundamentals of International Economics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC101 & CASEC102) - Covers basic principles of international economics, including trade, international finance, exchange rates, currency markets, economic policy, the role of institutions, and financial crises. Examines both theoretical frameworks and applications, with an emphasis on analysis case studies and real world examples in different world regions. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 295: Quantitative Methods for Global Policy
    Introduces the principal quantitative methods that are employed in core global studies disciplines, including political science, economics, and public policy. Students are exposed to a range of descriptive and inferential statistical methods and their applications in research and policy. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 300: Topics in International Relations
    Examines various aspects of international relations. May be repeated for credit if topics are different. Topic for Fall 2024, Section A1: Global Justice. Approaches Global Justice as a framework for restorative social, economic, and political relationships that extend beyond legislation. The course asks: What are we fighting for? Where do we go from here? What gets in the way?
  • CAS IR 304: Environmentally Sustainable Development
    Traces the emergence of sustainable development as a defining challenge of our times. Surveys and evaluates approaches for balancing ecological sustainability and human development in various parts of the world and at the global level. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS IR 307: Introduction to Middle East Politics
    Meets with CAS PO 368. Employs social science theories to explain the political development of the Middle East since World War I. Part 1 examines state formation and competing explanations for authoritarianism. Part 2 analyzes social movements ranging from Islamist groups to mass mobilization.
  • CAS IR 308: Introduction to Global Resource Geopolitics: Natural Resources, Development, and Conflict
    Meets with CAS GE 308. Introduces students to the relationship between natural resources, geopolitics, and conflict. Examines the effect of this relationship on development, peace, and security around the globe. Emphasis on conflict minerals, energy commodities, and technology metals.
  • CAS IR 311: Climate Change and Development Policy
    Explores global and regional policy responses to the twin challenges of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Critically examines existing policies and radical alternatives to these challenges at global, regional and national scales. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 312: Comparative Development in the Middle East
    This course surveys pertinent topics relating to the socio-economic and political development of the Middle East and North African throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will explore and critical analyze themes relating to colonialism and state formation and statebuilding, regime types, oil and rentierism, civil society, authoritarianism and democratization, military spending, gender relations, Islamist movements, elections, revolutions and social movements, territorial disputes, foreign intervention, and sectarianism and identity politics. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 319: Southeast Asia: Tradition and Modernity
    Provides an in-depth introduction to the culture, politics, religions, and gender realities of modern Southeast Asia. Using both literature and film media, pays particular attention to the forces that have made Southeast Asia the dynamic and deeply plural region it is today. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS IR 322: Governing Crises: The Political Economy of Financial Booms and Busts
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC102) - Explores how and why financial crises take place,spread across borders, and how to avoid future financial crises. Uses political, historical, and sociological analysis to address these questions while exploring both mainstream and alternative economic approaches to financial crises.
  • CAS IR 330: Diplomatic Practice
    The course is designed to get students familiarized with the "art of the possible," emphasizing how diplomatic practice has evolved so far. Students will be able to understand how foreign policy is formulated and promulgated and how diplomacy works on a daily basis.They will demonstrate a clear understanding of the role and importance of multilateral diplomacy/international organizations (liberalism) in today's world and examine how multilateral diplomacy functions. Students will be able to grasp the core principles of diplomatic negotiations and demonstrate them in the simulations. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Teamwork/Collaboration

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