The Program Director
John Glover, History and Spatial Studies
Advisory Committee
Graeme Auton, Political Science
Francis Bright, French
Nate Cline, Economics
Kimberley Coles, Sociology and Anthropology
Eric McLaughlin, Political Science
Patrick Wing, History
The International Relations program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexity of factors that influence global interactions. It is increasingly difficult to understand local, regional, and national developments without a grasp of their global context. The program does not privilege a single approach, but rather is designed knowing that the interests of states, markets, transnational organizations, and cultural communities are inextricably linked, and thus must be systematically viewed together in order to address issues of security, diplomacy, sustainability, and development.
The Major
The International Relations major offers a conceptual vision and practical skills in written and spoken languages that will allow our graduates to find and create meaning in an interconnected world where people around the world are affected by a vast array of linkages that cross and perhaps reject geographic and political boundaries. Students take issue and theory-based foundation courses in global studies as well as economics, political science, cultural anthropology, and history; two courses emphasizing social science methodologies; and at least four electives in a concentration. Students are also required to acquire aptitude in a non-English language and are strongly encouraged and supported to engage in international/global internships, field experiences, or study abroad for one semester.
The major consists of a minimum of 48 credits selected in consultation with an advisor. A minimum of 28 credits for the major must be taken at the University of Redlands.
Our Concentrations
Global Political Economy and Economic Development (GPED).
This concentration focuses on the economics and political economy of international trade, finance, and development. It examines applied and theoretical aspects of past and current approaches towards international political economy, with particular emphasis on the role of global institutions (such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and specialized agencies of the United Nations system), various regional arrangements, and non-governmental entities (such as NGO’s and transnational corporations) in driving and managing the increasing economic interdependence among countries. In this concentration students may also explore the relationship between domestic and international political economic interests, doctrines and practices that have characterized the field of economic development, and current efforts to foster economic development around the world.
Global Environment, Health, and Natural Resources (GEHN).
This concentration focuses on the environmental, health, and resource issues that manifest within the global commons as well as in less-developed or emerging economy countries. It explores environmental issues, as well as environmental and resource economics, the economic and environmental impact of globalization, and the role of the World Bank, United Nations Development Program and United Nations Environment Program, and the social, economic, and political dimensions of health and health services.
Global Institutions and Society (GLIS).
This concentration focuses on global civil society issues, including questions of race, development and humanitarian aid, ethno-national conflict, gender, social movements, and democratization. It examines the power and influence of non-state actors including supranational organizations, non-governmental organizations, international law, international corporations, as well as sub-national socio-political groups and interests.
International Politics, Peace, and Security (IPPS).
This concentration focuses on the analysis of conflict within and across national borders and efforts by state actors to reduce threats and promote a peaceful and safe world. Courses may interrogate the political and security relationships among sovereign states, global and regional balances of power, “traditional” and “non-traditional” security threats such as terrorism, regional security issues, foreign policy and national security policy making, and international security and arms control.
Learning outcomes for the program may be found at www.redlands.edu/BA-IR/learning-outcomes.
Bachelor of Arts
Students who choose to major in International Relations must complete the following minimum requirements (48 credits).
An interdisciplinary introduction to the contemporary world that focuses on the ideological, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of modernity. The class considers the principal actors, institutions, processes, and power relations that have shaped the challenges and opportunities associated with globalization and international relations. Required of all International Relations majors.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Exploration of international relations theory, focusing on ideas and concepts that have been invoked to explain forces at work in interstate politics and the global system. Topics include political realist, liberal, constructivist, and feminist approaches to international relations theory, foreign policy, and national security decision making. Required of all International Relations majors.
Please note: students may choose between ECON 100 or ECON 101. Students choosing the Global Political Economy and Economic Development concentration should take ECON 101.
Introduction to the chief themes or issues shaping world history from the European age of discovery through the end of the Cold War. Unavoidably selective, the course focuses upon the forces of modernization and change revolutionizing traditional world cultures and resulting in the interdependent, global system of today.
Introduction to the anthropological perspective in viewing personal, social, and cultural events in human life. Attention given to evolutionary and comparative ways of describing, analyzing, and interpreting ways of life from a cross-cultural perspective.
The course provides an analytical, non-technical introduction to the study of socioeconomic issues from a variety of political and economic perspectives. It explores the structure of fundamental dynamics of a market economy, interactions between individuals, markets, and government institutions, economic aspects of social issues, and moral dimensions of economic processes.
Introduction to the study of economic systems from a micro and macro perspective. The course includes economic principles underlying the process of consumption, production, and distribution in a market-oriented economy (microeconomics), and the structure, operation, measures, and major theoretical models of the whole economy (macroeconomics).
Two courses from different departments and programs - this includes other courses approved by the advisor. These should be classes that include the following:
Application of the analytical tools of mathematics and probability to the study of behavior in strategic interactions. Topics include simultaneous move games, pure versus mixed strategies, Nash equilibrium, sequential-move games, subgame perfection, repeated games, and evolutionary games. Applications include pricing, advertising, cooperation, bargaining, and conflict.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Fundamentals of the research process in economics, including specification of research questions. Identification and use of sources, statements, and claims, and communication of the results of a research project. Introduction and comparison of the range of economic methodologies.
Prerequisites: ECON 101, MATH 111, or POLI 202, or CDIS 208 and junior standing or by permission.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
A survey course of qualitative and quantitative research methods used by environmental scientists. We will learn techniques from both social and natural sciences. A research proposal that can double as the EVST capstone proposal will be an end-goal of the course. Students from outside EVST can apply to join. Numeric grade only.
Prerequisite: EVST 250.
Overview of the study of history as discipline and practice, and as an approach to understand moral, social, economic, and political questions. This course covers historical theory, methodology, writing, and interpretation. Students will read and analyze historical literature and debates, write historiographic essays, and develop an emphasis in the major/minor.
Overview of approaches to the study of politics. Students develop skills necessary to read, assess, and produce works of social science. Coursework involves analytic reviews of monographs and articles, production of literature reviews, and the development of an independent research proposal.
Prerequisite: POLI 111 or POLI 123.
Principles of hypothesis development and testing, strategies for making controlled comparisons, principles of statistical inference, and tests of statistical significance. Development and testing of important research questions using such prominent data sets as the General Social Survey and the National Election Series.
An experiential learning course in which students learn about the politics of social dilemmas, social choice theory, and elementary game theory through playing competitive games throughout May Term. Each game models a particular social problem found in real-world politics.
Critical analysis of research methodology involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the collection of data. Practical experience in data collection and analysis accompanies discussion of ethical issues.
Prerequisites: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; and junior standing plus two SOAN courses at the 200 level or above; or by permission.
Examination of the nature of ethnography and the application of fieldwork methods for the development of an ethnography. Emphasis on practicing the method of participant observation for data formulation. Ethical and methodological issues of fieldwork are examined.
Prerequisites: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; and two SOAN courses at the 200 level or above; or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Students gain a thorough understanding of the central methodological paradigms of anthropologists: participant observation. Students have the chance to deconstruct a number of full-length ethnographies with an eye toward comparing and contrasting the research methods and writing styles of various contemporary anthropologists.
Prerequisites: SOAN 100, SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; and two SOAN courses at the 200 level or above; or by permission.
Offered as needed.
The structure of the places we inhabit affects how we experience the world in profound ways: how we move around, how we interact with other people, even the way we conceptualize the world. We’ll use geographic information systems (GIS) to explore the “science of space.”
Prerequisites: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; plus two SOAN courses at the 200 level; or by permission.
Introduction to concepts of spatial analysis and geographic information systems (GIS). Emphasis on spatial reasoning and analysis. Topics include the spatial data models, data requirements and acquisition, spatial analysis using GIS, implementation within an organization, and especially the application of GIS to problem-solving in other disciplines.
Choose four courses to take within a concentration. No more than one may be a lower division course. Courses must be taken from at least two, and preferably three, different departments. Students negotiate the appropriate classes with their advisors; sample courses and pathways are shown in alpha order below. Please note: EVST 260 and POLI 362 can only be taken with approval.
Traces the evolution of capitalism in the United States, China, Japan, and Europe, reviewing varying cultural and political approaches which create varied economic models. Students will explore the issues of doing business in each of the above-named nations or groups through analysis of an assigned company.
Examines the relationship of world, regional, and national institutions and cultures to businesses operating within their environments. The major trading blocs of NAFTA and the European Union are studied, as well as the nature of trade and business with and within China, Japan, Mexico, and the European Union.
Prerequisites: GLB 228 and junior standing or by permission.
The course explores the relationship between the ecological system and economic sub-systems. Topics of the course include the economics of entropy, throughput, alternative notions of environmental sustainability, ecological impacts of technological change, limits to economic growth, and analysis of policies to promote sustainability.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Development theories grounded in the development patterns of Western and Eastern Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Southeastern Asia. Issues of development and income distribution, population growth, and countries’ cultural and economic openness. Comparison of development and growth theory.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Study of the dialogue between scholarship and practice in economics and political science on the three broad topics: the political economy of international trade, international financial relations, and development. The primary focus is on the reciprocal interactions among markets, social forces, and political objectives that shape the international political-economic system.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 101, or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
The economic position of women and minorities in society. Racial and sexual discrimination, women’s labor force participation, occupational segregation, domestic work, immigration of workers, and racial marginalization in market economies. Mediating influences such as education, spatial forces, and institutional and public policies.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Theoretical analysis of international trade and finance. Models of comparative advantage and analysis of commercial policy (tariffs, subsidies, quotas, government procurement, and regulation). History and functions of the world financial system. Analysis of exchange rates and exchange rate regimes. Balance of payments analysis, and short-run/long-run macroeconomic models in open economy.
Prerequisites: ECON 350 and ECON 351 or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Overview of the theory and management of natural resource use and environmental policy. Topics include the control of air and water pollution, solid waste management, and recycling, forestry, curbing suburban sprawl, water management, and mitigation of climate change. Issues addressed from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.
Prerequisite: ECON 350 or by permission.
Recommended: ECON 351.
Offered in alternate years.
Examines the ways production, trade, and consumption of food affects workers, consumers, and ecosystems. Topics include the political economy of food systems, genetically modified food, biofuels, the carbon footprints, the modern meat system, and potential solutions such as fair trade, organic certification, the slow food movement, and local food.
Prerequisite: EVST 100 recommended.
Topics of current interest in environmental studies such as energy, air quality, water, and environmental justice. May be repeated for degree credit up to a maximum of 8 credits.
This course examines the ways that water has shaped our planet by exploring the following topics: hydrologic cycling, spatiotemporal patterns of water distribution and scarcity, water quality and pollution, groundwater and stream flow, and the challenges surrounding water resource allocation. Course includes a weekly lab/field component with off-campus field trips.
Prerequisite: EVST 100 and MATH 101 or higher, or by permission.
Development of European civilization from its 19th-century display of vigorous, commanding growth to its 20th-century expressions of uncertainty, fragmentation, and barbarity. Topics include the French and Industrial revolutions, Romanticism, the rise of radical social theory, the challenge of irrationalism, the savagery of totalitarianism, total war, and genocide.
Introduction to Latin America through analysis of selected social, economic, and political themes. Topics include the colonial heritage, economic dependency, a stratified society, the role of the church, the Latin American military, and the influence of the United States in the region.
Offered as needed.
China and Japan are traced from the height of empire through their respective transformations under the impact of Western imperialism to the present day.
Offered as needed.
The history of sub-Saharan Africa from the end of the Atlantic slave trade to the present. Agency and the development of new African identities underscore an interdisciplinary examination of how Africa negotiated European colonization and the subsequent challenges of independence and neo-imperialism.
Offered as needed.
Brazil since 1500 is examined in light of the struggle between economic development and political democracy. Special emphasis is given to treatment of Indians, foreign ideology and investment, African religions, and state building.
Offered as needed.
Analysis of Mexican history from the pre-Columbian era to the present, with heavy focus on the 19th and 20th centuries, especially the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath.
Offered as needed.
Survey of China from the founding of the Qing empire to the present: the zenith of the imperial-bureaucratic state in the 18th century; China’s disintegration under the blows of Western aggression and internal rebellion; and the great political, social, and intellectual upheavals of the 20th century.
Offered as needed.
How did Japan emerge from the ashes of World War II to become the world’s second-largest economy? The answer begins with feudal Japan’s disintegration under the impact of internal rebellion and Western imperialism, continues with Japan’s rise to imperialist and militarist power, and culminates with the postwar economic miracle.
Offered as needed.
A spatial approach to African history involving a critical examination of the relationships between space and history in Africa and the demonstration of those relationships through mapping. The use of GIS (geographic information systems) provides a wide range of tools to analyze a range of historical topics.
Offered as needed.
Introductory study of compelling contemporary problems any place on the globe, with an emphasis on how study of the past illuminates the present. Possible topics: the modern Middle East, issues in Native American history, and modern Africa. May be repeated for degree credit given a different topic.
China, Japan, and Southeast Asia are regions of vital strategic and economic concern to the United States. Examination of past and present friction and cooperation, prospects for future harmony, mutual perceptions, and Asian contributions to the making of America.
Reconstruction of the era through films, popular music, and political and military strategy documents and social, economic, and political analysis made by contemporary writers. A special segment examines issues raised by the conflict and lessons learned for future military operations.
This course is an introduction to the history of the Middle East from the early 19th century to the present. Topics include growing Western influence, changing interpretations of religion, origins and history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the role of the U.S. in the Middle East since World War I.
Offered as needed.
The great upheavals and ordeals of Europe in the first half of the 20th century: the first and second World Wars, the rise of fascism and communism, the Third Reich and the Holocaust, and the collapse of Europe after Hitler’s war.
Prerequisite: HIST 290.
Offered as needed.
Research seminar examining the development of the Anglophone Atlantic from the 16th through the 19th centuries as a maritime empire that bound together people, goods, and ideas from four continents centered on the Atlantic, while exploring the promise and perils of the “Atlantic turn” in historiography.
Offered as needed.
The People’s Republic of China has undertaken some of the most spectacular social experiments the world has ever witnessed. Examination of the P.R.C.’s revolutionary roots, ideological foundations, social and institutional innovations, and changing relationships with the United States and the former Soviet Union.
The Pacific Rim is the world’s most dynamic region, where the economic expansion of Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong is now matched by China and other Southeast Asian nations. Focus on historical and cultural sources of Asian economic strength, and opportunities and challenges presented to the United States.
Offered as needed.
An exploration of the major developments in South Africa that led to the creation of apartheid or racial separation. African perceptions of European colonization, industrialization, urbanization, and land alienation are stressed. The course concludes with a look at the work of African nationalist leaders such as Mandela and Biko.
Offered in alternate years.
Research seminar on the Mongol Empire, which stretched from Korea to Hungary in the 13th and 14th centuries. Topics include pastoral nomadic origins; the life and legacy of Chinggis Khan; Mongol encounters with Chinese, Islamic, and Latin Christian societies; and the Mongols as brokers of cross-cultural exchange.
Offered as needed.
This course examines the relationship between religious and political authority in Iran. Focus is on the modern period. Topics include traditional Persian kingship, Shi`i Islam, the Constitutional Revolution of 1905–1911, the CIA-led coup of 1953, the Iranian Revolution of 1978–1979, and life in the contemporary Islamic Republic.
Offered as needed.
Explores local, national and international contexts within which key decisions about the environment are made, emphasizing the U.S. experience. Focuses on the tensions between science and politics, health/safety and national security, and action and values. Develops theoretical and analytical tools to evaluate policy responses to major environmental episodes and controversies.
The organization, functioning, political behavior, and contemporary problems of major European governments and European intergovernmental regimes and organizations.
A thematic introduction to the politics of the Middle East and Africa, in which students address themes and issues such as state formation, democracy and authoritarianism, political violence and terrorism, ethnicity and nationalism, gender and human rights, and the complex relationship between religion and politics.
Offered in alternate years.
Introduction to the dynamics of politics in Latin America and contemporary issues of concern. Examination of political stability and recent trends toward democratization. Assessment of the success and/or failure of the different types of political systems in 20th-century Latin America, focusing on the role of landowners, the military, political parties, labor unions, and the church.
Offered as needed.
A survey course on key issues of international security, including interstate and sub-state conflict, alliances, collective security, peacekeeping, preventive diplomacy, and both “traditional” and “non-traditional” threats. The course also focuses on regional security issues in Europe, the Middle East/Southwest Asia, and Northeast Asia. This course is required for students majoring in the International Politics, Peace and Security (IPPS) track of the International Relations major.
How to analyze American foreign policy. Variables discussed include idiosyncrasy, roles, perception and misperception, political culture, interest groups, the media, public opinion, bureaucratic behavior and politics, decision making, multiple advocacy, the Congress, the international system, and international political economy.
The 20th century saw dramatic processes of political restructuring—including revolutions, democratic breakthroughs, and authoritarian reversals. This course introduces and employs contemporary theoretical approaches to examine and compare these macro-level processes of political and economic change (including case studies from Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa).
Prerequisite: POLI 123.
Examination of how parties are formed, their functions as central actors in democratic and democratizing settings, and how they compete with one another. Comparative assessment of parties and what the implications of parties and party systems are for democracy and elections.
An introduction to the political systems of Japan, South Korea and North Korea. Topics include political institutions, party systems, electoral politics of Japan and South Korea, social policy, political economy, foreign policy, and the broader role of all three countries in East Asian regionalism.
Prerequisite: A Comparative Politics or International Relations course.
Investigation of the social and political connections between modernization and the emerging politics of ethnicity on a worldwide scale. Examination of several current examples of ethnic conflict and exploration of several theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity, nationality, and the modernization process. Review of various ethnic and anti-ethnic political movements in the United States and worldwide.
Prerequisite: A Comparative Politics or International Relations course.
Offered in alternate years.
Various forms of the quest for world order, emphasizing issues of international law and the structure and functioning of intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations.
Prerequisite: POLI 123 or IR 200, or instructor permission.
The first part of the course is an overview of the Soviet Union’s foreign policy from 1917–1991. The second part is an examination of the international ramifications of the break-up of the Soviet Union and discusses the diverse foreign policy objectives (and circumstances) of the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, concentrating on Russia.
Prerequisites: A Comparative Politics and International Relations course.
Explores the concept of citizenship and how it relates to immigration politics, human rights, public benefits, legal privileges, and civic duties; borders and security; statelessness and exclusion; and how wars, terrorism, globalization, climate change, and other phenomena affect immigration flows and policies in the U.S. and globally.
Prerequisites: POLI 111 or POLI 123.
Selected intermediate topics in comparative government chosen to reflect student interest and instructor availability. May be repeated for degree credit for a maximum of 8 credits given a different topic.
Prerequisites: A Comparative Politics and International Relations course.
Offered as needed.
Selected intermediate topics in international relations chosen to reflect student interest and instructor availability. May be repeated for degree credit for a maximum of 8 credits given a different topic.
Prerequisites: A Comparative Politics and International Relations course.
Offered as needed.
Topics are announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated for degree credit, provided sections are in different topics.
Prerequisite: Any Comparative Politics or International Relations course.
Introduces political relations and the relationship between culture and power through the detailed examination of politicized forms of power and their manifestations at the global, national, state, local, and personal level. Central themes will be equality and inequality, practices of belonging and exclusion, strategies and forms of domination and resistance, and shifts in legal and bureaucratic effects and practices.
Offered in alternate years.
Explores the processes of development and social change in the Americas, in the historical context of capitalist transformation from colonialism to contemporary conditions of globalization. Strategies ways to challenge existing patterns of global inequality by creating alternative forms of development and consciousness.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100 or SOAN 102 or LAST 101.
Offered as needed.
Religion plays a central role in all societies —and sociology helps us understand its role in the contemporary world. Why do certain types of people embrace religions, while others avoid them? Why has religion recently invaded politics? How is religion changing today? This course will explore these and other topics.
Offered alternate years.
Contemporary Japan is society in transition, where old norms and assumptions are challenged, unfamiliar social issues are emerging, and novel meanings and possibilities are created. Using an anthropological approach, this course will take an in-depth look at how these changes affect the lives of ordinary Japanese today.
Prerequisite: one or more SOAN or AST (excluding language) course or by permission.
Offered as needed.
A historical and comparative analysis of society, culture, and politics in a range of Latin American countries. Emphasis on the effects of global power relations on social and political institutions, as well as economic development. Exploration of relationships between racial and ethnic groups in Latin American societies.
Offered as needed.
Students are encouraged to appreciate the dynamic cultural diversity of the Middle East through class discussions and a variety of films and readings, many of which come from indigenous sources. Exploration of vital and timely sociopolitical issues, including Islam, gender, nationalism, and the Israeli-Palestinian and other regional conflicts.
Offered as needed.
Exploration of the lives of Middle East women through film and text. We will look at issues that they view as meaningful to their identity, culture, and shaping of their worlds. A variety of key questions will be raised in regards to gender, religion, family, politics, history, and social relations.
Offered as needed.
Theoretical and substantive analysis of the major dimensions of economic inequality in industrial societies. The theoretical contributions from Marx and Weber to contemporary theory are used as context for the study of social stratification, social mobility, and changes in these processes in the United States, Western Europe, and socialist states.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100 or SOAN 102 or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Explores the history, animating ideals, and contemporary paradoxes of humanitarian action. Analyzes humanitarianism in the context of globalization, assessing its limits and possibilities with particular interest in its social and cultural relations: sovereignty, the ethics of giving care and bearing witness, the “aid business,” and the role of the media.
Prerequisite: an SE or CC LAF or by permission.
Investigation of the social and political connections between modernization and the emerging politics of ethnicity on a worldwide scale. Examination of current examples of ethnic conflict and exploration of theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity, nationality, and the modernization process. Review of ethnic and anti-ethnic political movements in the United States and worldwide.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Explores economic justice by visiting projects that prioritize human needs over profit-making. Studies connections between economic justice and migration by meeting with migrants, refugees, and nongovernmental organizations. Cultural and linguistic immersion includes living in an international peace community in Mexico City.
Offered as needed.
Focuses on democracy as actually lived and experienced by members of society through the ethnographic examination of the cultural assumptions embedded in democracy, ranging from representation to freedom, analyzing it as a hegemonic ideology, a form of governance, a set of institutions, and a solution to peace and prosperity.
Numeric grade only.
Prerequisites: SOAN 102, or IR 200.
Offered in alternate years.
This course will study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from its inception to its contemporary contexts. We will explore the background of the conflict, including the role of Western powers in creating the conditions of instability in the region after WWII, also connecting this history to current 21st-century conditions.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; and two SOAN courses at the 200 level or above; two 300 or 400 level SOAN courses, and senior standing; or by permission.
Change is a persistent quality of human existence. But, what is social change, and how do we identify, explain, and interpret social change over time? We’ll explore factors that encourage the expansion of human societies and contribute to their collapse, including the environment, religion, disease, and war.
This course focuses on indigenous philosophies relating to creation and struggles for the land. It explores the situation in the Americas prior to contact, specific indigenous people, and current conflicts over land, resources, and environmental racism. Students will develop a holistic understanding of the Native ecological philosophies and environmental issues.
Offered in alternate years.
An interdisciplinary research seminar for International Relations majors in which students examine common issues in international relations from their various areas of expertise and then produce a major research project. Required of all majors.
Prerequisite: IR 200 or by permission.
Related Field Requirement:
Foreign Language
Pass at least one course at or above the 300-level in a non-English language
The Minor
Students who minor in International Relations complete four foundation courses as well as at least two courses in a single concentration. International Relations minors meet non-English language requirements equivalent to passing a class at the 200-level. The critical thinking and research skills developed in the International Relations minor complements any number of major programs, giving students the tools to understand the processes underlying global interactions and their consequences.
Please note: student mus take IR 201 and IR 200 and take two of three Interdisciplinary Core Courses from HIST 102, SOAN 102, or ECON 100 (or ECON 101).
Exploration of international relations theory, focusing on ideas and concepts that have been invoked to explain forces at work in interstate politics and the global system. Topics include political realist, liberal, constructivist, and feminist approaches to international relations theory, foreign policy, and national security decision making. Required of all International Relations majors.
An interdisciplinary introduction to the contemporary world that focuses on the ideological, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of modernity. The class considers the principal actors, institutions, processes, and power relations that have shaped the challenges and opportunities associated with globalization and international relations. Required of all International Relations majors.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Introduction to the chief themes or issues shaping world history from the European age of discovery through the end of the Cold War. Unavoidably selective, the course focuses upon the forces of modernization and change revolutionizing traditional world cultures and resulting in the interdependent, global system of today.
Introduction to the anthropological perspective in viewing personal, social, and cultural events in human life. Attention given to evolutionary and comparative ways of describing, analyzing, and interpreting ways of life from a cross-cultural perspective.
The course provides an analytical, non-technical introduction to the study of socioeconomic issues from a variety of political and economic perspectives. It explores the structure of fundamental dynamics of a market economy, interactions between individuals, markets, and government institutions, economic aspects of social issues, and moral dimensions of economic processes.
Introduction to the study of economic systems from a micro and macro perspective. The course includes economic principles underlying the process of consumption, production, and distribution in a market-oriented economy (microeconomics), and the structure, operation, measures, and major theoretical models of the whole economy (macroeconomics).
Concentration (2 courses/ 8 credits)
Select one concentration area and complete two courses within that concentration; no more than one may have lower division designations. Courses in the concentration must be taken from at least two departments.
Related Field Requirement:
Foreign Language: Pass at least one course at or above the 200-level in a non-English language.
Internships, Field Experiences, and/or Study Abroad
The program encourages all International Relations majors to practice their skills in an applied setting, when at all possible for at least one semester. This may take the form of study abroad where students gain cross-cultural experience living, working, and/or studying with residents and citizens of other countries. Similarly, internships and field experiences through May Term, summer research, or semester-long experiences are also encouraged.
Sigma Iota Rho
SIR is the nation-wide Honor Society for International Relations, International Studies, and Global Studies. “The purpose of Sigma Iota Rho shall be to promote and reward scholarship and service among students and practitioners of international studies, international affairs, and global studies and to foster integrity and creative performance in the conduct of world affairs.” Our chapter serves as a co-curricular community for IR students.
Departmental Honors
Only students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major are eligible for departmental honors. Eligible students may earn honors through the successful completion of an original Honors Thesis which breaks meaningful new ground in its research topic. Exceptional students are encouraged to initiate an application with the program chair.
Courses in the Concentrations
Possible courses for each concentration within International Relations are listed; however, there will be other courses whose topics fall within the scope of the concentration. Students should discuss all concentration course choices in consultation with their advisor, as well as any topics courses not listed and relevant Study Abroad programs/courses.
Study of the dialogue between scholarship and practice in economics and political science on the three broad topics: the political economy of international trade, international financial relations, and development. The primary focus is on the reciprocal interactions among markets, social forces, and political objectives that shape the international political-economic system.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or ECON 101, or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Explores the processes of development and social change in the Americas, in the historical context of capitalist transformation from colonialism to contemporary conditions of globalization. Strategies ways to challenge existing patterns of global inequality by creating alternative forms of development and consciousness.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100 or SOAN 102 or LAST 101.
Offered as needed.
The Pacific Rim is the world’s most dynamic region, where the economic expansion of Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong is now matched by China and other Southeast Asian nations. Focus on historical and cultural sources of Asian economic strength, and opportunities and challenges presented to the United States.
Offered as needed.
The 20th century saw dramatic processes of political restructuring—including revolutions, democratic breakthroughs, and authoritarian reversals. This course introduces and employs contemporary theoretical approaches to examine and compare these macro-level processes of political and economic change (including case studies from Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa).
Prerequisite: POLI 123.
Examines the relationship of world, regional, and national institutions and cultures to businesses operating within their environments. The major trading blocs of NAFTA and the European Union are studied, as well as the nature of trade and business with and within China, Japan, Mexico, and the European Union.
Prerequisites: GLB 228 and junior standing or by permission.
Theoretical analysis of international trade and finance. Models of comparative advantage and analysis of commercial policy (tariffs, subsidies, quotas, government procurement, and regulation). History and functions of the world financial system. Analysis of exchange rates and exchange rate regimes. Balance of payments analysis, and short-run/long-run macroeconomic models in open economy.
Prerequisites: ECON 350 and ECON 351 or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Examines the ways production, trade, and consumption of food affects workers, consumers, and ecosystems. Topics include the political economy of food systems, genetically modified food, biofuels, the carbon footprints, the modern meat system, and potential solutions such as fair trade, organic certification, the slow food movement, and local food.
Prerequisite: EVST 100 recommended.
Explores local, national and international contexts within which key decisions about the environment are made, emphasizing the U.S. experience. Focuses on the tensions between science and politics, health/safety and national security, and action and values. Develops theoretical and analytical tools to evaluate policy responses to major environmental episodes and controversies.
Examination of the ethical issues that arise within the relationship between doctors and patients. Topics include paternalism, autonomy, confidentiality, informed consent, and the conflicts that can arise in medical research.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Offered in alternate years.
This course examines the ways that water has shaped our planet by exploring the following topics: hydrologic cycling, spatiotemporal patterns of water distribution and scarcity, water quality and pollution, groundwater and stream flow, and the challenges surrounding water resource allocation. Course includes a weekly lab/field component with off-campus field trips.
Prerequisite: EVST 100 and MATH 101 or higher, or by permission.
This course focuses on indigenous philosophies relating to creation and struggles for the land. It explores the situation in the Americas prior to contact, specific indigenous people, and current conflicts over land, resources, and environmental racism. Students will develop a holistic understanding of the Native ecological philosophies and environmental issues.
Offered in alternate years.
Overview of the theory and management of natural resource use and environmental policy. Topics include the control of air and water pollution, solid waste management, and recycling, forestry, curbing suburban sprawl, water management, and mitigation of climate change. Issues addressed from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.
Prerequisite: ECON 350 or by permission.
Recommended: ECON 351.
Offered in alternate years.
Development theories grounded in the development patterns of Western and Eastern Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Southeastern Asia. Issues of development and income distribution, population growth, and countries’ cultural and economic openness. Comparison of development and growth theory.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
Contemporary Japan is society in transition, where old norms and assumptions are challenged, unfamiliar social issues are emerging, and novel meanings and possibilities are created. Using an anthropological approach, this course will take an in-depth look at how these changes affect the lives of ordinary Japanese today.
Prerequisite: one or more SOAN or AST (excluding language) course or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Research seminar examining the development of the Anglophone Atlantic from the 16th through the 19th centuries as a maritime empire that bound together people, goods, and ideas from four continents centered on the Atlantic, while exploring the promise and perils of the “Atlantic turn” in historiography.
Offered as needed.
Explores the history, animating ideals, and contemporary paradoxes of humanitarian action. Analyzes humanitarianism in the context of globalization, assessing its limits and possibilities with particular interest in its social and cultural relations: sovereignty, the ethics of giving care and bearing witness, the “aid business,” and the role of the media.
Prerequisite: an SE or CC LAF or by permission.
This course will study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from its inception to its contemporary contexts. We will explore the background of the conflict, including the role of Western powers in creating the conditions of instability in the region after WWII, also connecting this history to current 21st-century conditions.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or SOAN 104; and two SOAN courses at the 200 level or above; two 300 or 400 level SOAN courses, and senior standing; or by permission.
The history of sub-Saharan Africa from the end of the Atlantic slave trade to the present. Agency and the development of new African identities underscore an interdisciplinary examination of how Africa negotiated European colonization and the subsequent challenges of independence and neo-imperialism.
Offered as needed.
Development theories grounded in the development patterns of Western and Eastern Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Southeastern Asia. Issues of development and income distribution, population growth, and countries’ cultural and economic openness. Comparison of development and growth theory.
Prerequisites: ECON 100 or ECON 101 or by permission.
Offered in alternate years.
A thematic introduction to the politics of the Middle East and Africa, in which students address themes and issues such as state formation, democracy and authoritarianism, political violence and terrorism, ethnicity and nationalism, gender and human rights, and the complex relationship between religion and politics.
Offered in alternate years.
A survey course on key issues of international security, including interstate and sub-state conflict, alliances, collective security, peacekeeping, preventive diplomacy, and both “traditional” and “non-traditional” threats. The course also focuses on regional security issues in Europe, the Middle East/Southwest Asia, and Northeast Asia. This course is required for students majoring in the International Politics, Peace and Security (IPPS) track of the International Relations major.
The first part of the course is an overview of the Soviet Union’s foreign policy from 1917–1991. The second part is an examination of the international ramifications of the break-up of the Soviet Union and discusses the diverse foreign policy objectives (and circumstances) of the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, concentrating on Russia.
Prerequisites: A Comparative Politics and International Relations course.
Investigation of the social and political connections between modernization and the emerging politics of ethnicity on a worldwide scale. Examination of current examples of ethnic conflict and exploration of theoretical approaches to race, ethnicity, nationality, and the modernization process. Review of ethnic and anti-ethnic political movements in the United States and worldwide.
Prerequisite: SOAN 100, or SOAN 102, or by permission.
Offered as needed.
Exploration of international relations theory, focusing on ideas and concepts that have been invoked to explain forces at work in interstate politics and the global system. Topics include political realist, liberal, constructivist, and feminist approaches to international relations theory, foreign policy, and national security decision making. Required of all International Relations majors.
An interdisciplinary introduction to the contemporary world that focuses on the ideological, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of modernity. The class considers the principal actors, institutions, processes, and power relations that have shaped the challenges and opportunities associated with globalization and international relations. Required of all International Relations majors.
Numeric and Evaluation grade only.
Translation provides a bridge between diverse peoples in an increasingly globalized world, and allows people to access knowledge, services and resources that they desperately need. This course will unlock students' understanding of the structures, uses, and etymologies of foreign languages and English, and help them cross-cultural, national, and ethnic boundaries.
Prerequisite: One 300-level foreign language course or permission of instructor.
Offered as needed.
An interdisciplinary research seminar for International Relations majors in which students examine common issues in international relations from their various areas of expertise and then produce a major research project. Required of all majors.
Prerequisite: IR 200 or by permission.