International Affairs Courses
Int 501 (Pad 583, Pos 583) Global Governance (3-4)
This course examines the organization of world politics in the context of globalization and provides an overview of international organizations, such as the United Nations, and regional organizations, such as the European Union. The course reviews the historical evolution of the international system and the basic concepts of international relations. It then examines international cooperation beyond the confines of formal organizational structures with particular emphasis on international regimes, institutions and norms that govern state practices in particular issue areas - from trade and weapons proliferation to the environment and refugees. The course also examines transnational relations of non-state actors such as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations as well as transgovernmental relations of sub-national governments and government agencies that shape policymaking at a global level.
Int 502 Economics for Global Affairs (4)
This course provides an introduction to microeconomics and macro-economics as well as the principles, policies, and practices of international trade and finance that are fundamental for understanding international economic relations and the global economy. This course is designed for students without an economics background. Students who pass a microeconomics and macro-economics placement examination may take a more advanced economics course as a substitute. Prerequisite: Completion or concurrent enrollment in RINT 503 Quantitative Approaches to International Affairs.
Int 503 Quantitative Approaches to International Affairs (4)
First course in the two-part sequence that introduces students to quantitative research and analysis techniques common in international affairs. Topics include data visualization, hypothesis testing, fundamentals of research design, and basics of Excel. Students will learn how to work with real-world data and to conduct their own analysis.
Int 504 International Economics (4)
This course introduces students to the principles, policies, and practices of international trade and finance that are fundamental for understanding international economic relations and the global economy. The course will also examine microeconomic applications in political economic analysis of international trade and finance. Prerequisites: Completion or concurrent enrollment in RINT 503 Quantitative Approaches to International Affairs; completion or placing out of RINT 502 Economics for Global Affairs.
Int 505 Global Security (4)
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and issues of security in the contemporary world. After briefly reviewing the historical development of war, the course examines deterrence, alliances, collective security, conventional war, and the nuclear revolution. The course then analyzes emerging transnational threats such as terrorism, the challenges of the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, the tensions between economic globalization and the imperatives of homeland security and the technological changes giving rise to new weaponry such as military robotics as well as the prospects of cyber warfare.
Int 506 (Pad 661) International and Comparative Public Management (4)
This course focuses on tensions and trade-offs between important values in public administration and the institutional foundations of public service in cross-national political, bureaucratic, and legal settings. It examines management within the administrative structures, international organizations and agencies of the UN system and the foreign ministries of UN member states as well as functional agencies of national governments and sub-national governments (e.g. provinces and cities) engaged in trans-governmental relations. Major topics include dimensions of the public sector, characteristics of institutional settings, environmental context, and functions, roles, behaviors, and structures.
Int 507 Statistics for International Affairs Managers and Policy Analysts (4)
Second course in the two-part sequence that introduces students to quantitative research and analysis techniques common in international affairs. In addition to basic principles of regression analysis, the course covers topics such as dummy variable regression, interaction terms, logistic regression, and data visualization. Prerequisites: Int 503 ("Quantitative Approaches to International Affairs") or equivalent.
Int 511 International Law (3)
This course is an introduction to international public law in its political context. It examines the role of law in the functioning of the international system of states, including operation of international organizations and activities of non-state actors and individuals. It also includes an examination of the theory, development, and practice of international law, the interplay between law and politics, and the content and process of international legislation and authoritative decisions. It will introduce students to the International Court of Justice, the international law governing the use of force, the laws of war (international humanitarian law or the law of armed conflict), and the development of international criminal courts.
Int 512 (Pad 568, Pos 568) Human Rights (3)
This course examines the legal, political, and social dimensions of the modern human rights movement and its implications for international affairs. It provides both an introduction to basic human rights philosophy, principles, instruments, and institutions, and an overview of several current issues and debates in the field. The course also seeks to analyze the ways in which allegations of human rights violations are dealt with and to expose some of the limitations in the architecture of the international system. Case studies will be used to illustrate contemporary debates regarding hierarchy among rights, conflicts between individual rights and societal priorities, human rights in single-party states, rights and transitions to democracy, amnesty for human rights violations, and the linkage between human rights and other national interests.
Int 513 (Pad 666/Pos 666) Global Environment: Politics and Policy (3)
This course examines the theory and practice of international environmental politics to better understand why the international community has been successful at solving some international environmental problems but not others. It considers policies that aim to address transnational issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, overfishing, deforestation, and species extinction. Theoretical approaches applied to these problems will consider not only the central role of states, but also the ways in which non-state actors, such as non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, and transnational networks of cities, are becoming important players in managing these problems.
Int 520 International Development Projects Management (3)
This course focuses on real-life challenges and solutions of implementing international development assistance projects on the ground, in country. Students will follow how a project is designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. Emphasis is placed on designing and running projects that are impactful, address needs of local populations, especially vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous groups, and are sustainable economically, politically and environmentally. Students will be introduced to the types of interventions or tools employed by International development projects to improve the lives of people in developing countries in a sustainable way. Students will be introduced to current readings, up to date research, and online resources from organizations such as the State Department, and the World Bank. Classes will include lectures, guest speakers, analysis of case studies, and hands on exercises. The course is intended for students considering careers in international development or international affairs.
Int 523 International Development Policy (4)
This course introduces the main principles of economics of development and provides students with an appreciation for the problems and constraints that poor or less developed countries (LDCs) face. It presents economic frameworks that facilitate analysis of these problems and the generation of relevant policy recommendations as well as country- and issue-specific contexts within which students can apply the knowledge they acquire during the course.
Int 527 (Pad 527) Philanthropy and Civil Society (3)
From Andrew Carnegie's commitment to build libraries in the early 20th century in the United States to Bill and Melinda Gates' current efforts to eradicate disease in Africa, philanthropists have played an important role in the development of civil society. Philanthropists, big and small, fund the work of many kinds of local and international nonprofit organizations/NGOs. Philanthropists are an important source of capital in social movements, encouraging innovation and supporting the nonprofit/NGO and grassroots infrastructure that leads to positive social change. Nonprofit organizations/NGOs can become vehicles for philanthropists' social imaginations, which brings questions of accountability and democratic representation along with opportunity. As a result, effective management and leadership in the nonprofit/NGO sector requires an understanding of philanthropy and its role in the development of civil society. The purpose of this course is to examine philanthropic giving and how it affects the operations of nonprofit organizations/NGOs and civil society action. Using an experiential learning model called student philanthropy, the course provides students the opportunity to examine philanthropic behavior at global and local scales and advances a major debate in the field of philanthropy that compares the merits of giving locally versus giving internationally.
Int 531 (Pad 570) Comparative Digital Government (3)
There has always been a connection between technology and context. From the first use of stone tools to the development of smartphones, technology has influenced context just as much as context has sparked advancements in technology. Digital government, widely conceptualized as the use of information technology in government, is not an exception. In this course, we will learn to think globally about information technology in public organizations, by developing comparative skills to make wise decisions about it. We will learn to understand the contextual and cultural differences in the conceptualization of digital government but, also, in the planning and implementation processes of digital government projects around the world and to analyze their similarities and differences.
Int 533 (Pad 539) Global Non-profit Management (3)
This course explores the critical tasks associated with managing international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working primarily in the international development, humanitarian assistance and human rights domains. It will examine internal operational efficiency, strategic management, program performance, and sustainability of NGOs, and introduce a set of analytic and management tools. Features of NGO management are compared and contrasted with the public and private sectors and issues such as funding, scale of operations, accountability, local participation, comparative advantage, and effectiveness. It analyzes NGOs' roles as project implementers, technical assistance providers, intermediaries, partners, and advocates.
Int 541 Homeland Security in Comparative and International Perspective (3)
This course introduces students to the concepts, institutions and policy issues of security as they relate to the administrative practices of interior and home ministries around the world. The course examines the following topics: counterterrorism; intelligence gathering and information sharing; governmental reorganization; border security and immigration; transportation, trade and port security; cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection; all-hazards prevention, preparedness and response. The course also examines how countries have responded to terrorist attacks and security threats by engaging in international cooperation on travel, border, trade and cyber security.
Int 542 (Pad 558, Ehc 558) Intelligence & US National Security Policymaking (3)
This seminar examines the role of intelligence in the formulation and implementation of US foreign policy. Through critical analysis and case studies, students will develop techniques to increase intelligence’s contribution to policy deliberations while ensuring that it does not prescribe policy. The course will assess the most appropriate role for the CIA and the Intelligence Community in supporting this executive branch process. After an overview of the CIA, its functions, structure, and capabilities. We review the US foreign policy process, key players, and institutional bias. The bulk of the course is devoted to a series of mock intelligence and policy meetings on the Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq crises to critically analyze the CIA’s proper role in supporting the policy process.
Int 543 (Pad 554, Pos 554, Ehc 554) Political Violence, Insurgency and Terrorism (3)
This course examines the relationships among, and differences between the following activities in the international political system: political violence, insurgency, and terrorism. The course will include a consideration of the causes of these activities, their effects on national and international politics, and an evaluation of governmental responses to them.
Int 584 (Pos 584) American Foreign Policy Formulation and Implementation (3)
A study of the foreign policy making and diplomacy of the United States, the objectives and formulation of policy goals and procedures and the domestic constraints on U.S. statecraft. Students who have received credit for RINT/RPOS484Z cannot receive credit for this course.
Int 595 Independent Study (1 - 4)
Guided study designed to meet needs of international affairs students when no comparable organized course is offered in that area. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Int 596 Professional Development Module (0)
The objectives of this module are threefold: to increase student insight into personal and professional development needs and heighten awareness of career opportunities; to provide a forum for the dissemination of information on employment trends; and, to refine resume writing, interviewing, and job search skills. Students will register for this course twice to fulfill the Professional Development Module requirement.
Int 597 Capstone Project (4)
The capstone project provides students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in a professional context. Individual or groups of students supervised by faculty will work on project for an organization during their final semester in the program.
Int 599 Selected Topics in International Affairs (3)
Topics in International Affairs will be selected for detailed examination. Topics may vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit if content varies. Students who have received credit from RPOS479Z cannot receive credit for this course in the same topic.
Int 605 (Pad 605, Pos 605) Politics of Migration and Membership (3)
Surveys dilemmas faced by local, national and international policymaking bodies addressing population movement. Attention on the political and policy dimensions, including debates about national identity, immigration policy, political rights of immigrants, and integration (assimilation) policies. U.S., international and comparative contexts examined.
