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This course systematically explores the participants, processes, and outcomes of international relations by focusing on the continuity and change in contemporary international relations. The major theoretical approaches to international relations-realism, liberalism, constructivism, and globalism-are applied to historical and contemporary issues in international relations.

Global Learning

LEARNING OBJECTIVESGaining Substantive and Conceptual Knowledge—General Education Global Learning Goal. This course meets the Global Learning and Social Science General Education requirements. Students will gain factual knowledge of world geography by identifying half of the world’s states in a world geography quiz. However, the more fundamental goal of this course is for students to understand and apply the theories and concepts explaining the wide range of phenomena that constitutes international relations between states and peoples. Students will learn to categorize and classify phenomena in IR in preparation for applying theoretical insights. Assessment of students’ knowledge of central concepts and theories of IR will be made through written assignments and examinations.Honing Critical Thinking Skills As they learn the central assumptions of the main theoretical perspectives, students will apply the theories and concepts covered in class discussion and in the assigned readings to contemporary events and issues in international relations. In both written portions of the exams and the writing assignments, students are asked to apply the concepts and theories to real world events or to show how coverage of international relations reflects the various perspectives on international relations.

*The learning goals displayed here are those for one section of this course as offered in a recent semester, and are provided for the purpose of information only. The exact learning goals for each course section in a specific semester will be stated on the syllabus distributed at the start of the semester, and may differ in wording and emphasis from those shown here.