International Relations Major

The International Relations Major is recommended as a field of study for those students seeking careers abroad in government or in private industry, for teachers, for those planning careers in journalism, law, and related fields and for those who intend to pursue graduate studies. The major consists of no fewer than 33 upper division units selected in consultation with an advisor from the Political Science faculty.

International Relations Research Seminar:  International Relations majors have the option of taking an International Relations Research Seminar, offered each Fall.  This will help students to conduct research and write scholarly papers on a variety of international and/or comparative political topics.

--All Honors Students who are International Relations majors are required to enroll in the Research Seminar the semester before their Honors Thesis seminar.

--All International Relations majors who plan to go on to graduate school are strongly encouraged to enroll in the Research Seminar during their junior or senior year.

-- All students who would like to write a senior thesis, or who want to conduct independent research in international relations, should enroll in the Research Seminar in lieu of independent study.

Preparation for the Major: Political Science 125, 175, and 250, Economics 101 and 122, any Non-U.S. History course.

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Minor

Political Science 125, 175, and either 350 or 370, plus nine additional upper division units selected in consultation with an advisor from the Political Science faculty.

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Major Requirements: Thirty-three units of upper division work to include

A. Core Courses: Six upper division units (two courses) from among the following:
Political Science 350 [150] -  Core Course: Comparative Politics (3)
Political Science 370 [170] -  Core Course: International Relations (3)

B. International and Comparative Politics: Fifteen upper division units (five courses) from among the following:
Political Science 306 [110] -  Political Ideology (3)
Political Science 307 [111] -  Politics and Religion (3) 
Political Science 326 [126] -  Comparative Law (3)
Political Science 327 [127] -  International Law (3)
Political Science 329 [129] -  Law of the Sea (3)
Political Science 349 [135] -  Politics and the Environment (3)
Political Science 352 [158] -  Comparative Politics of Developing Countries (3)
Political Science 354 [159] -  Revolutionary Change (3)
Political Science 355 [154] -  Politics in Western Europe (3)
Political Science 356 [181] -  Politics in East-Central Europe (3) 
Political Science 357 [186] -  Politics in Latin America (3) 
Political Science 358 [187] -  Politics in South Asia (3)
Political Science 359 [192] -  Politics in the Middle East (3)
Political Science 360 [195] -  Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (3)
Political Science 362 [157] -  Politics in the United Kingdom (3)
Political Science 363 [155] -  Politics in France (3) 
Political Science 364 [156] -  Politics in Germany (3)
Political Science 365 [180] -  Politics in Russia (3) 
Political Science 366 [153] -  Politics in Mexico (3)
Political Science 367 [189] -  Politics in Japan (3)
Political Science 368 [190] -  Politics in China (3)
Political Science 371 [178] -  American Foreign Policy (3)
Political Science 372 [182] -  Russian Foreign Policy (3) 
Political Science 374 [185] -  U.S.-Latin American Relations (3)
Political Science 375 [193] -  Comparative Foreign Policy (3)
Political Science 376 [179] -  American National Security (3)
Political Science 377 [177] -  Regional Security (3) 
Political Science 378 [195] -  Transnational Crime & Terrorism (3)
Political Science 382 [195] -  International Human Rights (3)
Political Science 383 [195] -  International Organizations (3)
Political Science 480 [141] -  Model United Nations (3)
Political Science 485 [198] -  Wash DC: Directed Study in International Relations
Political Science 486 [198] -  Wash DC: Internship in International Relations
Political Science 487 [198] -  Wash DC: Class in International Relations
Political Science 494 [195] -  Special Topics in International Relations (3)
Political Science 498 [198] -  Internship in International Relations (3)
Political Science 499 [199] -  Independent Study in International Relations (3)

C. International Humanities and Social Sciences: Nine upper division units (three courses) with no more than three units (one courses) taken from any one department, with predominantly international context, to be selected from among the following: 

Anthropology       

 328 Caribbean Cultures    

 332 Mesoamerican Archaeology   

 334 South American Archaeology   

 335 Nautical Archaeology    

 339 Post Medieval Seafaring and Empire  

Art History       

 333 Modern Art    

 334 Art of the 20th C in Europe and the Americas 

Business       

 309 International Comparative Management  

 405 International Financial Management  

Communication       

 380 International Media    

Economy       

 333 International Economics   

 335 Economic Development of Latin America  

 337 Economic Development of Asia   

English       

364 Postcolonial Studies

366 Modern European Lit    

368 British Modern Fiction   

History       

 340 World War I    

 341 World War II    

 345 Topics in Military History   

 347 Topics in Modern Europe   

 348 Modern France    

 351 Modern Britain    

 352 The British Empire     

 356 Russia Since 1917    

 357 Topics in Russian and East European History 

 358 Topics in Modern World History   

 359 Modern Middle East    

 361 Modern Latin America   

 362 Topics in Latin American History  

 363 History of Brazil    

 364 Topics in Asian History   

 365 History of China    

 366 History of Japan    

 368 History of Africa    

 369 Issues in Modern Africa   

376-377 United States Foreign Relations     

384 History of Mexico    

387 History of Baja California   

Language       

 French      

 410 French Theater    

 411 French Prose    

 412 French Novel    

 413 French Poetry    

 414 French Women Writers   

 German      

 302 Readings in German Literature   

 312 German Literature from 1900 to the Present   

 494 Topics in German Literature   

 Italian      

 304 Survey of Italian Literature   

 411 Masterpieces in Italian Literature  

 494 Topics in Italian Literature   

Spanish      

 303 Introduction to Spanish Literature  

 320 Survey of Spanish Literature 

 360 Survey of Latin American Literature 

 427 Twentieth Century Spanish Literature  

 429 Cinema of Spain    

 448 The Spanish American Short Story  

 449 Spanish American Novel   

 451 Contemporary Spanish American Poetry  

 453 Mexican Literature and Culture   

 457 Latin American Cinema   

 494 Topics in Hispanic Literature   

Music       

 331 Music History II: 1750 - Present   

 440 Topics in World Music   

Philosophy       

 338 Environmental Ethics

 340 Ethics of War and Peace

 472 Studies in Modern European Philosophy  

 474 Studies in Contemporary Continental Philosophy 

 476 Studies in Asian Philosophy   

Sociology       

 351 Modern Chinese Society   

 362 Global Society    

Theology       

 312 Hindu Faith and Practice   

 313 Jewish Faith and Practice   

 314 Buddhist Faith and Practice   

 315 Islamic Faith and Practice   

 321 Afro-Latin Religions    

 368 U.S. Latino and Latin American Theologies  

 390 The Holocaust: Death of God or Death of Humanity? 

D. Political Science: Three upper division units (one course). Students may take any upper division course offered by the department of Political Science, including: political theory, American politics, international politics, comparative politics, or internship. 

E. Study Abroad: 3 units inside or outside the major must be taken as apart of a study abroad experience.  This course can be “double-counted,” like the core “W” requirement.

Course Descriptions

125 [15] American Politics (3)
This course offers students a fundamental overview of American politics by analyzing the origin, development, structure, and operation of all levels of the American political system. This course also examines how politics are practiced in the United States in order to analyze the uniqueness of the American political system.

175 [20] International Politics (3)
This course examines major traditions in the discipline of international relations. Students are introduced to the study of the causes of war and the conditions of peace, international law and organizations, international political economy, great power politics, and foreign-policy decision making. The course also explores issues such as global poverty, immigration, refugees, human rights, and the environment as they affect international politics.

250 [5] Research Methods in Political Science (3)
This course introduces students to the various stages of the research process from conceptualization of the research question to interpretation of findings. Students not only learn to develop efficient research strategies to evaluate empirical relationships from a theoretically informed perspective, but they also design and conduct empirical research of their own.

306 [110] Political Ideology (3)
This course examines the nature and content of modern ideologies and the role they play in the political life of states. Students are introduced to the ideologies of liberalism, conservatism, fascism, socialism, and nationalism, and consider how assumptions about human nature in general, and political ideals of order, liberty, equality, and justice, inparticular, affect choice of ideology.

307 [111] Politics and Religion (3)
This course offers an introduction to the study of the role of religion in sociopolitical change. The course deals with the theoretical literature on the subject and focuses on the salient cases in the various religious traditions and regions of the world.

326 [126] Comparative Law (3)
This course presents a cross-national, historical, and comparative analysis of constitutional, administrative and criminal law. Subject countries vary, but will include representative judicial systems within the Civil Law, Common Law, and Socialist Law traditions.

327 [127] International Law (3)
This course examines the theory and practice of international law, including efforts to creative effective legal means to define, proscribe, and punish war crimes, crimes against humanity, and terrorism. We discuss the negotiation, ratification, and enforcement of treaties and study multinational legal institutions such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the International Criminal Tribunals for the foirmer Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

329 [129] Law of the Sea (3)
This course introduces students to the study of regimes of the sea including fisheries, pollution control, and coastal management zones. The politics of ocean regulation are examined with particular attention to law of the sea negotiations. (Cross-listed as Marine Science 329.)

349 [135] Politics and the Environment (3)
This course examines the decision-making processes through which modern societies attempt to cope with environmental and natural resource problems. Students investigate both American and international environmental issues, and consider the historical and theoretical bases of current environmental policies and initiatives.

350 [150] Core Course: Comparative Politics (3)
This course examines the major theoretical approaches to comparative politics as well as the political histories of individual countries. It is designed to introduce students to a variety of themes central to this field, including state-society relations, state capacity, the role of institutions, nationalism, cultural/ethnic pluralism, political culture, and democracy.

352 [158] Comparative Politics of Developing Countries (3)
This course examines concepts and theories of development and assesses their utility in understanding political, economic and social change in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Particular emphasis is placed on issues such as: state building, the bureaucracy, civil-military relations, national identity, economic development, and democratization.

354 [159] Revolutionary Change (3)
This course is a comparative study of the revolutionary process focusing on the meaning of revolutionary change, the causes and stages of revolutions, and the conditions that influence their outcomes. Special attention is devoted to the French, Russian, Chinese, Cuban, and other revolutions.

355 [154] Politics in Western Europe (3)
This course offers a survey of the political cultures, institutions, and processes of the United Kingdom, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and other West European countries. The development of a more integrated European community is also discussed.

356 [181] Politics in East-Central Europe (3)
This course examines the politics of East-Central Europe from its Cold War origins to the dynamic developments after the revolutions of 1989. It focuses on the diverse challenges of democratization and market reform in some of the following countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, and the states of the former Yugoslavia.

357 [186] Politics in Latin America (3)
This course examines the dynamics of political and economic change in 20th-century Latin America. There is particular emphasis on the causes and consequences of cyclical economic development and recurrent waves of democratization and authoritarianism.

358 [187] Politics in South Asia (3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of contemporary South Asian politics by examining historical as well as contemporary issues relating to socioeconomic change, political development, regional relations, and international linkages. The course focus is primarily on India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but the politics of Nepal and Sri Lanka are also considered.

359 [192] Politics in the Middle East (3)
This course offers an introduction to the study of the politics of the Middle East and North Africa. The complex issues of regional conflicts with international significance and the forces shaping the internal development of the modern Middle East are explored.

360 [195] Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (3)
This course provides an introduction to Sub-Saharan African political systems and the relationships that exist between governments and their citizens in this region. We examine some of the main factors that shape contemporary African politics, including the legacy of colonialism, the rise of authoritarian states, ethnic, national, and racial conflict, and political and economic reform.

362 [157] Politics in the United Kingdom(3)
This course examines the development of democracy in England, the institutions of government and parliament; political parties; and selected domestic and foreign policies.

363 [155] Politics in France (3)
This course examines contemporary French politics. We begin by constructing an historical and ideological foundation for the course, we then move to recent institutional and electoral practices, and we finally analyze a variety of foreign and security policies, including relations with the United States, members of the European Union, and countries throughout the world.

364 [156] Politics in Germany (3)
This course introduces students to German politics by examining contemporary as well as historical issues that challenge the unified Germany. The course's main focus is on the post-Cold War and post-unification era with particular emphasis on the current political, social, and economic agendas, and on explaining and predicting German national and international politics.

365 [180] Politics in Russia (3)
This course examines the development of the political institutions and culture of Russia since the collapse of Communism, with a focus on the role of the Presidency, the Parliament, political parties, and the public in shaping the life of the Russian Federation.

366 [153] Politics in Mexico (3)
This course provides an overview of the contemporary Mexican political system. The primary focus is on the breakdown of the dominant party system in the late twentieth century and the subsequent recalibration of executive-legislative relations, decentralization of power and emergence of democratic political culture and competition.

367 [189] Politics in Japan (3)
This course examines the development of contemporary Japanese politics by analyzing Japan’s pre-WWII political and social systems, its domestic capabilities, and Japanese policy-making processes. The course also evaluates current and speculates regarding future Japanese politics by assessing historical and current political, economic, and social conditions in Japan.

368 [190] Politics in China (3)
This course examines politics and political issues in the People’s Republic of China from the mid-1800s to the present. Throughout the course students assess factors such as China’s traditional political, social, and economic systems, ideology, and current policy-making structures that shape China’s policies in order to understand contemporary Chinese political issues.

370 [170] Core Course: International Relations (3)
This course analyzes the major theoretical perspectives in the field of international relations by reflecting upon the writings of the most important scholars in the discipline. Students study the mainstream realist and liberal approaches and explore theoretical alternatives to these paradigms. The relationship between theory and practice is also examined.

371 [178] American Foreign Policy (3)
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing American foreign policy in the twenty-first century. Students examine the historical legacy and internal and external constraints on foreign policy decision-making. Students also study theoretical approaches in the discipline of international relations and discuss their relevance to an empirical analysis of American foreign policy.

372 [182] Russian Foreign Policy (3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the nature and substance of Russian foreign policy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Students explore the implications of loss of superpower status on Russian national identity, of the interrelationship between domestic reform and foreign policy, and of the challenges of developing relationships on a new footing with newly independent states of Eurasia and with the rest of the world.

374 [185] U.S.-Latin American Relations (3)
The course explores the history of economic and political relations between the U.S. and Latin America to understand the basis of contemporary U.S. policy. Topics examined include military intervention, drug trafficking, immigration and trade policies, and relations with Cuba.

375 [193] Comparative Foreign Policy (3)
The course offers a comparative approach to the study of foreign policy. Public policy formation and political structures in various countries are analyzed with particular attention to the linkage between domestic and foreign policy decision-making.

376 [179] U.S. National Security (3)
This course examines contemporary U.S. security policy, including military technology, nuclear strategy and arms control, recent U.S. military interventions, biological and chemical weapons, domestic security politics, the defense industry and budget, and terrorism.

377 [177] Regional Security (3)
This course examines security dynamics in three important regions of the world (Europe, East Asia, and Latin America.) We address issues ranging from military technologies to diplomatic relations, political economy, and transnational challenges like drug trafficking and terrorism.



378 [195] Transnational Crime and Terrorism (3)
This course focuses on how the law enforcement community has responded to the unprecedented increase in crimes and terrorist acts that cross international borders. The course examines those factors that have led to this increase in transnational crime and terrorism, the types of crimes that pose the greatest threat to alwful societies, the responses that have been developed to combat transnational crime, and the extent to which transnational crime threatens the national security interests of the United States and the world community.

380 [130] Core Course: International Political Economy (3)
This course offers an introduction to the study of the history, issues, and dynamics of political/economic interactions in the international economy. The course covers both advanced industrial societies and less developed countries. Special topics such as international energy, the international debt crisis and international migration are considered. Economics 101 and 102 are recommended prerequisites.

382 [195] International Human Rights (3)
This course explores contending approaches to human rights, the role of institutions and organizations in setting human rights agendas, and human rights problems and policies in international politics.

383 [128] International Organizations (3)
This course provides an introduction to the study of the international organization in world politics. The focus is on the United Nations and other selected organizations.

480 [142] Model United Nations (1)
This course involves a simulation of the decision-making processes of the United Nations. Students participate in at least one conference per semester where they have the opportunity to represent an assigned country and compete against other universities. This course may be reapeated once for credit.

485 [198] Wash DC: Directed Study in International Relations (3)
This course requires students to complete a research paper while interning in Washington, D.C. The paper addresses an issue in international relations that relates to the internship experience.

486 [198] Wash DC: Internship in International Relations (6)
Students work 35-40 hours a week in Washington, D.C. at an internship related to international relations. The internship must be approved by the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Students receive six units of credit of which three may apply toward the major.

487 [198] Wash DC: Class in International Relations (3)
This international relations course is taken in Washington, D.C. during the internship. The course must be approved by the Department of Political Science and International Relations.

494 [195] Special Topics in International Relations (3)
Special topics courses offer an examination of a topical issue affecting the domestic politics of foreign countries or the international political system. This course number may be repeated for credit provided the topics of the courses.

498 [198] Internship in International Relations (1-6)
This course involves participation in an internship related to international relations. Students are be required to complete a research paper under the supervision of the instructor. This course is open only to junior or senior Political Science or International Relations majors with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students may not enroll in more than six internship units, and only three may be used toward the major.

499 [199] Independent Study in International Relations (1-3)
This course involves advanced individual study in International Relations or Comparative Politics. This course is open only to junior or senior Political Science or International Relations majors with a grade point average in Political Science courses of 3.3 or higher. Approval of instructor and department chair is required, and substantial prior course work in the area is expected.

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