Undergraduate

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Alumni
• Press

Undergraduate International Affairs Courses

Writing in the Disclipline

IAFF 190W Arab-Israeli Conflict
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Conflict and Security; International Politics; Middle East

IAFF 190W International Environmental Policy
International Environmental Policy explores the economic, political and institutional factors that shape global responses to international environmental issues. The course is organized around topical units (e.g., climate change). Each unit begins with an assessment of the current environmental issues in that area, which is followed by a review of the international agreements and other responses global actors have taken toward those issues. This course is part of the Writing in the Discipline (WID) program and the development of strong writing skills is one of its core objectives. University Writing or a recognized equivalent is a pre-requisite for this course.

IAFF 190W International Trade Policy
International Trade Policy explores the political, legal and institutional factors that shape national responses to international economic developments. Topics covered include: the U.S. government's policy process; organization and operations of the WTO; bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations, including the Doha Round; and current issues such as intellectual property and the surge in commodity prices. As part of the Writing in Discipline course series, this course will involve regular writing assignments. Students planning to take this course should already have studied microeconomics, macroeconomics and international trade theory at the principles level, and should have completed University Writing or an equivalent course.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Comparative Political, Economic & Social Systems; International Development Studies; International Economics; International Politics

IAFF 190W Global Politics and the Renaissance of Religion (WID)
An understanding of the dynamics of religious faith is essential for discerning the meaning of the events and trends that are shaping contemporary international life. Although religion frequently provides groups with a rationale for conflict, it also plays an increasingly significant role in efforts to resolve conflict, achieve post-conflict reconciliation, safeguard human rights and carry out holistic human development. This course will seek to examine the role of religion in world affairs and will place special emphasis on the written articulation of that role in a manner that is sensitive, logical and clear. It will assume that religion can be rigorously studied using standard analytic methods.
(AS IAFF 40) This course may be used in the Humanities requirement in the GCRs.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Contemporary Cultures and Societies, Conflict and Security; International Politics

IAFF 190W Science, Health, and Public Policy
Science, Health, and Public Policy Practical looks at the interaction between science and technology and public policy. We will examine practical aspects of who brings advice, what content is communicated, who uses it, and how it becomes public policy. Students will choose a policy issue, read in and track it, and engage in a number of writing exercises designed to impart a sense of what science policy analysts do. Students will develop a portfolio of professional policy skills including research methods, network building, and professional communication techniques. This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Contemporary Cultures and Societies; Global Public Health; International Development Studies; International Economics; International Politics

IAFF 190W Challenges and Change in the Middle East
The course will provide a picture of Middle Eastern societies today, by examining some of changes these societies are undergoing and the challenges they face. While the Middle East comprises a geographical region which shares some cultural, religious and linguistic attributes, it is by no means treated as a monolith. However, some overarching themes will be addressed. Contemporary issues will be discussed taking into account their historical, cultural and socio-political context. Moreover, though issues will be examined from the vantage point of "outside" analysts, they will, more importantly, be discussed from the point of view of the peoples and societies in the Middle East.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Comparative Political, Economic & Social Systems; Conflict & Security; Contemporary Cultures & Societies; International Development Studies; International Politics; Middle East

IAFF 190W Latin American Populism
Populism has once again re-emerged as a regime type throughout Latin America as a reaction to the failure of globalization, neo-liberalism and democratization to improve the region���s chronic unemployment or raise the standard of living of the majority population. However one may view this trend, populism in Latin America has a long and storied tradition dating back to Juan and Eva Peron in Argentina (1946-1955) and most recently to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela (1999- ). A complex political typology, populism has undergone numerous variations from country to country during this time AND alterations in its most recent iteration since the 1980s as "neo-populism." Social scientists have been analyzing populism systematically since the 1960s, so that the scholarly literature on the subject is broad and deep — constituting an important body of theoretical knowledge unique to Latin America. In the course of the semester we will examine these theories and interpretations as they pertain to the origins, process and outcomes of Populism generally on the continent and specifically in a few characteristic regimes (Peron, Cardenas, Haya de la Torre) in the Classical period (1930-1960) and (Menem, Chavez, Fujimori) in the Neo Populist period (1980 to present). In consultation with the instructor students will select a country specific regime (see below) for their specific research paper for the course This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Comparative Political, Economic & Social Systems; International Development Studies; International Economics, International Politics; Latin America 190W National Security, Foreign and Intelligence Policy

The course will focus on the national security, foreign policy, and intelligence process that the US government goes through in the wake of a severe international crisis such as 9/11. The course will explore the ways in which 9/11 challenged the prevailing historical and cultural awareness of international affairs related to terrorism, tested the government���s ability to assemble, by investigations and research, a common factual record of what happened, and prompted both the legislative and executive branches of government to undertake significant reforms.

The course will look at: the background, context, and setting for the government and for the terrorist events of 9/11; the process by which the government investigations created a factual record of the 9/11 attack and recommended reforms; the ability of the US government, and specifically the intelligence community, to transform itself in appropriate ways to respond to this new global threat both before and after the attack; and, the effectiveness of the foreign policy, national security, and intelligence reform measures instituted and implemented post-9/11.

As the course seeks to develop an understanding of the national security, foreign policy, political process, and intelligence implications of this particular terrorist event, we will analyze, develop, and write about policy from a number of different perspectives in order to highlight the theory and practice of the policy process surrounding a pivotal international crisis event such as 9/11.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Conflict and Security; International Politics

IAFF 190W Presidential Rhetoric: Wartime
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Conflict and Security; International Politics

IAFF 190W Political Economy of Latin America
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: International Development Studies; International Economics; International Politics; Latin America

IAFF 190W US Foreign Policy in Africa
This course uses the case study approach and focuses on the US decision-making process in conflict situations in Sierra Leone, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Somalia and Rwanda. The goal is to comprehend how the US responded to each conflict. The course uses a specially prepared reader and involves considerable student interactions. It includes a mock briefing on US policy towards Sudan, role playing of actual positions during the US/UN intervention in Somalia, role playing of US embassy personnel in Addis Ababa and Asmara during the Ethiopia/Eritrea conflict, and a class debate on the genocide in Rwanda. One half of the grade is based on class participation, including the exercises, and one half on two research papers between seven and nine pages in length.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Comparative Political, Economic & Social Systems; Conflict & Security; Contemporary Cultures & Societies; International Development Studies; International Politics; Africa

IAFF 190W Terrorism & Counterterrorism
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Conflict & Security; International Politics

IAFF 190W Women in Global Politics
This course will examine the importance of gender considerations in shaping foreign policy, in particular development and human rights policy. Beginning with an overview/analysis of women's legal, political and economic status around the world, the course will then examine the relationships between policies that directly affect women and their actual implementation. The course will look at the particular impact of globalization on women, and will conclude with an appraisal of women's political involvement and their impact on public policy.
This course may be used in the following International Affairs group concentrations: Comparative Political, Economic & Social Systems; Conflict & Security; Contemporary Cultures & Societies; International Development Studies; International Economics; International Politics

Top of Page