Master of Arts in International Relations and Conflict Resolution

This course provides an analysis of the three important theoretical debates of international relations: Idealism vs. Realism, Traditionalism vs. Behavioralism, and Realism vs. Neo-realism. The course also addresses the level of analysis problem, as well as the central assumptions and key concepts of various theories of international relations, with special emphasis on the basic concepts, propositions, and current critique of realism and neo-realism.

This course examines a broad range of governments utilizing the comparative method of analysis. Students will study democracies, monarchies, dictatorships and authoritarian forms of government. Students will participate in various class projects emphasizing contemporary problems of the various forms of governments of nation states today. This will take into consideration cultural differences and similarities, human nature, and the approaches of individual governments different from that of the American norm in carrying out their basic responsibility to maintain and strengthen society by equal justice for all of its citizens.

This course examines how the international political system---the patterns of interaction among world political actors---has changed and how some of its fundamental characteristics have resisted change. Students will investigate how the global system works and how the process of globalization is remaking the political and economic world.

This course introduces issues surrounding the two major categories of international institutions: intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. The course studies the theories, origins, principles, organization, activities, legal authority and performance of major international organizations as world actors in areas of economic development, international security, trade, and humanitarian assistance. IGOs serve as forums for communications, as regulators, as distributors, as organs of military security, and as peacekeepers. A few IGOs, such as the European Union (EU), have taken on supra-national political functions; they have power to make decisions that bind member-states, and their failures are not inherent, but are often caused by the reluctance of states to surrender sovereignty.

This seminar allows the student to research some of the primary theoretical perspectives and analytical approaches for studying international political economy. The course includes a survey of contemporary literature, with special emphasis on theory, the phenomenon of globalization, an exploration of the market economy, the role of international and transnational actors, and relations between the Global North and the Global South with the international economic system, as well as instructions in how to critically evaluate research and set up a research project.

RECOMMENDED AS FIRST PROGRAM COURSE. REQUIRED AS ONE OF FIRST THREE PROGRAM COURSES. This course presents the research methods commonly used by all social scientists. Consequently, the course will prepare the student to understand material and issues associated with but not limited to the logic of the scientific method, research design, and statistical analysis of data. The course is intended to provide a foundation from which the student may use the knowledge and practices acquired throughout the rest of their graduate program in their selected field of study.

The student analyzes potential and actualized regional threats to U.S. national security and economic interests, specifically, the most volatile threat areas and high-risk nuclear flashpoints. These include the Sino-North Korean alliance, incorporating nuclear proliferation and exploitation of U.S. & UN aid; the Indo-Pakistani rivalry including the Kashmir dispute and nuclear arsenals; the historical & legal aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the potential for use of nuclear weapons, motives and interests of protagonists and regional & international parties. The course continues by examining the rejection by Militant Islamic fundamentalism of the prevailing global free market system, modernity, majority secular world, and New World Order. The syllabus concludes with an assessment of the hazards posed to the United States by the ideological, economic, military, defense, social, expansionist and long term objectives of the European Union.

This course allows the students to examine emergent issues and/or events in International Relations. The course will be taught in a structured seminar format.

This course of study examines the history of political, tactical and strategic developments and concepts regarding geopolitical concerns regarding political and military planning and execution from the mid-20th Century through the modern era. The comparative analysis of these concepts from the applicable secondary literature will provide a stepping stone to understanding the nature of modern combined arms and joint forces warfare.

This course examines the defense policies of a number of nations in Europe and Asia that had to deal with enormous changes following the East bloc's collapse. It concentrates on the effect of post-Cold War induced changes on these nations.

An examination of the governments and the militaries of the two Koreas. This course will closely examine the reasons behind the Korean peninsula playing such a pivotal role in overall Northeast Asian security. The course will examine domestic political, economic and social problems and prospects of North Korea and South Korea; the prospects for reunification; the military balance and the changing strategic environment; and the relations of Pyongyang and Seoul with their key allies. Includes an examination of U.S. relations with Korea.

Latin America continues as one of the most important areas to the United States -- even as it remains one of the least understood. In particular, the internal dimension of security has not yet been resolved in many Latin American nations to the extent that domestic stability can be taken for granted, a reality which could have profound consequences for the United States. In the recent past, for instance, the U.S. has experienced two major refugee influxes, one from Cuba, the other from Haiti. Further, the U.S. has seen countries as close as Mexico and Colombia experience internal turmoil which at times appeared sure to produce similar waves. This course focuses upon this internal security dynamic.

This course examines evolution of the contemporary Middle East politics. It studies political, social, and cultural, interactions both within and among the countries located in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, the Persian Gulf region, and the North Africa. The course aims to present detailed and multidimensional analysis of the political attitudes and behaviors of prominent players biased through religious motives, regimes, patterns of patrimonial leadership, and diverse aspirations and goals of traditional social groups rooted in the Middle East. In this framework, focusing, first, on the birth and rise of Islam and religious motives in social life, the course sets the stage for historic developments which brought about structural dilemmas of today. Emphasizing on the period starting with the industrial revolution early in the nineteenth century, it also draws attention to the political economic motives of the region shaped by petroleum as well as the rise of mass politics. Correspondingly, involvement of the great powers into the politics of region is, in the final analysis, another topic that adds up flavor to the discussions and perspectives related to the Middle East politics. Finally, it takes up the analysis of current developments, like the U.S. led Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and democratization efforts in the Broader Middle East area in the context of U.S. war on terror.

This course examines the political, economic and security forces that impact on the government and politics of countries in the Middle East, specifically the Persian Gulf, as well as U.S. foreign policy toward this important region. It will touch on the historic, religious, social and cultural aspects that have helped shape the political dynamics of the Persian Gulf as well as the strategic factors which have tied the region to the West generally and to the U.S. in particular. The first part of the course will focus on the historical background of the region, the role of religion, and the emergence of nation-states after centuries of foreign domination. The latter part will concentrate on contemporary issues and problems -- The issue of terrorism and the recent Gulf conflict caused by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The course will examine the political systems and the political elites of the major players in the Middle East including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The course will conclude with an overview of current U.S. involvement in the region.

This course covers the geography, culture, society, economy, and religions of the major ethnic and linguistic groups in the Middle East. The course will introduce students to important events and developments, such as the changing concepts of politics in Islam; the evolving sociological bases of states and societies in the Middle East; and the early impact of Europe on the Middle East, first through trade and then through colonialism.

The events of September 11, 2001 have forced the world to focus on Islam. This course will enable students to put the contemporary Islamist challenge to the West into historical, political, and cultural context and to understand Islam and the Islamic world more broadly. The breadth of the course content reflects the inconsistent and uncertain usage of the term Islam. The central theme of the course will be to address the question of whether the relationship of theology to polity within Islamic societies is unique to that religious tradition.

The course is designed to introduce students to the concepts and sources of international law that evaluate the various components, processes, and functions of the international legal process and consider how international law impacts the laws within the United States. Additionally, the current state of the international legal order is reviewed with legal opinions regarding major philosophies, components and current practices and problems of the field of international law.

Comprehensive final examination required of students in the Master of Arts in International Relations and Conflict Resolution program. The "Comprehensive Final Exam" is tailored specifically to each program and must be taken after students have completed 36 hours of study (i.e., during the semester following the final course) and successfully completed before the award of a degree.