Bachelor of Arts in International Relations

An overview of the field of international and global politics. The nation state, factors of power, collective security, international trade, regional and international organization, sources of conflict and convergence are addressed.

This course analyzes international relations from 1945 to the present. Students will become thoroughly familiar with events and major interpretive issues. Topics include the Cold War, decolonization, the role of the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations, the development of international terrorism, the Arab-Israeli and Persian Gulf conflicts, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. (Prerequisite: IRLS210).

Pre Reqs: International Relations I(IRLS210)

This class examines the elements and practice of American Foreign Policy.  It reviews the history of American Foreign Policy and ideology, and then examines the actors, tools and processes of US foreign policy.  This class emphasizes current foreign policy issues, including policy geared toward national security.

Examines the role of and interrelationship of international organizations, nation-states, and non-state actors in the global system. North-South and East-West relations are discussed in terms of specific global issues: crisis management, conflict resolution, human rights, refugee problems, international finance, developmental assistance, world trade, and globalization.

A detailed study of the history, theories, and practices of global development initiatives with particular concentration in the prevailing views and practices of the 1960’s-contemporary times. A look at development in light of broader political constructs that influence the development of nations.

Information Literacy for Global Citizenship builds students’ information literacy skills in the international relations/global studies context. Students analyze scholarly sources in the discipline, identifying the types of issues and questions scholars pursue, the discursive conventions they employ, and their methods of engaging in dialogue with and citing sources. After identifying their own discipline specific research question, students select and use appropriate research tools, developing complex search strategies that help them to find relevant scholarly information on their topics. They evaluate sources and information to determine their authority, reliability, timeliness as well as the quality and underlying assumptions of the arguments presented. They synthesize the information they’ve found with their own ideas, effectively integrating source material into their papers and citing that material appropriately. Finally, the course asks students to reflect upon the ways in which the information literacy skills they’ve acquired provide a foundation for both global citizenship and lifelong learning.

Introduces the student to the basic principles and practices of international law and legal regimes. Examines traditional and emerging topics in the field: human rights, the Law of the Sea, the Law of Armed Conflict, War Crime Tribunals, and the International Criminal Court. (Prerequisite: IRLS210).

Pre Reqs: International Relations I(IRLS210)

An exploration of the rich diversity of cultures and societies of Contemporary Europe. Critical reading of recent ethnography will be used to examine themes such as the formation of national identities, ethnicity and migration, rural life and traditionalism, family and kinship, popular religion, and urban development. The European Union is analyzed as a potential transformation of Europe into a new system of European government that could supersede the nation-state.

This course focuses on comparative evaluation of Europe paying particular attention to challenges facing the continent such as migration, ethno-nationalism, and terrorism. It will also focus on opportunities for European countries to work together, including NATO, OSCE, and the EU.

This course will provide students with an overview of the intersection of politics, policy, and economics in the European context.

This course will provide students with an overview of the political, economic, diplomatic interactions between European countries as well as between Europe and the rest of the world.

This course focuses on the great crises of 20th century European civilization, from the outbreak of war in August 1914 to the defeat of Hitler Germany in May 1945. Through novels and historical monographs, it explores the effects of total war and mass mobilization on the industrially advanced state systems of the period, as well as the social emancipation, economic disintegration, and cultural innovation brought on by the great wars of the period. Particular attention is paid to the experience of the "great powers" (Germany, the Soviet Union, Britain and France), which is supplemented by student research on the smaller countries of Europe. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

The course evaluates European politics from the French Revolution to the industrialization process and effects in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Students assess the impact of military modernization and analyze the commercialization of the culture. An overview of politics and wars in the 20th century and their relationship to the fall and rise of the economy will be presented as well as the concept of European security. The forces of modernization, causes of war, and power of unification will be evaluated, with an emphasis on effects and divisions of the Cold War and democratization wave of the 1990’s. It will examine the evolution of trade unions to a regional union with its effects on politics, economics and security, including case studies of regional terrorism. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

September 11 and its aftermath, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia and debate over the nature and effects of globalization all highlight the importance of political geography as a means of understanding the world around us. This course examines the relationship between earth and state. World political phenomena are studied from a geographic perspective, including international boundaries, territorial seas, and landlocked states. This course emphasizes the practical application of geography to political events.

Introduces major theoretical approaches to the comparative study of politics. The student applies these approaches to government institutions, the policy-making process, political participation, economic structures and social change for both state and non-state actors.

Based on a theoretical analysis, a detailed study is undertaken of the globalization of the market system and its impact on population growth, urbanization, political governance, and traditional values in various nation-states and regions.

This course will explain how an alliance of nations, formed to protect its member countries from a re-emergence of post-World War II Germany, transformed itself in order to protect Western Europe from the Warsaw Pact. It will delve into how an alliance that was purely defensive in origin evolved into an organization that conducted offensive operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and attacked a sovereign nation in an attempt to bring peace to Kosovo. It will conclude with a study on the possible future of NATO in the changing environment of Europe and America. The scope of this course focuses on the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since it’s founding to the present. The course includes the formation of the Alliance, the study of the member countries military forces, the organization and purposes of the various NATO Headquarters, the role of NATO in the Cold War, and the role NATO is playing today in the stabilization of Europe.

This course provides an introduction to Russian literature, beginning with the earliest works and continuing through the mid-1800s. It focuses on short stories and explores how Russian literature affects a variety of art forms in Russia, such as dance, music, and opera. Russian Literature examines such aspects of Russian literary technique as irony, metaphor, and dualism. Students will also analyze differences between translations and how such differences may alter the interpretation of a work. (Prerequisite: ENGL101).

Pre Reqs: Proficiency in Writing(ENGL101)

This course examines themes in the thought of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoic, Epicurean, and neo-Platonist philosophers of the ancient world. It enables the student to enter the “great conversation” of western civilization as well as debate the fundamental questions that surround science, religion, self-awareness, ethics, and politics. (Prerequisite: PHIL101).

Pre Reqs: Introduction to Philosophy(PHIL101)

This course is designed to provide a solid foundation for undergraduate study in the online environment. Students will be introduced to learning theory, the tools available in the online classroom and campus, and online research. Identification of personal learning style allows students to improve their study/learning techniques and prepares them to succeed in college level courses. Students will be introduced to formatting and citation styles. APUS policy and procedure is addressed. There is an emphasis on written communication to assist students in the transition to the online environment.

This senior capstone course allows students majoring in International Relations to analyze specific issues at the global level that would include: armaments, disarmament and proliferation; nationalism and world order; terrorism; peacekeeping; drug wars; political development and revolutionary change in less developed countries; and the organized use of force. This course will provide students with the opportunity to complete an approved academic research exercise that demonstrates knowledge of a selected field of study. This is a capstone course to be taken after all other International Relations courses have been satisfactorily completed. Student must have SENIOR standing to register.