Course Details

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

CO-1 Critique the basic theories that explain the international system, the causes and impact of war and political violence, conflict resolution, and peace operations.

CO-2 Evaluate and assess the characteristics of today's peace operations environment and how it affects humanitarian assistance and military operations.

CO-3 Analyze the planning considerations for peace operations across the range of peace operations.

CO-4 Assess the roles, responsibilities, and options of state, regional and international actors in global peace operations.

CO-5 Examine and critique alternative concepts for peacekeeping operations

These course objectives harmonize with the Degree Program Objectives, which require graduates to:

• Construct and criticize the theory and politics of conflict, war, diplomatic relations, and the evolving nature of the international system.
• Provide students with a research-active teaching environment to provide grounding in the study of international relations including its political, social, and economic aspects.
• Assess how state, non-state, and supra-national actors behave and interact through a dynamic appreciation of different levels of analysis.
• Critique the theories of international relations, the heritage and development of the discipline, its major debates, its inherent nature as an interdisciplinary study, and a critical appreciation of the essentially contested nature of politics in general, and international relations in particular.
• Evaluate the nature and distribution of power in the international systems, the problems of political order and the social economic, historical and cultural context within which international actors operate.
• Assess the current challenges to international order, cooperation, identity, social formations, and global issues, and possible strategies to address them.
• Evaluate the changing role of the state in the context of globalization and regional integration and the implications for international peace and security.

The course grade is based on the following assessments:

Discussion Forums – 30 percent

Discussion questions will be provided and posts should reflect an assimilation of the readings and respond to the assigned topic(s). Students are required to provide a substantive initial post by Thursday at 11:55 pm ET and respond to two or more classmates by Sunday 11:55 pm ET. Forum posts are graded on timeliness, relevance, knowledge of the weekly readings, and the quality of original ideas.

Research Question, Purpose Statement, and Citation Format Exercise – 20 percent

The components of this assignment include a research question and a purpose and design statement. It must contain at least eight sources, at least six of which must be peer-reviewed. The specific research question should relate to a topic covered in the course. Length: 8 pp.

Literature Review—20 percent

This document contains an annotated summary of the major sources that will be used in the research paper, all of which must be peer-reviewed articles or scholarly texts. Students will identify the source, offer a short synopsis of its main argument, and offer a statement of relevance to the research project. Length: 8 pp.

Final Paper—30 percent

This is the final paper assignment of the course. It must contain citations in formal style as well as a bibliography. Length: 15 pp.

Required Course Textbooks

Readings are available electronically within the classroom.

Additional Resources and Web Sites

Videos and web sites are available within the classroom and through the university electronic library.