PO 5990 - Topics Course

Here is an example of a few of the course types:

International Organizations                                                                                    

This course looks at the role international organizations play in the international system.  The emphasis is on the development of international organizations and their proliferation. Entities such as the United Nations and the European Union are included along with other regional organizations, NGO’s, and PVO’s.

International Development                                                                                      

This course is designed to build a core understanding of the most basic models used in development (and in the developmental discourse) as well as expose you to the many themes of development. This course will also look at the role actors in the international system play in development. The course - just like the problems of development themselves - is multi-disciplinary. The course draws on history, economics, and politics to discuss the problems and prospects of development.

Women and Development                                                                                       

This course examines the politics and policies of international development from a gender-sensitive perspective.  The course assumes that the term “development” must be understood within an historical and political context, and that development affects women and men, rural and urban people, rich and poor, differently.  We will explore the following: the meanings, history, and political context of development; the uneven impact of development and specific issues that illustrate this uneven impact; and development policies and organizations.

International Law                                                                                                    

International law commonly is defined as the rules, principles, and norms which govern the interaction among states. In this course, we will investigate the basic question underlying this debate over the utility of international law: does international law act as a constraint on state autonomy, or is it merely used by states when it is in their self-interest? In an effort to address this question, we will focus on the fundamental principles of international law, sovereignty and non-intervention, and will consider whether these principles have been eroded in recent decades as a result of growing support for new international legal norms, including human rights.

Collective Security and Peacekeeping                                                                    

This course explores the origins of the idea of collective security, examines the attempts to organize international security collectively, and assesses possibilities and opportunities for collective security arrangements after the Cold War.

Global Change and US Foreign Policy                                                                  

This course examines the transformation of the U.S. role in the post Cold War world. Specific attention is paid to the political, economic, environmental, and cultural changes affecting the role the US plays globally today. (4 Credits)