Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree with a

  Critical Junctures in Politics (3 credits)

The course of politics is often determined by seminal events or critical junctures, great dates in history where the tide turned and a society or civilization changed forever. Great Dates in Politics explores these seminal events across time and space, analyzing the impact of these momentous occasions in history and on contemporary politics.

  Comparative Politics (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the comparative study of politics in the contemporary world, focusing on political behavior and the structures and practices that political systems have in common and those that distinguish them. While the emphasis is on domestic features, the international context is also considered so that students may discover the concerns, the language and the methods of political science.

  World Politics (3 credits)

This course analyses the basic setting, structure and dynamics of world politics with emphasis on current global problems, practices and processes. In doing so, it introduces the major theoretical approaches to international politics, and uses theory as a methodological tool for analyzing sources of change and causes of conflict and/or cooperation in the global arena.

  Introduction to Political Philosophy (3 credits)

Political philosophy forms that branch of philosophy which reflects on the specificity of the political. Why are humans, as Aristotle argued, political animals? How are they political? What are the means and ends of the political, and how best does one organize the political with such questions in mind? The course offers a topic-oriented approach to the fundamental problems underlying political theory and practice.

  Political Analysis (3 credits)

This course examines the nature of knowledge claims in political science: how we know what we know and how certain we are. Research schools, the nature of description and explanation in political science, and basis issues of quantitative analysis will form the core elements of this course, while substantive themes may vary each year.

  Global Political Economy (3 credits)

Introduces the basic theories and practices of political economy through the lens of globalization. Discusses the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the OECD and the former GATT as well as the WTO. Explores the complex trade relations between Asia, Europe, and the U.S., and the impact of the recent Asian financial crisis on world markets.

  20th Century Diplomatic History (3 credits)

Examines the creation of the Bismarckian state, the origins of World War I and World War II, and the creation of a united Europe in the postwar period. Investigates the efforts of the European state system to adapt to the challenges of nationalism and globalization.

  International Law (3 credits)

Covers the formal structure of the international legal order; sources, uses and dynamics of law in international relations; use of force, war crimes; the status and functions of states, governments, international organizations, companies, and individuals; law of the sea, environment, jurisdiction, aliens, human rights, the diplomatic process and its protection, and treaties. Discusses theory and future directions of international law.

  Senior Seminar in International Affairs (3 credits)

The senior seminar is the culmination of the degree program and is designed to encourage students to combine their skilled analysis of the political in a challenging new context. While topics cover all five track concentrations, the goal of the seminar is to foster a sense of intellectual autonomy, to facilitate the ability to assess paradigms, and to provide a platform for a professional oral presentation of research results, as well as the incorporation of original research in a written thesis. Recent seminar topics include: Sovereignty, International Criminal Law, and Democracy.

  Choose five courses (15 credits) from one of the following tracks:

General electives to total 120 credits can be chosen from any other degree program in the university.  See AUP Catalog for details.