INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & POLITICS

The Program provides a framework for understanding and analyzing current and future world situations and problems, and how international relations theory, history, geography, politics and other factors influence the globalized world today.  The Program connects the theory and the practice of international relations and world politics and teaches how to apply international relations theory to making and to implementing policy.

This Program is particularly for people involved in politics, diplomacy or government, or who are involved in international development, global trade or human rights.  Whether looking to start or to develop a career in one or more of these areas, this detailed and highly explanatory Program provides the insights and knowledge needed for success.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:

• The meaning of and differences between International Relations and World Politics.
• Globalization and the key actors: states, international organizations, NGOs and individuals.
• National security, national economics and national identity within the scope of international relations.
• International relations and world politics: an analytical framework, theories and points of view.
• Historical factors and influences on in International Relations and World Politics.
• International systems; definitions and scope, global twentieth-century systems; contemporary world powers.
• Understanding physical and human geography and their effect on IR & WP.
• Religion, culture, nationalism and ethnicity: their impact on conflict international relations and policy.
• Globalization and technological, social, economic impacts on humanity.
• Capitalism, global commerce, global governance, export-import, monetary and trade regimes.
• National Security in terms of power, national interests, objectives, threats and foreign policy.
• Policymaking conflicts and dilemmas when considering national security.
• Capabilities and power: political capabilities, social and cultural capabilities, geographic and economic capabilities; military capabilities; measuring power.
• Diplomacy and Foreign Policy; factors affecting the foreign-policy decision making process; modern communications and practices; how diplomacy works, diplomatic processes: recognition of States and Governments, diplomatic immunities, diplomatic missions, communications.
• Diplomacy, disarmament and arms control, concerns of weapons proliferation, negotiation.
• The development and implementation of international law in global civil society: diplomacy and security; economic and commercial matters; human rights and the environment; international criminal accountability.
• The United Nations (UN): objectives and structure; armed intervention and the use of force.
• International organizations and international law; alliances and coalitions, NATO, security.
• Interstate conflict, the reasons for conflict: international, individual and groups, state and societal levels.
• Policy, national strategy, war and the use of force; deterrence, defence and warfighting.
• Armed intervention, national security, humanitarian intervention.
• Asymmetric conflict, terrorism, causes of terrorism, the changing nature of terrorism; policymaking responses and approaches to terrorism.
• Transnational crime and globalization; assessment of threats.
• Trade theory, competition and comparative advantage; unequal trade and competition; trade and economic impacts on local, regional and national areas; trade and finance, free-trade theory, exchange rate mechanisms and their effects on import and export; the impact of technology on trade.
• Why some countries develop and use technologies and why other countries do not.
• Global governance tasks: sustaining trade and monetary regimes and global trade.
• Development: uneven development between developing and developed countries.
• Poverty and development; capital and sources of finance for development: aid, loans, direct foreign investment, and trade.
• Sustaining development: impacting factors such as population growth, the environment, health, military spending and war, resource depletion, health care