International Relations

The study of International Relations has traditionally focussed on the competition for power among rival states. Today, however, non-state and intergovernmental actors, such as non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, transnational diasporas, and organizations like the United Nations also exert important influence in international affairs. The multiple dimensions of power go beyond the distribution of economic and military capabilities and include class, gender, culture, and discourse. The "international" in International Relations is moreover inseparable from domestic concerns and is as much about cooperation and compromise among international actors as it is about competition and conflict. The International Relations programme provides students with a multidisciplinary foundation for understanding the complexities of today's international affairs.

Interdisciplinary B.A. Programme

INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJOR AREA OF STUDY in International Relations is 72 credits as follows:

Core (48 credits as follows):

6	from Political Science 1000
6	from International Relations/Political Science 2301, International Relations 3001
6	from History 1601, 1611, 2000, 2010, 2700
9	Economics 1001 and 1011 (or 1000), 3501
12	from a second language offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Normally students will take German 1000, 2000 or French 1700, 2401, 2501 or Spanish 1100, 2100 or Japanese 1000, 2000 (Students may substitute other courses dependent on placement by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures or another language subject approved by the International Relations Programme Coordinator or by transfer. If exempted, they must take the equivalent number of credits from elsewhere in the programme).
6	from Geography 1201, 2201, 2221, 2311
3	from an Intercultural area at the 1000 or 2000 level including Anthropology 1011, 2521; English 1111, 1121, 1201; French 2841 or 2851; German 2351; Spanish 2001, 2011; Religious Studies 2401, 2801; Sociology 1001; Women's Studies 2001

Interdisciplinary electives at the 3/4000 level:

from 3/4000 level courses chosen in consultation with the International Relations Programme Coordinator from the following courses, of which a maximum 12 credits can be taken from any one discipline:

Anthropology 3811*, 3831*, 3841*, 3861*

Commerce 3251*

Economics 3531, 3551, 3901, 3921

English 3751*, 3761*, 3771*, 3781*, 3921*

French 3841*

Geography 3101*, 3301*, 3321*, 4101*, 4301*

History 3131, 3231, 3241, 3301, 3311, 3380, 3381, 3461, 3561, 3641*, 3710, 3731, 3741, 3751, 4250*, 4401*, 4550*, 4700*

International Relations 3101, 3201, 3301, 3401

Political Science 3021*, 3200, 3310, 3731, 4200, 4211, 4300, 4550

Religious Studies 3001*, 3101*, 3301*, 3311*, 3311*, 3501*, 3601*, 3641*, 3701*, 3891*, 3900*, 3941*, 4401*, 4411*, 4421*, 4821*

Sociology 3121*, 3221*, 3431*, 3501*, 3611*, 4511*

Note: Not all these courses may be available in any given year.

Note: * Courses marked with an asterisk require additional prerequisites.

HONOURS in International Relations is 84 credits as follows:

72	credits as in the Major (48 from Core, 24 from 3/4000 level electives), plus
6	from 4000 level Anthropology, Economics, English, Geography, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, or Sociology, chosen in consultation with the International Relations Programme Coordinator
6	from International Relations 4101, 4301, 4950/1, 4701

Note: The listing of a course in the calendar is not a guarantee that the course is offered every year.

Note: Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the appropriate Department or Programme Coordinator must be obtained.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COURSES

INLR/POLS 2301 (3CR)
TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

A study of the major issues and themes in international relations, including the nature of war and the conditions of peace.

Prereq: POLS 1000; or permission of the Department

INLR 3001 (3CR)
GENDER AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This course sensitizes students to the highly gendered nature of international relations. Topics include the seeming invisibility of women in the study of international affairs and within international decision-making, the existence of differential international "packages of expectations" concerning the roles of men and women, competing dominant and subordinate masculinities and femininities, the struggle for women's empowerment, and the gendered impact of globalization processes.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301; or permission of the instructor

INLR 3101 (3CR)
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

This course examines the role of international organizations in International Relations with a focus on the United Nations. It addresses the challenges of multilateral diplomacy in the age of globalization and U.S. supremacy.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301; or permission of the instructor

INLR 3201 (3CR)
PROBLEMS IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This course focuses on leading issues in international development from an international relations perspective. The themes covered may vary from year to year.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301, or permission of the instructor

INLR 3301 (3CR)
LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY

This course provides students with a critical, interdisciplinary introduction to the study of the social, political, economic, and cultural problems of Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with an overview of the region's history and the contending paradigms used to analyze its development. The course then turns to a series of case studies of enduring developmental problems in the region.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301; or permission of the instructor

INLR 3401 (3CR)
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

This course is a survey of the critical International Political Economy (IPE) tradition in the study of International Relations, from Marx and Polanyi to Cox and Strange. As a critique of realism and liberalism, IPE posits the inseparability of the domestic and international realms, of the political and economic spheres, as well as state and society. The course examines the impact of globalization and environmental change on states in the global order.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301; or permission of the instructor

INLR 4101 (3CR)
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE SIMULATION

This course engages students in an innovative and intensive semester-long simulation of an international conflict or crisis in order to highlight the challenges of international decision-making in multilateral forums. Case studies are drawn from the United Nations, other international organizations, or disputes among states and non-state actors.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301, INLR 3101; enrollment is restricted to Honours students or by permission of the instructor

INLR 4301 (3CR)
THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM

This interdisciplinary seminar focuses on contemporary problems in the Inter-American System. It looks at the intersection of international diplomacy and the internal social, political, and economic dynamics of the countries that make up the Americas. As a continuation of INLR 3301, it examines the inter-actions of governments, non-state actors, and intergovernmental actors like the Organization of American States.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301, INLR 3301; or permission of the instructor

INLR 4701 (3CR)
SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This seminar is open to upper-level students and addresses an advanced topic of current importance in International Relations. Topics may vary from year to year.

Prereq: INLR/POLS 2301, restricted to Honours students in International Relations; or by permission of the instructor

INLR 4950/4951 (6CR/3CR)
DIRECTED READING IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

These courses enable an advanced student to pursue a special field of study in International Relations.

Prereq: Permission of the Programme Coordinator