Introduction to International Relations (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Objective

By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
• Understand the core principles and some of the key themes related to International Relations (IR)
• Discover, compare, and evaluate appropriate journalistic and academic sources related to IR
• Analyse current issues in IR and consider various points of view
• Produce analytical and coherent argumentative texts related to IR
• Develop skills to debate current issues in IR in a logical and coherent manner
• Use the key vocabulary of IR in an appropriate context
• Apply the key concepts of IR to their own academic and professional contexts

Competences:
Critical Thinking Skills
Internationality Skills
Communication Skills
Negotiation Skills
Team Working Skills

Content

The contents of the course include:

• Learning about the core principles of International Relations (IR) and associated topics including: Globalisation, Forming Alliances and Making Strategies, Decision Making, Crisis Management, Theories of War and the Role of International Organisations, and Theories of Trade
• Researching and analysing a chosen topic of IR, then preparing for and delivering a group debate on that topic
• Examining real cases of strategic decision making and crisis management in IR, and producing an evaluative essay on a chosen case study
• Comparing and evaluating different news sources (e.g. BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, YLE) to verify fact and identify media/national bias in the reportage of current affairs, and presenting these findings to the group

Materials

The course handbook is Introduction to International Relations by J. S. Goldstein and J. C. Pevehouse. It is available at the JAMK Rajakatu library. Additional materials for working in class and at home will be provided via Moodle.

Teaching methods

This is an on campus course consisting of lectures, discussions, student presentations and (depending on availability) interventions by expert visitors.

Exam schedules

There are no exams on this course.

Completion alternatives

Completion of the course requires active participation, giving a student presentation with a group of peers and writing an individual assignment.

Student workload

This is a 5 ECTS course and requires the corresponding amount of work. Students are required to attend the sessions at campus (2 hours once a week). Self-study, including some homework exercises, preparing a presentation, as well as researching and writing an assignment, represents the largest bulk of work.