International Relations

• CAS IR 606: Global Economic & Development Policy
  Introduces international affairs practitioners to statistical reasoning through hands-on practice using real social, political and policy data. Covers key principles and methods of multivariate statistics for public policy analysis. Addresses interactions between quantitative reasoning, international policy analysis, and decision making. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered GRS IR 704.
• CAS IR 626: NGO Management and Leadership
  Examines roles and methods of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in social change and international development. Reviews theory and practice of NGOs in development, NGO strategies, and internal management. Students will engage directly with international development NGOs. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • The Individual in Community
  • Social Inquiry II
• CAS IR 630: Money, Guns, and Power
  (Meets with CAS PO 569.) What is the relationship between money and war? This course explores the relationship between money, guns, and power through the lens of American and European military spending and through larger theoretical conversations on the concept of power.
• CAS IR 653: Forced Migration and Human Trafficking: Virtual Policy Incubator
  Causes and impact of forced migration and human trafficking. Role of conflict and state formation; emergence of international human rights and domestic asylum laws; role of international organizations, private sector and security forces in both combating and enabling human trafficking.
• CAS IR 661: American Grand Strategy
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Traces the United States' engagement in world affairs by evaluating U.S. grand strategy - its theory of how to 'create' security for itself in an often-threatening world. Using history and theory, identifies changes in U.S. strategy and evaluates policies today. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Writing-Intensive Course.
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  • Social Inquiry II
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS IR 680: Political Economy of Human Development
  Examines human development in low- and middle-income countries from applied economics perspective. Topics include: (1) economic growth, inequality, and poverty; (2) health, nutrition, and education; (3) agriculture, environment, and resource management; and (4) social and political factors in economic development. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Social Inquiry II
• CAS IR 695: Internship in Global Studies
  Graduate Prerequisites: successful completion of the application process and acceptance into a n internship. - This course complements an internship opportunity outside of Boston University. Provides a framework for understanding the relationship between academic studies, pre-professional development, and work experiences. Emphasizes the link between academic and career goals. Course is repeatable for credit for a maximum total of 4 credits, of which only 2 can be counted toward the major.
• CAS IR 700: Topics in International Relations
  Examines various aspects of international relations. May be repeated for credit if topics are different. Topic for Fall 2023: Section A1: Contracting for Next Generation Technology. What contracts and other governance arrangements do we need for new services which are emerging such as Amazon, Uber and beyond? This course draws on contract theory, engineering economics, and other new fields of economics to answer this question.
• CAS IR 703: International Security
  Introduces core concepts of international security, including deterrence, balance of power theory, alliance politics, arms races, asymmetric warfare, and non-traditional security concerns such as terrorism. Topics are considered from both a theoretical basis and in historical and contemporary context.
• CAS IR 713: Latin America Past and Present
  Prerequisites: Graduate student standing. Open to select undergraduate students who have demonstrated the ability to be successful in a graduate seminar. Undergraduates must hold junior or senior status and a GPA of 3.3 or above. - The interdisciplinary study of Latin America through history, from pre-colonial indigenous times to contemporary achievements and challenges, including culture and the arts, archaeology, society, politics, and international affairs.
• CAS IR 732: Public Diplomacy
  Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing. - Public diplomacy is the principal way in which states engage with overseas publics. The course examines the principles, functions, and practices of public diplomacy, as well as how they are affected by technological and political change.
• CAS IR 735: Global Health Diplomacy
  Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing. - Examines how diplomatic action has addressed global health challenges, the strengths and weaknesses of these efforts, including in the COVID pandemic, and how global health has emerged as a field for competition among states and other stakeholders.
• CAS IR 759: Understanding Global Money
  Explores the causes, mechanisms, and effects of the globalization of financial markets. Major topics include financial crises, the role of the dollar and other fiat and crypto currencies, cross-border capital flows, development and climate finance, financial regulation, and cooperation among central banks.
• CAS IR 778: Problems of Strategic Intelligence
  Explores major aspects of strategic intelligence; interrelationship of intelligence and other aspects of foreign policy; performance of U.S. intelligence community; and intelligence as a tool in the formulation of foreign policy.
• CAS IR 780: CIA's National Clandestine Service
  The National Clandestine Service spends 15% of the US Intelligence budget but receives 95% of public and private scrutiny. Examines the unique legal mandate and culture of the clandestine service: espionage, covert operations, counterintelligence, and special operations.
• CAS IR 786: Conflict and State-Building in Africa
  Meets with GRS PO 786. Examines conflict in contemporary Africa at both the international and domestic levels. Addresses the dynamics of insurgency and inter-state war, as well as the ways in which these conflicts have affected African state-building.
• CAS IR 788: International Relations of Asia-Pacific
  Focuses on the Asia-Pacific region. Analysis of issues that have defined international relations; the impact of the Cold War, of regional economic growth and dynamism, and the emergence of contention over regional identity and its relations to global politics.
• CAS IR 789: Globalization, Development, Governance
  Graduate Prerequisites: (GRSIR603) or consent of instructor. - Covers the history, theory, and contemporary policies of the Bretton Woods Institutions and their offshoots, as well as the newly established development banks, with special emphasis on sustainability policy perspectives.
• CAS IR 798: Global Development Capstone
  Graduate Prerequisites: At least 12 credits toward the MA in Global Development Policy or the MA in Global Development Economics. - (Meets with GRS EC 798 and GE798.) Capstone course for MA students in Global Development Policy and Global Development Economics. Students, working in groups, design and carry out an interdisciplinary policy analysis comparable to those performed for a government or nonprofit agency.
• CAS IR 799: Master's Paper
  Provides structure and support to Masters paper writers, through individual mentorship of a faculty member. Goals include formulating researchable questions, creating viable research and writing strategies, and critiquing intermediate efforts. Normally taken in final semester for 4 credits. May be taken in two consecutive semesters with permission.