USC Schedule of Classes

Basic concepts of world affairs for non-majors. Development ofcompetency to understand and critically evaluate global relationsand international events, stressing empirical approaches. Not available for major credit.

Exploration of the major social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical disagreements that exist between scholars, leaders, and citizens concerning today's most serious environmental issues and problems. Not available for credit to environmental studies majors and minors.

Comprehensive introduction to contending theoretical and analytical approaches; development of critical, evaluative, cognitive, and analytical competencies regarding historical and contemporary issues.

Introduction to theoretically oriented research approaches and designs; emphasis on the logic of argumentation.

Introduction to historical research methods with an emphasis on historical texts and modes of discourse.

Economic and political concepts necessary to the understanding of the modern global economy. Topics include international trade, foreign investment and migration.

The focus is intelligence to improve the making of policy, with attention to collection; overt and covert, operations; domestic intelligence; and oversight in democracies.

Examines the strategies for managing global issues in the post Cold War period. Explores ways that international institutions, national governments and non-state actors work separately and together to provide order and control over complex international issues areas. Issues that will receive attention could include financial and monetary relations, trade and foreign investment, preservation of the environment, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, population and migration, terrori

Globalization makes national borders and regulations increasingly obsolete. Analyzes the economic foundation of globalization, its consequences and efforts to manage it.

Explore causes of human security threats, challenges to state sovereignty, and actions to address failed states, conflicts and protect people through humanitarian intervention.

Examines the politics of managing the global environment. The nature of ecosystems, commons problems, population and resource utilization problems along with biodiversity and global governance are emphasized.

Political implications of interactions between different types of multinational enterprises and all levels of U.S. government, other industrial nations, and less-developed countries.

Analysis of inequality in relations between developed and developing states; contending views on the causes and legacies of imperialism; development strategies and aid.

Exploration of questions and concepts in international economics and politics, especially as they relate to flows of trade, capital, people, and problems across borders.

Economic reform, the open door, and China's changing role in the international system. Relations with the United States, Japan, and other key powers in Asia. Tensions between the interests of American business and the human rights community over China policy.

Causes and effects of use and spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; responses to WMD, including deterrence, preventive war, and non-proliferation policies and negotiations.

Analysis of U.S. foreign policy since 1945 as a basis for understanding significant new trends. Explanation of contemporary issues in U.S. relations with other nations.

Exploration of international law and international politics, including sovereignty, war, international tribunals, the environment, and human rights.

A comparative examination of social relations of power and institutions with a special focus on intellectual traditions, the law, and social movements.

Political, economic and security relations among the countries in East Asia and the Pacific with the emphasis on the role of the United States, China and Japan.

The main economic development themes and strategies in Latin America over the past century. The interplay between domestic and international variables, and the resulting dynamic changes.

European interstate conflict and cooperation since 1945; history of West European integration during the Cold War; the European Union in post-Cold War Europe.

Examination of diplomatic and moral relationships between sovereign states and transnational non-state actors, both benevolent (humanitarian groups and philanthropies) and malevolent (mercenaries, pirates and terrorists).

Cyber conflict, where cyber and national security intersect, is about technology and policy; players and prescriptions; crime, hacktivism, espionage, economic espionage, subversion and hybrid war.

Key concepts in international security studies; historical evolution of international warfare and diplomacy; contemporary international security issues.

Examination of terrorism and responses to terrorism, including how societies understand and deal with terrorism; focus on ethical and normative issues.

Intensive internship experience in international relations professional areas with academic research component (may be repeated for credit different semesters)

Collaborative research projects under faculty supervision. Regular skills training and professionalization workshops.

Introduction to statistical computing and data visualization in R. Focus on visualization of descriptive statistics; create publication-ready figures for actual faculty research projects.

Should environmental issues be treated as threats to security? Survey of recent literature explores global environmental politics using a security framework. Recommended preparation: Environmental studies course work.

China's rise in the international political economy raises policy research questions, including an analysis of how this trend relates to U.S and Latin American relations. Recommended preparation: Micro and macro economics

Factors determining the feasibility, desirability and limits of economic globalization; the dynamics triggered by the Global Financial Crisis and the backlash against Globalization.

An interdisciplinary treatment of the tragic phenomenon of genocide. Subject matter includes historical cases and analysis of contemporary global efforts toward prevention.

Interaction of politics and economics in the former Soviet Union and its component republics; the historical planned economy, the politics of reform and political economy of former Soviet foreign relations.

An examination of the economic, political and cultural forces operating in a number of Middle Eastern cities.

Research on the European Union's role in European international relations; internal EU developments since 1985 as an actor in the world economy.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Local, national, and international internships. Not available for graduate credit.

Preparation and oral defense of senior honors thesis before supervising faculty and fellow honors students. Senior status and acceptance to program required. Recommended preparation: IR 311.

Explores cybersecurity, privacy, network neutrality and other critical issues in internet governance through the lenses of international political economy and media theories.