Postgraduate Course: American Foreign Policy (PGSP11064)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course examines the foreign policy of the United States and its impact on the international system. It will place contemporary foreign policy in historical context and examine the evolution of policy, especially since the end of the Cold War and 9/11. Specifically, the course will focus on how the architecture of US government, domestic political factors, and the new politics of Homeland Security shape American foreign policy, as well as the possible roles of alliances and international organizations in the so-called War on Terrorism. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate:
- firm knowledge of the key events and debates in post-war American foreign policy and understand their significance.
- an ability to apply the theoretical literature on international relations to the United States and its position in the contemporary world.
- understanding of the factors motivating the behaviour of the main political and bureaucratic actors contributing to the formulation and execution of American foreign policy.
- an ability critically to evaluate US foreign policy in view of its stated objectives and wider global objectives connected to questions of international order.
- understanding of the different ways in which power is conceptualised in debates about US foreign policy.
- an ability to explain the main determinants
- international and domestic -- of US foreign policy and international behaviour.
- an ability to advance reasoned and factually supported arguments both orally and in writing. |
Assessment Information
Briefing and presentation 20%
4000 word essay 80% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ewan Stein
Tel: (0131 6)50 4264
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Gillian Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 3244
Email: |
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