Undergraduate Course: Understanding International Relations (LLLJ07018)

Course Outline
School	School of Social and Political Science	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	An introduction to the study of international relations focusing on three approaches: realism, liberalism, and Marxism. Students will gain an understanding of the political theories underlying each of these approaches and their application to contemporary world affairs.
Course description	This course is an introduction to the major principles, concepts, actors, and theories of the international system and their application to current issues in world affairs. The course is divided into two parts. Part one examines a number of theoretical approaches drawn from different intellectual traditions in the discipline, including classical and contemporary realism, liberalism, and radical approaches to International Relations, as well as contemporary debates on power and globalization. The second part discusses a number of current policy issues such as terrorism and security, human rights, governance and global institutions, the environment and poverty and development.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: 20
Course Start	Lifelong Learning - Session 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 78 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework: 2000 word essay (100%) Each weekly 2 hour class will combine lecture and tutorial discussion. Essential and recommended readings will be set in advance of each class. Students will have the option to submit a formative assignment during the course and will be required to submit the summative assessment after the course has ended.
Feedback	All students will have the opportunity to submit a 1000 word practice essay mid-way through the course. This will be returned with feedback in time to help students prepare for the final assessment.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the main theories in IR. Demonstrate knowledge of the key structures and agents that constitute international relations and global politics. Critically assess debates and contemporary issues in international relations theory and world affairs. Apply the theoretical knowledge gained in analyses of concrete processes and changes in contemporary international relations.