Carnegie Mellon University

International Relations

Course Number: 84-226

This course introduces students to the discipline of international relations (IR) and enables students to examine the causes of war and peace, the role of international institutions and non-state actors in world politics, and the forces that shape international political economy. The course begins by surveying key concepts in world politics, such as power and international order, and reviewing the modern history of IR from colonialism to today. Students also survey a broad range of IR theories and analytical tools that help explain global politics and aid in foreign policy analysis, as well as critical, feminist, and non-western IR theory. Finally, students engage in contemporary policy debates about world politics - from the War in Ukraine to the rise of China to the future of globalization - and grapple with ethical issues related to foreign policy decision-making.

Students who previously completed 84-326 Theories of International Relations are not eligible to take this course.

Academic Year: 2023-2024
Semester(s): Fall
Units: 9
Location(s): Pittsburgh

Fall 2023
Monday and Wednesday
12:30-1:50 PM



Required course for the following CMIST degrees:
BS International Relations and Political Science
Additional Major inInternational Relations and Political Science
BS Economics and Politics
Additional Major in Economics and Politics
Minor in International Relations and Political Science
Minor in Politics and Public Policy (one of three options)
Minor in Cybersecurity and International Conflict (one of two options)

Elective course for the following CMIST degrees:
Minor in Military Strategy and International Relations