Entry requirements

Political Science BA level or equivalent education. Students within the Master Programme in Politics and International Studies, the Master Programme in Development Studies or the Master Programme in Political Science, admitted to the third semester, are required to have obtained at least 45 credits within the programme.

Learning outcomes

The goal of this course is to introduce MA students to selected parts of the contemporary theoretical literature on International Relations (IR) by focusing on research based monographs written primarily for professional academics within the field. Its main aim is not to cover all sub-disciplines of IR, such as security studies, foreign policy analysis, international political economy, international organisations, etc. Rather, the seminar uses a central theme, namely international order, to show a certain variety of approaches to understand and conceptualise it and a certain theoretical and methodological variety to deal with it. The seminar will cover approaches informed by the English School of International Relations, normative political theory, Post-Colonialism, International Political Economy and Social Constructivism. As such, the course includes conceptual, empirical and normative analyses.

By the end of the seminar, students are expected to be able to:

1. Understand, summarise and discuss a selection of the main approaches to theorising international order, i.e. the way theories frame the very understanding of what international order is;
2. Evaluate these understanding of international order with regards to the theoretical assumptions and methodologies they employ, as well as the particular problems of international politics for which they may be most appropriate;
3. Present and discuss scholarly work in the field of IR with their peers.

Content

Seminar content, teaching and organisation

Every week is dedicated to a different approach to understand international order. We have two sessions (see below). At the end of the seminar block, one session will be dedicated to the individual discussion of the preliminary ideas on the final papers. Students will then have almost three weeks seminar-free time to write their final paper. The final papers are presented at a common 2-3 day workshop (depending on numbers) in which students will also discuss a final paper of one of their fellows.

The teaching itself has two central components. On the one hand, it focuses around the seminar proper, in which students present the weekly readings (with a handout) which are then discussed and/or explained. The week starts with a lecture and discussion session in which the type of theorising is introduced. Students then present the book in the seminar following in the same week (3 hours or 2 hours, if there are several groups). On the other hand, the teaching includes also a tutorial component. Every week, students write a critical review of the week’s readings for which they receive individual (and graded) feedback. Here, the seminar follows a strategy of continuous assessments, where the main purpose is an attempt to respond to the specific needs and interests of individual students.

Instruction

The course will be based on the seminar form, which in addition to active participation includes the writing of a short weekly paper, an oral presentation, as well as a longer term paper. The language of instruction will be English.

Assessment

1. Seminar presentation and participation (20%)

Every student will introduce one seminar. Presenters should make a written outline (for everyone) which summarises the key points of their presentation and the main questions on which to lead the discussion. Presentations should not make chapter per chapter summaries of the books, since everyone has read them, but directly tackle the main issues and problematise them.

2. Readings and book reviews (40%)

Students are expected to read the assignments for individual sessions and to prepare a book review on the week’s readings. These reviews should ideally include a succinct summary of the main theses of the text as well comments and questions about the reading. It is important to articulate one’s own opinion and judgement about a book and not just a summary of the reading. The further we advance into the seminar, the more comparisons with former readings would be helpful. Please make also clear what you did not understand. These book reviews serve as an important feedback. Some of the points that were not understood can then be explained during the seminar

3. Final essay (40%)

(For more details, consult the complete course syllabus)

Other regulations

This MA/PhD seminar is open to students enrolled in the MA programme in Political Science and International Studies or for exchange-students at an equivalent level (e.g. ERASMUS). In order to guarantee a tutorial and seminar environment, the number of students can be limited.