Course Descriptions
- INTA-601 Leadership and Public Administration (CORE course for all first year students)
This course is the core leadership course for Bush School master's students in international affairs. The course provides the knowledge base for developing a deep understanding of the interdisciplinary literature on leadership studies, as well as the roles of leaders in international affairs. The Bush School has created definitions of leadership and leader development -- as key components integrated into student education and learning development during the two-year master's program. The 601 course includes seminars and active learning teaching methods, and is organized to study leadership as the art of influencing people, organizations, and institutions to accomplish missions that serve the public interest.
- INTA-603 American Diplomacy
This seminar explores selected cases in American foreign policy between 1975 and 2005 with a focus on events in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Southern Africa in which the instructor was a first-hand participant. The seminar will consider how American foreign policy practitioners, in Washington and in U.S. embassies, responded to and attempted to shape events during three periods: the unraveling of U.S.-Soviet detente, the collapse of communism in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, and the post-9/11 transitional period still underway.
- INTA-604 Politics of the Contemporary Middle East
This is a survey course putting the Middle East in comparative perspective, using social scientific categories to analyze the region. Students will learn the most important factors influencing the political course of the Middle East today, especially what makes the region seemingly "impervious" to worldwide trends. Topics will include: regime types, their bases and causes; influential political trends such as Arab nationalism, Ba'thism, and political Islam; the role of kinship, religion, and tribe in opposition and regime politics; the regional oil economy and economic crisis; democratic liberalization; and the growth of civil society.
- INTA-605 American Foreign Policy Since 1945 (CORE course for all first year students)
This course uses multiple historical methodologies to explore American foreign policy since 1945. It is intended as an introduction to modern American diplomatic history, and as an introduction to various means of understanding the modern international system. In other words, we sample many ways scholars understand international relations. From literature, security, race, economics and rhetoric, each new genre we explore offers not only a new way of understanding the past, but also a new means of comprehending our own world and that most important (if elusive) of diplomatic traits: power.
- INTA-606 International Politics in Theory and Practice (CORE course for all first year students)
The effects of international politics on the competing forces of global integration and disintegration are investigated and policy implications are considered, drawing upon theories of interstate politics. Prerequisite: Admission to MPIA or approval of instructor.
- INTA-607 World Cultural Geography
This course provides an overview of competing but interacting patterns of world cultural diversity and globalization. The course deals with three interlocking areas: (1) the regional, historical, environmental, and technical roots of world cultural diversity; (2) the emergence of the world's major regional cultures in the historical context of their perceived environmental endowments and their technological capacities, first at the time of their emergence and then over world-historical time; (3) the operation of centrifugal and centripetal forces that tend to promote or reduce diversity.
- INTA-608 Fundamentals of the Global Economy
Examines three fundamental pillars of the global economy: international trade, international finance and foreign direct investment (FDI). Students gain an appreciation for the complexities of the international environment from both theoretical and policy perspectives. Prerequisite: graduate classification.
- INTA-609 International Law
This course focuses on a key question: to what extent is it possible to impose order - and to ensure justice - in the realm of international politics? Thus, this class is about both international politics (and international relations theory), and about international law. This class does not comprehensively cover all aspects of international law, and it is not taught as a law school course would be taught. Rather, this class is focused on key issues where international law, international politics, and foreign policy converge.
- INTA-613 Diplomatic Negotiations
This seminar has two principal purposes. The first is to explore the role and practice of diplomats, diplomacy and negotiation in addressing key American foreign policy challenges including: the global war on terror, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), regional conflict, economic and energy security, and promotion of democracy and human rights. The second purpose is to enable seminar participants to gain first hand skills and practice in how American diplomats and embassies function to achieve national security objectives.
- INTA-624 International Economic Development
Surveys the economics of developing countries, which constitute most of the world and share some commonalities; identify problems that developing countries face and focus on the policies that government have pursued.
- INTA-625 International Trade Policy
This is an advanced course in International Trade. We will understand trade in the global world today using theoretical and empirical rigor. We will cover these topics: Comparative Advantage and Trade, Economies of Scale, Imperfect Competition, and Trade, Outsourcing, Foreign Direct Investment and Multinational Corporations Trade policy: The Case of Steel
- INTA-626 Balance of Payments in Theory and Policy
This is a course on the basic macroeconomics of open economy, coordination of policies and exchange rate regimes, the main characteristics of the international payments system, the role of international organizations and proposals for reform. It is intended as a survey course with emphasis on current policy issues. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; approval of instructor; ECON 203 or equivalent.
- INTA-627 Great Books
The Great Books of World Politics," as the name implies, covers many of the fundamental texts dealing with war and diplomacy from the ancient Greeks through the present. Specific authors will include Herodotus, Thucydides, the Old and New Testaments, the Qu'ran, Plutarch, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Bacon, Rousseau, Hume, Bentham, Grotius, Vattel, Montesqieu, Smith, Kant, The Federalists, Tocqueville, Burke, Mill, Hegel, Nietzsche, Clausewitz, Marx, Freud, Schmitt, Heidegger, and Rawls among others.
- INTA-629 Multinational Enterprise
The objective of this course is to provide graduate students with an overview of the scholarly literature on multinational enterprises (MNEs), including both classic and current materials. The intention is to go broad rather than deep; that is, to provide a broad survey of the field rather than a deep discussion of a few selected topics. By the end of the course, students should have (1) an overall knowledge of the field; (2) a practical "tool bag" of constructs and approaches (e.g., transaction cost economics, OLI paradigm, global-local matrix, economic welfare analysis, options theory, political risk analysis, MNE-state bargaining theory) for understanding MNE strategies, effects and interactions with other organizations; and (3) a road map to guide their further studies.
- BUSH-631 Quantitative Methods in Public Management I (CORE course for all first year students)
Introduction to the common methods for social and policy analysis with a focus on application of methods such as analysis of variance and regression, to tasks including policy analysis, evaluation and survey research; emphasis on the performance of social and policy analysis, although some statistical theory is introduced. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of MPSA or MPIA director; STAT 303 or equivalent.
- BUSH-632 Quantitative Methods in Public Management II (Required for all IED track students)
Quantitative Methods II is the second course in the quantitative sequence at the Bush School. This course builds on the material covered in Quantitative Methods I (Bush 631) to further develop an understanding of the motivation and applications of multivariate regression, with a particular emphasis on applying the tools to analyze public policy problems and knowing how to interpret the results.
- PSAA-640 Energy Policy and Security
Policy and economic issues related to increasing global reliance on fossil fuels, including the resulting impact on security concerns and global warming; utilizes competitive and non-competitive market theories, non-renewable resource analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; BUSH 621; course experience in microeconomics and quantitative modeling.
- INTA-649 Transatlantic Relations: Security, Markets and Technology
This course provides an examination of critical development in U.S.-European relations since 1945, structured along the following themes: security, market technology and global challenges
- INTA-650 National Security Law
This course is designed to be an interesting and relevant survey of National Security Law with active discussion of both recent and anticipated future events of national importance.
- INTA-651 National Security Policy
A graduate-level seminar on national security policy that will provide a forum for developing an understanding of key concepts, players, institutions, intergovernmental processes, and contemporary issues in the national security policy domain. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
- INTA-652 Role of Intelligence in Security Affairs
This three-hour graduate course is a survey of intelligence operations, techniques, objectives, and resources, with particular emphasis on how intelligence has contributed and continues to contribute to national security. All the major disciplines of intelligence will be examined in detail, i.e., espionage, covert action, imagery, and signals intelligence.
- INTA-653 Technical Collection Systems for International Security
An introduction to the technical aspects of remote sensing and signals technology applied to international security issues and an introduction to interpretation of the acquired information. Featured outside speakers from U.S. government agencies explain the operation of technical collection systems and their contribution to national and international security. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; approval of instructor.
- INTA-654 Military Strategy
This course examines grand strategies of international policymakers. If strategy is the application of means to possible ends, this course examines strategies developed on the largest scales possible. The fates of nations, of civilizations, of entire international systems will be our focus, as will be the leaders who fashioned and altered the development of that international system since antiquity. This course is designed for students of international relations and diplomacy, and for anyone interested in conjunction of strategy, conditions, and goals.
- INTA-655 The Structure and Policy of the European Union
Introduction into the structure of the existing European Union, its creation and history, its current policy, and the perspectives of its future enlargement. Students will achieve a working knowledge of EU matters with its regional and global political and economic aspects and with particular emphasis on the trans-Atlantic relations with the United States. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
- INTA 656 Fundamentals of Homeland Security
Terrorism presents democratic nations with a terrible challenge: how to counter those making war illegally without destroying the very system the state exists to protect. And modern societies are so complex that major attacks or natural disasters may cause "cascading catastrophes" that pose major threats to the lives and property to citizens, the power and standing of the nation, and the legitimacy of the government itself. This course will review the theory, practice, challenges and prospects for securing the "American Homeland" against terrorist attack and major natural disasters, with special emphasis on how American policy makers are resolving this dilemma, and their prospects for the future.
- INTA-657 Terrorism in Today's World
Comprehensive survey of international terrorism from its origins to the present; emphasis on how the U.S. government has responded and how it has organized to counter the threat; all major terrorist groups studied; understanding of the nature of the terrorist threat and the implications for the U.S. Government. Prerequisite: BUSH or INTA G6 or G7 classification of approval of instructor.
- INTA-658 Congress and International Security
This course is a graduate-level seminar on Congress and international and national security policy. Some background in international relations, government, foreign and defense policy, public administration, and history will be helpful for participants to contribute to seminar learning. Through readings, participation, case studies, and presentations, students will develop their knowledge of Congress, as well as their policy analysis and strategic thinking. The course of instruction provides a forum for gaining a deeper understanding of the key concepts, players, institutions, intergovernmental processes, and contemporary issues in the study of Congress, and international and national security policy.
- INTA-659 Transnational Security Issues
The aim of this course is to investigate the range of transnational security threats to be found in the contemporary international system and to examine issues of convergence and divergence. The course will also consider the sources of these threats and the factors that accelerate them. Particular attention will be paid to policy responses to these threats.
- INTA-667 International Crisis Management
Examination of the policymaking process used by U.S. government officials in response to rapidly moving international crisis situations; simulations of executive meetings, briefings and press conferences; analysis of political, diplomatic, legal and ethical issues involved. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
- INTA-670 International Affairs Capstone Seminar
Capstone team exercise in public program design, implementation and evaluation. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of MPSA or MPIA director.
- INTA-677 Political Islam and Jihad
The aim of this course is to investigate the range of transnational security threats to be found in the contemporary international system and to examine issues of convergence and divergence. The course will also consider the sources of these threats and the factors that accelerate them. Particular attention will be paid to policy responses to these threats.
- INTA-686 Russia in International Politics
Examines changes within Russia and it's role in international politics since 1991, emphasizing the period of Vladimir Putin's president. Will explore Putin's approach to political, economic and social challenges facing Russia.
- INTA-689 Chinese Foreign Policy
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of Chinese Foreign Policy since 1949. Specifically, this course should help you understand the major external and domestic determinants of Chinese foreign policy. Specifically, we will address the following questions. To what extent is Chinese foreign policy the result of domestic politics and/or international pressures? What role does ideology play in Chinese foreign policy? To what extent do economic interests affect Chinese foreign policy? What drives China's involvement in international affairs?
- INTA-689 International Transfer Pricing
International transfer pricing is the calculation of cross-border transactions between units of multinational enterprises. Topics include: Internal and external motivations for transfer pricing, managerial and economic approaches, estimates of transfer manipulation, the arm's length standard, US and OECD rules and procedures, tax court cases, ethical dilemmas.
- INTA-689 Deterrence
This course outlines deterrence theory and applies it to contemporary security problems. The first part of the course traces the evolution of nuclear and conventional deterrence theory through the Cold War. The second part of the course examines deterrence as a policy instrument for addressing modern security threats, including the rise of great powers, new nuclear states, and terrorism.
- INTA-689 Military Power
This course introduces students to U.S. general purpose forces. Students will examine issues at the intersection of military strategy and operations, including force planning and the future operational environment. The course relies on relevant historical examples, including recent conventional and unconventional military campaigns. Student should come away with the ability to analyze military operations.
- INTA-689 U. S. Law and Homeland Security
This course is focused on the legal issues that confront the new Department of Homeland Security and its many associated agencies. It will differ from National Security Law in that it will concentrate on Border, Transportation, Maritime, Customs and Infrastructure Protection in addition to the legal issues that must be addressed by the FBI domestically in attempting to identify, capture and prosecute terrorists.
- INTA-689 Authoritarianism and Political Elites in the Arab World
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to the concept of political elite and to try to link it to the authoritarian state in the Arab world, in an attempt to explain the lack of democracy in that part of the world.
- INTA-689 Grand Strategy
This course will use both international relations theory and historical case studies to answer the following questions. What are the origins of great powers' grand strategies? Are they to be found in the structure of the international system, internally (economic strength, the nature of the state's political system, "bureaucratic politics," ideology, the capacity of state institutions), or some combination thereof? And many others.
