Introduction to International Relations

International relations, including everything from trade to terrorism, fundamentally shape our world. In this course, students will develop analytical tools to identify puzzles and theorize about answers on crucial issues of international relations. Students will also gain skills and experience to empirically explore these questions, including through critical engagement with different types of academic articles, the examination of quantitative evidence, the exploration of cases, and policy analysis of evolving situations. This course assumes no background of international relations and serves as a prerequisite for several upper-level classes on international relations.