Academic Programs Catalog

James Madison College

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in James Madison College

International Relations Major

1. The student must complete (44 to 48 credits):
a. All of the following courses (13 credits):
MC 220 International Relations I:  World Politics and International Security 4
MC 221 International Relations II: The Politics of International Economic Relations 4
MC 492 Senior Seminar in International Relations (W) 5
b. One of the following courses (3 credits):
EC 340 Survey of International Economics 3
EC 440 International Trade (W) 3
EC 441 International Finance (W) 3
c. Four courses with at least one course from Groups (1), (2), and (3) (16 credits):
(1) SECURITY STUDIES AND FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS
MC 318 Chinese Foreign Policy 4
MC 321 The Cold War: Culture, Politics and Foreign Policy 4
MC 322 International Security 4
MC 323 Japanese Foreign Policy 4
MC 326 U.S. Foreign Policy 4
MC 327 The Comparative Analysis of Foreign Policy 4
MC 328 Russian Foreign Policy 4
MC 329 European Security: Challenges and Strategies 4
MC 390 Advanced Topics in Public Affairs 4
MC 391 Selected Topics in Public Affairs 3 or 4
MC 395 Cultural Dimensions of Public Affairs 4
MC 441 Islam and World Politics 4
MC 482 Gender and Violent Conflict 4
(2) INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
FW 445 Biodiversity Conservation Policy and Practice 3
MC 320 Politics, Society and Economy in the Third World 4
MC 324E Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict in Europe 4
MC 361 Political, Economy and Comparative Public Policymaking 4
MC 362 Public International Law 4
MC 363 Global Governance 4
MC 390 Advanced Topics in Public Affairs 4
MC 391 Selected Topics in Public Affairs 3 or 4
MC 395 Cultural Dimensions of Public Affairs 4
MC 446 International Energy Policy (W) 3
MC 450 International Environmental Law and Policy 3
(3) COMPARATIVE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES
MC 320 Politics, Society and Economy in the Third World 4
MC 321 The Cold War: Culture, Politics and Foreign Policy 4
MC 324A Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict in the Middle East 4
MC 324B Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict Sub-Saharan Africa 4
MC 324C Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict in Latin American and the Caribbean 4
MC 324D Regional Politics, Cooperation and Conflict  in Asia 4
MC 325 State and Society in Comparative Perspective 4
MC 331 Encounters with Post-Communism 4
MC 332 Literature and Politics in a Comparative Perspective 4
MC 335 Israeli Politics, Cultures and Society 4
MC 368 Black Nationalisms: Africa and Its Diaspora 4
MC 377 Culture, Politics and Post-Colonialism 4
MC 385 Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations 4
MC 386 Women and Power in Comparative Perspective 4
MC 387 Jews and Anti-Semitism 4
MC 390 Advanced Topics in Public Affairs 4
MC 391 Selected Topics in Public Affairs 3 or 4
MC 395 Cultural Dimensions of Public Affairs 4
MC 441 Islam and World Politics 4
MC 482 Gender and Violent Conflict 4
PLS 358 Politics of the U.S.S.R. and Its Successor States 3
(4) NEW PERSPECTIVES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
FW 481 Global Issues in Fisheries and Wildlife 3
MC 272 Political Theory and Political Issues 4
MC 369 Global Issues in Citizenship (W) 4
MC 372 Comparative Black Political Thought 4
MC 376 Modern Political Thought in the Muslim World 4
MC 390 Advanced Topics in Public Affairs 4
MC 391 Selected Topics in Public Affairs 3 or 4
MC 395 Cultural Dimensions of Public Affairs 4
James Madison College 272 may be counted toward requirement 1.c. only when the topic deals with Marxist Theories of Revolution.
James Madison College 390, 391, and 395 may be counted toward requirement 1.c. only when the topic deals with international relations.
d. Complete two courses from one of the following ten groups of courses. Students must complete one course from Course A, which should be completed prior to the junior year, and one course from Course B, which should be completed prior to taking James Madison College 492. (6 to 8 credits)
(1) Course A
MC 295 Research Design and Quantitative Analysis in Public Policy 4
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
STT 441 Probability and Statistics I: Probability 3
(2) Course A
SOC 281 Social Research Methods 4
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
SOC 282 Quantitative Analysis for Social Research 4
STT 441 Probability and Statistics I: Probability 3
(3) Course A
STT 421 Statistics I 3
Course B
EC 420 Introduction to Econometric Methods 3
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
STT 422 Statistics II 3
(4) Course A
STT 441 Probability and Statistics I: Probability 3
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
STT 442 Statistics II 3
(5) Course A
PLS 201 Introduction to Methods of Political Analysis 4
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
(6) Course A
STT 200 Statistical Methods 3
STT 201 Statistical Methods 4
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
(7) Course A
EC 420 Introduction to Econometric Methods 3
Course B
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
STT 441 Probability and Statistics I: Probability 3
(8) Course A
STT 315 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Business 3
Course B
EC 420 Introduction to Econometric Methods 3
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
MC 364 Policy Evaluation 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
(9) Course A
MC 293 Methods for Strategic Analysis in Public Affairs 4
Course B
MC 295 Research Design and Quantitative Analysis in Public Policy 4
PHL 330 Formal Reasoning 4
PLS 201 Introduction to Methods of Political Analysis 4
SOC 281 Social Research Methods 4
STT 421 Statistics I 3
STT 441 Probability and Statistics I: Probability 3
e. Two related courses from one of the following four groups (6 to 8 credits):
(1) HISTORY
HST 205 The Ancient Mediterranean and the Medieval World 4
HST 206 European History since 1500 4
HST 325 United States Foreign Relations to 1914 3
HST 326 United States Foreign Relations since 1914 3
HST 337 European Power, Culture, and Thought: Renaissance to the Enlightenment 4 
HST 338 European Power, Culture, and Thought: The Modern Era 4 
HST 390 History of International Relations 3
(2) ECONOMICS
EC 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics  3
EC 306 Comparative Economic Systems  3
EC 406 Economic Analysis of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (W) 3
EC 410 Issues in the Economics of Developing Countries (W) 3
EC 412 Economic Analysis of Latin America (W) 3
EC 413 Economic Analysis of Asia (W) 3
EC 414 Economic Analysis of Sub–Saharan Africa (W) 3
MC 341 Politics and Markets 4
(3) POLITICAL THEORY
MC 270 Classical Republicanism 4
MC 271 Constitutionalism and Democracy 4
MC 370 Radical Challenges to Liberal Democracy 4
(4) An area and related courses approved by the student's academic advisor. In order to fulfill this requirement, a student may complete 300–400 level courses in a foreign language.  Courses at the 100–200 level in a foreign language may not be used to fulfill this requirement.