Upon completion of the module students are able to

•appreciate the role of theorizing in International Relations

•recognize the principal theoretical perspectives that have been developed to understand international relations and global politics

•describe how theories have evolved in relation to one another, within specific social and historical contexts

•reason theoretically both verbally and in writing

•independently process and understand long academic texts in English

•critically review recent developments in the theory and practice of International Relations

•evaluate and compare theories and concepts within International Relations

•draw lessons from empirical studies using specific approaches in International Relations

•deploy research strategies and construct research designs in an appropriately advanced fashion

•apply theories in a fashion necessary to complete a master’s thesis

This is an advanced introduction to main IR theories. It familiarizes students with the place and role of theorizing in social sciences and International Relations, main IR theories as well as with the development of the discipline through debates. The course forms part (3 ECTS) of the 10 ECTS module International Relations Theory and Metatheory (RES005).

OPEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Study option 1: participating to contact teaching and exam/essay
Enrolment starts 13th of August 2015

Study option 2: essay
Enrolment starts 13th of August 2015

Admission requirements: a completed university-level Bachelor's degree or equivalent in the field of specialization, or in a related field

In addition to taking part in the lectures, the students are expected to do assignments and conduct self-learning on the Web.