Courses

What counts as an IA/PP course?

IA/PP courses engage in international, comparative, and/or policy analysis from a wide variety of perspectives.

International includes, but is not limited to, relationships that occur between, across, or among countries; phenomena within countries that affect those relationships; and effects of those relationships on countries; global or transnational organizations, structures, cultures, governance systems, and other phenomena. Examples include war, trade, globalization, foreign policy, and international development.
Comparative includes, but is not limited to, the explicit and systematic comparison of social phenomena across organizational units (cities, counties, states, countries, regions, etc.) or time with a focus on patterns of similarity and difference using concepts that are applicable across the dimensions of comparison. Examples include comparisons of domestic policy, voting, corruption, repertoires of violence, and policy processes.
Policy includes, but is not limited to, formal laws, rules, or regulations as well as institutional norms, principles, and practices that direct or influence the actions, behaviors, and decisions of others whether through public, private, or hybrid governance systems.

International Affairs courses must have an international or comparative focus. Public Policy courses must have a policy focus.

Public Policy has two core courses, POL 260 and ECON 201. International Affairs has one core course (POL 240). Coursework in comparative analysis is very strongly recommended; if possible, the application should include at least one and ideally more than one course from the below list of courses.

Anthropology
- ANTH 201 (only if taken as “Global Political Ecologies” or “Global Health”)
History
- HIST 240
- HIST 256
- HIST 315
- HIST 334
Political Science
- POL 220
- POL 230
Sociology
- SOC 322
- SOC 337
- SOC 340