This is a project-based course. Its purpose is to enable you to produce a senior research paper based on your specific preexisting interests within international affairs. The work you put into it should help you enhance essential skills required by employers and graduate schools, including the collection and processing of relevant sources, clear and concise writing, analytical, critical, and methodological thinking, public presentation, and providing constructive feedback to peers and colleagues. The final product may prove especially useful as you prepare an application portfolio for a job or graduate school. Bearing that in mind, I assign a minimum reading requirement for this course: a concise textbook on writing a research paper in political science. You will spend most of the time presenting the progress you have made on your projects and commenting on the projects of your classmates. Through presentations and Q&A sessions, you will demonstrate your knowledge and ability to think critically about international affairs.
The course has four intended learning outcomes. Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of international relations and apply them in analyzing events and outcomes in world affairs.
- Apply basic statistical skills to include quantitative and qualitative methodologies in academic and professional contexts within the field of international affairs.
- Apply research skills to address problems in the field of international affairs.
- Establish proficiency in oral and written communication to demonstrate knowledge and to make cogent and coherent arguments in international affairs.
Lisa A. Baglione, Writing a Research Paper in Political Science, 4th ed. (Sage, 2020).
Students enrolled in the course have the following responsibilities: (1) to complete four written assignments and to present them in class; (2) to complete a research paper of 5,000 words (this limit excludes footnotes/endnotes and annotated bibliography) on a significant problem, issue or puzzle in international affairs which utilizes at the very least 20 academically reputable sources, including books and journal articles, and has an empirical component; (3) to present their nearly completed papers in a final class Power Point presentation and in a poster session to the INTA community; (4) to actively participate in all class discussions. Students can choose to work on their projects individually or in pairs. Those wishing to work in pairs should let the instructor know via email by 12:00 PM on Monday, January 26th.
The final grades will be determined as follows: four written assignments and their corresponding presentations (20%; 5% each), class attendance (10%), class participation (20%), and the final presentation (10%), poster (10%), and paper (30%).
The four written assignments are due on the day you present them to the class. Their copies should be uploaded to Canvas (under Discussions) by 12:00 PM before the class of your presentation (should you choose to present your written assignment with the assistance of PowerPoint, please upload a copy to Canvas/Discussions too). Only Word, PowerPoint, or PDF files are acceptable as submissions on Canvas, and you must verbally present the files you uploaded earlier that day.
The final research papers are due to be uploaded to Canvas (under Assignments) by 12:00 PM on Monday, May 4. The papers will be graded based on their originality, logic and structure of argument, quantity and quality of supporting research, and clarity, readability, and elegance of writing style.
In several classes, we will discuss themes raised by the textbook to gain a deeper understanding of the various elements of a research project. To provide stimulus for these discussions, each student should prepare two questions that they were left with after reading the assigned material for the specified class. The two questions should be uploaded to Canvas (under Discussions) by 12:00 PM on the day of the relevant class. These will count towards class participation.
Students are required to attend every class.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that falls under the Social Sciences area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.
Course content, activities, and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Intercultural Competence
- Perspective-Taking
- Persuasion