This course aims to introduce students to world politics and provide tools to think about the subject. Topics to be covered include schools of thought in international relations (IR), the causes of war, nuclear weapons, terrorism, the role of institutions, the politics of global economic issues, globalization and de-globalization, and regional economic integration. My humble hope is that, having gained insight into how to approach many intractable international political issues, some students might develop policy tools to help advance solutions to these issues in the future!
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of theories of international relations and apply them in analyzing events and outcomes in world affairs.
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of principal contemporary global challenges in the field of international affairs.
Jon C. Pevehouse and Joshua S. Goldstein, International Relations – Revel Access, 13th ed., Boston: Pearson, 2025
Grades of this course will be determined by 12 weekly quizzes, two midterms, and one final. The exams will test students' knowledge and understanding of the lectures, the textbook, and selected supplemental readings.
Weekly Quizzes: There will be 12 weekly quizzes to incentivize you to read your textbook and keep up with your study. They are available through the Pearson link on Canvas with set deadlines. The 12 weekly quizzes together account for 20% of the final grade. Note: When taking the quizzes, please remember to enable your browser’s pop-up windows to avoid technical issues.
Midterms: There will be two midterms. The first midterm is slated for September 22nd and will be based on the materials taught from August 18th to September 17th. The second midterm is slated for November 3rd and will be based on the materials taught from September 24th – October 29th. Midterms are not cumulative and will each account for 20% of the final grade.
Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative and will be based on all of the course materials and will account for 40% of the final grade. The final exam is slated for December 5th.
Students are expected to attend lectures and have completed the assigned readings before class.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Cheating, plagiarism, or any form of academic dishonesty is a serious offense and directly violates the Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code. Plagiarizing is defined by Webster's as "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source." If caught cheating or plagiarizing, you will be dealt with according to the GT Academic Honor Code. For any questions involving these or any other Academic Honor Code issues, please consult the professor or www.honor.gatech.edu.
INTA 1110B Introduction to International Relations, Fall 2025
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of 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