GRA 5914 International Politics

GRA 5914 International Politics

Course code: 
GRA 5914
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Nick Sitter
Marit Sjøvaag
Course name in Norwegian: 
International Politics
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Business - Elective course
Semester: 
2022 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

The world is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Global value chains and cross-national sustainability challenges create a need for effective international co-operation. But the framework for such co-operation is under pressure, as exemplified by trade wars, a dysfunctional WTO, weak funding of the WHO, and Britain’s recent exit from the EU. The business community needs to manoeuvre in this complex field. This course therefore aims to gives the students a possibility to make sense of current developments in international affairs.

The course focuses on the processes of globalisation that drive change in international regimes for sustainability, security, sovereignty, democracy, and trade. It starts from problems with collective action to address cross-national challenges and create international public goods, and investigates existing institutional and public policy responses to such problems, addressing their strengths and shortcomings. It addresses international developments since the end of the Cold War, with the goal of seeing current events in context. It uses theories of international relations and international political economy. It is an introductory course and requires no previous knowledge of the subject.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The candidate will:

  • understand the international political context for existing institutional solutions to collective action problems such as sustainability (Agenda2030 and the Paris agreement), global trade (GATT, WTO and the EU), and security (NATO and the EU)
  • be familiar with analytical frameworks for analysing and understanding developments in international relations and international cooperation, and be able to use such frameworks
Learning outcomes - Skills

Students will be able to:

  • engage critically with the research-based literature in international relations and international political economy
  • analyse current debates and controversies related to the sustainability challenge, international security, democracy, national sovereignty, and international trade
  • analyse international and global political and economic institutions and organisations, the relationship between them, and the dynamics of stability and change
  • apply analytical tools and empirical knowledge to practical problems arising from international politics
  • adopt a multi-level (national, regional, and global) perspective on political economy and public policy and understand the parameters within which global and international policies are developed and implemented at the national level.
General Competence

Students will gain an understanding of the complex interdependencies in international politics, and develop awareness of enduring paradoxes inherent in our global system.

Course content
  1. Stability and change in international relations since the end of the Cold War, and International Relations theory
  2. International public goods and the democratic challenge: institution-building as response to need for collective action
  3. Globalisation, geopolitics and geo-economics
  4. International trade, free trade and development; international regulatory regimes
  5. The sustainability challenge
  6. Global and regional governance; the EU, security policy and international trade
Teaching and learning activities

The 12 weekly sessions consist of lectures, student presentations, and class discussions. The student presentations are done on the basis of the relevant reading material and in relation to a specific essay question. Students' varied experiences are used to give depth to class discussions.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Presentation
Weight: 
15
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Comment: 
Presentation
Exam code: 
GRA 59141
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
15
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Assignment
Exam code: 
GRA 59141
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Term paper
Exam code: 
GRA 59141
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.