Basic Information

Course Code:

POLS 257

Course Name:

Introduction to International Relations

Language of Instruction:

English

Course Type:

Class

Course Level:

Bachelor

ECTS:

6.00

Instructor:

Dr. Öğr. Üyesi BURAK TOYGAR HALİSTOPRAK

Course Objectives

This course introduces students to world politics and central concepts, themes and discussion in the field of IR such as change and continuity, power, international trade, north-south relations, globalization, nationalism, and ethnic conflict. It also includes a brief introduction to the theories of International Relations. Its goal is to introduce students with the analytical, historical, and foundational knowledge needed to study repeating patterns and current global political controversies and issues.

Course Content

The course is built upon a combination of lectures, in-class debates and active participation of students to these debates. Regular attendance, note taking, completion of readings before coming to the class by students are required and integral parts of the course structure. Students can interrupt anytime they have a question in mind. The textbook, obviously, is important for preparation and the general structure of the course. However, what is more important is that students comprehend the conceptual and empirical knowledge that are introduced by the textbook and the lecturer. Therefore, feel free and do not hesitate to ask any questions troubling your comprehension.

Prerequisites / Corequisites

There is no prerequisite for this course.

Course Books / Materials / Recommended Resources

Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, 2014. International Relations, 10th Edition, Pearson: New York.Relevant articles and online material will also be assigned according to the topic that we focus on that week. These are rather recommended readings, yet, they will definitely help you to a great extent for your understanding of the topics.

Learning Outcomes

Code	Description
LO1	Develop an analytical understanding of what is going on international politics.
LO2	Comprehend several concepts that are central to the discipline of International Relations.
LO3	Apply the levels of analysis framework according to the relevant subject matter.

Weekly Course Content

Week	Content
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Workload Calculation

Activity	Count	Duration (Hours)	Total
Attendance	15	3.00	45.00
Practice	15	1.00	15.00
Post-Prectice Individual Study	15	1.00	15.00
Midterm Exam/Preparation	1	25.00	25.00
Final Exam/Preparation	1	50.00	50.00
Quiz Preparation	2	7.00	14.00
Homework	2	8.00	16.00
Total Workload (Hours)			180
ECTS Credit (Workload / 25)			6

Assessment

#	Assessment Type	Contribution (%)
1	Midterm Exam	%30
2	Quiz	%10
3	Project	%10
4	Project	%10
5	Final Exam	%40
TOTAL		%100

PO - LO Matrix

PO \ LO	LO1	LO2	LO3
PO-1
PO-2
PO-3
PO-4
PO-5
PO-6
PO-7

1

Low Contribution

2

Medium Contribution

3

High Contribution

Teaching and Learning Methods

#	Method Name	Description	Tools
1	Lecture (expository teaching), interactive discussion	Listening and taking notes.	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools (projector, computer, digital presentations)
2	Controversial Course	Listening and comprehension, critical thinking	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools, projector, computer, overhead projector
3	Role-Playing / Drama	Pre-planned specific skills	Standard classroom technologies, special equipment
4	Brainstorming	The purpose of forming pairs is to ensure that they are open to innovation during the idea generation phase	Standard classroom technologies, multimedia tools, projector, computer, overhead projector
5	Homework	Solving and analyzing homework questions using a computer and Excel.	Computer

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence

There will be zero-tolerance to any form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism, cheating during exams and any other attempt of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action. Please see the Departmental Student Handbook for specific information about academic honesty and plagiarism. Please be reminded that use of Artificial Intelligence for generating an assignment content is an utter violation of academic integrity. Students are responsible for making sure that their assignments do not contain any form of academic dishonesty. Please consult the instructor for situations that you are not certain about your references in your assignments.

Sustainable Development Goals