Course specification for INR1000

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INR1000 International Relations in a Globalizing Era

Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba
Short Description: International Relations Global
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Humanities & Communication
Student contribution band : Band 1
ASCED code : 090101 - Political Science
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Other requisites

Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

An understanding of international relations, both historically and in the contemporary world, is crucial as societies and cultures, political systems and ideologies, and economies interact in dynamic and complex ways at the different levels of the global system. This course provides an introduction to the global environment.

Synopsis

The actors in international relations range from individual persons to groups and institutions - with the latter including states and sub-state units, international organizations and movements, non-governmental organizations, multi-national corporations and regional organizations. INR1000 focuses on the evolution of the international system with an emphasis on factors such as international law, organisations, war, social justice and human rights, and on the practice of diplomacy through a critical presentation of three major competing analytical perspectives of realism/states systems, world systems, and pluralism/Liberalism.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. use academic and professional skills to apply critical knowledge of the nature and evolution of "International Relations" as a series of processes in and of themselves as well as an interdisciplinary field of academic study;
  2. contextualise the nature and evolution of the international system and the practice of diplomacy and other forms of interaction at the various levels of the system;
  3. apply written communication skills that conform with the requirements of the discipline to prepare and submit academic work;
  4. justify the currency and relevance of the study of International Relations to their career interests and to the broader community within which they will function as informed citizens;
  5. apply ethical research and inquiry skills to the comprehension and application of basic referencing norms and practices in their work.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Globalisation, International Relations and historical contexts 25.00
2. Perspectives on International Relations: - realism, world systems theories -liberalism - Post-Cold War frameworks and new approaches 25.00
3. International regimes, organizations, human rights 25.00
4. Conflict & aggression, international law & negotiation, regionalism and integration 25.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=INR1000)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Kegley, C & Blanton, S 2016, World politics: trend and transformation, 2016-2017 edn, Wadsworth, Boston.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Baylis, J & Smith, S (eds) 2017, The globalisation of world politics: an introduction to international relations, 7th edn, Oxford ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, London.
Goldstein, JS & Pevehouse, JC 2020, International relations, 12th edn, Pearson-Longman, New York.
Jackson, R & Sorensen, G 2016, Introduction to international relations: theories and approaches, 6th edn, Oxford ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, London.
Steger, M 2017, Globalization: a very short introduction, 4th edn, Oxford ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, Oxford.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 42.00
Independent ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 123.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
QUIZ 100 20 16 Mar 2020
ASSIGNMENT 1 1500 WORDS 100 30 05 May 2020
PARTICIPATION 100 10 01 Jun 2020
ONLINE EXAM 100 40 End S1 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This will be an online exam. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.

    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    Restricted Examination
    Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during a Restricted Examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are:
    • writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination);
    • Students whose first language is not English, may, take an appropriate unmarked nonelectronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination.
    • Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate’s possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage


  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date

    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Other requirements

  1. Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.

Date printed 26 June 2020