INTERNATIONAL POLICY
Overview
Students who concentrate their degree in International Affairs concentration are able to take courses a in particular area (issue, region, country, etc.) or to study international policy more broadly. The following information aims to clarify the various avenues available to a student in the Masters of Public Policy (MPP) program interested in International Policy. In addition to the International Affairs concentration, a student can pursue a Certificate in
International Affairs from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) through a competitive application process within the MPP program.
Foreign Language
There is no foreign language requirement to complete the International Affairs concentration. While students are encouraged to pursue courses in foreign languages, credit is not given for any undergraduate level courses. MPP students can enroll in any foreign language course within the German and Romance Languages and Literature department http://www.jhu.edu/registrar/sched_cr/germanromancelang.html) or the Language
Teaching Center (http://www.jhu.edu/registrar/sched_cr/ltc.html). Typically any course above introductory level requires prerequisites or an aptitude test.
Suggested Courses
190.615 - Internal War
This course examines the causes, consequences and cures of wars occurring within countries. The role of theories in making internal war understandable, especially theories borrowed from international relations, will be critically considered.
190.677 - Civil Society
This course explores classic and contemporary debates on the concept of civil society and critically examines its analytical value in light of recent developments. Topics include the relationship between civil society, the state, and markets, the role of civil society in development and democratization, social capital, and transnational civil society.
230.660 - Social Structure and Personality
An intensive examination of the research literature on the relationships of position in the social structure (particularly the class structure and the social-stratification hierarchy) with personality, based primarily on research conducted by the instructor and his collaborators in the United States, Japan, Poland when it was socialist, Poland and Ukraine during their transitions from socialism to nascent capitalism, and (currently) China during its very different transformation.
221.629 - Water and Sanitation Needs in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
This course will provide an orientation to the water and sanitation needs and challenges of populations living in refugee or IDP camps or who are otherwise displaced. Specific aims include: 1) familiarization with international standards for provision of water and sanitation in emergencies; 2) enabling students to
understand methods for assessing water and sanitation needs and planning interventions; 3) providing students with practical experience in rapid assessments, water quality testing, and sanitation planning; and 4) understanding the linkages between the environment and human health.
221.605 - History of International Health and Development
Students taking this course will be expected to develop an understanding of: 1) the origins of different approaches to global health problems; 2) the history of major international health programs and campaigns; 3) the broader political and economic forces which have shaped the history of global health strategies; 4) the history of international health and development organizations and their changing roles in the development of global health strategies; 5) the history of tensions between competing visions of international health: horizontal versus vertical programs; selective interventions versus comprehensive primary health care; technical interventions versus improvements in overall social and economic well-being; and 6) the institutional, cultural, and political contexts within which international health planning and implementation occur.
221.640 - Children in Crisis
At the end of this course students should be able to: 1) describe a "children in crisis" issue (in any part of the world); in describing the issue, mention the age and gender of the children involved as well as the short- and long-term risks to their welfare; 2) describe some of the social, political, and economic conditions that place
the children in this crisis situation and perpetuate their at-risk status; 3) briefly describe one or more ways in which you might be able to develop plans to help children currently experiencing this crisis; and 4) briefly describe one or more ways in which you might be able to develop plans to prevent children from being
victims of this particular type of crisis in the future.
406.634 – Foreign Policy in the Age of Global Terrorism
This course examines the key challenges facing U.S. foreign policy in the new international security environment of the 21st century. Foremost among these challenges are the threats of global terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the increasing prospects for terrorists groups to acquire
such weapons. The various strategies and policies of the United States for coping with these threats are evaluated, including consideration of the constraints that act to impede realization of U.S. objectives. Case studies of coercive diplomacy are given special attention as are U.S. efforts to build international security regimes and regional security structures. The rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism is given sustained attention. Other topics considered in the course include the increasing role of the United States in the politics of Central Asia ; the emergence of serious rifts in the transatlantic alliance; the growing concerns of the United States regarding the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran ; and the U.S. role in promoting
democracy abroad.
480.659 – Crisis and Issue Communication
This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of crisis management, risk communication,media relations and public-opinion research techniques in multiple contexts. It introduces students to crisis management principles, strategies, tactics, and communications methods. Course participants work as a team to develop a crisis management plan for analysis and discussion. Successful students are able transfer to the workplace the knowledge and skills developed in this course. They learn to predict, manage and control realworld
controversies that they may confront as they pursue their careers. Moreover, students are able to manage effectively, participate in, and control volatile situations involving the news media.
Other Possible Classes
600.702 Contemporary Theory in International Relations
190.626 Theories of Comparative Politics
100.750 Comparative National Systems
190.411 Environment and Development in the Third World
100.761 Theories of International System
640.718 Principles and Practice of Conflict Management
380.722 International Trade Theory
500.765 Social Organization and its Impact on Development
380.732 The Economics of Immigration
220.601 Introduction to International Health
380.760 Corporate Finance
300.708 International Monetary Theory
380.758 Financial Issues in Emerging Markets
640.732 Political Risk Analysis
190.392 Introduction to Latin American Politics
320.700 Economic Development