Writing:International Affairs

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This advanced, writing-intensive course will give students the opportunity to explore a number of different genres of writing in the field of international affairs: long-form reporting, profile/biographical pieces, policy analysis, and “color” articles that provide fine-grained insight into places and issues in the global arena, among others. We will examine how journalists, historians, social scientists, policy commentators, and others make arguments, explore themes, and package their work for the reading public. Readings are drawn from major international affairs magazines/journals and recent books by leading authorities in journalism, history, and current affairs. Assignments include multiple essays and writing exercises, with required revisions. Important: The course is not intended for students primarily looking to improve basic writing skills. Students who sign up for this course should already have an excellent level of academic writing, since we will focus on form and style more than sentence-level writing.