Sanctions and Intl Security

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Targeted sanctions are central to U.S. and multilateral responses to global threats, functioning as instruments of coercive diplomacy, deterrence, and accountability. This course examines the strategic logic, legal foundations, and implementation of targeted sanctions, including asset freezes, travel bans, arms embargoes, sectoral sanctions, and maritime interdiction measures. Through a series of real-world case studies—from the UN Security Council’s work on North Korea and Yemen, to U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia and Iran—students will explore how sanctions are developed, negotiated, and enforced across multilateral and national frameworks. Students will gain hands-on experience drafting professional-level policy products modeled on State Department information memos, including designation justifications and compliance advisories. This course equips students with both the theoretical grounding and practical tools needed to evaluate and shape sanctions policy in the service of national and international security.