International Relations Research Methods

(2 Credits)

This course prepares students to engage in international relations research. The course aims to give students a common, basic foundation in the main research methods and approaches relevant to international relations, with additional attention paid to research design and selected primary source material. The knowledge and skills developed in this course will help prepare students for the M.A. thesis research and will also be useful to those wishing to engage in further graduate study or research-oriented jobs. The course introduces students to multiple tools and approaches, but students will be able to tailor their work in the course to the needs of their intended thesis research. Students will draft a literature review and MA thesis proposal in support of their planned thesis research. Student conducting human subjects research will also complete a protocol for the Institutional Review Board (IRB).