Syllabus for POS-315
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS I
International Relations I reviews paramount events and processes that have shaped global international relations in the modern era. Since the complex practice of international politics is studied through an extensive variety of methods, principles, and conceptual approaches, the course is designed to familiarize students with the most common ones in the field. The purpose of this intellectual pursuit is to enhance students’ capacity to analytically and systematically explore relevant domestic and international developments.
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After completing this course, you should be able to:
CO1 Discuss international historical events.
CO2 Examine contending approaches to international relations.
CO3 Break down and interpret events according to levels of analysis.
CO4 Evaluate past processes according to tools acquired in the course.
CO5 Examine the role of power and conflict in international relations.
CO6 Explore novel international phenomena of cooperation, such as globalization, integration, the rise of the NGOs, and the emphasis on the environment.
CO7 Analyze the gap between poor nations and wealthy ones, including its implications.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
ISBN-13: 978-0134404769
ISBN-13: 978-0134482019
International Relations I is a three-credit online course, consisting of nine modules. Modules include an overview, topics, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO3, CO6
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO2, CO4
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO2, CO4, CO5
Course objectives covered in this module: CO2, CO3, CO4, CO5
Course objectives covered in this module: CO6
Course objectives covered in this module: CO6
Course objectives covered in this module: CO6
Course objectives covered in this module: CO6, CO7
Course objectives covered in this module: CO2, CO7
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, take two proctored examinations, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
You are required to participate in ten graded discussion forums. Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules.
Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course website is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussion assignments.
You are required to complete four written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. Be sure to review the written assignment directions carefully and contact the mentor if you have any questions regarding the expectations of the assignment. All work submitted for the written assignments should consistently use an acceptable formatting style and documentation style (APA or MLA).
For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exams, refer to the study guides available in the Examinations section of the course website.
You are required to take two proctored online examinations: a midterm and a final exam, each worth 25 percent of your course grade. Both exams require that you use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures.
The Midterm Examination is two hours long and covers material from Modules 1–4 of the course. It consists of 30 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay questions.
The Final Examination is two hours long and covers material from Modules 5–9 of the course. It consists of 35 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay questions.
You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
The final project should be a research paper of between 2000 and 2750 words (8 to 10 pages) on an international event (or process) that you wish to research and write about. It should be a topic not covered comprehensively in the required readings of the course. See the Final Project area of the course website for further details.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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