Minor in International Relations
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Overview
The international relations minor provides students with knowledge about the key ideas, institutions and actors involved in global politics. It also develops critical thinking, research, writing and diplomacy skills, as well as attitudes about human nature, society and the world, reflecting Christian ethical principles in foreign affairs. With these skills and knowledge, students minoring in international relations are prepared to impact the world for Jesus Christ in the diverse callings of politics, missions, business and others.
What Will I Study?
Students in the international relations minor take a range of upper-division political science courses that prepare them to:
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of fundamental theories in international relations and demonstrate basic familiarity with key global institutions, actors and world geography.
- Justify foreign policy prescriptions and evaluate international issues based on scriptural and ethical principles.
- Demonstrate basic competence in both policy analysis of international issues and in professional communication.
Courses
Below are the course requirements for this academic program. In addition to these program-specific requirements, all majors include Biola's traditional undergraduate core curriculum. For more program details, including a sample course sequence, visit Biola's academic catalog.
Note: This list is intended to give you a quick glimpse into the program's academic offerings, and should not be used as a guide for course selection or academic advising.
Core Courses
| POSC 207 | International Relations |
| A survey of national-state system; forces affecting international relations; sources of conflict in world politics, and their solution by power politics and international cooperation. An historical view of theoretical frameworks and diplomatic history along with a survey of contemporary topics including: globalization, state-building, public diplomacy and engagement in issues of religious and political freedom and human rights. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 308 | Foreign Policy and Diplomacy |
| Examines the history of US foreign policy; foreign policy processes and theories; key global organizations; and comparative foreign policies of world powers. Grade Mode: A. | |
Elective Courses
| POSC 309 | National Security Strategy and Military Affairs |
| Introduces the Western way of war and the basic theories of key military strategists; explores contemporary problems in national security strategy such as WMD and cyberwar; and evaluates questions of just war and pacifism, and the ethics of modern military technology, from a Christian perspective. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 317 | Politics of Global Terrorism |
| Explores the nature, origins, and history of modern terrorism; the motivations, organizations, and tactics of its perpetrators; and governmental responses to terrorism and related civil liberties and ethical issues. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 365 | Wealth and Justice |
| Examines the moral, pragmatic, religious and philosophic arguments for democratic capitalism. Explores the rise of the free enterprise system, and evaluates what it assumes about human nature, society, the means of production, and the possibilities (and limits) of public policy. Connects these foundational arguments to Scripture on dignity and work, the economy, private property, theft, and pressing public policy issues. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 407 | International Organizations and Political Economy |
| An overview of historical developments and current trends in international cooperation. Emphasis on League of Nations and United Nations history, structure, functions and assessment. A survey of current trends in global trade, development, international regulation and dispute resolution, NGO's and informal networks influencing the global political economy. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 409 | Strategic Intelligence |
| Examines the US intelligence community and the intelligence process, and provides students with introductory critical thinking and creative problem solving skills that are useful to intelligence professionals. Explores differences among foreign intelligence services, including cultural factors, and encourages reflection from the Christian perspective on ethical issues in intelligence. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 415 | Human Rights: Justice and Foreign Policy |
| International human rights law and public policy, including treaties, monitoring bodies, and international and regional protective systems. The course analyzes the political and theological resources for framing justice and human rights. Also, the course situates human rights in the larger international movement to secure basic rights and freedoms for all, as well as examines critical secular and religious voices. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 453 | The Islamic City |
| History of urbanization in the Islamic world. Uniqueness of Islamic cities in world history. Multidisciplinary approach to urban history and urban studies. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 454 | Arab-Israeli Conflict |
| Focusing on Jerusalem, students will study the diplomatic and political history of the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. Emphasis on Christian Zionism, political Islam, and international relations. Depending on the students in the class, position papers will be used either in simulated negotiations or panel discussions. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 455 | History of Israel and Zionism |
| Focusing on Jerusalem, students will study the diplomatic and political history of the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. Emphasis on Christian Zionism, political Islam, and international relations. Depending on the students in the class, position papers will be used either in simulated negotiations or panel discussions. Grade Mode: A. | |
| POSC 456 | Muslim, Jewish and Christian Relations |
| History of Muslim, Jewish and Christian relations. Multidisciplinary approach. Questions of church and state, morality, Scripture. Grade Mode: A. | |
18
Total Program Credits
Every program at Biola University features rigorous academics, biblically integrated curriculum and vocational preparation.
WSCUC
Accreditation
Biola University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Additional accreditations may apply to specific programs.
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