Semester	Fall Semester, 2017
Department	International Master's Program in International Studies, First Year International Master's Program in International Studies, Second Year
Course Name	International Relations Theory
Instructor	LU YEH-CHUNG
Credit	3.0
Course Type	Required
Prerequisite

Course Objective

Course Description

Course Schedule

Teaching Methods

Teaching Assistant

Requirement/Grading

This course is a seminar, and student attendance and participation are essential to the course. Preparation and discussion are therefore highly encouraged. The composition of evaluation is as follows:

Reflection Papers and Presentations (30%):

Each week one to two students will be responsible for analyzing and commenting the assigned readings. This presentation should include a 20 minute assessment of the author’s main argument(s), the evidences and sources used, and the principal findings.

Each student will be presenting his/her views and leading the discussion once in this semester. Prior to his/her presentation, the student is required to submit a 2-page essay highlighting the key analytical issues, by 10pm on Tuesday of the assigned week.

Attendance and Participation (30%):

Discussion is essential to the class and students are required to submit questions based upon the reading materials for each week prior to the class. All students, except presenters for the week, need to submit your questions for discussion no later than 10pm every Wednesday. Attendance is an integral part of this section of grades.

Term Paper/Essay (40%):

Each student has to select a topic through consultation with the instructor (refer to the weekly schedule for details). Relevant literature shall be drawn appropriately in the paper. This assignment is expected to be 10-12 pages with proper format of citation.

* Cell phones shall be turned off or to silent mode during the class. Computers or tablets are not allowed except with prior permission from the instructor. Make-up presentations will not be granted except in case of emergency and in all cases require a note from your doctor.

* The instructor does not accept late assignments.

* This class has a zero-tolerance policy against plagiarism. All assignments are required to be in conformity with NCCU regulations.

I. Grading Scale and Definition: (Applicable to assignments, class discussions and participation.)

Grade	Grade Point Value	Definition	Description
A	90-100	Excellent	Considerable evidence of original and critical thinking; demonstrated exceptional capacity to analyze and synthesize; outstanding grasp of subject matter; evidence of extensive knowledge base beyond minimum requirements.
B	80-89	Good	Evidence of grasp of subject matter, some evidence of critical capacity and analytical ability; reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature.
C	75-79	Satisfactory	Evidence of some understanding of the subject matter.
C	70-74	Marginal Pass	Evidence of minimally acceptable familiarity with subject matter.
F	0-69	Failure	Insufficient evidence of understanding of the subject matter; weakness in critical and analytical skills; limited or irrelevant use of the literature.

Source: Adapted from Dalhousie University, https://www.dal.ca/campus_life/academic-support/grades-and-student-records/grade-scale-and-definitions.html.

II. Rubric for Presentation: (Applicable to all presentations; students expected to be equipped with capabilities indicated in “scoring criteria.”)

Category	Scoring Criteria	Total Points	Score
Organization (20 points)	The type of presentation is appropriate for the topic and audience.	5
	Presentation appropriately cites requisite number of references.	5
	Information is presented in a logical sequence.	10
Content (40 points)	Introduction is attention-getting, lays out the problem well, and establishes a framework for the rest of the presentation.	5
	Technical terms are well-defined in language appropriate for the target audience.	5
	Presentation contains accurate information.	10
	Appropriate amount of material is prepared, and points made reflect well their relative importance.	10
	There is an obvious conclusion summarizing the presentation.	10
Presentation (40 points)	Speaker maintains good eye contact with the audience and is appropriately animated (e.g., gestures, moving around, etc.).	5
	Speaker uses a clear, audible voice.	5
	Delivery is poised, controlled, and smooth.	5
	Good language skills and pronunciation are used.	5
	Length of presentation is within the assigned time limits.	10
	Information was well communicated.	10
Score	Total Points	100

Source: Adapted from: http:\\hplengr.engr.wisc.edu/Rubric_Presentation.doc

Textbook & Reference

A coursepack with assigned readings will be ready for you to purchase, but here are some classics for your information:

E.H. Carr, The Twenty Years Crisis (New York: Harpers, 1964).

Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1979).

John Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (New York: Norton, 2001).

Robert Keohane, After Hegemony (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1984).

Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse, and Beth Simmons, eds., Handbook of International Relations, 2nd. edition (London: SAGE, 2012) [Hereafter: Handbook].

Here is a partial list of periodicals for various topics in International Relations, and some are very useful for your thesis writing in the near future:

International Security

International Organization

World Politics

International Studies Quarterly

Security Studies

Journal of Strategic Studies

Foreign Policy Analysis

Global Governance

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Policy

Current History

The National Interest

Washington Quarterly

Survival

Orbis

World Policy Journal

World Affairs

Urls about Course

Attachment

IRT_YCL_106_1__NCCU_.pdf