Master in Diplomacy and International Security
Hybrid
Courses
Common Core
POL515Challenges of Globalization
3 credits
This course provides a multidisciplinary approach to the challenges of globalization, with a particular emphasis placed on its scope and its economic consequences. We will discuss the much debated theoretical questions about globalization, and combine it with an analysis of changes in the balance between powers in the 20th and 21st centuries, including the decline of traditional powers, the emergence of new regional powers, the multiplication of decision centers, and the role of international governance in organizations.
DIS535Foreign Policy Analysis
3 credits
This seminar focuses on a comparative study of various foreign policies (great powers, medium-sized powers in developing countries, etc.). This is a theoretical and empirical analysis of decision-making in foreign policy. Several cases are examined in: European American foreign policy, Japanese, Chinese, etc., The policy period and routine in times of crisis will also be analyzed.
POL505Methodology of writing and research in political science
3 credits
This course is devoted to issues of political science research, from theoretical and methodological points of view, and it proposes to revisit the major themes that characterize the discipline. What are the main research areas favored by political scientists today? What are the theoretical implications? What impact can political science research have on the societies studied?
RIN548Multilateral diplomacy in international and regional organizations
3 credits
International organizations, governmental and nongovernmental, play an increasingly important role in the world and in the region in particular. This course offers students practical knowledge about the functioning of key international organizations, as well as the practical details and governance of the countries in which they operate, in humanitarian work, public assistance development or international cooperation.
MES600Regional dynamics and current issues in the Middle East
Specialization
DIS565Actions and Humanitarian Law
3 credits
International humanitarian law is a set of rules designed to limit the effects of armed conflicts. It protects persons who are not taking part in hostilities. This seminar examines the development and implementation of international treaties and conventions, through an approach that is both theoretical (legal standards) and practical (diplomatic action, action on the ground). It attempts to answer the question to what extent international humanitarian law is able to protect the victims of armed conflicts.
DIS550Diplomacy and risk analyzes in the current geopolitical Situation
3 credits
"Risk" is a term that can be defined as "the product of a hazard and a vulnerability." This seminar starts from the evolution of international diplomacy since World War II, to then look at the development of diverse strategic and military threats, threat perceptions, as well as the manipulation of perceptions.
DIS560Diplomatic Management of Energy Security in the Middle East
3 credits
This seminar aims at shedding light on the evolution of the Middle East as oil and nuclear power. The oil producing states are rich countries but mostly rentier economies, heavily dependent on oil revenues. What diplomatic policy should be put in place knowing that this region is poised to be among the most polluting areas of the planet due to a significant increase in energy consumption? Other sources of energy are also discussed in this seminar: hydro, solar, wind, etc.
DIS530Strategic Studies: issues of war and peace
3 credits
The objective of this seminar is to provide the students with an introduction necessary to the understanding of current debates about the threats of security order. The first part of the course provides an introduction to theoretical interpretations of international security. The second part, it deals with general issues such as coercion and use of force, alliances, security cooperation, etc.
RIN550Terrorism and International Security
3 credits
This course discusses some theories of the causes and consequences of terrorism. The first part of the course provides a good background concerning the discipline of terrorism and counterterrorism studies. Indeed, this course offers the chance to develop an understanding of the scope and nature of terrorism as it relates to the Middle East. Students will develop the ability to differentiate between varying forms of terrorism in relation to the political and societal context from which they originate and the differing domestic, regional and international responses they provoke. The last part of this course provides the tools to analyze and to understand the new kind of terrorism (cyberterrorism, bioterrorism, etc…) and the new counterterrorism strategies.
MES605The Middle East and Europe: Issues and Challenges in the Tran-Mediterranean Relations
3 credits
After reviewing the key structures and forms of multilateral cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean drawing the lessons of such forums and structures of cooperation. The course focuses on the emerging joint challenges like fighting terrorism, dealing with immigration, the need for cultural dialogue for better understanding and the need for new forms of economic cooperation.
Capstone
Mission
The mission of the International Relations department is to train students in the theories and political and economic issues that shape the relations between states, by offering a program focused on the following topics:
- Conflict management
- The question of security
- The political, economic and international issues of the Mediterranean region
Program Educational Objectives
1. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to evaluate the various political, geographical, and cultural contexts on the international stage.
2. Graduates will interpret conflicts at international level in order to provide appropriate strategies for resolving these conflicts.
3. Graduates will develop their oral and written skills to communicate in the context of diplomacy and international security.
Program Outcomes
a. Students will gain the methodologies of scientific research addressing various political, geographical, and cultural contexts on the international stage.
b. Students will re-frame the issues that encompass the international conflicts. They will be able to design and implement conflict resolution strategies.
c. Students will adapt the tools and techniques of oral and written communication to the specific needs of diplomacy and international security.