Please note:
To view the Spring 2025 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2025/spring.
International Studies Honours
This program offers students the opportunity to study contemporary international challenges through an interdisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from history, political science, anthropology and sociology, geography, international relations, economics, and the humanities. This program prepares students for internationally-engaged careers through developing skills of research and analysis, policy writing, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication, negotiation, and more.
Program Declaration
The school limits admission to its honours program. Applicants must already be a declared IS major student, have completed 12 upper division IS units with a minimum CGPA of 3.4 and have identified a faculty supervisor.
Required Grades
Students must obtain C- or higher in all courses used toward the program. In addition, those admitted to the honours program must maintain a minimum 3.4 cumulative GPA. For graduation, students must obtain a minimum 3.4 CGPA, 3.4 UDGPA, 3.4 international studies subject CGPA (calculated on all IS courses completed at 間眅埶AV), and 3.4 international studies subject UDGPA (calculated on all upper division IS courses completed at 間眅埶AV).
Accelerated Master's
NOTE: 間眅埶AV students accepted in the accelerated master's within the School of International Studies may apply a maximum of 10 graduate course units listed below, taken while completing the bachelor’s degree, towards the upper division electives of the bachelor’s program and the requirements of the master's degree. For more information go to: /gradstudies/apply/programs/accelerated-masters.html.
'The quality of institutions' is now said to exercise a crucial influence on the prospects for development, and the course interrogates this claim both through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world, and in regard to public administration and development management. It examines development policies and institutional theories, the politics of institutions and state formation, and the relationships between political systems, institutions and patterns of development. Prerequisite: Graduate students enrolled in the MA in International Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility, the role of humanitarian intervention, the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies, and the relationship between state building and peace building.
Examines the specific development experience of a selected region, taking account of the historical context, of state capacity, development strategies and of the political economy of development - as well as of the particular problems of development across different sectors of the economy, and the outcomes in regard to poverty and levels of well-being.
A synthetic introduction to historical and contemporary theories of development in Latin America. Topics include political economy of development, sociological theories of development, an introduction to neoliberalism, and the contemporary experience of globalization and development in Latin America. Students who have taken LAS 815 or SA 815 for credit may not take this course for further credit.
A general overview of social and political change in Latin America, including revolutions, independence, transition to democracy, and contemporary social movements. Theoretical approaches may include social-movement theory, democratic theory, etc. Students who have taken LAS 835 or SA 835 for credit may not take this course for further credit.
or other courses as may be recommended by the Graduate Program Committee of the School.
The following two core undergraduate courses cannot be substituted with graduate level courses:
An in-depth examination of select global problems. Focuses on developing policy-related writing skills valuable for careers in government and in intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations. Assignments may include: briefing papers, policy papers, grant writing, and op-ed essays. Prerequisite: 60 units. International Studies major or honours students. Students with credit for IS 450W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
An interdisciplinary course which aims to bring together different disciplinary perspectives on international affairs through the study of influential texts which, between them, involve study of core themes to the program: development, governance and civil society, war and peace, human rights and questions of culture and ethnicity. Prerequisite: 90 units. International Studies major or honours students.
Program Requirements
Lower Division Requirements
Students complete a minimum of 15 international studies lower division units, including
Introduces the interdisciplinary field of International Studies to all undergraduates and IS majors. Examines the major global challenges of our time, including poverty and inequality, environmental degradation, nationalism, civil war, and armed conflict. Explores the challenge of global governance and global citizenship. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Upper Division Requirements
Students complete 54 upper division units, including all of
Introduces the research enterprise in International Studies. Prerequisite: IS 101 and 45 units.
An in-depth examination of select global problems. Focuses on developing policy-related writing skills valuable for careers in government and in intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations. Assignments may include: briefing papers, policy papers, grant writing, and op-ed essays. Prerequisite: 60 units. International Studies major or honours students. Students with credit for IS 450W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
An interdisciplinary course which aims to bring together different disciplinary perspectives on international affairs through the study of influential texts which, between them, involve study of core themes to the program: development, governance and civil society, war and peace, human rights and questions of culture and ethnicity. Prerequisite: 90 units. International Studies major or honours students.
Intended for the research and preparation of materials for the honours graduating essay. Students must complete this course before taking IS 499. Open only to students who have been accepted into the honours program. Prerequisite: 間眅埶AV is by permission of the instructor and the School.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
TBD |
In addition to regular meetings with their supervisors, students will be required to submit a major paper on a topic to be selected in consultation with the School. 間眅埶AV is by permission of the instructor and the School. Open only to students who have been accepted into the honours program. Prerequisite: Minimum grade of B+ in IS 490.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
TBD |
Of the remaining 32 units, at least 24 must have an IS designation, eight of which must be at the 400-level.*
Students have the option of taking concentrations to enhance their international studies honours program.
Global Peace, Security, and Governance Concentration
Students may qualify for this concentration by completing
Examines contemporary security and governance challenges by drawing on insights from across the social sciences. Includes such topics as: war, nuclear proliferation, genocide, human trafficking, and global health threats. Explores the role of international organizations (the UN, EU, NATO and others) in addressing security challenges and advancing global governance. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Introduces students to the variety of systems of governance in the world today, including how power is constituted and contested in different kinds of states (e.g., authoritarian, democratic, hybrid) by various state and non-state actors (e.g., corporations, civil society, militias, social movements) through diverse technologies (e.g., the ballot box, digital surveillance, religious institutions). Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
and 24 units from
Surveys the manner in which power relations are expressed territorially. Attention given to such topics as state sovereignty, colonialism, rights, and law. Prerequisite: At least 45 units. Students with credit for GEOG 381W may not take this course for further credit.
Surveys the manner in which power relations are expressed territorially. Attention given to such topics as state sovereignty, colonialism, rights, and law. Prerequisite: At least 45 units. Students with credit for GEOG 381 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
A seminar-based, interdisciplinary course providing a gendered analysis of violence and resistance, to violence, focusing on political states, conflict and war, individual experiences, and institutional situations through feminist and critical masculinities lenses. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students with credit for special temporary topics (STT) course GDST 303 Gender, Violence and Resistance may not complete this course for further credit.
An examination of the history of the Soviet Union from its creation to its collapse, emphasizing its ideology, culture, role in global politics, and social and economic transformations. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
An introduction to the history of the origins and course of the second world war. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 225.
Covers the period in Japan from the 1930s to the 1950s and will introduce students to topics such as wartime atrocities, the dropping of the atomic bombs and the prosecution of war criminals. It will also attempt to explain why so much controversy surrounds interpretations of events arising from Japan's last war, the Asia-Pacific War. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: at least one course on modern Japan.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Janice Matsumura |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
A discussion of the modern history of nation-building in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The topics discussed include Zionism, the British Mandate in Palestine, the creation of the state of Israel, the rise of modern Palestinian nationalism, and the role of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute in regional and international affairs. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 151, 249, 350, 354, 355 or permission of the department.
Provides an opportunity to examine social, cultural, and political challenges involved in working or living abroad. Students reflect on the knowledge, skills, and values gained while abroad, with attention to career-related pathways and possibilities. Topics include the complexities of cross-cultural engagement and ethical aspects of experiential learning in international settings. Graded as Pass/Fail (P/F). Prerequisite: This course will be open to any 間眅埶AV student who has completed an international study, research, internship, or volunteership program.
Explores how international actors respond to humanitarian emergencies, such as famine, displacement, and genocide. Examines the political, legal, and ethical challenges of humanitarian action by focusing on contemporary cases and on key types of response, from the delivery of aid to sanctions and the use of military force. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Surveys the ethnic minorities of Southeast Asia, focusing on their relations with other ethnic groups, especially majority populations, and governments. Examines the treatment of ethnic minorities and the responses of the minorities, including ethnic-based secession movements. Reviews cross-border and broader international issues relating to minorities, such as their status as refugees and cross-border support for insurgencies. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the Russian Federation's foreign and security policies. Reviews key actors, institutions, and stages in the development of Russian foreign policy development as well as the gap between rhetoric and realities in Russian foreign policy. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200 and HIST 335.
Examines various forms of resistance and protest, including everyday resistance and organized activism, with an emphasis on civil resistance. Investigates the conditions and outcomes of protest, focusing on a range of cases which may include Solidarity in Poland, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the American Civil Rights Movement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken POL 339 or IS 309 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Brenda Lyshaug |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Mon, Wed, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility; the role of humanitarian intervention; the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies; and, the relationship between statebuilding and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Brenda Lyshaug |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Tue, Thu, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines security issues and events with attention to gender. Focuses on themes related to war, political violence, post-war reconstruction, militarism, military culture, and peace activism with attention to women and marginalised communities, gender norms, and feminist and queer approaches to rethinking security and imagining peace. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Sessional |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Provides an overview of national and political issues in Southeast Asia. Surveying politics in individual countries and regional political institutions, focus is given to particular themes such as democratization and civil society, communism and other forms of authoritarianism, the role of the military, decentralization, religion and politics, the impact of China on the region, and security concerns. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the political, economic, and ideological dynamics of contemporary Middle Eastern states. Examines the legacy of colonialism, state formation, central ideological trends such as Arab nationalism and political Islam, the dynamics of state-society contention, and the challenges of economic development. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines current debates about women, gender, and sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Explores the major social, economic, and political factors that shape the lives of women and other marginalized groups in diverse cities across the region. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines post-Soviet Central Asian states, with particular reference to the relationship among democratization, development, autocracy and conflict, and the role of external actors in transnational security issues in the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200. Students with credit for IS 412 may not take this course for further credit.
Survey course of major contemporary issues relevant to people's lives in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as major debates about these. Study of the historic, economic, political, social and cultural factors contributing to contemporary realities and perspectives. Relevant for students with little to significant familiarity with life in Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units.
From peasant uprisings and student protests to armed insurrections, this course explores the range of African social movements and assesses their role in shaping Africa's future. Key themes include the role of ethnicity and religion, the impact of urbanization, economic inequality, gender politics, and trends in international solidarity and engagement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Explores China's stunning rise from Mao to global markets, with attention to social issues brought on by "the Chinese Development Model". Examines the bases of state legitimacy in contemporary China, challenges to state legitimacy, as well as state responses to these challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the nature, activities, and effects of social movements across the Global South. Uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore how social movements shape and respond to political, economic, and social transformation. Considers their relationship with political parties, states, and media and assesses the conditions under which movements emerge and succeed. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 or IS 419 with this topic, or IS 439 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Explores how digital technology is transforming societies, political systems, and economies around the world. Examines the origins of surveillance and data assessment and the political, economic, and ethical challenges automated technologies present by focusing on contemporary cases and their effects in communities around the world. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 319 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines international efforts to respond to global environmental challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, and the degradation of the oceans. Investigates obstacles to effective action and possible ways forward. Explores the role of a range of key actors, including states, intergovernmental organizations, multinational companies, NGOs, and social movements. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the causes of civil wars throughout history, as well as the different ways scholars have approached them. Explores recent trends in civil wars and potential solutions. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 409 under the title "Civil Wars" may not take this course for further credit.
Explores how cities around the world have been segregated on the basis of class, race, gender, etc. Examines the causes and consequences of, and resistance to, urban segregation, focusing on diverse cities in different regions such as Africa, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, etc. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines how states engage with the global security architecture to address a range of contemporary security challenges. Taking a comparative perspective, we investigate key actors involvement with regional and international institutions such as the UN, NATO, and the EU. Issues may include disinformation, cybersecurity, outer space security, trafficking, and terrorism. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
The quality of institutions' exercises a crucial influence on the prospects for development. Aims are to interrogate this claim through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world. Examination of the ways in which politics influences economic growth and distribution; the relationships between political systems and patterns of development; and the politics of institutions and state formation. Prerequisite: 90 units.
Reviews important current regional issues in Southeast Asia with particular attention to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Focuses upon the political Islamist movements that have swept much of the Middle East and North Africa since the mid-1970s. Examines a broad range of movements, from liberal to militant trends, drawing on the experiences of countries throughout the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HIST 151 or IS 315.
Develops an understanding of the interactions between international organizations, economic theory, and implementation of economic policies. Explores as well the impact of their interventions in some chosen countries. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An examination of Latin America through historical, literary, and social scientific approaches. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 209W or HIST 209W.
Explores diplomacy in its bilateral and multilateral forms, from the perspective of practitioners. Examines how diplomatic principles and procedures have been applied in various areas of global policy (e.g. human rights, peacemaking, climate change, and disarmament). Focuses on the development of diplomatic skills, such as analysis, reporting, and negotiation. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Meyer |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Considers how the global economic recession of the late 2000s has coincided with the rise of global China. Examines the origins of Chinese international development, and its effects in receiving communities in Chinese internal frontiers and along Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 419 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
How can we best protect human rights? How do we define what is a human right and what is not? We examine these questions within countries and at the international level. We will look at the courts-based approach versus systems that give politicians the final say. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 339 Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics under the title Protecting Human Rights may not take this course for further credit.
Examines separatist movements across countries and throughout history, focusing on how people come to self-identify as a nation and seek self-government. We will examine case studies of countries that have split apart and study the political activities of separatist movements in electoral campaigns and policy debates. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 339 Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics under the title Separatist Movements may not take this course for further credit.
How and why does the mass media influence terrorist activity? What efforts do democratic governments make to counter this form of political violence? Why do such efforts vary across time and countries? Learn about, and contribute to, the evidence-based research focusing on these important questions. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 349 under the title "Terrorism" may not take this course for further credit.
Focuses on the evolution of political relation between East Asia and Canada since the mid-19th century to the contemporary period. It covers diplomatic/military and socio-economic and cultural relations, sometimes cutting across national and sub-national boundaries. Utilizes various theoretical and analytical perspectives from political science and other disciplines to assess the importance and causes of key events. Prerequisite: POL 141 and three lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 349 under the title "Politics Across the Pacific" may not take this course for further credit.
Problems arising from the disparities in power and wealth between the highly industrialized countries of Europe and North America, and the under-industrialized countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Sovereignty, nationality, jurisdiction, arbitration. Examination of selected cases exemplifying present trends in the international legal order. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
An examination of the structures and processes and the main substantive decisions of the United Nations and related international organizations. Based upon in-depth study of the UN Charter, the Security Council, General Assembly, Secretary-general and Secretariat and their constitutional and political interactions since 1945, with special attention to the theory and practice of international organization advanced by the principal Western countries, the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc, the People's Republic of China and leading Third World countries. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
James Busumtwi-sam |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
An overview of Canadian foreign policy post World War II. Various perspectives are discussed including realism, economic nationalism, liberal internationalism and political economy/dependency analysis. A variety of analytical perspectives are used to examine issue-areas such as foreign trade including the role of NAFTA, defence policy and alliance relations, foreign investment, foreign aid, immigration policy, energy policy and the role of domestic political factors in foreign policy decision-making. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Examines the origins and causes of several major conflicts during the last century. This course reviews various theories on the causes of conflict and war in the international system. It also examines the techniques of preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping, crisis management and coercive diplomacy as they have been used to try to forestall open warfare and maximize the opportunities for peaceful change and the negotiated resolution of international disputes. Both documentary and feature films will be used to illustrate many types of conflict and warfare in the international system. Course simulations, when employed, will concentrate on the problems and risks that are involved in international efforts to contain and reverse the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Prerequisite: POL 141 and three lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Prerequisite: Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department.
Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Explores what is involved in shifting the focus in the security realm from 'national interest' to the safety and needs of humans. Addresses several contemporary issues of human insecurity such as genocide, terrorism, civil wars and other complex emergencies; the political economy of conflict (small arms, "blood" diamonds); 'new' inequalities (economic, gender, class, ethnicity); and new health risks (e.g. HIV/AIDS, SARS, ecological degradation). Considers recent initiatives and trends that have emerged to deal with these issues (e.g. humanitarian intervention, International Criminal Court, new coalitions of state and non-state actors such as the Ottawa Process on anti-personnel mines). Prerequisite: Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 349 'Special Topics' for credit under this title may not take this course for further credit.
This course introduces students to the problems involved in the assertion of universal moral standards across political and cultural divides. These issues will be explored at a theoretical level, and in the context of specific human rights controversies. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
The course traces the evolution of Canadian thinking on national international security issues through an examination of pre-World War II isolationism, elite attitudes during the Cold War, the formative period of NATO, as well as Canadian involvement in the Korean and Indochina conflicts. More recent policies concerning ALCM testings, NORAD, and nuclear non-proliferation will also be explored in detail. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
How do great powers form alliances and balance of power? Under what conditions do they engage in war? How does geography shape their strategy? How do they manipulate economic relations for political aims? This course addresses these questions utilizing key international relations theories and various analytical methods. Prerequisite: POL 141 and eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Nationalist movements and intrastate ethnic conflict around the globe. Begins with an overview of nationalism, including its historical emergence, its roots, and different types. Moves on to ethnic conflict, focusing on its sources and potential solutions to this problem. Prerequisite: POL 201 and eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 338W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.
Provides an overview of how great powers (e.g., Russia, USA), smaller states (e.g., Iran and North Korea), and non-state actors employ nuclear threats and other traditional intimidation techniques alongside emerging disruptive technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Cyber, Big Data) to coerce one another. Whereas traditional military threats are issued openly, grey zone tactics of disinformation, espionage, and violence utilize ambiguity, strategic surprise and deception to accomplish their strategic objectives. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 422 under the title "Grey Zone Warfare and Security in the Age of Disruptive Technologies" may not take this course for further credit.
Examines US foreign policy in the post World War II era. Topics to be covered will include the formation of foreign policy, 20th century American security issues, alliance relations, crisis management and international economic relations. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in Political Science or permission of the department. Writing.
Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in Political Science or permission of the department .
Examines diplomacy and its role in global governance. Introduces students to the theory and practice of diplomacy, both bilaterally and multilaterally, with particular emphasis on how interactions between state actors and non-state actors contribute to the resolution of global problems. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Students investigate dimensions of the global environmental crisis related to water security, including: human rights, political science, development economics, gender policies, geopolitics, regional integration and security, international law, national legislation, public health, trade, agriculture, energy generation, and water resources management. Prerequisite: 75 units and REM 100 or EVSC 100 or GEOG 100.
States, People, and Power Around the World Concentration
Students may qualify for this concentration by completing
Introduces students to the variety of systems of governance in the world today, including how power is constituted and contested in different kinds of states (e.g., authoritarian, democratic, hybrid) by various state and non-state actors (e.g., corporations, civil society, militias, social movements) through diverse technologies (e.g., the ballot box, digital surveillance, religious institutions). Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
This course surveys the diverse ways people have fashioned identities and social relations that do not easily conform to the boundaries of nation-states. Explores how, in the context of transnational movements of people and ideas, individuals and communities construct and contest new identities, aspirations, and forms of belonging. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
and 24 units from
Focuses on the cultural production and activism of migrant, refugee, and diasporic Asians in Canada. It investigates how people of Asian origin and descent have used literature, film, music, visual art, and other media to represent their histories, experiences, and communities, as well as to advocate for themselves and others. Prerequisite: 45 units.
In this interdisciplinary course, students will investigate a topic relating to the histories, societies, cultures, knowledges, geographies, and/or ecologies of China, Chinese-speaking people, and/or people of Chinese descent in Asia and beyond. May be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: GA 101.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Shuyu Kong |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Tue, Thu, 11:30 a.m.2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
In this interdisciplinary course, students will investigate a topic relating to the histories, societies, cultures, knowledges, geographies, and/or ecologies of Japan, Japanese-speaking people, and/or people of Japanese descent in Asia and beyond. May be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units.
In this interdisciplinary course, students will study topics on the geographies, histories, cultures, knowledges, relationalities, and multiple ways of belonging of people in South Asia and South Asian diasporas. May be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: GA 101.
Focuses on the experiences, histories, knowledges, and activism of marginalized gender and sexual subjects across Asia and its diasporas from the perspectives of feminist, queer, and trans studies. May be further organized by region or historical period. The topic will vary by instructor. Students may repeat for credit up to three times under a different topic. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students with credit for GSWS 388 under the same topic may not take this course for further credit.
Content will vary according to interests of faculty and students but will involve Global-Asia-related study within one or more of the social science or humanities disciplines. This course may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An exploration of how race informs the aesthetics, politics and development of urban space. Examines racial formation in transnational urban contexts, and how cultural production and social movements are utilized to address racial inequities and envision urban futures. Prerequisite: At least 45 units.
Surveys the manner in which power relations are expressed territorially. Attention given to such topics as state sovereignty, colonialism, rights, and law. Prerequisite: At least 45 units. Students with credit for GEOG 381W may not take this course for further credit.
Surveys the manner in which power relations are expressed territorially. Attention given to such topics as state sovereignty, colonialism, rights, and law. Prerequisite: At least 45 units. Students with credit for GEOG 381 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
The world is on the move. Migrants seeking better opportunities cross paths with refugees fleeing persecution. Some are helped and welcomed, many encounter barriers and threats, while identities, including class, race, gender, sexuality, mediate their prospects. This course's geographic perspective clarifies these complexities by combining conceptual analyses with contemporary cases. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.
Geographical perspectives on gender and sexuality. This course investigates feminist theory in geography and its analysis of home, city, nation, state, global economy, colonialism, and migration. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.
Examines the forces involved in displacements and global migration. Centring both the exploitation involved in the extraction of land and labor, and the modes of belonging and resistance of migrants and immigrants, the course explores the gendered, economic, border and racial regimes involved in contemporary global migration and nation-building. Prerequisite: 15 units.
An examination of feminist, Marxist and anti-racist theories pertaining to the historical development, social construction, and interactive nature of race, class and gender relations. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students with credit for either GSWS 301 (or WS 301) or GSWS 310 (or WS 310) as Special Topics: Race, Class and Gender may not take this course for further credit.
Focuses on the experiences, histories, knowledges, and activism of marginalized gender and sexual subjects across Asia and its diasporas from the perspectives of feminist, queer, and trans studies. May be further organized by region or historical period. The topic will vary by instructor. Students may repeat for credit up to three times under a different topic. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students with credit for GA 388 under the same topic may not take this course for further credit.
A seminar-based, interdisciplinary course providing a gendered analysis of violence and resistance, to violence, focusing on political states, conflict and war, individual experiences, and institutional situations through feminist and critical masculinities lenses. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students with credit for special temporary topics (STT) course GDST 303 Gender, Violence and Resistance may not complete this course for further credit.
An examination of the history of modern France from 1789 to the present with a focus on the social, political, and cultural divisions within the French nation resulting from the Revolutionary era, industrialization, the expansion and eventual decolonization of France's colonial empire, and the World Wars and their consequences. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
An examination of major themes in German history from the establishment of a united German Empire in 1871 to the reunification of Germany in 1990. Emphasis will be placed on issues related to the formation of German national identity and the problems associated with modernization and militarism. Attention will be given to the difficulties of Weimar democracy, the nature of the Third Reich, and contrasting developments in East and West Germany after 1949. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
An examination of major themes in Russian history up to the Revolution of 1917, including the emergence of the modern Russian state; the organization of the empire at the center and the periphery; the contest between imperial, national, and religious identities; social, economic, and cultural transformations; and the Russian Empire's involvement in world politics. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 106.
An examination of the history of the Soviet Union from its creation to its collapse, emphasizing its ideology, culture, role in global politics, and social and economic transformations. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
Examines the diversity of environments, cultures and livelihoods in East Africa and the Horn in the context of long-term trans-regional influences, especially slave trade, cash cropping, colonization and post-colonial politics, and the expansion of the world religions into East Africa. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 344 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
A study of Ottoman society and the impact of Ottoman rule in the Middle East from the conquest of Constantinople to the death of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. Emphasis will be on the conflict between preservation and reform in the nineteenth century and on the significance of the Ottoman legacy for twentieth century Turkey and the Arab world. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: one of HIST 151, 249.
This course examines the role of imperialism in the transformation of societies in the Middle East and North Africa over the last two centuries. Focusing mainly on the cases of Ottoman, British and French empire building, the course discusses the socio-economic, cultural and political changes brought about by the interaction of various segments of local societies with these imperial powers. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: one of HIST 151, 249.
An examination of this century's major themes in the history of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as other states of the Arabian peninsula. Topics to be investigated include the origins of Arab nationalism and Islamic reformism; the origins and development of the Lebanese question; the emergence of the politics of the military in Iraq and Syria, and the special role of the Jordanian and Arabian monarchies. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: one of HIST 151, 249.
Investigates the construction of nation states in the Balkans and the Mediterranean with a focus on the ideas of the Nation and the Nation State. Examines specific cases such as Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and the development of Israel. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for HS 359 may not take HIST 359 for further credit.
Examines key social, economic, political, and intellectual developments in Ireland from the 18th to the mid-20th centuries. It will also explore shifting understandings of the 'Irish nation' and consider how communal historical memory can be appropriated to serve different political agendas. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history.
Explores the social and cultural problems in modern Chinese history, with special emphasis on popular and elite cultures in the late Qing, Republican, and socialist eras. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. HIST 255 is recommended.
Analyzes the history of the PRC from 1949 to present. Special emphasis on ideology, inequality, diversity, the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, and economic reforms. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Students with credit for HIST 256 may not take this course for further credit.
A writing-intensive examination of selected topics in the history of Asia, Africa and/or the Middle East. The content will vary from offering to offering. See department for further information. HIST 368W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Students may not take selected topics within HIST 368W for further credit if duplicating content of another history course and vice versa. Writing.
Covers the period in Japan from the 1930s to the 1950s and will introduce students to topics such as wartime atrocities, the dropping of the atomic bombs and the prosecution of war criminals. It will also attempt to explain why so much controversy surrounds interpretations of events arising from Japan's last war, the Asia-Pacific War. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: at least one course on modern Japan.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Janice Matsumura |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Examines black history from the end of the American Civil War. The course focuses on the external and internal forces which shaped black communities across the nation. Special attention will be paid to these communities' struggles against the forces which sought to confine black people to an inferior place in society. Prerequisite: 45 units including 9 units of lower division History.
An examination of major debates concerning the history of late-nineteenth and twentieth century Germany. Themes may include the nature of German modernity, interpretations of the Third Reich, or German memory after the Second World War. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 401 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units, including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 224, 225, 332 or permission of the department.
Examines select problems in the social, cultural, and political history of modern Britain. Content may vary from offering to offering: see course outline for further information. HIST 407 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: one or more of HIST 215, 225, 314.
An examination of a principal aspect of, or period in, the history of French society since the Revolution. For example, attention may be given to the 19th century French revolutionary tradition, or to society and culture in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Republics, or to colonialism and decolonisation. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 417W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 224 or 225. Writing.
Advanced analysis of specific problems in social, intellectual, and political history of modern Russia. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 419W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 224 or 225. Writing.
An examination of how the Russian Empire grew, was maintained, and came to an end, if it did end, through a study of imperial and colonial policies and practices and the responses to these by the area's diverse peoples. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 420 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history.
Examines the cycle of violence that followed the Axis occupation of Greece and created a political schism that lasted until the 1980s. The course will focus on Greek resistance, foreign relations and relations with the British intelligence services. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Students with credit for HS 422 may not take this course for further credit.
Traces the historical experience of people of Japanese ancestry in the United States and Canada. Provides a comparative, transnational treatment of the historical conditions that created the impetus for immigration; exclusionary laws; the nature of prewar immigrant communities; and internment. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Students with credit for HIST 485 or 486 under this topic may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
An examination of the role of racial thinking in the history of the Americas, from the era of the Conquest to the present day. Topics may include African and Indigenous slavery, the development of scientific racism in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the persistence of racism in the present day. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Students with credit for HIST 455 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Examines the political, social, and cultural transformation in Turkey from the end of World War I to the present. Topics may include the Ottoman legacy in the Turkish Republic, issues of nation building, national identity and ethnicity, the role of the military in Turkish politics, changing concepts of gender, the role of political Islam, and Turkish diasporas. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 151 and 249.
Explores the creation of Northern Ireland and the conflicting understandings of the past that led to discrimination and sectarian violence in the Twentieth Century. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 362. Students with credit for HIST 462 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
Explores ideas, people, and movements of social criticism and social justice, stressing history as a way to understand and engage the present. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 463W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Students with credit for HIST 412 or HIST 412W cannot take HIST 463W for further credit when offered with the course topic "Marxism.". Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Mark Leier |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Concepts and methodology of modern Asian history. Selected themes may include revolution, inequality, mass violence, ideology, imperialism, leadership, and the Cold War. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 464 may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history.
A discussion of the modern history of nation-building in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The topics discussed include Zionism, the British Mandate in Palestine, the creation of the state of Israel, the rise of modern Palestinian nationalism, and the role of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute in regional and international affairs. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 151, 249, 350, 354, 355 or permission of the department.
An interpretive discussion of the course of modern Egyptian history. This may range from the advent to power of Muhammed Ali Pasha until recent times, or may focus on specific periods of revolutionary change. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 151, 249, 350, 354, 355 or permission of the department.
An advanced examination into the concepts and methodology of world history. Selected themes may include globalization, modernization, migration, religious expansion, colonialism, imperialism, and the teaching of world history. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 472W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Luke Clossey |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
An examination of the way in which South African society evolved in the 19th and 20th centuries. Particular attention will be paid to the problem of race relations. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 473W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 231, 348. Writing.
Introduces students to the social and political history of modern Greece, with a focus on current developments through the examination of political, social, and economic transformations over the past two centuries, and help students situate modern Greek history within a European context. The course will examine the various political, social, and economic crises the modern Greek state has endured from its founding in 1830 to the present, using primary and secondary sources to understand the historical development of Greece. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history or by permission of instructor. Students with credit for HS/HIST 307 under the topic "Glory to Debt" or HS 476 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines a contentious aspect of, or period in, modern Chinese history focusing on change, conflict and resistance. For example the transition from revolution to reform, the Tiananmen Square protests, or the Cultural Revolution. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 479W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history, and one of HIST 255, 366, or 367. Writing.
This course explores the subject of traditional Indigenous knowledge and its contemporary implications for Indigenous programs in such areas as economic development, ecotourism, spiritualism, language retention, biodiversity, ethnoscience, environmentalism, and heritage conservation. Indigenous perspectives on patents, copyrights, and other creative products from traditional culture will also be examined through lecture, guest speakers and seminar presentation. Prerequisite: INDG (or FNST) 101 or INDG (or FNST) 201W. Students with credit for FNST 403 may not take this course for further credit.
An examination of how relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples framed and were framed by the development of international law from the 15th century onward. Prerequisite: INDG (or FNST) 101 or 201W, or CRIM 101, or permission of instructor. Students with credit for FNST 429, CRIM 429, or under CRIM 416 or 418 under the title "Indigenous Peoples and International Law" or "Indigenous Peoples and Evolving International Relations" may not take this course for further credit.
Examines contemporary writings regarding Indigenous environmental logic and environmental concerns of contemporary times. Studies effects of resource extraction upon Indigenous nations, globalization, genetic modifications, health, intellectual property, spiritual beliefs, culture and society, art and language and compares these with specific Indigenous logic at the time of contact. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for FNST 433 may not take this course for further credit.
Provides an opportunity to examine social, cultural, and political challenges involved in working or living abroad. Students reflect on the knowledge, skills, and values gained while abroad, with attention to career-related pathways and possibilities. Topics include the complexities of cross-cultural engagement and ethical aspects of experiential learning in international settings. Graded as Pass/Fail (P/F). Prerequisite: This course will be open to any 間眅埶AV student who has completed an international study, research, internship, or volunteership program.
Explores how international actors respond to humanitarian emergencies, such as famine, displacement, and genocide. Examines the political, legal, and ethical challenges of humanitarian action by focusing on contemporary cases and on key types of response, from the delivery of aid to sanctions and the use of military force. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Surveys the ethnic minorities of Southeast Asia, focusing on their relations with other ethnic groups, especially majority populations, and governments. Examines the treatment of ethnic minorities and the responses of the minorities, including ethnic-based secession movements. Reviews cross-border and broader international issues relating to minorities, such as their status as refugees and cross-border support for insurgencies. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the Russian Federation's foreign and security policies. Reviews key actors, institutions, and stages in the development of Russian foreign policy development as well as the gap between rhetoric and realities in Russian foreign policy. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200 and HIST 335.
Examines various forms of resistance and protest, including everyday resistance and organized activism, with an emphasis on civil resistance. Investigates the conditions and outcomes of protest, focusing on a range of cases which may include Solidarity in Poland, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the American Civil Rights Movement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken POL 339 or IS 309 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Brenda Lyshaug |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Mon, Wed, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility; the role of humanitarian intervention; the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies; and, the relationship between statebuilding and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Brenda Lyshaug |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Tue, Thu, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Examines how Indigenous communities globally reclaim space and sovereignty, confront colonial violence, and envision pluralistic and more-than-human sovereign futures. Explores Indigenous knowledges, resistance to colonialism, and futurisms across diverse global Indigenous contexts. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Provides an overview of national and political issues in Southeast Asia. Surveying politics in individual countries and regional political institutions, focus is given to particular themes such as democratization and civil society, communism and other forms of authoritarianism, the role of the military, decentralization, religion and politics, the impact of China on the region, and security concerns. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the political, economic, and ideological dynamics of contemporary Middle Eastern states. Examines the legacy of colonialism, state formation, central ideological trends such as Arab nationalism and political Islam, the dynamics of state-society contention, and the challenges of economic development. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines current debates about women, gender, and sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Explores the major social, economic, and political factors that shape the lives of women and other marginalized groups in diverse cities across the region. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines post-Soviet Central Asian states, with particular reference to the relationship among democratization, development, autocracy and conflict, and the role of external actors in transnational security issues in the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200. Students with credit for IS 412 may not take this course for further credit.
Survey course of major contemporary issues relevant to people's lives in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as major debates about these. Study of the historic, economic, political, social and cultural factors contributing to contemporary realities and perspectives. Relevant for students with little to significant familiarity with life in Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units.
From peasant uprisings and student protests to armed insurrections, this course explores the range of African social movements and assesses their role in shaping Africa's future. Key themes include the role of ethnicity and religion, the impact of urbanization, economic inequality, gender politics, and trends in international solidarity and engagement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Explores China's stunning rise from Mao to global markets, with attention to social issues brought on by "the Chinese Development Model". Examines the bases of state legitimacy in contemporary China, challenges to state legitimacy, as well as state responses to these challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the nature, activities, and effects of social movements across the Global South. Uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore how social movements shape and respond to political, economic, and social transformation. Considers their relationship with political parties, states, and media and assesses the conditions under which movements emerge and succeed. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 or IS 419 with this topic, or IS 439 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines "International Development" within a series of historical frames, including the history of imperialism, the history of international relations, globalization, and the cultural and intellectual history of North-South relations. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have credit for HIST 358 may not take IS 358 for further credit.
Explores how digital technology is transforming societies, political systems, and economies around the world. Examines the origins of surveillance and data assessment and the political, economic, and ethical challenges automated technologies present by focusing on contemporary cases and their effects in communities around the world. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 319 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines international efforts to respond to global environmental challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, and the degradation of the oceans. Investigates obstacles to effective action and possible ways forward. Explores the role of a range of key actors, including states, intergovernmental organizations, multinational companies, NGOs, and social movements. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Explores how cities around the world have been segregated on the basis of class, race, gender, etc. Examines the causes and consequences of, and resistance to, urban segregation, focusing on diverse cities in different regions such as Africa, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, etc. Prerequisite: 45 units.
The quality of institutions' exercises a crucial influence on the prospects for development. Aims are to interrogate this claim through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world. Examination of the ways in which politics influences economic growth and distribution; the relationships between political systems and patterns of development; and the politics of institutions and state formation. Prerequisite: 90 units.
Reviews important current regional issues in Southeast Asia with particular attention to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Focuses upon the political Islamist movements that have swept much of the Middle East and North Africa since the mid-1970s. Examines a broad range of movements, from liberal to militant trends, drawing on the experiences of countries throughout the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HIST 151 or IS 315.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Critically considers why and how international development has been, and might be, pursued. Includes study of histories of development, theories of development, as well as policies, practices, different perspectives and outcomes of development. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 429 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Analyzes the origins and the economic consequences of globalization and the uneven process of economic development around the world in relation to poverty, by considering the measurement of poverty, its causes and dynamics, as well as public policy for poverty reduction. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An examination of Latin America through historical, literary, and social scientific approaches. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 209W or HIST 209W.
Explores diplomacy in its bilateral and multilateral forms, from the perspective of practitioners. Examines how diplomatic principles and procedures have been applied in various areas of global policy (e.g. human rights, peacemaking, climate change, and disarmament). Focuses on the development of diplomatic skills, such as analysis, reporting, and negotiation. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Meyer |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Considers how the global economic recession of the late 2000s has coincided with the rise of global China. Examines the origins of Chinese international development, and its effects in receiving communities in Chinese internal frontiers and along Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 419 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the impact of identity politics on the dynamics and organization of political systems. Topics include the impact of ethnic, racial and/or religious diversity on modes of political representation, the formation of public policy, and the quest for political stability and national identity. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Student with credit for POL 481 may not take this course for further credit.
Migration is on the rise around the globe, presenting challenges for many countries: Who shall be admitted? What should be the conditions of integration? How will 'we' maintain our identity in the face of growing diversity? Explores how and why liberal democracies offer varying responses to these questions. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department. Students who have taken Selected Topics course POL 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
How and why does the mass media influence terrorist activity? What efforts do democratic governments make to counter this form of political violence? Why do such efforts vary across time and countries? Learn about, and contribute to, the evidence-based research focusing on these important questions. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 349 under the title "Terrorism" may not take this course for further credit.
Focuses on the evolution of political relation between East Asia and Canada since the mid-19th century to the contemporary period. It covers diplomatic/military and socio-economic and cultural relations, sometimes cutting across national and sub-national boundaries. Utilizes various theoretical and analytical perspectives from political science and other disciplines to assess the importance and causes of key events. Prerequisite: POL 141 and three lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 349 under the title "Politics Across the Pacific" may not take this course for further credit.
Problems arising from the disparities in power and wealth between the highly industrialized countries of Europe and North America, and the under-industrialized countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
An examination of the structures and processes and the main substantive decisions of the United Nations and related international organizations. Based upon in-depth study of the UN Charter, the Security Council, General Assembly, Secretary-general and Secretariat and their constitutional and political interactions since 1945, with special attention to the theory and practice of international organization advanced by the principal Western countries, the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc, the People's Republic of China and leading Third World countries. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
James Busumtwi-sam |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Considers Africa in the historical development of the modern global political economy, from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. Examines contemporary issues associated with Africa in the neo-liberal world order and the politics of resistance and alternative pathways or models of development. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
The political system of Japan, including an analysis of political culture, political institutions, political behaviour and both formal and informal political processes. Emphasis will be placed on the post-World War II political development of Japan. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 381W may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the philosophical underpinnings and political realities of global feminism as a movement and a principle of institutional design. Asks questions about the impacts of global solidarity among women and feminist philosophy. Covers regional, national and transnational movements, as well as their implications for policy, law and social movement practice. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 438 under the title "Global Feminist Politics" may not take this course for further credit.
What is democracy and how can we measure it? Does democracy perform better than other regime types? How can we explain processes of democratization and de-democratization? The course explores these questions in a theoretically guided fashion making use of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 438 Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics I under the title Democracy in a Global World may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
How do great powers form alliances and balance of power? Under what conditions do they engage in war? How does geography shape their strategy? How do they manipulate economic relations for political aims? This course addresses these questions utilizing key international relations theories and various analytical methods. Prerequisite: POL 141 and eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Nationalist movements and intrastate ethnic conflict around the globe. Begins with an overview of nationalism, including its historical emergence, its roots, and different types. Moves on to ethnic conflict, focusing on its sources and potential solutions to this problem. Prerequisite: POL 201 and eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Students with credit for POL 338W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.
An examination of the processes by which governments are created, maintained, and destroyed in democratic systems. The effects of different regime types, electoral arrangements, and party systems will be highlighted. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
An overview and analysis of international relations in East Asia. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department. Writing.
An examination of the major theories of international political economy, and their application to such issues as the politics of trade, aid, monetary relations, and transnational corporations. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Anil Hira |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 1:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in Political Science or permission of the department .
An introduction to the political economy and culture of capitalism in relation to global problems. Case studies may focus on issues of population, famine, disease, poverty, environmental destruction, social inequality, and nation-state violence. Resistance, rebellion and social movements in response to these problems also will be addressed. Writing/Breadth-Social Sci.
A study of the sources, development and effects of social movements in transitional and modernized societies. Specific types of movements will be analysed. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Abolfazl Fakhri Joshani |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
An examination of uneven development arising from the intersection of European colonialism and capitalism since 1492. This process embodies power relations including commodification, dispossession, capital accumulation, organization of states and cultures, restructuring of social classes and gender relations, and deepening racialization. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
In this intensive seminar, we compare political actions and social movements of indigenous peoples across several countries: analyze development of these movements over time; and discuss factors affecting the timing, reception, intensity and nature of these politics. Students write research papers on topics they develop. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
International Development, Inequality, Environment, and Shared Futures Concentration
Students may qualify for this concentration by completing
The principal elements of theory concerning money and income, distribution, social accounts, public finance, international trade, comparative systems, and development and growth. Quantitative/Breadth-Soc.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Dave Cox |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 10:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 10:3011:20 a.m. |
Burnaby Burnaby |
|
D101 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 10:3011:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 1:302:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 2:303:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 10:3011:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D107 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 1:302:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D108 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 2:303:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Analyzes some of the historical reasons for the great divergence in world economic development, and undertakes a cross-country, cross-regional perspective of world economic development using a historical approach to long-run economic growth. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Introduction to how Empire is implicated in the making of our modern world. Covers global histories of imperialism, anti-imperial struggles, colonization and decolonization. Includes European imperialist and colonial histories and decenters the position of Europe in world history to understand connections and agency of all peoples. IS 265 or HIST 265 will be accepted in lieu of this course.
and 24 units from
Topics discussed in this course are: gains from trade in a classical world; the modern theory of international trade; factor price equalization; empirical tests and extensions of the pure theory model; economic growth and international trade; the nature and effects of protection; motives and welfare effects of factor movements; multinational enterprises; the brain drain; customs union theory; pollution control and international trade. Prerequisite: ECON 103 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 113 with a minimum grade of A-; ECON 105 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 115 with a minimum grade of A-; 60 units or permission of the department. Students with credit for ECON 442 cannot take this course for further credit. Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Victor Aguiar Lozano |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Thu, 2:304:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D101 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 10:3011:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 11:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 11:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D106 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 10:3011:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
Foreign exchange markets; determination of spot and forward exchange rates; Euro currency markets; balance of payments statistics; international adjustment theory; income price and exchange rate effects; the role of international short term capital flows; the international monetary system: gold standard, freely floating rates, dollar gold exchange standard, centrally created reserves. Prerequisite: ECON 103 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 113 with a minimum grade of A-; ECON 105 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 115 with a minimum grade of A-; 60 units or permission of the department. Students with credit for ECON 445 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.
Analysis of theories of economic development. Consideration will be given to the requirements of successful development, to aspects of international co-operation, and to procedures of economic planning. Problems of emerging countries and models of various developing economies will be studied. Prerequisite: ECON 103 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 113 with a minimum grade of A-; ECON 105 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 115 with a minimum grade of A-; 60 units. Students with credit for ECON 355 or ECON 455 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Maliha Nazir |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 10:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D101 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 8:309:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D102 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 8:309:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D103 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D104 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 9:3010:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
D105 |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Tue, 10:3011:20 a.m.
|
Burnaby |
Application of economic analysis to natural resource problems and efficient management practice; public policy considerations in respect to development and conservation; benefit-cost analysis. Prerequisite: ECON 103 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 113 with a minimum grade of A-; ECON 105 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 115 with a minimum grade of A-; 60 units. Quantitative.
Evolution of the global economy and its institutions, including historical developments dating from the nineteenth century up to the present day. Examines common themes across all periods, such as international trade, capital, and immigration flows. Prerequisite: ECON 103 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 113 with a minimum grade of A-; ECON 105 with a minimum grade of C- or ECON 115 with a minimum grade of A-; 60 units. Students with credit for ECON 382 in Spring 2008, Spring 2009, or Spring 2010 terms may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the historical development, spatial organization, and social impact of market function, firm structure and operation, economic policy, and regulation and deregulation at various scales from local to global, from a geographical perspective. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.
An examination of contemporary debates in Labour Geography, surveying geographical approaches to work and employment. Lectures will explore the relationships between space, place and labour market change in the context of globalization and uneven development. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100 or LBST 101. Students with credit for LBST 328 may not take this course for further credit.
An introduction to the fundamental social and human-geographical dimensions of climate change: the ideas, tools, and institutions through which human communities and institutions are responding (or not) to the challenges of a warming planet. Prerequisite: A minimum of 45 units.
An examination of urban geographies of crisis, concentrating on what crisis is, what it is used for, how it is differentially experienced, and how it is distributed unevenly. Case studies of environmental, economic, social, and political crises are the main focus. The course concludes by addressing the future(s) of cities. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100.
Examines the reciprocal influences between humans and nature through time. Topics may include settlement, agriculture, technology, politics, urbanization, science, and conservation. Prerequisite: At least 45 units, including GEOG 100 or REM 100. Students with credit for HIST 377 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the historical development of the material spaces and places affected by changing capitalist dynamics and the dominant theories through which they are explained, legitimized, and criticized, from a geographical perspective. Prerequisite: GEOG 321. Students who received credit for GEOG 421 (STT), Advanced Contemporary Capitalism, may not take this course for further credit.
An exploration of our political, social, and economic systems, their ecological limitations, and related questions of inequality. It explores the histories, dynamics, logics, effects, and limitations of these systems. The evolution and effects of capitalism, specifically with respect to nonhuman natures, will be a focus. Prerequisite: GEOG 321 or GEOG 389W.
Explores the theoretical foundations in critical racial geographies. Also examines the modern history and reach of Black, subaltern, and decolonial thought in global context, with particular attention to relations of capital, race, nation-state, social reproduction, and the unfolding of contending geographies beyond the dominant world order. Prerequisite: At least 60 units, including GEOG 100.
An exploration of how cities shape the contemporary globalized world, focusing on key contemporary academic approaches. Highlights geographical and multi-disciplinary work on global-urban relations, networks, structures, and mobilities. Prerequisite: 60 credit hours, including Geog 362. Students who have taken GEOG 442 STT, Global Cities, may not take this course for further credit.
An exploration of theories and geographies of conquest and liberation to analyze present-day struggles for abolition and decolonization. We will weave epistemologies from across the Americas to understand how different struggles for liberation are spatially connected amid colonialism, racial capitalism and empire. Prerequisite: At least 60 units, including GEOG 241.
Takes a broad approach to gender, placing it dialogue with race and ethnicity, class, nation, and space, to think through the complex dynamic between gender and labour from a variety of perspectives. Explores workers lived experiences of gender regimes while critically examining how gender matters within the workplace. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST or LBST. Students who have taken GSWS 308, LBST 305, LBST 331 under the title Gender - Paid & Unpaid, or WS 310 under the title Women and Work may not take this course for further credit.
Examines from interdisciplinary and international perspectives how development is gendered and creates differential impacts, meanings and processes for women and men around the world. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students with credit for GSWS 310 (or WS 310) Special Topic: Women and Development or GSWS 301 (or WS 301) Special Topic: Gender and Development or GSWS 309 (or WS 309) under the title Gender and Development may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the forces involved in displacements and global migration. Centring both the exploitation involved in the extraction of land and labor, and the modes of belonging and resistance of migrants and immigrants, the course explores the gendered, economic, border and racial regimes involved in contemporary global migration and nation-building. Prerequisite: 15 units.
Examines the reciprocal influences between humans and nature through time. Topics may include settlement, agriculture, technology, politics, urbanization, science, and conservation. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Students with credit for GEOG 377 may not take this course for further credit.
New formations of wealth and power that contribute to international health disparities and consideration of the relations of power both between and within nation-states that make some people sick and keep others well. Economic and political collusions that make people sick. Infectious disease and child survival, health implications of war, biotech, and the politics of food and water. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HSCI 130.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Susan Erikson |
Jun 30 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, Wed, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
This course explores the subject of traditional Indigenous knowledge and its contemporary implications for Indigenous programs in such areas as economic development, ecotourism, spiritualism, language retention, biodiversity, ethnoscience, environmentalism, and heritage conservation. Indigenous perspectives on patents, copyrights, and other creative products from traditional culture will also be examined through lecture, guest speakers and seminar presentation. Prerequisite: INDG (or FNST) 101 or INDG (or FNST) 201W. Students with credit for FNST 403 may not take this course for further credit.
An examination of how relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples framed and were framed by the development of international law from the 15th century onward. Prerequisite: INDG (or FNST) 101 or 201W, or CRIM 101, or permission of instructor. Students with credit for FNST 429, CRIM 429, or under CRIM 416 or 418 under the title "Indigenous Peoples and International Law" or "Indigenous Peoples and Evolving International Relations" may not take this course for further credit.
Examines contemporary writings regarding Indigenous environmental logic and environmental concerns of contemporary times. Studies effects of resource extraction upon Indigenous nations, globalization, genetic modifications, health, intellectual property, spiritual beliefs, culture and society, art and language and compares these with specific Indigenous logic at the time of contact. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for FNST 433 may not take this course for further credit.
Provides an opportunity to examine social, cultural, and political challenges involved in working or living abroad. Students reflect on the knowledge, skills, and values gained while abroad, with attention to career-related pathways and possibilities. Topics include the complexities of cross-cultural engagement and ethical aspects of experiential learning in international settings. Graded as Pass/Fail (P/F). Prerequisite: This course will be open to any 間眅埶AV student who has completed an international study, research, internship, or volunteership program.
Surveys the ethnic minorities of Southeast Asia, focusing on their relations with other ethnic groups, especially majority populations, and governments. Examines the treatment of ethnic minorities and the responses of the minorities, including ethnic-based secession movements. Reviews cross-border and broader international issues relating to minorities, such as their status as refugees and cross-border support for insurgencies. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility; the role of humanitarian intervention; the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies; and, the relationship between statebuilding and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Brenda Lyshaug |
May 12 Jun 20, 2025: Tue, Thu, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Provides an overview of national and political issues in Southeast Asia. Surveying politics in individual countries and regional political institutions, focus is given to particular themes such as democratization and civil society, communism and other forms of authoritarianism, the role of the military, decentralization, religion and politics, the impact of China on the region, and security concerns. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the political, economic, and ideological dynamics of contemporary Middle Eastern states. Examines the legacy of colonialism, state formation, central ideological trends such as Arab nationalism and political Islam, the dynamics of state-society contention, and the challenges of economic development. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Survey course of major contemporary issues relevant to people's lives in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as major debates about these. Study of the historic, economic, political, social and cultural factors contributing to contemporary realities and perspectives. Relevant for students with little to significant familiarity with life in Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units.
From peasant uprisings and student protests to armed insurrections, this course explores the range of African social movements and assesses their role in shaping Africa's future. Key themes include the role of ethnicity and religion, the impact of urbanization, economic inequality, gender politics, and trends in international solidarity and engagement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Explores China's stunning rise from Mao to global markets, with attention to social issues brought on by "the Chinese Development Model". Examines the bases of state legitimacy in contemporary China, challenges to state legitimacy, as well as state responses to these challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the nature, activities, and effects of social movements across the Global South. Uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore how social movements shape and respond to political, economic, and social transformation. Considers their relationship with political parties, states, and media and assesses the conditions under which movements emerge and succeed. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 or IS 419 with this topic, or IS 439 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines "International Development" within a series of historical frames, including the history of imperialism, the history of international relations, globalization, and the cultural and intellectual history of North-South relations. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have credit for HIST 358 may not take IS 358 for further credit.
Explores how digital technology is transforming societies, political systems, and economies around the world. Examines the origins of surveillance and data assessment and the political, economic, and ethical challenges automated technologies present by focusing on contemporary cases and their effects in communities around the world. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 319 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines international efforts to respond to global environmental challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, and the degradation of the oceans. Investigates obstacles to effective action and possible ways forward. Explores the role of a range of key actors, including states, intergovernmental organizations, multinational companies, NGOs, and social movements. Prerequisite: 45 units.
The quality of institutions' exercises a crucial influence on the prospects for development. Aims are to interrogate this claim through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world. Examination of the ways in which politics influences economic growth and distribution; the relationships between political systems and patterns of development; and the politics of institutions and state formation. Prerequisite: 90 units.
Reviews important current regional issues in Southeast Asia with particular attention to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Develops an understanding of the interactions between international organizations, economic theory, and implementation of economic policies. Explores as well the impact of their interventions in some chosen countries. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Critically considers why and how international development has been, and might be, pursued. Includes study of histories of development, theories of development, as well as policies, practices, different perspectives and outcomes of development. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 429 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Analyzes the origins and the economic consequences of globalization and the uneven process of economic development around the world in relation to poverty, by considering the measurement of poverty, its causes and dynamics, as well as public policy for poverty reduction. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An examination of Latin America through historical, literary, and social scientific approaches. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 209W or HIST 209W.
Explores diplomacy in its bilateral and multilateral forms, from the perspective of practitioners. Examines how diplomatic principles and procedures have been applied in various areas of global policy (e.g. human rights, peacemaking, climate change, and disarmament). Focuses on the development of diplomatic skills, such as analysis, reporting, and negotiation. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Meyer |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Vancouver |
Considers how the global economic recession of the late 2000s has coincided with the rise of global China. Examines the origins of Chinese international development, and its effects in receiving communities in Chinese internal frontiers and along Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 419 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
An exploration of critical and radical political economy traditions in Labour Studies with a focus on how these approaches have diverged from, and provided alternatives to, classical and orthodox economic understandings of labour and labour markets. Prerequisite: Strongly Recommended: LBST 101.
An exploration of the expanding forms of unfree labour in capitalist economies as products of changing labour processes, global labour markets, and the policies of neoliberalism and 'austerity'. Prerequisite: Strongly Recommended: LBST 101.
Technological change and globalization are constantly transforming the nature of work under capitalism. These transformations are examined in the historical development of work, the changing nature of the labour process and how automation and artificial intelligence might transform work in the future. Prerequisite: Strongly Recommended: LBST 101 and/or 301. Breadth-Social Sciences.
The changing relationships between unions and environmental groups; how work in various industries contribute to climate change; and how climate-change policies affect workers in different ways. The consequences of climate policies for different categories of workers, identified by economic sector, geographic location, gender, ethnicity, and Aboriginal status. Prerequisite: 30 units. Strongly Recommended: LBST 101.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
John-Henry Harter |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 2:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Global labour migration has increased substantially in the last several decades. What factors contribute to the current wave of labour migration? Which countries send and receive migrants, and what is the role of internal migration? What challenges do migrant workers face in their host countries? This course will examine these questions to uncover the nature, trends and impacts of this growing phenomenon. Prerequisite: Strongly Recommended: LBST 101. Students who have taken LBST 330 Global Labour Migration may not take this course for further credit.
Examines contemporary debates in Labour Geography and geographical approaches to work and employment. Lectures explore the relationships between space, place and labour market change in the context of globalization and uneven development. Prerequisite: 60 units; LBST 101 or GEOG 221. Students with credit for GEOG 328 may not take this course for further credit.
Problems arising from the disparities in power and wealth between the highly industrialized countries of Europe and North America, and the under-industrialized countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
An examination of the structures and processes and the main substantive decisions of the United Nations and related international organizations. Based upon in-depth study of the UN Charter, the Security Council, General Assembly, Secretary-general and Secretariat and their constitutional and political interactions since 1945, with special attention to the theory and practice of international organization advanced by the principal Western countries, the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc, the People's Republic of China and leading Third World countries. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
James Busumtwi-sam |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Considers Africa in the historical development of the modern global political economy, from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. Examines contemporary issues associated with Africa in the neo-liberal world order and the politics of resistance and alternative pathways or models of development. Prerequisite: Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
An examination of the major theories of international political economy, and their application to such issues as the politics of trade, aid, monetary relations, and transnational corporations. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Anil Hira |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 1:305:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Examines the politics and policies of energy, including historical and technical perspectives. Topics include alternative energy, climate change, regulatory policy, and the economics of energy, as well as practical case studies. Students who have completed POL 459 in 2009 and 2010 may not complete this course for further credit. Writing.
Survey of the concepts and theoretical approaches, from Adam Smith's political economy to contemporary paradigms, used to understand the role and place of state institutions In a market economy and of the criteria that are used to design and implement economic and social policies. Particular attention is paid to the philosophical and normative questions that are raised by such an analysis. Prerequisite: Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.
An introduction to the field of environmental ethics. Addresses questions such as what obligations we have to future generations and the natural world, as well as the extent of these obligations. Prerequisite: 45 units. Philosophy Majors and Minors may not take this course for credit towards their major or minor degree. Students who have taken PHIL 333-3 or ENV 399-3 "Special Topics in Environmental Ethics" prior to or in 2011 and students with credit in ENV 320W or PHIL 328-3 may not enroll in this course for further credit. Writing.
Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Will Niver |
May 12 Aug 8, 2025: Mon, 5:308:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Introduces students to the concepts and methods of ecological economics. Provides students with grounding in the core principles of conventional economics applied to the environment but then extends this to the integration of economics and ecology to create a new ecological-economic understanding of environmental change and sustainability. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for ENV 321 cannot take REM 321 for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Provides students with the tools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current food system and will encourage them to critically analyze diverse solutions from both the global South and global North to build a more sustainable food system. Students will work collaboratively with the instructor to examine diverse and interdisciplinary approaches to food sustainability and strengthen their problem-solving skills. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken REM 363-3 "Special Topics" in Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 may not enroll in this course for further credit.
Reviews how climate change is impacting multiple facets of earth system (e.g. atmosphere, oceans, and freshwater systems). Students will examine the challenges faced by environmental managers as they attempt to mitigate or adapt to these changes. One major goal of the course is to teach an appreciation of uncertainties and predictability in earth systems, to better address resource management issues on regional to global scales. Prerequisite: REM 100 or EVSC 100 or GEOG 111; REM 221; 60 units; or permission from instructor.
Students investigate dimensions of the global environmental crisis related to water security, including: human rights, political science, development economics, gender policies, geopolitics, regional integration and security, international law, national legislation, public health, trade, agriculture, energy generation, and water resources management. Prerequisite: 75 units and REM 100 or EVSC 100 or GEOG 100.
An introduction to the political economy and culture of capitalism in relation to global problems. Case studies may focus on issues of population, famine, disease, poverty, environmental destruction, social inequality, and nation-state violence. Resistance, rebellion and social movements in response to these problems also will be addressed. Writing/Breadth-Social Sci.
Modernization narratives have placed food and agriculture on the margins of social thought. The current ecological crisis requires us to take a new look at the global agrifood system and its social, political and ecological relations. This course develops analytical perspectives on contemporary issues concerning food, ecology and agrarian change. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Addresses the historical, global dimensions of the social and ecological by examining hegemonies of capitalism from the colonial to the neoliberal era. Explores deepening commodification in the neoliberal "sustainability by algorithms" approach, animated by powerful discourses of crisis, climate change, food security, and development. Considers resistance possibilities. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of uneven development arising from the intersection of European colonialism and capitalism since 1492. This process embodies power relations including commodification, dispossession, capital accumulation, organization of states and cultures, restructuring of social classes and gender relations, and deepening racialization. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of environmental issues in their social context. Environmental issues are on the leading edge of contemporary public concern and public policy debates. This course will examine such issues as the relationship between social organization and mode of subsistence, the politics of hunger, and the way in which human societies in their particular social, historical, and cultural contexts view and interact with the natural world. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
In this intensive seminar, we compare political actions and social movements of indigenous peoples across several countries: analyze development of these movements over time; and discuss factors affecting the timing, reception, intensity and nature of these politics. Students write research papers on topics they develop. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An investigation of the social, cultural, and political issues that contribute to problems of ill-health in resource-poor countries and the major efforts in international public health to address these problems. It explores the application of knowledge about social, and especially gender relations in international health, with particular attention to local perspectives and grassroots initiatives. Institutional frameworks intended to promote health development are examined in historical and contemporary perspective through case studies on topics such as: malaria, population control, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. Prerequisite: 72 units, which must include SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Technology issues relevant to global sustainable development are considered from engineering, historical and anthropological perspectives. Topics include hydroelectric dams, alternative power generation systems, and the science of climate change. In-depth case studies emphasize interdisciplinary exploration of these themes. Prerequisite: Minimum 60 units. Students may take only one of SD 412, ENSC 412 or ENV 412 for credit. Breadth-Science.
From sustainability debates to policy windows and strategic goals (e.g., UN Sustainable Development Goals), students engage with tools and concepts to enable equitable change across contexts and sectors. This includes how policy is created, who the main players are in effecting change, and how we track and adapt to outcomes. Prerequisite: One of PLAN 100, PLAN 200, REM 100, or SD 281; and 60 units. Students with credit for REM 481 may not take this course for further credit.
*With the approval of the School for International Studies (please contact the IS advisor), eight upper division units from courses (with high international content) not listed above may be considered for credit towards a specific concentration.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Honours Degree Requirements
For all bachelor of arts (BA) honours programs, students complete at least 120 units, which includes
- at least 60 units that must be completed at 間眅埶AV
- satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
- students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 48 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
- at least 60 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
- students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program
- students are required to achieve an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0
Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements
Students admitted to 間眅埶AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.
WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit
Requirement |
Units |
Notes | |
W - Writing |
6 |
Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 間眅埶AV within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each) |
|
Q - Quantitative |
6 |
Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more) | |
B - Breadth |
18 |
Designated Breadth |
Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division: Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc |
6 |
Additional Breadth |
Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas. |
Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit
- At least half of the program's total units must be earned through 間眅埶AV study.
- At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through 間眅埶AV study.
Elective Courses
In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.