In order to successfully complete this course, you must demonstrate your understanding of the course materials by:
Here is an overview of all of the different types of assignments in the course. You can find detailed directions for the assignments and the grading rubrics in the lesson where they are assigned.
This is a "paced" course which means that all weekly assignments are due the week they are assigned by 11:59 PM on the last day of the week. All Discussion Forum postings meet the same weekly deadline as other course assignments. The forum is an opportunity for students to dialogue with one another about the issues we are studying that week.
Students learn to make sharp arguments by formulating a one sentence thesis that sets out exactly what they intend to argue and provide factual evidence from their reading to support the thesis. Argument is a valuable thing to learn; it is an organized attempt to support a point of view. All thesis statements are arguments because you are advancing and supporting a point of view. You endeavor to persuade a reader to take a side on an issue. Arguments support opinions; arguments are not right or wrong, but well or poorly supported. Good arguments focus on facts, not emotions. You learn to anticipate and defuse opposing arguments and make the counterargument. Using outside sources, students weave the source material into their writing. If students use quotes, they must "unwrap" the quote for the reader to reveal the meaning and the significance to your argument. The challenge is to incorporate your sources, yet remain the author, the single dominant voice in your essay. Argument is the basis for how your work will be graded in this course. Assignments vary, but your purpose is to take a position and support that position.
Students read and examine articles and the text and post their thoughts using critical thinking skills to evaluate and reflect on the issue addressed each week. Students consider implications and conclusions of alternative points of view and respond to the ideas of classmates. Posts define the political issue addressed in the Discussion Forum, explain the relevant and specific policy elements and questions impacting the topic, relate the importance of the issue to our study each week, and address the totality of the issue using critical thinking skills.
The briefing presentation allows you to make a succinct and focused briefing on a key international relations issue to a senior government official. Your briefing should be in the form of a video presentation. Compile your information from a minimum of six sources. These should be significant academic articles about your issue, mentioning policies, risks, events, major players, related issues, wars, or intelligence considerations. You may focus on a regional, transnational, or a single nation issue. If you select one nation/state, you must mention international relations issues impacting the country you select in your presentation. This is not a summation of an historic event. It is not a history presentation. You must use international relations theories to analyze and support your thesis/argument.
This assignment is one of the proctored assessments for the course. Please show your face in the video and maintain eye contact with the camera.
Now Showing is a feature of this course encouraging you to view any or all of the film choices in each module. You are required to select two films from the entire film list in the course and answer the two reflection questions on each film. Reflection questions connect issues or events in the film to their significance to course content in that week’s module. Films marked SWANK are available through the NOVA library. All other films must be located and viewed from other sources available to the student. (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) Students may have viewed some of these featured films in the past. Students may submit the two films any week of the course, but no later than the week prior to the Final Exam.
The research paper provides you with an opportunity to pursue, in depth, a topic of interest to you that is relevant to the course. It is designed to help you think critically and analytically about an international relations topic. This is not a history paper summarizing an historic event. Your paper must be based on research using at least six academic sources, and should be double-spaced, 12-point font, between 900 to 1200 words. Students are required to use MLA style format in citing sources.
There are two proctored exams in this course. Please find the information on how to take a proctored assessment in the Taking Proctored Assessments section of the syllabus.
The exams are closed book and consist of short answer identification and significance of terms, True/False questions, and essays. Assessment questions will cover a broad range of material consisting of discussion topics, information from your reading and assignments. You will be expected to apply the concepts you learn in this course and show evidence of critical thinking skills in response to assessment questions.