POLI 1081 Introduction to International Politics
Course restricted to political science majors only. This course may NOT be taken by any International Studies majors or minors. Class restricted to political science freshmen and sophomores. This course examines the principle sources of the behavior of countries in international politics, including the nature of the international system and the decision-making process within states. It examines such issues as the sources of power, the causes and implications of the security dilemma, the dynamics of alliances, the causes of war, international political economy, and the dilemmas of world order. This course is strongly recommended for students who plan to take upper level international politics courses.
Course overview
- Department
- Political Science
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically in the Fall
Catalog details
- Satisfies core
- Social Science
Requirements fulfilled
- Political Science: Introductory Sequence — Second Introductory Course (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- University Core: Social Science (All undergraduates)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.47 / 5 · Good
- Instructor rating
- 3.57 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 7
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Robert S Ross | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 4–6 hrs/week | 24 of 30 |
| Fall 2025 | Timothy Crawford | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 7–9 hrs/week | 23 of 26 |
| Spring 2025 | Robert S Ross | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 24 of 30 |
| Spring 2024 | Robert S Ross | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 4–6 hrs/week | 32 of 35 |
| Fall 2023 | Timothy Crawford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 of 27 |
| Fall 2022 | Timothy Crawford | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 22 of 26 |
| Fall 2021 | Timothy Crawford | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 21 of 31 |