POSC 350 - World Problems and Global Response

Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D
Arms control, human rights, development, debt, women’s rights, world population, environmental protection, and technology transfers. Analysis of key actors (United Nations, specialized agencies, national governments, non-governmental organizations) and policy alternatives. Student opportunity to work with local organizations.

Strongly Recommended Preparation: Upper division status (greater than 60 earned semester units) and completion of lower division Area D1-3 requirements.
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4 with grade C- (CR) or better.
Equivalent Quarter Course: POSC 3500.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-UD-D - Upper Division Social Sciences
Course Typically Offered: Spring ONLY

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the international public policy process, global governance issues and leading conceptual frameworks: regime theory, realism, functionalism, liberalism, Marxism. Indicator: In-class essay exams
Demonstrate familiarity with participants and their respective roles in global policy systems, including nation-states, international governmental organizations (IGOs) and non-state actors including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, and social movements. Indicator: In-class essay exams.
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a selection of world problems such as international drug trade, transnational crime, terrorism, nuclear weapons, refugees, humanitarian assistance, food security, world health, nation-building. Indicator: In-class essay exams.
Demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze information about the concepts, organizations and topics of international relations and to apply them to a research topic. Special focus on international organization and policy institute documents. Indicator: 10-page research paper.
Demonstrate the ability to write a medium-length research paper including thesis development, outlining, note-taking, information collection and analysis (traditional and electronic data bases), literature review, and plagiarism avoidance. Indicator: 10-page research paper.
Demonstrate effective oral communication and peer learning. Indicators: Class discussion and in-class collaborative reading roundtables.
Establish personal goals to improve in one or more of these areas (and others such as note taking, study skills, exam taking. etc.). Indicator: Personal assessment survey.
Gain awareness of careers and opportunities to volunteer with inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. Indicator: IGO and NGO resource workshops.

UD-D. Upper-division Social Sciences Learning Outcomes

analyze how power and social identity affect social outcomes for different cultural and economic groups using methods of social science inquiry and vocabulary appropriate to those methods;
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply accurately disciplinary concepts of the social or behavioral sciences; and
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences.