This course provides a broad introduction to the study of international relations. As a field of study, international relations focuses on the political, military, economic, and cultural interaction of state and non-state actors at the global level. The field therefore encompasses a diverse array of topics, from the causes of war to the politics of development, from international institutions to the environment. In this course, we begin by exploring the key concepts, foundational events, issues, and processes of international relations in order to provide the general knowledge and analytic tools necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to a complex array of problems in the contemporary world.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. have a broad understanding of some of the most important ideas, issues and events in international relations particularly in the period since World War 1;
2. have an enhanced appreciation of the contemporary international relations agenda;
3. be able to better comprehend and articulate their thoughts on issues of major current significance;
4. have developed stronger research, writing and analytical skills; and
5. be well prepared for the comprehensive education in international relations offered by the School of Politics and International Relations.

Required Resources

Most required readings are from the textbook for this course:

Grieco, Joseph; Ikenberry, G John; and Mastanduno, Michael. Introduction to International Relations: Perspectives, Connections, and Enduring Questions, 3rd ed. (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2022).

Any additional required readings will be made available on the course Canvas page under the relevant week.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction
2	Concepts and Theories I: States, sovereignty, and the international system
3	Concepts and Theories II: Realism	Article synopsis due March 11 at 5pm
4	Concepts and Theories III: Liberalism and international institutions
5	Concepts and Theories IV: Constructivism and alternative theories of IR; Norms in the international system
6	History and the changing world
7	Weapons and terrorism
8	Why is there conflict I
9	Why is there conflict II	Essay due May 6 at 5pm
10	IPE and development
11	International law and human rights
12	Environment and contemporary international order

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial exercises	10 %	*	1,2,3,4,5
Article synopsis	10 %	11/03/2026	1,2,3,4,5
Essay	40 %	06/05/2026	1,2,3,4,5
Final exam	40 %	*	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial exercises

Students will attend one in-person tutorial every second week over the course of the semester. They will register for a tutorial time as they normally do and are expected to attend the same tutorial for the entirety of the semester. However, they will only attend every second week.

Tutorials provide a forum for students, under the guidance of tutors, to develop their own ideas through structured debates on topics within international relations. Students will be divided into groups of five, with each group assigned a position to debate against another group during in-person tutorials. During weeks without tutorials, students are expected to meet with their group members to prepare arguments for the next in-person session.

This exercise is designed to help students comprehend and respect others’ viewpoints, articulate ideas clearly, develop critical thinking, and build teamwork and public speaking skills. Students are expected to actively participate in both preparation during off-weeks and debates during tutorials. Their contribution and performance in the debate exercises will be assessed by both tutors and peers and account for 10% of the total course grade.

First, due to the large number of students participating in POLS1005, convenors and tutors are unable to accommodate requests for specific tutorial times. It is the student’s responsibility to check for openings over the course of the registration period. Due to the number of students changing timetables during Week 1, tutorial openings and availability will also change.

 

Second, once a student has selected their tutorial, they are expected to continuously attend that tutorial for the duration of the semester. Tutorials are an extension of the course learning, and students should select a tutorial they are able to attend.

 

Third, tutorials are approximately 50 minutes long. Students are expected to arrive on time. Those who are more than 15 minutes late will not be allowed to join the tutorial (extenuating circumstances can be raised with the convenors on a case-by-case basis).

Assessment Task 2

Article synopsis

Part of academia involves developing an ability to read, synthesize, and communicate information to an audience. It also requires learning how to connect specific ideas to broader themes and place ideas which may be presented abstractly into the context of the real world. This is not an argumentative essay; rather, it is designed to familiarize the student with these key components and skills. The article synopsis is specifically intended to help students develop these abilities and provide them with the framework to prepare and complete future writing assignments in more advanced classes.

 

Students will be required to read an article, answer the guiding questions, connect it to broader themes from the course, and identify its relevance in the real world. The word count for this synopsis is 500 words. More details will be provided in class, and an outline detailing the specifics of the assignment will be posted to Canvas during Week 1.

 

The Article Synopsis will be due Week 3, Wednesday March 11, 2026 by 5pm. While the assessment is due on Wednesday March 11, there is a 5-day grace period before late penalties will be applied. Any assessment submitted between Wednesday March 11 and Monday March 16 will NOT be subjected to any late deductions. After this period, the standard 5% deduction per day will be applied.

 

Article Review Outlines: available on Canvas (posted Week 1)

Estimated Return Dates: 15 business days from the due date (not submission date)

Submitted: Electronically via Turnitin

Assessment Task 3

Essay

You will be asked to select two questions from a list of six options and write two short essays, each 1000 words in length. The six questions will be evenly divided between the two parts of the course: three will cover material from the first half (Global Vision), and three from the second half (Conflict and Cooperation). You are required to choose one question from each half. More details will be provided in class, and an outline detailing the specifics of the assignment will be posted to Canvas during Week 1.

 

The Essay will be due Week 9, Wednesday May 6, 2026 by 5pm. While the assessment is due on Wednesday May 6, there is a 5-day grace period before late penalties will be applied. Any assessment submitted between Wednesday May 6 and Monday May 11 will NOT be subjected to any late deductions. After this period, the standard 5% deduction per day will be applied.

 

Assignment Outline: available on Canvas (posted Week 1)

Estimated Return Date: 15 business days

Submitted: Electronically via Turnitin

Assessment Task 4

Final exam

The final exam will be scheduled by the registrar and take place during the exam period. The exam is designed to test the students’ knowledge of the course material covered in the lectures (including case studies/topics) and the assigned readings. It may consist of multiple choice, short answer, and long answer (essay) questions. 

 

Duration: 2 hours (writing)

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students