Postgraduate Course: The Middle East in International Relations (PGSP11275)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The main aims of this course are to: 1) provide substantive knowledge on the international relations of the Middle East (ME); 2) familiarise students with International Relations theories and their applicability to the ME; and 3) familiarise students with the foreign policies of states and non-state actors in the Middle East. The course will provide an an introduction to the ME and a historical examination of the origins of the state and state-system in the ME. It will examine the main theoretical approaches and conceptual tools relating to the study of ME International Relations. |
| Course description |
The objective of the course is to give students a thorough grounding in the contemporary international relations of the Middle East, integrated with historical understanding and a critical grasp of the relevant debates in IR theory as a sub-discipline of social science. While providing an in-depth understanding of the particular themes that distinguish the Middle East, the course will also set these within the context of global politics.
Outline content:
1. Introduction
2. International Relations Theories and the Middle East
3. The Formation of the Middle East: from Empires to States
4. The Arab-Israeli Conflict
5. The Arab States and the Cold War
6. The Iranian Revolution and the Region
7. The United States in the Middle East
8. The International Relations of the Arab Uprisings
9. The Gulf Moment
10. Middle East Regional Order Today
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students should have taken courses within the discipline of International Relations and have some knowledge of IR theory. A knowledge of Middle Eastern history and politics is an advantage, but is not required. |
| Additional Costs | N/A |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
65 %,
Practical Exam
35 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group presentation accompanied by PowerPoint submission (20%)
Class participation (15%)
Essay, 3000 words (65%)
|
| Feedback |
Students will have two opportunities to reflect on the feedback received for their performance in the course. These are the book review, for which the deadline occurs early in the course, and the essay, which has a deadline later in the course. The essay is a more substantial piece of work than the book review, so students can use their reflection on the feedback they receive for it to build on and improve their performance in the essay. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of contemporary Middle East international politics.
- Critically apply International Relations theories to contemporary and historical dynamics in the Middle East.
- Critique and/or creatively modify IR theory drawing upon empirical examples from the Middle East.
- Develop a critical and comparative understanding of the actors and structures shaping international relations in the Middle East
- Communicate through empirically grounded and theoretically informed written work, discussions and presentations, their understanding of international relations in the region.
|
Reading List
| https://eu01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/public/44UOE_INST/lists?courseCode=PGSP112752023-4SV1SEM1&auth=SAML |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ewan Stein
Tel: (0131 6)50 4264
Email: ewan.stein@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Casey Behringer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2456
Email: Casey.behringer@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage