From week to week, International Relations Theory will introduce you to some of the core theoretical positions in the disciplines. These include:

1.Political Realism

2.The English School

3.International Political Economy

4.Post-colonialism

5.Structuralism

6.Feminism

Formative Assessment:

In a seminar session during the first half of the module, you will be asked to undertake an assessment of one academic journal article presented to you by the module tutor. You will assess the article for the persuasiveness of its argumentation based on an analysis of its logic, judgement, prior theoretical assumptions and empirical base.

Assessment 1: Critical Review

You will select one recently-published academic journal article from a list provided by the module tutor. You will provide an overview assessment of this article. First, you should place this academic journal article within its larger scholarly context; with what pieces is it in dialogue with, and where does it stand in prevailing debates? Second, you should assess the quality of its argumentation; how persuasive is the author’s position?

Assessment 2: Theoretical Evaluation

Through dialogue with the module tutor, you will select a single contemporary case study in international relations, such as an ongoing conflict, treaty, aspect of diplomacy or international controversy. You will then select 2-3 theoretical positions and apply each of them to your chosen case study. From this application, you will assess which theoretical position is most productive for analysing your case study and seek to persuade the reader of your assessment.

Scheduled learning and teaching sessions will include a mixture of lecturing, all-group discussion, and smaller group work. In lecturing hours, special emphasis will be on introducing students to the origins and core convictions of each theoretical school of international relations. In group discussions and activities, students will be encouraged to think theoretically; adopting the toolkit of each theoretically and applying that toolkit to problems and patters in international affairs, while reflecting critically on the utility of each school.

1. Engage critically with the key literature that defines the contemporary study of International Relations (IR) and demonstrate an understanding of its scholarly context.

Knowledge & Understanding

2. Apply theories of international relations to current international developments, thereby demonstrating a critical awareness of the controversies and debates around those events and accompanying journal articles.

Application & Problem Solving

3. Critically reflect on how one’s choice of theoretical position offers both disadvantages and advantages when performing analysis in international relations.

Reflection

Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith, (2024) International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, (6th ed.) Oxford University Press

P. Viotti & M. Kauppi (2023) International Relations Theory, (7th ed.) Pearson

Robert Jackson, Georg Sorenson, and Jorgen Moller, (2025), Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches, ninth edition, Oxford University Press

Kenneth Walz, (2010) A Theory of International Politics (Waveland Press)*

*The Walz text is canonical, and so is included here despite its comparative age.

How do International Relations scholars make sense of the modern international system? Data isn’t enough; to organise knowledge and make credible predictions, an IR scholar must have a coherent theory of international human affairs. International Relations Theory will introduce you to some of the core theoretical positions in the discipline of IR, from the English School to Post-colonialism, and elaborate on how these positions theorise concepts like the state, trade, and war.