Field Seminar: International Relations Theory
A graduate-level survey of the major theoretical approaches used to explain international relations, taught at MIT. Each week takes up a different school of thought, from realism and liberalism to constructivism and critical approaches, examining how each explains state behavior, conflict, and cooperation. The course is designed to prepare doctoral students for comprehensive exams and for more specialized IR coursework, so the reading load is heavy and the discussions assume familiarity with core political science concepts. Materials available through MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus and weekly reading lists drawn from foundational and contemporary IR scholarship. There are no video lectures; the course is structured as a discussion seminar built around assigned texts. No certificate is offered, consistent with MIT OCW's open publication of course materials rather than a hosted class experience.