Introduction to International Relations
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this introduction to the forces behind international conflict and cooperation. The course covers why wars start, how crisis bargaining works, international terrorism, nuclear strategy, interstate economic relations, economic growth, international law, human rights, and environmental politics. Materials include the full syllabus, lecture notes, readings, and assignments used in MIT's undergraduate political science curriculum. The course builds analytical frameworks for evaluating state behavior, from deterrence theory to the role of institutions in shaping cooperation, rather than surveying current events. It suits anyone wanting a grounding in the theories political scientists use to explain conflict and negotiation between states. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all materials are free to access under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered.