IR412
International Institutions
This information is for the 2017/18 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Mathias Koenig-Archibugi CON.4.08
Dr Uli Sedelmeier CLM.5.06
Availability
This course is available on the MPA in European Policy-Making, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy, MPA in Public and Social Policy, MPA in Social Impact, MSc in EU Politics, MSc in EU Politics (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Global Politics, MSc in International Affairs (LSE and Peking University), MSc in International Relations, MSc in International Relations (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in International Relations (Research), MSc in International Relations Theory, MSc in Theory and History of International Relations and Master of Public Administration. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
Course content
The first part of the course introduces the main theoretical approaches that provide alternative explanations for key questions about international institutions: their creation, institutional design, decision-making processes, their impact and their interactions with other international institutions. The second part analyses these key questions with regard to specific international institutions, including the United Nations, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as international institutions in the areas of human rights, environmental protection, and health policy.
Teaching
10 hours of lectures and 13 hours and 30 minutes of seminars in the MT. 8 hours of lectures and 12 hours of seminars in the LT. 1 hour of lectures in the ST.
Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy.
Formative coursework
Each seminar participant is required to give presentations on seminar topics and write two formative essays.
Indicative reading
Volker Rittberger, Bernhard Zangl and Andreas Kruck, International Organization: Polity, Politics and Policies, second edition, Palgrave, 2012; Ian Hurd, International Organizations: Politics, Law, Practice, Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Assessment
Exam (50%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.
Essay (50%, 4000 words) in the LT.
Student performance results
(2013/14 - 2015/16 combined)
Classification | % of students |
---|---|
Distinction | 20.3 |
Merit | 46.9 |
Pass | 31.2 |
Fail | 1.6 |
Key facts
Department: International Relations
Total students 2016/17: 38
Average class size 2016/17: 12
Controlled access 2016/17: Yes
Lecture capture used 2016/17: Yes (MT & LT)
Value: One Unit