The University of Iowa: Paris - Perspectives on International Politics

Perspectives on International Politics is a 3-credit hour study abroad program designed to introduce students to the basic facts, characteristics and theories of world politics. Studying these topics in Europe, birthplace of the modern nation-state, offers students the chance to see first-hand how concepts of international relations originated and evolved and how political phenomena relate to these theories. Students will visit sites related to France’s storied history of religion, revolution, colonization, war, occupation, emancipation, integration, and globalization; in short, all the fundamental processes of international politics.

The goals of this course are threefold:
- to introduce students to the basic facts and characteristics of world politics,
- to explore the multitude of tools and theories used by scholars in order to understand world politics, and
- to encourage students to begin to try their own hands at making sense out of a complex and interesting subject.