University of Essex

GV103-4-AU-CO:
Introduction to International Relations

The details

Year: 2026/27

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 4

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 08 October 2026

End date: Friday 18 December 2026

Credits: 15

Last updated: 16 July 2026

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): GV312, GV517

Key module for

BA L250 International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA L258 International Relations,
BA L259 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L260 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL268 International Relations,
MPOLL269 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL370 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LR59 International Relations and Modern Languages (5 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA LRF9 International Relations and Modern Languages,
BA VL12 Modern History and International Relations,
BA VL14 Modern History and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
BA VL18 Modern History and International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA VL1F Modern History and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV21 Modern History and Politics,
BA LV22 Modern History and Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA LV28 Modern History and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV2C Modern History and Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA L200 Politics,
BA L201 Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA L202 Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L203 Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA L2CH Social Sciences,
BA L2CS Political Studies,
BA L2ES Political Studies,
BA LFCH Social Sciences,
BA L903 Global Studies,
BA L904 Global Studies (including year abroad),
BA L905 Global Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA L908 Global Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L225 Politics and International Relations,
BA L226 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L227 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
BSC L222 Politics and International Relations,
BSC L223 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BSC L224 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL234 Politics and International Relations,
MPOLL235 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL236 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LR04 Global Studies and Modern Languages (Including Year Abroad),
BA L910 Global Studies with Politics,
BA L911 Global Studies with Politics (Including year abroad),
BA L912 Global Studies with Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA L913 Global Studies with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA R104 Global Studies and Language Studies,
BA R105 Global Studies and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R110 International Relations and Language Studies,
BA R111 International Relations and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L212 Global Politics,
BA C900 Global Studies with Sustainability,
BA C901 Global Studies with Sustainability (Including Foundation Year),
BA C902 Global Studies with Sustainability (including Placement Year),
BA C903 Global Studies with Sustainability (including Year Abroad)

Module description

This module introduces students to:

International relations - the global interactions between states, societies and people

International Relations (IR) - the academic discipline.

It provides students with an overview of key historical events, processes, actors and concepts central to the field. Throughout the module, students will practice applying key concepts to explain significant dynamics and changes in world politics.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To introduce the academic study of world politics and International Relations (IR).

To provide students with an understanding of key events, processes and actors in world politics.

To provide a study foundation for students pursuing IR and some area specific modules in subsequent years.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of important events, processes and actors in IR.

Demonstrate a basic ability to apply key concepts to the analysis of specific questions and events in international relations.

Work independently to write a clear and cogent essay.

Students in this module will have opportunities to improve the following employability-related skills:

Apply theory and evidence to support one’s own argument.

Critically evaluate policies and political phenomena by applying theoretical frameworks, evidence, and normative perspectives.

Understand the need for clarity in the presentation of ideas, statements of theory, concepts, and causal relations.

Communicate ideas clearly and concisely using rigorous arguments.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

A weekly two-hour lecture for ten weeks in the Autumn Term.

Students are expected to read for all lectures.

Bibliography*

Trouble with accessing resources? (no date). Available at: https://essex.libwizard.com/id/0ca0192f0d51b4c22469d6030fd1306f.
Frieden, J.A., Lake, D.A. and Schultz, K.A. (2022h) World politics: interests, interactions, institutions. Fifth edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/1129625.
Lundestad, G. (2018c) International relations since 1945: east, west, north, south. Eighth edition. Los Angeles: SAGE. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/206068.
Mearsheimer, J.J. and Walt, S.M. (2003) 'An Unnecessary War', Foreign Policy [Preprint], (134). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3183521.
Chiba, D., Johnson, J.C. and Leeds, B.A. (2015) 'Careful Commitments: Democratic States and Alliance Design', The Journal of Politics, 77(4), pp. 968–982. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1086/682074.
Hayes, J. (2012) 'The democratic peace and the new evolution of an old idea', European Journal of International Relations, 18(4), pp. 767–791. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066111405859.
Hurd, I. (2020) International Organizations. 4th Revised edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing). Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/850551.
Dorussen Han (2022) Handbook on peacekeeping and international relations. Edited by H. Dorussen. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=7158626.
Fortna, V.P. and Howard, L.M. (2008) 'Pitfalls and Prospects in the Peacekeeping Literature', Annual Review of Political Science, 11(1), pp. 283–301. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.9.041205.103022.
Greig, J.M., Owsiak, A.P. and Diehl, P.F. (2019) International Conflict Management. Oxford: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/405855.
Cederman, L.-E., Gleditsch, K.S. and Buhaug, H. (2013) Inequality, grievances, and civil war. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1017/CBO9781139084161.
Kydd, A.H. and Walter, B.F. (2006) 'The Strategies of Terrorism', International Security, 31(1), pp. 49–80. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/isec.2006.31.1.49.
Wallensteen, P. (2023) Understanding Conflict Resolution. 6th Revised edition. London: Sage Publications Ltd (Digital).

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Class Test - Week 11 - In Class	50%
Coursework	Essay 1	25%
Coursework	Essay 2	25%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Prof Tobias Bohmelt, email: tbohmelt@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Professor Tobias Bohmelt

Contact details: Module Supervisor: Professor Tobias Bohmelt, tbohmelt@esse.ac.uk / Student Administrator: govquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording:* Of 29 hours, 29 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Government

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV103-4-AU-CO:Introduction to International Relations