ObjectivesWith the United States exercising an overwhelming degree of military, economic and political power in the world, an informed understanding of the American role in international relations, and how it came to assume such a predominant position, has never been more important This new and exciting MA course focuses on the origins, development and present concerns of American foreign policy, and is particularly focused on the post-1945 era. It considers the making of US foreign policy in both its domestic and international contexts, examines the motivations behind policy and analyses the way Americans have sought to implement their views and assumptions about the world.
Entry requirementsThis course will appeal to UK and international students with an interest in contemporary history, international relations and politics, and can provide an invaluable platform for further research.
Academic titleMA American Foreign Policy
Course descriptionCourse Content
The course covers both the historical development of US foreign policy alongside contemporary trends, as well as exploring the different roles of the National Security Council, White House, Congress and the various executive agencies involved with policy making.
Moreover, the many options available allow US foreign policy to be studied in a number of geographical settings, and under crisis conditions
The course considers the effects of US actions on other states and societies and how American policy has, in turn, been shaped by such interactions. The MA reflects the fact that current discussion of American foreign policy is often laden with terms, assumptions and attitudes which require fuller interrogation, explanation and illustration
Sample option modules include:
-Controversies in American Foreign Relations from the Second World War to the era of Détente
-Crisis Diplomacy in the Middle East
-In the Midst of Wars: The United States and South East Asia, 1940-68
-Living with the Bomb: Nuclear Weapons and American Cold War Strategy, Thought and Culture
-Foreign Policy Analysis
-Anglo-American Relations
-US-Soviet Relations, 1917-91
-War and Diplomacy in Asia and the Pacific, 1921-75
-The Eisenhower Presidency
-Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict
-Kennedy, Johnson and the Crisis of Foreign Policy 1961-1968
Please note that all module details are subject to change.
Course Structure
The MA in American Foreign Policy can be completed in one year of full-time study or over two to four years part-time.
You will need to complete a total of 180 credits to pass the course. These include four compulsory elements:
-The Making of American Foreign Policy
-Intellectuals and US Foreign Policy
-Research Management and Skills
-Research-based Dissertation of 15,000 words
You will select your remaining 60 credits from modules on offer in the Schools of American and Canadian Studies, Politics and International Relations, and History.