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Core Courses & Electives

TAM Coursework

TAM students take the following courses at UNC-CH during the Fall semester. These courses were specifically designed to introduce students to the EU and focus on comparative approaches to the institutions, politics, policies, and societies of nations. Our fall courses are taught by leading experts and have been designed to provide a common base of knowledge to all TAM students.

Semester 1 Courses for All Tracks // Required & Electives

Required Courses

POLI 733 | European Integration: Theories, Institutions and Decision-making Processes

3 Credits
Instructor: Christiane Lemke

Christiane Lemke has been a professor of political science at the Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany, where she was Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Science. She also held the Max Weber Chair at New York University (2010-14). Professor Lemke received her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Free University in Berlin and went on to earn her Habilitation Venia legendi in Political Science from the same institution. Professor Lemke has been a visiting scholar at a number of US institutions over the years as she has maintained her permanent faculty positions in Germany. She has taught courses at UNC-Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Harvard University, and Suffolk University. In addition, while on a leave from the University of Hannover from 2006 to 2007, Professor Lemke served as the Director of State Parliament, Lower Saxony. Professor Lemke’s academic areas of expertise include: European Politics, Democracy and Governance in the EU, Transatlantic Relations, Comparative Politics and Political Theory, and American Politics. She is the author/editor of numerous books and articles, including: Internationale Beziehungen: Grundkonzepte, Theorien und Problemfelder, 3rd ed. (International Relations: Concepts, Theories, and Key Issues, 2012); Richtungswechsel. Politik der Obama-Administration (Change: Reform Politics of the Obama-Administration, 2011); Europäische Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (European Foreign and Security Policy, 2010), Menschenrechte und Migration (Human Rights and Migration, 2009).

This seminar will introduce you to key concepts and developments of European integration and critically assess the evolution of the European Union. We will begin with major concepts and theories of integration, then explore the institutions and finally analyze key policies of the EU. Each week we will also discuss current developments in Europe and the European Union such as the impact of the Brexit-decision, migration, health, and populism. Questions we will address in the seminar include: How has the meaning of Europe changed over time? Why do states transfer sovereignty to the European level? What is the role of EU institutions? How does the EU cope with current challenges such as the pandemic and the democratic backlash in some member countries? How are transatlantic relations changing? The format of the class includes introductory lectures, student’s presentations and project work. Please be prepared to actively participate in class. There may also be some special features such as guest lectures.

Syllabus 733 European Integration UNC 2023-2

 

POLI 891 | Party Systems and Social Cleavages

3 Credits

Professor: Liesbet Hooghe   – https://politicalscience.unc.edu/staff/liesbet-hooghe/

Liesbet Hooghe is the W.R Kenan Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Research Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence. She was born and educated in Belgium (KU Leuven), taught at the University of Toronto (1994-2000), and moved to Chapel Hill in 2000. Hooghe has had fellowships & visiting professorships at Cornell University; Nuffield, Oxford; the EUI, Florence; the WZB Berlin; VU Amsterdam; Konstanz University; Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg Delmenhorst; Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona; IAS Vienna; Sciences Po-Paris; the Free University of Berlin. She is a former chair of the European Politics & Society section of the APSA and of the European Union Studies Association. In 2017 she received the APSA Daniel Elazar Distinguished Federalism Scholar Award. Hooghe is PI of a five-year advanced European Research Grant, Transnational – local triggers, social networks, and group identities (2021-2025), which seeks to explain political polarization in Europe and the US. The project is hosted at the RSCAS, EUI.

 

Hooghe’s research and teaching are chiefly in comparative politics, multilevel governance, international organization, political behavior, and measurement. She has published in the leading journals of political science. From 2010 to 2015, she was co-leading with Gary Marks an ERC-funded project on multilevel governance, summarized in four books published by Oxford University Press, Measuring Regional Authority (2016), Community, Scale and Regional Governance (2016), Measuring International Authority (2017), and A Theory of International Organization (2019).

hooghe poli 891 syllabus 2023 Fall final-2

POLI 882 | US-EU Lecture Series

1 Credit
Instructor: Professor Priscilla Layne

This weekly lecture series draws primarily on the expertise of US-based faculty. Topics focus on EU and/or US foreign and domestic politics as well as on contemporary transatlantic relations. Each week, one or two TAM students are required to research the upcoming topic and speaker; these students introduce the lecturer and lead the discussion following the talk. TAM students also participate in an online discussion forum focused on the lectures.
POLI882_Syllabus_Fall2023

POLI 788 | Statistics and Data Analysis

This class is part of a two-semester sequence focused on statistics, methods and research skills.

Professor: Holger Moroff

Holger Moroff is in the UNC-CH Department of Political Science. He has served as DAAD Visiting Assistant Professor at Carolina, and has taught international and comparative politics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Before that, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for European Politics (IEP) in Berlin. He studied Political Science and Economics at Washington University in St. Louis and the universities of Bochum and Bonn. His research focuses on security theories and European integration as well as on comparative political corruption and the internationalization of anti-corruption regimes. He is the editor of the book “European soft security policies”, co-editor of “Anti-corruption for Eastern Europe” and has published numerous articles in scholarly journals and edited volumes.

 

Course Overview

 

This class will introduce students to critical thinking and enable them to apply analytical tools to better understand real-world problems. It introduces students to writing and research techniques that help answer questions in the fields of international and transatlantic relations, comparative politics, and policy analysis. These include how to read published research; collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; communicate research results; distinguish between empirical, normative, ideological, theoretical, and ethical questions; formulate research questions; and construct an argument. Students will be able to use these techniques to guide their graduate writing and thesis research.

Syllabus POLI 788-001FA23 Moroff(4)

Electives

All electives listed below are 3-credit courses and are subject to change from semester to semester.

GEOG 410 – Modeling of Environmental Systems; Prof Song – slight overlap with POLI 882 but doable; MWF 1:25 to 2:15pm

GEOG 453 – Political Geography; Prof Kirsh; TuTh 12:30 to 1:45pm

GEOG 470 – Political Ecology: Geographical Perspectives – MoWeFr 1:25PM – 2:15PM Professor to be announced

HIST 783 – Introduction to Russian, Eurasian, and East European History; Prof. Tasar; Th 5:00PM – 7:30PM

ECON 440 – Analysis of Public Finance; Prof. Gong; TuTh 3:30PM – 4:45PM 

ECON 468 – Socialism, Planning, and the Contemporary Russian Economy; Prof. ROSEFIELDE;   TuTh 8:00AM – 9:15AM

ENVR 451 – Introduction to Environmental Modeling; Prof. WILLIAM VIZUETE  TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM

PUBH 711 – Critical Issues in Global Health; Prof. Marie Lina Excellent and Prof.

Karar Ahsan; TuTh 5:00PM – 6:30PM

POLI 411: Civil Liberties in the US; Prof. McGuire; TuTh 2 to 3:15pm

POLI 416: Constitutional Policies and the Judicial Process; Prof. Unah; TuTh 2 to 3:15pm

POLI 432: Comparative Tolerance; Prof. Searing; W 12:20 to 3:10pm

POLI 444: Terrorism and International Peace; Prof. Bapat; TuTh 12:30 to 1:45pm

POLI 442: International Political Economy; Prof. Lim; TuTh 3:30 to 4:45pm

POLI 448: Multilevel Governance; Prof. Hooghe; TuTh 3:30 to 4:45pm

 

Comparative Climate Change Policy Track // Semesters 2-3

Semesters 2 & 3

Semester 2 – Spring at UNC-CH

 

Students will take two required classes and two electives.

REQUIRED:

POLI 490 Section 200 – Transatlantic Politics of Climate Change – 3 credits

The course focuses on comparative approaches to climate policy in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US).  Brief attention will be given to the science underlying climate policy. The course will then address the evolution of environmental, energy, and climate policy in the EU and US. EU member state and US state-level policies will also be addressed.  In addition to examining concrete policy outputs, analysis of the underlying political processes producing policies will be a key component.

POLI 888: Statistics and Methods II – 3 credits

 

Suggested electives: List coming soon!

 

Semester 3 – Overseas in Barcelona, Berlin or Gothenburg

 

Gothenburg University:
A new Master programme in Political Science at the University of Gothenburg focuses on Environmental Governance and Behavior in Political Science. Meanwhile, the GU Master’s program in European Studies will also offer students a course European Environment and Energy.

The Humboldt University of Berlin:
At the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Division of Resource Economics offers classes focused on agricultural policy research and political economy studies and concentrates on the combination of institutional economics, agri-environmental policies, and transformation issues. In addition, our colleagues at HU have recently partnered with other European universities to create a new program which will examine climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective involving the intersection of literature and agricultural sciences.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF):

In Bacelona, students will join the MA program in Political Science Research and will take courses such as “Political Parties Compared”, “Governance of Migration”, “Comparative Research on Migrations”, and “Global Environmental Change and Governance.”

In the final portion of the program, students will write one thesis which will be submitted to both universities – UNC and the overseas partner site where they spend their second year.

TransAtlantic Track // Semesters 2-3

Semesters 2 & 3

In recent years TransAtlantic Studies students have taken the following classes at the overseas partner sites. There may be some variation in offerings at the sites from year to year.

Bath University
Semester 2
  • Organized Crime in Europe
  • International security
  • Economic Foreign Policy and International Trade Regulation
  • Theories of Conflict and Conflict Resolution
  • Britain and Europe
  • International Organizations in World Politics
  • The Politics of Risk
Semester 3
  • Comparative European Politics
  • Memory Culture – Memory Politics
  • Governance, Security and Development in East and South East Asia
  • Russian Politics in Comparative Perspective
  • The Cultures of Globalization
  • International Terrorism
  • Foreign Policy Analysis
  • International Relations Theories
  • International Security: Theories and Concepts
  • Scopes and Methods of Politics and International Relations
  • Comparative Public Policy and Social Welfare: Cross-National, European and Global Perspectives
Humboldt and Free Universities in Berlin
Semester 2
  • Migration and International Politics
  • Die Europäische Union: Policy-Making in Zeiten von Finanz und Flüchtlingskrise (The European Union: Policy Making in Times of Financial and Refugee Crisis)
  • Die Außenpolitik de EU: Probleme von Erfolg und Misserfolg (The Foreign Policy of the EU: Problems and Success and Failure)
  • Die Türkei und die EU: Herausforderungen und Gelegenheiten (Turkey and the EU: Challenges and Opportunities)
Semester 3
  • Redrawing the political map of Europe
  • Theories and Practices of Political Participation
  • Erfolge und Grenzen der Mittelmeerpolitik (Successes and limits of Mediterranean Policy)
  • Contemporary Germany: Institutions, Actors and Political Change
  • Theory and Methods of Migration Policy
  • Turkey and the EU: Challenges and Opportunities The Current Refugee Crisis in Europe: Causes, Trends, Debates and Policies European Language Policy and Language Education Policy
Sciences Po Grenoble
Semester 2
  • Europeanisation of public policies
  • Politiques européennes de l’environnement
  • Droit social de l’Union européenne
  • Contentieux européen
  • Economic Governance
  • EU External Action
  • Welfare State in Europe
Semester 3
  • Public Opinion in the EU
  • Interest groups and collective action in the EU
  • Parliaments and Parties in the EU
  • Les entreprises et les sociétés dans l’Union européenne
  • Séminaire EU Law and Politics
  • The Relations between Europe and the US Since World War II
University of Siena
Semester 3
  • Global Governance and the European Scenario Fragile States, Political Islam, and Migrations from Africa: Western Strategies and African Perspectives
  • Political Change and Ideological Challenge in Inter-War Europe
  • Organized Crime in Italy and Beyond

European Governance Track // Semesters 2-3

Semester 2

Single degree seeking students who stay at UNC-CH for the spring semester will usually take three classes. These courses will be worth three credits each. European-Governance students are required to take a second-semester statistics course called “Applying Data Analysis to Transatlantic Studies.”  We do offer some flexibility in this semester and try to tailor coursework as closely as possible to the interests of the students. Those seeking the double degree need to take an additional POLI course for a total of four three-credit POLI courses in the spring.

Required courses in the spring semester will include:

POLI 888 – Statistics and Methods II – 3 credits

POLI 490 Section 201 – Political Corruption – theoretical, comparative and international perspectives – 3 credits

Political Corruption has been a ubiquitous phenomenon at all times and in all political systems whether in democracies or autocracies, in liberal or illiberal regimes. Populist movements of all colors utilize the narrative of “the corrupt elites versus the pure masses.” Many corruption cases in recent decades have been linked to questions of party, campaign and political finance in general. Perspectives on the common good, responsive politics and constituency service are utilized to delimit the concept theoretically. This seminar will focus on political corruption from a comparative and international relations perspective. After a theoretical reflection on the phenomenon, we will explore its history, causes, effects and efforts to combat corruption. Special attention will be given to the comparative analysis of corruption cases (mainly in western democracies).  International anti-corruption policies constitute the second theme of the course with a special emphasis on the 1999 OECD convention against bribery and efforts to fight corruption in transition countries as part of global “good governance” strategies.

Semester 3

In recent years European Governance students have taken the following classes at the overseas partner sites. There may be some variation in offerings at the sites from year to year.

University of Bremen
  • Comparative and European Social Policy
  • Social Movements
  • Research Internship
  • Education Policy and Social Development: Comparative Perspectives
  • Youth Unemployment and Labor Market in the EU
University of Pompeau Fabra, Barcelona
  • Research and Data Analysis Seminar
  • Fundamentals of Political and Social Research
  • Techniques of Statistical Analysis
Gothenburg University
  • European Environment and Energy (15 ECTS credits, code EU2210)
  • Europe in the World (15 ECTS credits, code EU2215)
  • Social Europe (15 ECTS credits, code EU2220)
  • Central or Eastern Europe: Fully European or the European ’Other’? (15 ECTS credits, code EU2131)
  • European Integration: Current Research and Theory (5 ECTS credits, code EU2121)
  • Integrating European Markets (10 ECTS credits, code EU2120)
  • Master Thesis for European Studies (30 ECTS credits, code EU2500)

Humboldt University of Berlin

  • Social movements, democratic participation and transformative politics
  • Political actors engaging for the ”rule of law” – the context of EU-enlargement
  • Facets of Europeanization
  • Cities in states of emergency

German-Turkish Track // Semesters 1-3

Semester 1

ASIA 538 | The Middle East and the West – or an approved substitute when ASIA 538 is not offered

3 Credits
Instructor: Cemil Aydin

Semester 2

German-Turkish Studies students now have the option to go to Ankara in the second semester of the program. Some opt to remain at UNC for the spring, and moving on to Berlin is also an option. German-Turkish Studies students in Ankara will usually take classes such as Security in Turkey; Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Eurasia, and they will also have a joint seminar focused on Germany and Turkey. They may continue their Turkish language studies if they began that instruction at UNC or elsewhere. If students stay at UNC during the second semester of TAM, they will take three classes. These courses will be worth three credits each. German-Turkish Studies students may wish to take a class with Professor Banu Gökarıksel such as GEOG 448: Transnational Muslims or an Independent Study with Professor Eren Tasar focused on the political history for contemporary Turkey. We do offer some flexibility in this semester and try to tailor coursework as closely as possible to the interests of the students. The classes in Berlin will vary but will be similar to those offered at METU.

Semester 3

In recent years German-Turkish studies students have taken the following classes at the overseas partner sites. There may be some variation in offerings at the sites from year to year.

Humboldt University Berlin
  • Migration, State, Citizenship
  • Research Questions and Research Design – How to Prepare the MA Thesis
  • Facets of Democratic Theory and Practices in Europe
  • Contemporary Institutions, Actors and Political Change
  • Governing Wider Europe
  • International Institutional Reform and Domestic Politics

Semester 4 // All Tracks

In most cases, TAM students are free to write their thesis in the location of their choice during their fourth and final semester. Double degree seekers may need to stay at their overseas site for the full academic year overseas.