See below for Fall 2025 courses taught by AGS Faculty Affiliates.
Unless otherwise specified, all courses below are open to undergraduates. Visit Duke Hub for more information (including whether certain classes or class sections are reserved for freshman, sophomores, juniors, or seniors). Be sure to email professors with any questions about course availability or eligibility.
PUBPOL 103CNS: War and Diplomacy in Fact and Fiction ~ Prof. Jennifer Siegel
MoWe 1:25PM – 2:40PM, Sanford 09
This first-year seminar offers an introduction to a number of the key military and diplomatic encounters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will explore from a multinational perspective the ways in which peoples and nation-states competed for both power and security. We will seek to understand the ways in which states attempted to balance their national needs for economic and military security with their desires for international prominence and stability. And we will interrogate the ways in which polities, non-state actors, and communities confronted each other and the Great Powers that sought to dominate them. Exploring some of the relevant scholarly literature in international history, we will discuss various great works of literature and film in their historical context. The final assignment will give students the opportunity to write their own short work of historical fiction or a traditional scholarly paper.
POLSCI 160D / PUBPOL 166D: Introduction to International Relations ~ Prof. Peter Feaver
MoWe 10:05 AM – 11:20 AM, Gross Hall 103
There is also a required weekly discussion section, please check Duke Hub for the various times/locations available to students.
This is the gateway course to all other courses in IR, American foreign policy, and grand strategy. This course aims to help students make sense of the confusing daily stream of headlines coming from around the world. The course provides the background and conceptual tools students need to understand contemporary international relations (IR) and the related challenges of security, peace and conflict (SPC). The course introduces students to the study of international relations, but does so in a way that prepares students for follow-on courses in the International Relations/Security, Peace, and Conflict concentration within Political Science. This concentration involves the study of security issues at the inter-state level – the core of traditional international relations – as well security issues that transcend traditional states (such as transnational terrorist networks) or that reside primarily at the sub-state level (such as civil war and ethnic conflict). This course is organized around the metaphor of a buffet. In the beginning, students will examine the basic ingredients of the study of IR and SPC that show up in pretty much any explanation of IR/SPC phenomena: the actors, goals, means, and consequences of state interaction. The rest of the course is designed to give an overview of the breadth and scope of the wide ranging field. Along the way, students will get a taste of follow-on courses they might choose to take in international security, international political economy, international law, American foreign policy, civil conflict, and so on. You might say that this part constitutes the “buffet taster” of IR/SPC courses in the department of Political Science. The final “dessert” will be a look to the future and an examination of some of the most important issues currently on the global agenda.
POLSCI 207 / POLSCI 524 / PUBPOL 292 / PUBPOL 517 / DECSCI 207 / DECSCI 524: National Security Simulation: The Arctic, Climate Change and Great Power Competition ~ Prof. David Schanzer
Tu 6:30PM – 9:00PM, Sanford 03
In this active learning class, students will be assigned roles as a state or non-state actor and work with teams to develop policy responses to a security crisis that changes and develops over time, in response to team moves and other factors. This year’s simulation will revolve around issues relating to the opening of the Arctic due to climate change, the race to develop quantum computing capabilities, and great power competition. Participants will need to gain an understanding of the facts through a complex information environment that is also polluted with misinformation that allows actors to engage in manipulation and deception.
The goals of this course are to sharpen your strategic thinking skills, learn about the current national security landscape and have fun. In a change from prior semesters, this course is being offered as a full credit. In this version of the course, there will be content based lessons interwoven with the gameplay.
POLSCI 208 / PUBPOL 202 / ETHICS 203: How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization ~ Prof. Abdullah Antepli & Prof. John Hillen
MoWe 11:45AM – 1:00PM, Sanford 03
Americans today live in a time of deep political polarization, intellectual isolation, and intense partisanship. We rarely have genuine and open interactions with those with whom we disagree; when we do, we often do so on the assumption that they are not just wrong but are irrational and immoral. This class aims to explore this phenomenon in its sociological, political, ethical, and psychological dimensions. What are the causes, costs, and remedies of our polarization? Can friendships exist across ideological divides? Students are asked to openly discuss controversial political topics, while attempting to cultivate intellectual virtues and build a community of trust amid disagreement.
POLSCI 215 / PUBPOL 205 / HISTORY 375: The United States and the World, 1898 to the Present ~ Prof. Susan Colbourn
MoWe 3:05PM – 4:20PM, Sanford 09
How does the United States engage the wider world? What strategic considerations, priorities, and underlying impulses have shaped the US role in the world since the late nineteenth century? How has the United States’ involvement in global affairs changed since 1898? And what remains remarkably consistent, despite all of the developments in global affairs over the last century?
This course explores the evolution of US foreign relations from the Spanish-American War in 1898 through the present. We will cover the US role in the world with an eye to various forms of policy – economic, political, military, cultural – along with the formulation of and debate over the direction of US foreign policy at home.
PUBPOL 229 / HISTORY 266 / PHIL 214 / CLST 210/ JEWISHST 210 / RELIGION 210 / ETHICS 210: The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life’s Ultimate Concerns ~ Prof. Abdullah Antepli
TuTh 1:25PM – 2:40PM, Biological Sciences 111
What does it look like for a human life to go well? What leads to human flourishing or ‘happiness’ or ‘success’? What is freedom? Love? Justice? What is the basis for ethics? What is our relationship to the natural world? What is the significance of death? How do our beliefs (or lack thereof) about God or the gods shape how we view the world? We will examine how philosophical or religious traditions around the globe have answered life’s biggest questions. Traditions may include Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, Stoicism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, scientific naturalism, expressive individualism, and utilitarianism. Part of the Transformative Ideas Sophomore Program.
PUBPOL 297 / HISTORY 206: Great Powers Diplomacy, 1789-1914 ~ Prof. Jennifer Siegel
MoWe 10:05AM – 11:20AM, Sanford 03
This course will examine the political, economic, diplomatic and military relations of the Great Powers, 1789-1914. We will trace the development of the Great Power system within the context of the foundations of State power, examining topics including: (1) the diplomacy of the individual Great Powers; (2) the rise of non-European powers; (3) the military strategies of the Great Powers in peacetime and war; (4) the relationship between European continental commitments and world power; (5) the significance of technological advance for the strategic balance; (6) and the relationship between economic stability and diplomacy in the international system. We will end by exploring the collapse of the 19th century international system and the origins and outbreak of World War I.
POLSCI 367S / PUBPOL 279S / ENVIRON 216S / ICS 229S / RIGHTS 229S: Environment and Conflict: The Role of the Environment in Conflict and Peacebuilding ~ Prof. Erika Weinthal
MoWe 10:05AM – 11:20AM, Grainger Hall 1111
Environmental and natural resources as a source of conflict and/or peacebuilding between and within nations and states. Analysis of the role of the environment in the conflict cycle and international security. Topics include refugees, climate change, water, and infectious disease. Particular focus on post-conflict and rebuilding in war-torn societies. Examination of the role of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and emerging standards for environmental management. Examples drawn from conflicts such as Rwanda, Israel/Palestine, Nepal, Sierra Leone and others. Instructor consent required.
POLSCI 328 / PUBPOL 320 / HISTORY 322: Statecraft and Strategy ~ Prof. Simon Miles
How do states reconcile the limited resources they have at their disposal with the virtually boundless range of things they want to do in the world? How can policy-makers use power – be it cultural, diplomatic, economic, military, or otherwise – to achieve their goals and do so effectively and efficiently? How might leaders begin to make sense of a dynamic and seemingly infinitely complex world and identify priorities, opportunities, and threats in the short-term and over the long haul?
The answer to these questions is one of the most elusive concepts in public policy: strategy, the bridging of ends and means.
In this course, students will be introduced to the concept of strategy as it has been practiced in the past – and might be in the future – by examining key concepts and texts in the field as well as historical cases of its successful (and unsuccessful) employment. It will introduce students to the political, economic, and other drivers of international affairs, and will be a semester-long exercise in applying the “lessons of history” to contemporary public-policy challenges.
POLSCI 352S / PUBPOL 353S: US Policy in the Middle East ~ Prof. Abdeslam Maghraoui
The Middle East is one of the most strategic and challenging areas in the world for U.S. foreign policy makers. The region’s perpetual conflicts, vast energy resources, volatile regional system, and enduring authoritarianism impose complex trade-offs and difficult options. While the U.S. remains the main external military power in the Middle East, American influence seems to be declining as multiple regional and foreign powers are vying to play a bigger role. This course explores this transformation and the interconnectedness of the challenges facing the U.S. as it attempts to disengage from the region. Among other hot topics, we will explore Iran’s regional ambitions and nuclear program, the meandering Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Gulf security, and the problem of failed states in Syria and Yemen to illustrate the complex tasks the US confronts in the Middle East. We will approach these challenges critically, grounding them in regional politics and U.S. interests and political constraints.
POLSCI 362 / PUBPOL 319: International Security ~ Prof. Rachel Myrick
The various causes, processes and impacts of international conflict in contemporary international affairs. Topics include: causes of war; factors that make international conflict more or less likely; domestic politics of international security; impacts of scientific and technological developments; ethical arguments and beliefs associated with the use of violence; contemporary and non-traditional security threats. No formal prerequisite, but Political Science 160 recommended.
ECON 390: Space Economics ~ Prof. Giovanni Zanalda
We 3:05PM – 5:35PM, Social Sciences 113
POLSCI 562S / PUBPOL 501S / HISTORY 567S: American Grand Strategy Seminar ~ Prof. Peter Feaver and Prof. Simon Miles
Tu 10:05AM – 12:35PM, Gross Hall 111
This course examines the global challenges and opportunities confronting the United States and the efforts of U.S. policymakers to craft a grand strategy that adequately addresses them. The course covers key historical junctures in the development of American Grand Strategy, ranging from pre-World War II to the present. The class will examine both the theory and the practice of grand strategy and will consider both defenses and critiques of the choices US leaders have made. The class is capped as a seminar and so there will only be a very few seats available for each category of student, undergraduate and graduate. Admission to the class has three prerequisites: POLSCI 160, POLSCI 365, and PUBPOL 320/POLSCI 328/HISTORY 322. If you would like to enroll and did not take those three courses, please email both Profs. Feaver and Miles and in your email include the following information: (a) any preparatory course work have you taken; (b) any involvement in the AGS program thus far; (c) your interest/reason for taking the course; (d) whether you want to take the POLSCI or PUBPOL or HISTORY variant (same course, different permission numbers); (e) your year/major/degree program (e.g. “Junior majoring in Political Science” or “2nd year MPP” or “PhD candidate in History”). Profs. Feaver and Miles will assign permission numbers for those students who do not have the prerequisite three-course sequence and let you know whether you are admitted.
POLSCI 565S / PUBPOL 505S: National Security Decisionmaking ~ Prof. Tim Nichols
We 12:00PM – 2:30PM, Sanford 150
The US national security policy environment is characterized by competing interests, politics, ethics, information, analysis, power, and, most importantly, decision- making. To affect successful national security decision-making, our leaders must understand, integrate, and apply all the tools of national power with a keen eye towards the intended impact (and secondary effects) in a constantly changing, complex, global arena. This course explores this delicate art in three main components: first, we will strive to develop a deeper understanding of the US national security apparatus (i.e. responsibilities of the different areas of government and organizational design); secondly, we will analyze the elements of national power and examine historical examples of their application; finally, we will apply our analysis to assess the merits of various approaches to national security decision-making.
POLSCI 609L: Fundamentals of Research ~ Prof. David Siegel (Not open to undergraduate students)
Lecture: MoWe 10:05AM – 11:20AM, Gross Hall 104 I Lab: Fr 1:40PM – 2:30PM, Gross Hall 111
Introduces/reviews the mathematical and conceptual tools underlying most work in quantitative social science. Topics include, but are not limited to: hypothesis testing; using mathematics to structure thinking and analysis; calculus; probability; and linear algebra. Preparation for later methods classes through development of a variety of mathematical skills and an exploration of those skills in the context of social science research.
POLSCI 749S: Advanced Game Theory ~ Prof. David Siegel (Not open to undergraduate students)
MoWe 1:25PM – 2:40PM, Gross Hall 105
Course has two primary aims: 1) better understanding of the technical modeling literature and 2) enhanced ability to write models. Will be exposed to array of different theoretical modeling choices, from signaling and bargaining games to agency problems to behavioral models and computational methods.
POLSCI 763S: Foundational Scholarship in International Relations ~ Prof. Rachel Myrick
Tu 1:25PM – 3:55PM, Gross Hall 105
Seminar producing firm grounding for graduate students in several key research programs in the field of International Relations. Examination of foundational books and, in some instances, articles, and follow-on works, representing core elements in International Relations, including international structuralism (realist and liberal), the impact of domestic institutions and world politics, the role individual group psychology in foreign policy, and recent IR work employing constructivist international theory. Students will write essays on each research tradition with the goal of identifying plausible questions they could pursue in larger research papers. Advanced undergraduates are welcome but should enroll in 590-3S. Graduate students should enroll in 763S.
PUBPOL 763: Intro to Peace and Conflict Resolution ~ Prof. Shelley Liu (Not open to undergraduate students)
Fr 1:40PM – 4:10PM, Sanford 09
This seminar provides an introduction to the multi-disciplinary field of Peace and Conflict Studies as a foundation for and complement to the overall Rotary Curriculum. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify the factors that are associated with peace, and understand why conflict occurs.
- Differentiate between types of conflict and conflict actors.
- Understand why peace is relational and articulate dilemmas faced by different actors.
- Conduct evidence-based research and evaluate qualitative and quantitative evidence.
PUBPOL 803: Policy Analysis I ~ Prof. David Schanzer (for MPP students only)
MoWe 10:05AM – 11:20AM, Sanford 05
Introduction to policy analysis and advising. Emphasis on written and oral communication skills, the substance of public policies, and the role of policy analysts. Department consent required.
PUBPOL 877: National Security Strategy ~ Prof. Bruce Jentleson (for MNSP students only)
Tu 6:00PM – 7:15PM, Online and on campus (on campus location TBD)
This course is designed to analyze the framework and non-static concepts of strategy and policy that compose national security in a globalized world. Students will examine national security issues from both U.S. and international contexts with a focus on the fluctuating world of allies, partners, adversaries, threats, and opportunities. The course will survey national security policies from select eras, regional security challenges, and both transnational and non-state actors in the international arena. The course will review hard power, soft power, and smart power approaches to contemporary challenges, and the students will benefit from an array of faculty contributors.