Summer 2010 Courses
A course listing by concentration can be found here.
You can also access previous course offerings in the course archive. You can view a summarized schedule here and a course calendar here.
Required Courses
The aim of the course is two-fold: first, to familiarize students with the basic methodologies, theories, and practices of the social sciences, and second, to help students develop the ability to frame research questions. In general the course introduces students to fundamental issues, concepts, and techniques of social science research. The course examines various instruments (e.g., models, narratives) used in the social sciences, provides basic instruction on selected research methods, and discusses the design and implementation of research. The course will particularly focus on underlying principles of analysis and critical thinking. It also explores popular debates surrounding concept formation. In this latter area the course introduces students to continuities and discontinuities between the natural and social sciences, providing guidance through deductive nomological and/or contextual or indigenous models of explanation, and fact-value distinctions and neutrality issues in the social sciences. Finally, this course explores rival methods and concepts in the social science (including quantitative, qualitative, comparative, case study methods, and the increasingly abundant use of narratives in research).
Elective Courses
The aim of this course is to gain a deeper understanding of economic issues in the region known as the Middle East or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), by studying and discussing various economic theories and applied approaches and their relevance to conditions in the region. The course will examine the legacy of colonialism and the presence of oil in shaping political and economic outcomes, as well as looking into the links between demography, labor markets, gender, poverty and development. Because of the large number of countries and topics, we will only be able to cover some of the issues of relevance to the region. As it is impossible to understand the political economy of the region without studying social, cultural and historical issues, the course will be taught with an interdisciplinary emphasis. Students are encouraged to pursue a topic (whether raised in class or not) in depth through their research papers.
The seventh United Nations Millennium Development Goals reads "Ensure environmental sustainability". Indeed, on the surface, sustainable development is a goal everyone could agree with - who would be for unsustainable development? But in fact, there is no consensus on the meaning of the term: some definitions emphasize the importance of preserving natural capital for future generations, while others aggregate all forms of capital together, arguing that our only obligation to the future is access to an equivalent capital stock. A related dispute is over what the relationship is between environmental sustainability and human well-being-as well as how the relationship may differ by gender, class, and other factors. And finally, there are heated debates about the appropriate route to achieve sustainability-for example, whether through neo-liberal trade policies, centralized governmental regulation, or decentralized local control. This course will examine these differing views of sustainable development both in theory and through the examination of specific development projects. Economists approach environmental questions through three differing theoretical schools: environmental economics, ecological economics, and political economics. These schools use differing techniques to value the environment, offer different understandings of what would be good environmental and economic outcomes, and advocate different policies to achieve sustainability. Underlying these differences are political economic questions of distribution of power and resources both within specific countries and globally. This course will explore the range of views, with an emphasis on understanding the assumptions underlying their disagreements, and on the policy implications of these views. Topics will include the "green development" policies of the World Bank, the controversial issue of water privatization, carbon trading as a response to global warming, the effects of neo-liberal policies on the environment, and cases of specific commodities such as gold and cotton which illuminate the problems and complexities of sustainable development.
This course introduces the core literature of development economics. It centers around theories that explain the sources, process and consequences of economic growth that are particularly relevant to policy choices. The course covers: (i) theories of growth; (ii) inequality and poverty including gender dimensions; (iv) education, health and demographic transition; (v) macroeconomic policy management; (v) international economics including trade and investment; (vi) sustainability; (vii) ethical foundations. For each topic the course explores theoretical approaches, both mainstream and heterodox, along with their associated policy implications. The overall aim is to use the theories and empirical evidence for analysis of contemporary policy issues.
Development Economics and Comparative Development Experience (CDE) complement one another; CDE focuses on contemporary issues and is multidisciplinary while this course focuses on economics.
Prerequisite: Economics in International Affairs or the equivalent. This course may be taken simultaneously with or following CDE.This course is the foundation class for the Development concentration.
The International Field Program (IFP) provides practical field experiences through work with NGOs, IOs, and government and local agencies, as well as a unique link between classroom curriculum and ongoing research in the world of practice. Students are placed in-country in an internship, where they also continue to explore specific questions and problems from a theoretical standpoint.
Internship
*** Approval of advisor required before registering.
Students in good standing who have completed their first semester may register for up to three (3) credits through an approved internship. To qualify for credit, a student must work a minimum of 150 hours (10 hours/week during the regular semester or 20 hours per week during the summer session). Students may undertake non-for-credit internships at any time.
Students who wish to register for credit-bearing internships should take the following steps. First, identify the organization, secure the internship, and obtain written confirmation of the internship. Second, choose a faculty advisor and write a proposal that includes: a) the name and contact information for the organization; b) the name and contact information for an on-site supervisor; c) the period of the internship, including number of hours; d) the proposed tasks the intern will undertake; and e) the nature of a written report the student will submit to the faculty supervisor at the completion of the internship.
Third, submit the proposal to the advisor and the Program Director. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation prior to registration, no later than two weeks prior to the start of the registration period.
Upon approval by the Program, the students registers following the standard procedure using the internship course number. An additional signed Internship Approval Form is required by the Registration office and is available at the GPIA office. During the internship, students meet at least once with their faculty advisor to discuss progress. Upon successful completion of the internship, faculty advisors assign grades of P (pass) or F (fail), based jointly on the the written reports of the student and written evaluations of the student's performance made by the the internship supervisor.Independent Study
After their first semester all students in good academic standing may register during pre-registration for one independent study. The student must start with a problem or specific area of interest to investigate in detail, and then design a project with the approval of an interested faculty member who serves as the course advisor. Permission of both the project course advisor and the Director is required before a student can register for independent study.
NOTE: Independent study can only be registered for during pre-registration. All students planning to register for independent study must submit an application in the form of a proposal that contains:
1. the specific subject or problem to be investigated
2. the proposed method for investigating the topic
3. a preliminary bibliography.
These materials must be submitted to and approved by the course advisor and the Program Director prior to registration. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term registration period. Upon approval, the student registers following the standard procedure using the independent study course number provided by the program. Upon successful completion of the independent study project, the project supervisor assigns a letter grade.
Advanced Registration Option
*** Approval of advisor required before registering.
Matriculated graduate students registered for fewer less than the minimum number of credits necessary for full- or part-time status but who are engaged in approved "equivalent activities" may register for equivalency credit in order to maintain full or part-time status. This is intended for students who are completing their Master's Projects or for rare equivalency activities that are an integral part of the student's program and must be verified by an appropriate advisor or faculty member. Approval is not automatic. There is no tuition charge associated with Equivalency credit, and no grade is given.
Registration for equivalency credit takes place during the normal registration period. Students must obtain their advisor's and the Director's approval. Full-time status for New School graduate students is defined as enrollment in 9 degree credits per semester. Half-time status requires a minimum of 6 degree credits per semester. Some financial aid agencies and programs require that students register for 12 credits per academic semester; please check with Financial Aid. Also, international students with certain types of visas are required to register for full-time status (9 graduate credits per academic semester for graduate students). Please check with an International Student Services Advisor at the International Student Services office.