International Relations I
Freestanding course
Freestanding course, bachelor’s level
30 credits
Malmö | daytime | 100%
1 September 2025 - 18 January 2026
International students
International students
Full tuition fee: 49,000 SEK
EU/EEA students are generally not required to pay tuition fees.
About the course
This course is an introduction to dominant theoretical approaches and current research debates within the discipline of International Relations, including a module on International Political Economy. The aim of the course is to acquire basic knowledge of and ability how to use concepts and theories within IR to analyze and interpret power relations, international norms and other prominent phenomena within world politics.
Course content
The aim of the course is to provide students with a foundational understanding of International Relations (IR) as an academic field of study. On having passed the course, students will be able to utilize central theories and concepts in relation to the historical and contemporary development of international politics.
The course consists of three modules that operate together to provide an introduction to the field of International Relations.
Module 1: Theory of International Relations (12,5 credits)
The first module, ‘International Relations Theory’, focuses on current and classical theoretical debate within IR and how IR has developed as an academic discipline.
Module 2: Issues in Global Politics (10 credits)
The second module, ‘Issues in Global Politics’, analyses prevailing trends in global politics and their historical background, for example: evolving debates in IR about economic and sustainable development; the environment; security; gender; globalisation; and foreign policy.
Module 3: Researching and Studying International Relations (7,5 credits)
The third module ‘Researching and Studying IR’ provides a platform for training students’ competencies in engaging with academic texts and research, introduces them to basic methodological approaches, and develops their skills in producing academic work.
The three modules are run concurrently.
Entry requirements and selection
Entry requirements
General entry requirements + English 6.
Selection
34% Upper Secondary Grades - 34% Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT) - 32% University Credits
Course literature
Current literature list is available in the syllabus for the course
Course evaluation
Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).
