Examine the humanitarian and diplomatic aspects of war. Drawing on case studies and dialogue with practitioners, we look at these inter-related topics: the law of armed conflict, humanitarian operations in practice, and diplomacy in war.
Cross-listed with IRP 331
A European perspective on some of the major economic challenges that the world is now facing including the dangerous rise in inequality; the effect of climate change on national economies and trade; and links between GDP and individual happiness.
Pre-req: ECN 101 or ECN 203 or equivalent introductory course on microeconomics. Students that have not received credit for ECN 102 will require administrative assistance to register for this course.
Introduction to fundamental issues related to diversity and inclusion in the media industries as approached through the lens of particular topics, industries, and/or media products. Examine how films function as a lens through which to better understand European culture and how media generally function to shape or challenge the national, ethnic, and gender identities of movie-goers.
Satisfies IDEA Course Requirement.
Syracuse students: you may not receive credit for more than one of the following: COM 346, 348, 350.
Syracuse Newhouse students: this course fulfills your Newhouse diversity requirement within your major. Prerequisite of COM107 required of all Newhouse students.
Science and technology since 1900 and its social impact. How existing knowledge is maintained and extended in scientific research, how doubts and errors enter research literature, how reports can be deliberately manipulated using tactics from lobbying and public relations.
Cross-listed with STS 300.1
Required for undergraduate students. An introduction to the study abroad experience in Strasbourg, which aims to develop students’ intercultural awareness as well as their understanding of the layers that compose the city’s complex identity within Alsace, France and Europe. You will explore the diversity of Strasbourg through lectures, projects, and visits to the European institutions.
Introduction to the major artistic movements in France from 1750 to 1950. Explore how artists both portrayed and influenced society during these two centuries, a period that witnessed such dramatic events as the French Revolution and two World Wars, as well as the rise of industrialization and the creation of the modern city. Learn how to “read” images, both by comparing them with images from earlier periods, as well as by placing them in their historical context.
Paris was the uncontested capital of the art world during the period we are studying, and so it is only natural that we will spend additional time in the French capital. We will visit the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, but you will also have the chance to discover some of the city’s smaller, more intimate museums.
Satisfies Shared Competency for Critical and Creative Thinking
This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.
Scientific knowledge lies at the heart of modern civilization. Science and the concomitant rise of industrial technology have revolutionized our biological and social identities, re-defining education, life expectancy, health, nutrition, humanity, communication, popular entertainment, transport, war, energy, bureaucracy, and much more.
Yet not all of these techno-scientific changes have been equally beneficial. Some have had harmful long-term consequences that continue to affect our daily lives, threatening the quality of basic resources, physical health, mental well-being and future environmental stability.
Historical studies of scientific controversy focus on underlying contradictions and their resolution. For example, justification for disputed research (such as designer babies), or how we arrive at honest evaluations of potential benefits and/or risks of technological innovation (such as patent drugs, agricultural pesticides, drones, and electronic surveillance).
They also raise questions regarding our trust in the objective authority of science, the impartiality of expert advice, and acceptable standards for regulation of dangers, notably to human health, and the extent of unsustainable damage to the global environment.
Cross-listed with HST 419
To be offered in Fall 2025
Explores the nature and meaning of money for individuals and for society at large. Philosophers since Antiquity have wondered how money relates to a life well-lived. We consider classic theory, current policy, and personal dilemmas in light of questions such as how money got started, whether meaning and value can be defined in monetary terms, how gold differs from digital currency, and whether money is important.
Satisfies Shared Competencies:
Syracuse University provides a unique opportunity for internships at the Council of Europe (CoE). Often referred to as the “United Nations of Europe,” the CoE is an international inter-governmental organization focused on upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is one of the most important multilateral institutions in the world. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states and covers over 800 million people.
Syracuse University and the Council of Europe enjoy a unique, special relationship developed over 30 years. Syracuse University is the only university with this kind of relationship with the Council.
Students participate in the Council of Europe traineeship program. Students observe, assist, and conduct research for various Directorates of the Council of Europe, including Political Affairs, the Parliamentary Assembly, Human Rights, Public Health, Drug Policy, Cultural Affairs, Sports, and the Environment. The 3-credit internship includes a seminar to discuss pan-European issues and support interns.
Assignments vary according to student experience and Directorates’ needs. Placements are highly competitive.
Interested students should submit the Internship Request Form and resume as part of the application process and speak with their academic advisor to find out whether there are any limitations or restrictions on how internship credit counts in their degree. Candidates for these internships are selected on the basis on an interview with Syracuse faculty and then nominated to the Council of Europe, which makes the ultimate selection.
To be offered in Fall 2025
Politics of European integration from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, institutional, and policy-making. Fundamental post-war political process in modern-day Europe.
The European Union has been widely considered the most successful political enterprise of the 20th -century in Europe. Through economic, cultural and political interactions, as well as on the basis of a complex institutional framework, the EU has become the fundamental actor helping to preserve peace and promote prosperity in the post-WWII and the post-Cold-War European continent. However, the current period of crises and the questioning of the EU’s rationale constitute probably the most important challenge to its existence and to its policies since its inception. Do recent national and European electoral results mean that European institutions require profound reforms? How should the EU adapt to the fast changing global environment and the emergence of new threats and challenges in its neighbourhood? In the wake of the 2019 European elections, the new EU leadership will need to proceed to necessary reforms and policy changes which will be of utmost importance for the future of Europe. Through this course you will understand the functioning of the European institutions (the Council of Europe/COE and the European Union/EU), examine the evolution and general institutional structure of the EU, and analyze the policy-making process within the EU.
Satisfies Shared Competency for Critical and Creative Thinking
Matriculated SU Students note: You may not receive credit for both this course and PSC 396 European Integration
