Undergraduate Assignments
There will be one in-class short-answer exam. The exam will draw on material from both the readings and lectures. Students will also be required to write two analytical take-home essays on questions that will be assigned during the course. The first essay will be approximately 1,500 words in length, while the second essay will be approximately 3,000 words. Attendance is mandatory, including recitations.
Graduate Assignments
Students may enroll in the graduate version of the course only with the instructor’s permission. Graduate students are expected to read an additional 150–200 pages per week listed as “recommended” in the readings section. These readings will assist students in mapping the academic literature on East Asia’s international relations in preparation for further study or research projects.
Graduates must write two essays, as well as, two book précis. (A précis is a concise book summary of approximately 600 words to be selected from a list.) These 3,000–6,000 word essays will be synthetic, integrating the empirical data and the theories introduced in the course, and require students to think broadly about the key variables shaping the international relations of the region.
Précis Assignment
A précis is short and concise summary of a scholarly book, approximately 600 words in length. A précis should capture the essence of a longer argument, summarizing the argument, theory and data presented by the work’s author. A précis is not a book review or a critique. Each précis will be shared with the rest of the class.
Précis I book list (PDF)
Précis II book list (PDF)
