A Fulfilling First Year: A Look at Four Formative CMIST Courses

For incoming first-year students, the summer is an especially exciting time. Part of this excitement is the opportunity to embark on the course selection process for the first time at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). With a plethora of fantastic options, choosing classes for the fall may initially seem overwhelming. In addition to the assistance offered by the academic advisors at the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, this article can serve as a tool for students who are interested in exploring political science and international relations courses through Carnegie Mellon Institute of Strategy and Technology (CMIST). The following courses offered this fall do not have prerequisites and are a great way for students to gain familiarity with key topics related to politics, policy, and security, both within the United States and internationally.

Often described by our students as a favorite class at CMU, 84-104 Decision Processes in American Political Institutions, affectionately referred to as DPAPI, offers an introduction to politics and government in the United States. In this course, students learn to analyze the structures and processes of the American government. After examining political thought in the United States and the use of rationalistic theories, students walk away from the course with a nuanced understanding of the workings of decision-making institutions.

DPAPI is taught by Geoffrey McGovern, a senior lecturer in CMIST and a political and social scientist at the RAND Corporation. A few of his many areas of research include health care law and policy, civil justice, and environmental policy. This course counts towards the Social Sciences requirement for the Dietrich College General Education program. It is a core course for all three CMIST majors as well as for the minor in American politics and law. 

Rising junior Elijah Dourado took the class in the fall of his first year as an introduction course to the international relations and political science major. Dourado noted that he took AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government and Politics and assumed the course would cover material he already knew, but that it far exceeded his expectations. He stated that “The course challenges students not only through the rigorous course load but also by forcing them to think critically about the processes leading to the decisions that are made in our government.” He shared that as a current intern in the U.S. Senate, he is able to apply what he learned in DPAPI to better navigate working in Capitol Hill. Dourado described the class lectures as “one of a kind” and said that McGovern’s authentic care for his students is a “real privilege, especially for those in their first year at Carnegie Mellon.”

Another course that meets the Dietrich Gen Ed Social Sciences requirement and is a foundational course for all CMIST majors is 84-226 International Relations. Taught by CMIST assistant teaching professor John Chin, this course serves as an introduction to the discipline of international relations. "International Relations surveys history and introduces theoretical frameworks to help students systematically think about how world politics works,” says Chin. “A key goal is to prepare students to understand and be able to participate in contemporary foreign policy debates, from whether and how the United States is an empire to whether NATO enlargement contributed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine to whether great power competition makes U.S.-China conflict inevitable."

The course allows students to explore a broad range of theories, learn about modern history of the field, and develop skills to analyze global politics and foreign policy. A previous student in Chin’s class, rising senior Sophie Peirano, reflected on this course as “a great introduction into the study of international relations” that “provides students with new perspectives on our world.”

Chin focuses on international relations and comparative politics. His research specializes in coups, the technologies of rebellion, authoritarian politics, and comparative democratization. Together with Haleigh Bartos, another CMIST faculty member, Chin has also recently published on U.S. Africa policy and how the U.S. should respond to the situation in Haiti. 

Introducing two new courses this fall is Joshua Schwartz, an assistant professor in CMIST. Schwartz joined the faculty last academic year and was featured in Dietrich’s Faculty Spotlight shortly after his arrival to CMU. His research investigates the spread of military technology, the efficacy of military force, and public opinion on the use of force. For instance, he published a study that found female leaders who pursue peace in their policy ambitions face repercussions. 

Students interested in questions like why technologically superior actors like the United States still sometimes lose on the battlefield might consider 84-274 An Introduction to Technology and War. Covering the historical development of military innovation as well as important current debates about military technology, this course is foundational to the new CMIST major, as well as the minor, in political science, security, and technology. “Military innovations, quite simply, change the world,” says Schwartz in his course overview video.

Schwartz’s second new course, 84-280 Popcorn and Politics: American Foreign Policy at the Movies, will appeal to students interested in the connection between cinema and government and how films can be used as a means of exploring international politics. Each week the course will couple a film with a key American foreign policy event or historical period. Far from only featuring war dramas, film genres also include science-fiction, black comedy, and anime, Schwartz explains in a one-minute course overview video. Students can look forward to watching Arrival, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, and Grave of the Fireflies. This course counts towards the minor in American politics and law and as an elective for all three CMIST majors. 

These classes provide a fantastic opportunity for first-year students to begin their undergraduate experience with an introduction to political science and international relations. CMIST looks forward to welcoming students to campus in the fall.

While the above are four excellent political science and international relations courses to take in your first year at CMU, there are many others that might be appropriate, depending on your interests and goals. To discuss CMIST courses, contact Emily Half, deputy director for academic affairs.