Course List Descriptions
Required Courses
MIR 501Politics of European Integration
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
A study of the evolution of the European integration project from the European Coal and Steel Community to the present European Union, with emphasis on the politics of the deepening of integration and the expansion of European Union membership.
MIR 502Fundamentals of International Relations
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
Analysis of major concepts in the study of international relations, focus on the dynamics of globalization and transformation of nation-states; examination of the role of state and nonstate actors in world politics.
MIR 503International Economics and Trade
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 8
Theory and policy of international trade: National income accounting, balance of payments, interest and exchange rate determination, stabilization policy in open economies and economic integration.
MIR 504Turkey and Its Neighborhood
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
Political and economic developments in Turkey’s neighborhood: the Balkans, the Caucasus, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey’s economic and political relations with its neighbors.
MIR 506Fundamental Issues in Turkish Politics
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
Turkey's political system, constitutions, administrative structure, political parties, elections, and interest groups.
MIR 508Political Economy of Globalization
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 8
Analysis of changes in contemporary global economy. Focus on global trade, finance, and production. Emphasis in changing role of state and global institutions.
Elective Courses (Political Science and International Relations)
MIR 505European Union-Turkish Relations
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
History and diplomacy of Turkey's relationship with the European integration process, from the Ankara Treaty to the present. Major issues in European Union-Turkey relations.
MIR 509Regional and Global Context of Turkish Foreign Policy
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 8
Changes in Turkey's role in the international system since the end of the Cold War. Problems and prospects in Turkey's relations with the neighboring states and regions.
MIR 510Politics and Vision of the European Community
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The notion of “community” in European political thought and practice. The various understandings of community conceived in “local” and “translocal” terms such as the Greek polis, the Roman republican and imperial traditions, the universal medieval Church, and the modern nation-state. The politics and vision of the present-day European Community as part of a chain of continuity and innovation in Western political thought and practice.
MIR 511Current Issues in European Politics
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS. 7
Social, economic, and political issues that are on the agenda of political parties and the public in major European democracies. Emphasis will be on the status of the welfare state; privatization and economic reform; unemployment; educational reform; attitudes towards the European Union and Common Agricultural Program; immigration, racism, and the New Right; separatist movements and devolution of power from the central to the regional and local governments; democratization of the political regimes of the candidate and new member states of the European Union in the process of European integration.
MIR 512European Union Institutions and Policy Making
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS. 7
A basic understanding of the participants, factors and constraints that influence European Union policy making in its various arenas, levels, and stages. An analysis of the capacity of the European Union institutions that monitor the enforcement of compliance with European Union policy goals, strategies and outcomes in member states.
MIR 513Security Policies and External Relations of the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Examination of the formation of a common foreign and security policy of the European Union. Survey of policy making in the European Union vis-à-vis major issues in international affairs.
MIR 514Political Parties and Elections in the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Analysis of interest groups, political parties and elections in the European Union. Comparison of local and national elections and elections for the European Parliament.
MIR 515Civil Society and Democracy in Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Development of civil society, the public sphere, the state and democratic institutions in modern Europe. Transformation of state-society relations. Evolution of individual rights and participatory mechanisms. Formation and dissemination of a civic culture and democratic social values. Emergence of new social movements, new political ideologies and non-governmental organizations.
MIR 516Regions and Local Governments in the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The impact of the European Union at the national, regional and local levels. The allocation of the funds and investments among the national, regional and local authorities. Regional disparities and the impact of the regional development programs. The relations between central and local governments and the policies of decentralization and devolution of power.
MIR 517Enlargement of the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Enlargement of the European Union toward Southern and Eastern Europe. Legal aspects of the enlargament process with an emphasis on the decisions of the European Union institutions on the issue of enlargement, association treatises between the European Union and the candidate states, and accession partnerships and national programs. Public opinion in the member and candidate states regarding enlargement. Social, economic, political and cultural changes in the candidate states in the process of integration with the European Union. The impact of enlargement on the European Union and the impending institutional reforms to accommodate new members.
MIR 518Comparative Political Economy of the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The political economy of major European Union countries and the challenges they face in adjusting to a rapidly integrating European Union. The subjects include government-business ties, the role of labor and business organizations, regulation, privatization and the politics of economic policy-making.
MIR 519European Union and International Political Economy
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Analysis of the European Union within the broader context of the global finance, trade and production, particularly vis-a-vis Japan and the United States. The European Union's role in the World Trade Organization, the role of the euro in the global financial markets, and the dynamics of the European Union companies in the global production networks.
MIR 520European Union Law
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Study of European Union law and legal processes, with emphasis on acquis communautaire and the European Court of Justice. Issues related to jurisdiction and enforcement.
MIR 521Europe and Turkey: Cultural Perceptions and Interactions
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Exchanges and interactions between Europe and Turkey at the level of high culture, popular culture, political ideas and discourses. The issue of Westernization and Europeanization as a dividing line in Turkish society and polity, with an emphasis on the recent debates regarding the influences of European integration on Turkish national sovereignty and national values. European perceptions of Turkey and Turkish culture.
MIR 522Religion and Secularism in Europe
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Major debates on religion and secularism in Europe. Comparative historical and institutional analysis of state-religion relations, Christian democratic parties, and Islamic movements in selected countries. Problems of religion and secularism in Turkey's accession to the European Union.
MIR 523Relations between Europe and the Middle East from the Colonial Era to the Present
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The historical and cultural setting of the relations between European and Middle Eastern countries. Consequences of European colonialism in the emergence of the modern Middle East. Islamic movements, Arab nationalism, and problems of democratization in the Middle East. Future of the European Union and Middle Eastern relations in the context of the European Neighborhood policy.
MIR 524Media and Communication Systems: Case Studies from Turkey, Europe and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The policies of the European Union’s to create an information society through the management of mass media and communication technologies. The role of media in facilitating European integration. Formation and expression of dissenting perspectives through alternative media. Socio-political consequences of new communication technologies.
MIR 525Europe and Turkey in a Globalizing World
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
History and nature of globalization. European responses to globalization with special focus on domestic and foreign policies of the EU member states and Turkey.
MIR 526Legal and Institutional Issues in Global Politics
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Emergence, transformation and expansion of international law; the role of states and international organizations as subjects of international law, focus on international norms, global governance and challenges to state sovereignty.
MIR 527Islamic Movements in the Global System
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Challenges and contributions of the Islamic movements to the political, economic, cultural and security dimensions of globalization.
MIR 528Diplomatic History
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
An outline of international political history, highlighting the emergence and evolution of the modern nation-state system, its major crises and major turning points.
MIR 529Global Peace and Security
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Different definitions of peace and security; challenges and threats to global peace and security. Causes of conflict and violence and the ways to resolve, manage, and control both violent and nonviolent conflicts in the world.
MIR 530International Politics of the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The Middle East as a political entity in International relations; Issues and problems at the domestic and foreign policy levels in the countries of the broader region.
MIR 555Social Movements and Protests
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 7
Introduction to the theory of social movements and protest events. Case studies of old and new types of social movements and protests in Europe and the Middle East from a comparative perspective.
Elective Courses (Economics)
MIR 507Economics of Monetary Integration in the European Union
Costs and benefits of a common currency. The theory of optimum currency areas. Incomplete monetary unions and the European Monetary System. Transition to a monetary union in Europe. Monetary and fiscal policies in a monetary union with special reference to the European Union. The structure and operations of the European Central Bank.
MIR 531Financial Markets: Case Studies from Turkey, Europe and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Banking in Europe and the US in a historical perspective. Other financial institutions. Regulation of the financial system. Structure of debt and equity markets in Europe. The role of the European Central Bank and the impact of Euro on financial markets. The globalization of financial markets from the European perspective.
MIR 532Applied Industrial Economics: Case Studies from Turkey, Europe and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 7
An economic analysis of market structures in the European Union. Perfect competition, monopoly, markets for homogeneous products (Cournot and Bertrand competition, collusion), markets for differentiated products (location models), concentration, mergers, entry barriers, contestable markets, research and development. Empirical and topical case studies related to the industrial structure in the European Union.
MIR 533Competition and Regulation Policy in the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The economic aspects of the European Union competition policy. Collusion, vertical restraints and anti-competitive mergers. The economics of competition in network industries, and applications to telecoms, postal networks, airlines, electricity, gas, and rail sectors in the European Union. Economic and institutional issues related to regulatory policy in the European Union. Empirical assessment of competition and regulatory policies.
MIR 534Current Economic Policy Issues in the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Macro and microeconomic policy issues on the European Union agenda. The fiscal and monetary policy issues and debates. Implementation of agreements and negotiations in the World Trade Organization. Issues pertaining to regional policy and industrial policy with special reference to small and medium scale enterprises.
MIR 535European Union - Turkish Economic Relations
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Economic implications of the 1963 Association Agreement between Turkey and the European Economic Community. The 1970 Additional Protocol and its implementation. The Customs Union agreement of 1995, its coverage and procedures. The impact of the Customs Union on the Turkish economy. Developments in the Turkish economy with respect to the Copenhagen economic criteria. Euro and the Turkish economy.
MIR 536Social Policy in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
The social policy agenda of industrial democracies. Social policy regimes. The framework of the European Union social policy. Equity and efficiency in the labor markets. Economic costs and benefits of social policy. The development of the European Union social policy. The European Union enlargement and social policy.
MIR 537Environmental Policy in Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Evolution of environmental policy in Turkey, Europe and the Middle East. Linkages between environmental and economic systems. Role of regulatory and economic instruments in environmental policy. Use of regulatory and economic instruments in practice. Environmental policy in the context of international conventions on the environment.
MIR 538European Population and Labor Issues
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Demographic Transition in Europe. Post-transitional demographic structures and their problems. Labor shortages; migration; population ageing. Demographic projections to 2050.
MIR 539Economic and Social Development Prospects in the EMENA Region (EMENA = Europe, Middle East and North Africa)
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Development issues from European, Middle Eastern and North African perspectives. Regions and regionalism in development studies. Interactions within the regions and with the global economy.
Elective Courses (History, Sociology, Culture)
MIR 550European Cities in a Globalized World
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Examination of contemporary urban social structures in Europe in light of globalization, urban autonomy, and European Union policies. The transformation of cities into the intersection points of global networks since the globalization of the 1980s. Cities being more autonomous from their national governments as a result of the global networks. The problems of the urban underclass, social exclusion, and immigrant populations. The programs within the European Union aiming at social assistance, urban revival and the strengthening of urban autonomy.
MIR 551European Nation-States and the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
A discussion of the current debates regarding the decline of the nation-state in the European Union. The position of the European nation-state with regard to the supranational forces such as the European Single Market, the European Monetary Union, and the European law. Local, regional and private forces that are gaining strength at the expense of European unification. A comparison of the decline of the nation-state in Europe with the United States, Japan, and the less developed countries.
MIR 552Issues of Culture and Identity in the European Union
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Current developments in the European Union with regard to citizenship, culture and identity. Issues of immigration, human rights, gender relations, and new social movements. The idea of European culture, art, literature and media. Contemporary problems of ethnicity and xenophobia in Europe. Problems of the formation of a common European identity. Emphasis on specific case studies, incidents and court decisions.
MIR 553Gender, Islam and Globalization
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Study of present-day gender relations in the context of Muslim societies, European Islam and Islamic movements of a global scale. Muslim women's visibility and participation in the public sphere; impact of global capitalism and consumption patterns on the lives of Muslim women. Analysis of specific cases from Turkey, the Middle East, Balkans and Europe.
MIR 554Populism
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
A comparative study of contemporary populist politics in Europe and the Middle East historical perspective.
MIR 556History, Politics and Society in the Balkans
(3+0+0) 3 ECTS 7
The contemporary politics and society in the Balkans in light of the region’s complex and contentious history. The relations of Balkan states with each other and with neighboring countries. Their interactions with international organizations active in the region.
MIR 557Modern Empires, Global Politics
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Changing patterns of global politics, the actuality of nation-state as a political form and recent debates on empire as a political category. Comparison of historical empires of the nineteenth-century with contemporary state forms.
MIR 558Global History and Politics of Eastern Europe
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Imperialism, colonialism, nation-state formation, communism and fascism in the history and politics of Eastern Europe. Eastern European politics after the Cold War.
MIR 560Emergence of the Modern Europe
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Investigation of Europe as the birth place of capitalism, the modern state, and modernity. Examination of the historical uniqueness of European social structures starting in the late Middle Ages. Emphasis on the revival of cities, the Renaissance, the emergence of the modern states, absolutism, the English and French revolutions, the industrial revolution, economic rivalry, and colonialism.
MIR 561History of European Diplomacy
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
History of European diplomacy and international relations from the Westphalia Treaty to the end of the Cold War. The emergence of the European modern state system, balance of power, nationalism, colonialism, the world wars, decolonization and the Cold War.
MIR 562History of European-Turkish Relations
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
Examination of the cultural, political and economic relationships between Europe and the Ottoman and Turkish states. Emphasis on the construction of otherness, political interactions, movement of peoples, impact of the French Revolution, economic incorporation, reception of law, modernization currents, Westernization and the ambivalence of nationalism.
MIR 563History of the Modern State in Western Europe: From the "Rule of Law State" to the "Social Rights State"
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
An examination of the emergence of two categories of the modern state in Western Europe in the late 18th and the 19th centuries: the "rule of law state" and the "social rights state". Emphasis will be on the tension between the role of the state as overseer of economic activity subject to the "rule of law" and the understanding of state as shaper of market society through regulation and legislation.
MIR 564Political Economy of Law in Western Europe
(3+0+0) 3 - ECTS 7
An examination of the issues of law and governance in Western Europe and North America. The transformation of Western European and North American economies into national economies through regulation, legislation and court decisions since the end of the Second World War. The emergence of transnational regulatory environments by the 1980s, incorporating international non-state actors, national non-state actors as well as the national states.
Term Project Courses
MIR 579Seminar
MIR 591Term Project I
(0+2+0) Non-credit
Directed research leading to a term paper on a topic of interest to the student, chosen with the approval of the advisor.
MIR 592Term Project II
(0+2+0) Non-credit
Directed research leading to a term paper on a topic of interest to the student, chosen with the approval of the advisor.
MIR 593Term Project III
(0+2+0) Non-credit
Directed research leading to a term paper on a topic of interest to the student, chosen with the approval of the advisor.
MIR 690Master Thesis
