Please note:
To view the Summer 2026 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2026/summer.html.
International Studies
The certificate in international studies is a flexible program for students who are interested in developing their knowledge of global affairs. It offers students the opportunity to study contemporary international challenges through an interdisciplinary lens.
Students may focus on one or more policy areas (related to international security, development, human rights, etc.) or regions of the world.
Program Requirements
Required Courses
Students complete a minimum of 18 units, including
Introduces the interdisciplinary field of International Studies to all undergraduates and IS majors. Examines the major global challenges of our time, including poverty and inequality, environmental degradation, nationalism, civil war, and armed conflict. Explores the challenge of global governance and global citizenship. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tamir Moustafa |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D101 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D102 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D103 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D104 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D105 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
and one of
Examines how borders and belonging are deeply interconnected. Explores how, in the context of transnational movements of people and ideas, individuals and communities construct and contest new identities, aspirations, and forms of belonging. Students with credit for IS 230 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
Examines contemporary security and governance challenges by drawing on insights from across the social sciences. Includes such topics as: war, nuclear proliferation, genocide, human trafficking, and global health threats. Explores the role of international organizations (the UN, EU, NATO and others) in addressing security challenges and advancing global governance. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicole Jackson |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D101 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D102 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 3:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D103 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D104 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Introduces students to the variety of systems of governance in the world today, including how power is constituted and contested in different kinds of states (e.g., authoritarian, democratic, hybrid) by various state and non-state actors (e.g., corporations, civil society, militias, social movements) through diverse technologies (e.g., the ballot box, digital surveillance, religious institutions). Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brenda Lyshaug |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D101 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D102 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 5:30–6:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D103 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 6:30–7:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
|
| D104 |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 4:30–5:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Analyzes some of the historical reasons for the great divergence in world economic development, and undertakes a cross-country, cross-regional perspective of world economic development using a historical approach to long-run economic growth. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Introduction to how Empire is implicated in the making of our modern world. Covers global histories of imperialism, anti-imperial struggles, colonization and decolonization. Includes European imperialist and colonial histories and decenters the position of Europe in world history to understand connections and agency of all peoples. IS 265 or HIST 265 will be accepted in lieu of this course. Breadth-Humanities.
The remaining 12 units may be chosen from courses below.
Peace and Conflict Studies
Explores how international actors respond to humanitarian emergencies, such as famine, displacement, and genocide. Examines the political, legal, and ethical challenges of humanitarian action by focusing on contemporary cases and on key types of response, from the delivery of aid to sanctions and the use of military force. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brenda Lyshaug |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Surveys the ethnic minorities of Southeast Asia, focusing on their relations with other ethnic groups, especially majority populations, and governments. Examines the treatment of ethnic minorities and the responses of the minorities, including ethnic-based secession movements. Reviews cross-border and broader international issues relating to minorities, such as their status as refugees and cross-border support for insurgencies. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the Russian Federation's foreign and security policies. Reviews key actors, institutions, and stages in the development of Russian foreign policy development as well as the gap between rhetoric and realities in Russian foreign policy. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200 and HIST 335.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicole Jackson |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Examines various forms of resistance and protest, including everyday resistance and organized activism, with an emphasis on civil resistance. Investigates the conditions and outcomes of protest, focusing on a range of cases which may include Solidarity in Poland, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the American Civil Rights Movement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken POL 339 or IS 309 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility; the role of humanitarian intervention; the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies; and, the relationship between statebuilding and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines security issues and events with attention to gender. Focuses on themes related to war, political violence, post-war reconstruction, militarism, military culture, and peace activism with attention to women and marginalised communities, gender norms, and feminist and queer approaches to rethinking security and imagining peace. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines post-Soviet Central Asian states, with particular reference to the relationship among democratization, development, autocracy and conflict, and the role of external actors in transnational security issues in the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200. Students with credit for IS 412 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the causes of civil wars throughout history, as well as the different ways scholars have approached them. Explores recent trends in civil wars and potential solutions. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 409 under the title "Civil Wars" may not take this course for further credit.
Examines how states engage with the global security architecture to address a range of contemporary security challenges. Taking a comparative perspective, we investigate key actors’ involvement with regional and international institutions such as the UN, NATO, and the EU. Issues may include disinformation, cybersecurity, outer space security, trafficking, and terrorism. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Explores diplomacy in its bilateral and multilateral forms, from the perspective of practitioners. Examines how diplomatic principles and procedures have been applied in various areas of global policy (e.g. human rights, peacemaking, climate change, and disarmament). Focuses on the development of diplomatic skills, such as analysis, reporting, and negotiation. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
International Human Rights and Development
Explores how international actors respond to humanitarian emergencies, such as famine, displacement, and genocide. Examines the political, legal, and ethical challenges of humanitarian action by focusing on contemporary cases and on key types of response, from the delivery of aid to sanctions and the use of military force. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brenda Lyshaug |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Examines various forms of resistance and protest, including everyday resistance and organized activism, with an emphasis on civil resistance. Investigates the conditions and outcomes of protest, focusing on a range of cases which may include Solidarity in Poland, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the American Civil Rights Movement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken POL 339 or IS 309 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines how Indigenous communities globally reclaim space and sovereignty, confront colonial violence, and envision pluralistic and more-than-human sovereign futures. Explores Indigenous knowledges, resistance to colonialism, and futurisms across diverse global Indigenous contexts. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines security issues and events with attention to gender. Focuses on themes related to war, political violence, post-war reconstruction, militarism, military culture, and peace activism with attention to women and marginalised communities, gender norms, and feminist and queer approaches to rethinking security and imagining peace. Prerequisite: 45 units.
From peasant uprisings and student protests to armed insurrections, this course explores the range of African social movements and assesses their role in shaping Africa's future. Key themes include the role of ethnicity and religion, the impact of urbanization, economic inequality, gender politics, and trends in international solidarity and engagement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the nature, activities, and effects of social movements across the Global South. Uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore how social movements shape and respond to political, economic, and social transformation. Considers their relationship with political parties, states, and media and assesses the conditions under which movements emerge and succeed. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 or IS 419 with this topic, or IS 439 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines "International Development" within a series of historical frames, including the history of imperialism, the history of international relations, globalization, and the cultural and intellectual history of North-South relations. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have credit for HIST 358 may not take IS 358 for further credit.
Explores how digital technology is transforming societies, political systems, and economies around the world. Examines the origins of surveillance and data assessment and the political, economic, and ethical challenges automated technologies present by focusing on contemporary cases and their effects in communities around the world. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 319 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Explores how cities around the world have been segregated on the basis of class, race, gender, etc. Examines the causes and consequences of, and resistance to, urban segregation, focusing on diverse cities in different regions such as Africa, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, etc. Prerequisite: 45 units.
The quality of institutions' exercises a crucial influence on the prospects for development. Aims are to interrogate this claim through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world. Examination of the ways in which politics influences economic growth and distribution; the relationships between political systems and patterns of development; and the politics of institutions and state formation. Prerequisite: 90 units.
Critically considers why and how international development has been, and might be, pursued. Includes study of histories of development, theories of development, as well as policies, practices, different perspectives and outcomes of development. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 429 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Global Affairs
Explores how international actors respond to humanitarian emergencies, such as famine, displacement, and genocide. Examines the political, legal, and ethical challenges of humanitarian action by focusing on contemporary cases and on key types of response, from the delivery of aid to sanctions and the use of military force. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brenda Lyshaug |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Surveys the ethnic minorities of Southeast Asia, focusing on their relations with other ethnic groups, especially majority populations, and governments. Examines the treatment of ethnic minorities and the responses of the minorities, including ethnic-based secession movements. Reviews cross-border and broader international issues relating to minorities, such as their status as refugees and cross-border support for insurgencies. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Introduces the Russian Federation's foreign and security policies. Reviews key actors, institutions, and stages in the development of Russian foreign policy development as well as the gap between rhetoric and realities in Russian foreign policy. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200 and HIST 335.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicole Jackson |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Examines various forms of resistance and protest, including everyday resistance and organized activism, with an emphasis on civil resistance. Investigates the conditions and outcomes of protest, focusing on a range of cases which may include Solidarity in Poland, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the American Civil Rights Movement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken POL 339 or IS 309 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility; the role of humanitarian intervention; the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies; and, the relationship between statebuilding and peacebuilding. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ethical issues of global concern, with a focus on debates about poverty, environmental change, and armed conflict. Introduces students to relevant political and ethical theories, such as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, utilitarianism, theories of human rights, and ethics of care. Assesses various policy responses to these global challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines how Indigenous communities globally reclaim space and sovereignty, confront colonial violence, and envision pluralistic and more-than-human sovereign futures. Explores Indigenous knowledges, resistance to colonialism, and futurisms across diverse global Indigenous contexts. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines security issues and events with attention to gender. Focuses on themes related to war, political violence, post-war reconstruction, militarism, military culture, and peace activism with attention to women and marginalised communities, gender norms, and feminist and queer approaches to rethinking security and imagining peace. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An examination of the differing narratives of nation and modernity in the struggle for independence from colonial rule in India, and their implications for the post-colonial state, for politics and for India's economic development. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 210 or 220. Students with credit for IS 313W may not take this course for further credit.
Provides an overview of national and political issues in Southeast Asia. Surveying politics in individual countries and regional political institutions, focus is given to particular themes such as democratization and civil society, communism and other forms of authoritarianism, the role of the military, decentralization, religion and politics, the impact of China on the region, and security concerns. Prerequisite: 45 units.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Darren Byler |
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
|
VANCOUVER |
Introduces the political, economic, and ideological dynamics of contemporary Middle Eastern states. Examines the legacy of colonialism, state formation, central ideological trends such as Arab nationalism and political Islam, the dynamics of state-society contention, and the challenges of economic development. Prerequisite: 45 units.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
Examines current debates about women, gender, and sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Explores the major social, economic, and political factors that shape the lives of women and other marginalized groups in diverse cities across the region. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines post-Soviet Central Asian states, with particular reference to the relationship among democratization, development, autocracy and conflict, and the role of external actors in transnational security issues in the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 200. Students with credit for IS 412 may not take this course for further credit.
Survey course of major contemporary issues relevant to people's lives in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as major debates about these. Study of the historic, economic, political, social and cultural factors contributing to contemporary realities and perspectives. Relevant for students with little to significant familiarity with life in Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units.
From peasant uprisings and student protests to armed insurrections, this course explores the range of African social movements and assesses their role in shaping Africa's future. Key themes include the role of ethnicity and religion, the impact of urbanization, economic inequality, gender politics, and trends in international solidarity and engagement. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Explores China's stunning rise from Mao to global markets, with attention to social issues brought on by "the Chinese Development Model". Examines the bases of state legitimacy in contemporary China, challenges to state legitimacy, as well as state responses to these challenges. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the nature, activities, and effects of social movements across the Global South. Uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore how social movements shape and respond to political, economic, and social transformation. Considers their relationship with political parties, states, and media and assesses the conditions under which movements emerge and succeed. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 or IS 419 with this topic, or IS 439 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines ideas and practices that affect experiences of forced migration and responses to these situations. What does it mean to live as a refugee? And what needs to change to alleviate the hardships and suffering of so many displaced people? Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 329 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines "International Development" within a series of historical frames, including the history of imperialism, the history of international relations, globalization, and the cultural and intellectual history of North-South relations. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have credit for HIST 358 may not take IS 358 for further credit.
Explores how digital technology is transforming societies, political systems, and economies around the world. Examines the origins of surveillance and data assessment and the political, economic, and ethical challenges automated technologies present by focusing on contemporary cases and their effects in communities around the world. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 319 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Examines international efforts to respond to global environmental challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, and the degradation of the oceans. Investigates obstacles to effective action and possible ways forward. Explores the role of a range of key actors, including states, intergovernmental organizations, multinational companies, NGOs, and social movements. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines the causes of civil wars throughout history, as well as the different ways scholars have approached them. Explores recent trends in civil wars and potential solutions. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 409 under the title "Civil Wars" may not take this course for further credit.
Explores how cities around the world have been segregated on the basis of class, race, gender, etc. Examines the causes and consequences of, and resistance to, urban segregation, focusing on diverse cities in different regions such as Africa, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, etc. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Examines how states engage with the global security architecture to address a range of contemporary security challenges. Taking a comparative perspective, we investigate key actors’ involvement with regional and international institutions such as the UN, NATO, and the EU. Issues may include disinformation, cybersecurity, outer space security, trafficking, and terrorism. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
The quality of institutions' exercises a crucial influence on the prospects for development. Aims are to interrogate this claim through analysis of different paths of economic growth and change across the developing world. Examination of the ways in which politics influences economic growth and distribution; the relationships between political systems and patterns of development; and the politics of institutions and state formation. Prerequisite: 90 units.
Reviews important current regional issues in Southeast Asia with particular attention to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Focuses upon the political Islamist movements that have swept much of the Middle East and North Africa since the mid-1970s. Examines a broad range of movements, from liberal to militant trends, drawing on the experiences of countries throughout the region. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HIST 151 or IS 315.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Critically considers why and how international development has been, and might be, pursued. Includes study of histories of development, theories of development, as well as policies, practices, different perspectives and outcomes of development. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 429 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Analyzes the origins and the economic consequences of globalization and the uneven process of economic development around the world in relation to poverty, by considering the measurement of poverty, its causes and dynamics, as well as public policy for poverty reduction. Prerequisite: 45 units.
Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term. Prerequisite: 45 units.
An examination of Latin America through historical, literary, and social scientific approaches. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: IS 209W or HIST 209W.
Explores diplomacy in its bilateral and multilateral forms, from the perspective of practitioners. Examines how diplomatic principles and procedures have been applied in various areas of global policy (e.g. human rights, peacemaking, climate change, and disarmament). Focuses on the development of diplomatic skills, such as analysis, reporting, and negotiation. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken IS 409 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.
Considers how the global economic recession of the late 2000s has coincided with the rise of global China. Examines the origins of Chinese international development, and its effects in receiving communities in Chinese internal frontiers and along China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for IS 419 under this topic may not take this course for further credit.