Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy



Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy Courses

MUN120H1 - Revolutions

Hours: 24L/8T

This course transcends time and place to delve into the overarching dynamics of revolution. This exploration of revolutions goes beyond simple chronology to uncover common threads that unite these transformative events. From the spirit that ignited the English Revolution to the fervor of the American Revolution, the course navigates through the social and political forces that reshaped societies. Students will dissect the emergence of radical change, tracing its evolution from the French Revolution to the Revolutions of 1848 and the birth of modern political ideologies. The course then navigates through the 20th century, from the Russian and Chinese Revolutions to the Cuban Revolution and the intricate web of Latin American revolutionary movements. Comparative analysis delves into the universal and unique aspects of these revolutions, offering students an understanding of the power and influence of these transformative moments.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

MUN195H1 - The Economics of Birth, Death and Everything in Between

Hours: 24L

Does welfare really encourage people to have more kids? How do contraception bans affect women’s work? Do new immigrants create competition that makes wages drop? Economic demography – applying economic analysis to the study of populations – can help us understand all these questions and more. Among other topics, this class will examine how pension systems, health care, immigration policy and economic growth, marriage and divorce laws and women’s labor force participation relate to public policy.

Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

MUN196H1 - Somebody’s Watching Me: The Global Politics of Surveillance

Hours: 24L

From security cameras and cell phones, to drones and social media, our data are collected in countless ways. But who controls our data? Do we have a right to privacy? Does mass surveillance make us safer?

This course invites students to explore the global politics of mass surveillance, and the role played by states, big tech, police, activists, and ordinary people. Through in-class discussion and analytical writing assignments, students will engage with surveillance studies through many dimensions, including public policy, human rights, international relations, economics, technological development, and race, class, and gender.

Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

MUN197H1 - Strong States or Weak Parties?

Hours: 24L

This course will introduce the study of Europe by exploring the political history of European authoritarianism, and resistance to it, from the 1930s right up to the present day. The accent will be on the present: we will seek to explain the growing appeal of populist authoritarianism seven decades after World War II, the Holocaust, and the defeat of German Nazism and Italian fascism. Are current politics in Europe a matter of back to the future? Or is there something new? Is there one authoritarianism in Europe or multiple?

Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

MUN198H1 - Digital Technologies and Human Rights

Hours: 24L

What are digital technologies, exactly? How do we govern them? Do they threaten or protect human rights? In this course, we’ll look at the Internet, advanced computing, ‘Big Data’ analytics, and artificial intelligence – the technologies which form the basis of everything from facial recognition software to home appliances to social media. We’ll consider how to govern and use these technologies, and the consequences of those choices for global human rights. Evaluation is based on essays, a presentation, and class participation. There is no exam.

Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

MUN200H1 - Understanding Global Controversies

Hours: 24L/12T

This course provides students from different programs with a forum to discuss and engage with major global issues within the framework of thematic and regional studies and with comparative and multidisciplinary perspectives. Because this course will be team-taught by Munk faculty from the Humanities and Social Sciences, it will provide students with an introduction to interdisciplinary studies. The course envisions examining several topics which will be based on current global controversies including climate change, sustainability, inequality, democracy, migration and conflict.

This course is restricted to second-year students who have either completed MUN105Y1 or enrolled in one of the following programs: American Studies Major; American Studies Minor; Contemporary Asian Studies Major; Contemporary Asian Studies Minor; European Affairs Major (formerly European Studies Major); European Affairs Minor (formerly European Union Studies Minor); Peace, Conflict and Justice Major; Peace, Conflict and Justice Specialist; Major in Public Policy; South Asian Studies Minor.

Prerequisite: MUN105Y1 or enrolled in at least one of the following programs: American Studies Major (ASMAJ0135); American Studies Minor (ASMIN0135); Contemporary Asian Studies Major (ASMAJ0235); Contemporary Asian Studies Minor (ASMIN0235); European Affairs Major (formerly European Studies Major) [ASMAJ1626 (formerly ASMAJ1625)]; European Affairs Minor (formerly European Union Studies Minor) [ASMIN1626 (formerly ASMIN1011)]; Peace, Conflict and Justice Major (ASMAJ1228); Peace, Conflict and Justice Specialist (ASSPE1228); Major in Public Policy (ASMAJ2660); South Asian Studies Minor (ASMIN1333)
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

MUN310H1 - Independent Study in Global Affairs & Public Policy

This course is an independent research project on a global affairs or public policy topic. Students must find a faculty supervisor appointed at the Munk School, submit a proposal, and receive approval for the project. Contact hours with the supervisor may vary, but typically comprise one hour per week.

To enrol, please contact the Munk School Undergraduate Program Director at UndergraduateDirector.munkschool@utoronto.ca to request an application form, which should be filled out in consultation with the faculty supervisor and include a detailed description of the course topic, reading list, and assignments/marking scheme, at least three weeks before the start of term.

Prerequisite: MUN105Y1/ MUN200H1, or enrolled in at least one of the following programs: American Studies Major (ASMAJ0135); American Studies Minor (ASMIN0135); Contemporary Asian Studies Major (ASMAJ0235); Contemporary Asian Studies Minor (ASMIN0235); European Affairs Major (formerly European Studies Major) [ASMAJ1626 (formerly ASMAJ1625)]; European Affairs Minor (formerly European Union Studies Minor) [ASMIN1626 (formerly ASMIN1011)]; Peace, Conflict and Justice Major (ASMAJ1228); Peace, Conflict and Justice Specialist (ASSPE1228); Major in Public Policy (ASMAJ2660); South Asian Studies Minor (ASMIN1333).
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

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