Course Description

Core Courses

Core Courses

APS600 Foundation Asia-Pacific Studies 3 Credits
This course introduces the key concepts from the main disciplines of the program. The course will be divided into three parts: international economics, international relations, and international law. International economics includes trade theories and policies, regional trade agreements, labor and capital movement, and international finance. International relations covers the main concepts, ideas, and analytical tools necessary to understand the relationships among countries, major concerns, issues, and players in world politics. Lastly, international law covers the essential concepts of international law and institutions, including the sources of international law, the use of force, international human rights, international business transactions, and international economic law. Various case studies of issues in international economics, international relations, and international law such as Economic integration in Asia Pacific region, international relations among China, USA, ASEAN, North Korea, South Korea, and Convention on the territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, etc.
     
APS611  Economic Integration in the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
The course is a discussion on the relationship between states, institutions and economies in the region, as well as development of regional integration and comparative perspectives on regional integration schemes. The topics covered international cooperation arrangements and organizations, approaches to regional economic integration of major players in the region, the political and non-political objectives of integration, and the economic aspects of multinational corporations.
     
APS612 Dynamism of the Thai Economy 3 Credits 
The main focus of this course is on the relationship between economic development and the state. The course includes the dynamism of Thailand’s development path and reveals the factors that influence state intervention in the Thai economy, e.g. policy-making, policy lobbying, geographical and socioeconomic characteristics and the interplay between politics and economics that has shaped Thailand in the past. The course is not economic history; instead, it emphasizes events and problems, politics and governance, economics, and society.  
     
APS621 Political, Security, and Defense Strategies in the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
The course gives an overview of issues and challenges in international security, defense strategy, and security policy with respect to the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a shift in the balance of power and also being challenged by various non-traditional security issues. The most important are the rebalancing of US strategy towards Asia, Chinese military modernization, Japan and Republic of Korea’s increasing involvement and influence, and their contribution to the changing global landscape. Moreover, the balance of power in Southeast Asia will be affected as various ASEAN countries – including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore – rapidly expand their military capacity and develop their defense industries. The nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula is another destabilizing force. The course will look at the key players in the region, including the two superpowers - the United States and China - and middle powers such as Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Republic of Korea. Other issues discussed include military and political cooperation in the region, and the roles and objectives of ASEAN. Lastly, non-traditional security issues – including irregular migration, drug trafficking, terrorism, and natural disasters – will be discussed.
     
APS631 International Law and Regional Architecture 3 Credits
The course introduces students to public international law and institutions by examining the treaties establishing them, law-making processes, law enforcement, international organizations, the law of the seas, human rights law, and international economic law. The course focuses on the issues within the Asia-Pacific context, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, bilateral agreements, dispute settlement mechanisms, principles of regional integration schemes such as ASEAN, and legal basis of regional architecture. Regional agreements as well as financial architecture established in the region are also introduced, such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and other bilateral Free Trade Agreements particularly and issues in political economy behind these architectures.  
     
APS681 Research Methodology 3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to familiarize student with research process in field of Asia-Pacific Studies, both qualitative and quantitative research, and also help formalize their own research interests.  In class, students will explore how to develop a research problem and research purpose, how to evaluate and choose research methodology, how to develop a theoretical framework and conduct empirical field research. Students will also learn how to critically present and discuss research issues arise in the thesis as well as how to write up their working paper, thesis, and defend their thesis.
     
Selective Core Courses

Selective Core Courses

APS 641 Contemporary Issues in Asia-Pacific 3 Credits
Contemporary Issues in Asia-Pacific aims at broadening students’ understanding of specific countries or regions and provides an interdisciplinary introduction to various aspects of modern history, politics, economics, society, culture, and people. This subject covers ASEAN/Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Latin America, and USA, etc.
     
APS 642 Public Policy Studies 3 Credits
This course aims to provide students with a multi-disciplinary knowledge of public policy and related interdisciplinary studies, including public management, economics, political sciences, and international relations. Students will be introduced to the theories, governmental institutions, and processes by which public policies are created and implemented. The policy-making process will be examined in detail, in particular the evolution of an idea, enactment of legislation, program implementation and evaluation. Students will also learn a set of conceptual frameworks for analyzing the political environment of public policy and do exercises in creating effective strategies for policy analysis, program evaluation, policy design, and advocacy.
     
Elective Courses

Elective Courses

1. Elective Courses: Integrated Subjects Group
     
APS613 International Business of the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
This course is a comparative study of business in the Asia-Pacific region. It aims at introducing students to the business organization and management characteristics in Asia-Pacific countries, business organizations and conglomerates, business practices, institutional environments as well as cultural background. The main emphasis is on northeast Asian countries and ASEAN.  
     
APS 614 Issues in Trade Policy 3 Credits
This course explores key trade policy issues and its implications facing Asia-Pacific. Due to the changing in economic and market conditions, the development of new technologies and the rising of the new trade power - Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) of are among factors that altering the rule governing trade.  This course will discuss the problems at the WTO, concerns about Protectionism, Economic Decline and New Economic Powers, the rise of free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties, regionalism, the spaghetti bowl, and other related international trade issues such as how governments make trade policy and view FTAs, trade and human rights, and trade through the internet.
     
APS619 Selected Topics in International Economics 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in International Economics. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration. 
     
APS622 Comparative Politics and Governments of ASEAN 3 Credits
This course will provide a broad survey of the domestic politics and government of the ASEAN countries. It serves as an introduction to the systematic, comparative, and theoretical analysis of politics and government, including such considerations as scope and methods of the discipline; the nature of politics and governments: foundation political theories; constitutionalism; public opinion; representation; political behavior; political institutions; and international relations. Students will also assess how countries differ in terms of their political systems, governmental structures, patterns of political behavior, political culture, and patterns of political change in ASEAN. The course will draw on the experiences in the region as an entry into some of the core debates in political science/comparative policies/political economy.
     
APS623 Comparative Politics and Governments of the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
This course provides a general comparative overview of politics and governmental systems in the Asia-Pacific region. It offers an introduction to the systematic, comparative, and theoretical analysis of politics and government, including such considerations as scope and methods of the discipline; the nature of politics and governments: foundation political theories; constitutionalism; public opinion; representation; political behavior; political institutions; and international relations. Students will also assess how countries differ in terms of their political systems, governmental structures, patterns of political behavior, political culture, and patterns of political change in Asia-Pacific.
     
APS624 International Relations and Foreign Policy in ASEAN 3 Credits
This course provides an overview of the domestic and international sources of ASEAN foreign policy and political experiences that shape contemporary foreign policy decision-making. It examines the history and politics of ASEAN regionalism with a specific focus on ASEAN plus and various international relations and foreign policy issues.
     
APS625 International Relations and Foreign Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
This course will introduce students to the international relations of the Asia-Pacific region, i.e., the relations of the region’s component parts, both inter se and with external powers, such as the United States, Russia, etc. It will also examine how leaders of different countries in the Asia-Pacific region make foreign policy decisions on different issues, such as trade, aid, military intervention, global environment and so forth. In the first part, the course examines IR Theory and the Asia-Pacific region. In the second part, the course examines the levels of analysis and the formation of foreign policy and evaluates the processes by which foreign policy decisions are made.
     
APS 629 Selected Topics in International Relations 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in International Relations. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS632 International Disputes and Settlements 3 Credits
The goal of this course is to acquaint students with the entire procedure used for resolving international disputes. Students will be familiarized with international negotiation, mediation, international dispute and settlement mechanisms such as conciliation and mediation, and informal dispute and settlement.
     
APS633 International Law of the Sea 3 Credits
This course covers the historical development and principles of international laws of the seas, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), law instruments, zones of jurisdiction, the Exclusive Economic Zone, the international treaties concerning the management, the use, and the exploitation of the resources of the seas and oceans, bodies established by UNICLOS as well as the interplay between law and politics in this area. Students will also acquire the basic knowledge of legal matters relating to ocean policy, marine insurance, commercial shipping and its regulation.
     
APS639 Selected Topic in International Law 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in International Law. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS643 Telecommunication Development Policies in the Asia-Pacific Region 3 Credits
The main discussion topic of this course is an overview of the Asia-Pacific information infrastructure from policy, social, business and technology perspectives. It intends to familiarize students with basic public policy issues in Telecommunications industry including freedom of expression, intellectual property, competition policy and other forms of economic regulation, access and affordability, privacy and security, public sector information policy, and standardizationin selected Asia-Pacific countries. The key concepts from economics, law, and political science will be applied as a tool to analyze telecommunication and information policy issues and understand the governmental and regulatory processes through which policy decisions are made.
     
2. Elective Courses: Area Study Group
 
2.1 Subjects Concern Countries’ Development
     
APS 651 Development Path of ASEAN/Southeast Asia 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the ASEAN/Southeast Asia. The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
APS 652 Development Path of Australia and New Zealand 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the Australia and New Zealand. The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
APS 653 Development Path of Japan and Republic of Korea 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the Japan and Republic of Korea. The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
APS 654 Development Path of Latin America 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the Latin America. The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
APS 655 Development Path of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
and Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan)		 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan). The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
APS 656 Development Path of the USA 3 Credits
The course introduces student to economic development path of the USA. The history of economic development will be discussed in detail, covering important events and critical junctures leading to change of development path. The contents also include industrialization process and dynamism of economic structure, trade and development policies and policy reforms, the role of market and other economic institutions, and political economy of economic development.
     
2.2 Subjects in Selected Topic Group
     
APS 661 Selected Topics in Asia-Pacific 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in Asia Pacific Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 662 Selected Topics in ASEAN/Southeast Asia Studies 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in ASEAN/Southeast Asia Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 663 Selected Topics in Australia and New Zealand Studies 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in Australia and New Zealand Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 664 Selected Topics in Japan and Korea Studies 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in Japan and Korea Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 665 Selected Topic in Latin America Studies 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in Latin America Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 666 Selected Topic in the People’s Republic of China
and Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan)		 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in the People’s Republic of China and Republic of China (ROC-Taiwan) Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
APS 667 Selected Topic in USA Studies 3 Credits
This course is designed to cover a specialized topic in USA Studies. The topic(s) to be covered will vary from semester to semester and depend on the interest and expertise of regular or visiting staff members. Topics will be announced by the program prior to course registration.
     
3. Elective Courses: Practical Skills & Capacity Building Group
     
APS671 Quantitative Methods for Trade Policy Analysis 3  Credits
The course provides students with the quantitative grounding necessary for the analysis of trade policy. The content includes an introduction to basic econometric methodology, the gravity model of trade, the application of STATA and various trade databases, and the analysis of trade policy at firm-level. Training on computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling for trade policy distortions is also included.
     
APS672 Trade Negotiation Skills and World Trade Organization 3  Credits
The course consists of two parts. The first section discusses the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the organization facilitating multilateral trading systems; the economics, political, and legal implications of the WTO; and how it contributes to economic development. The second section provides students with essential knowledge for trade negotiations at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including pre-negotiation planning, appropriate trade negotiation strategies and tactics, and the monitoring and managing of the negotiation process.
     
APS673 Trade and Investment Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region 3  Credits
The course familiarizes students with the trade and investment policies of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The contents include the rationale for trade and foreign investment in the region, economic environments in the Asia-Pacific, trading institutions, and particularly trade and investment policy instruments used by countries in the region. Current issues, including the importance of the region in global supply chain and regional trade agreements, will also be discussed.
     
Thesis

Thesis

APS 800 Thesis 12 Credits
The thesis provides an opportunity for students to conduct research in their own area of interest. Topics can be selected from five areas: Japan and Republic of Korea, PRC and Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, ASEAN/Southeast Asian Studies, and Telecommunication Policy and Development in the Asia-Pacific region. The thesis course will involve close collaboration between supervisor and student. Students are expected to present weekly progress in the workshop sessions organized by the program.
     

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