Course coordinator
Professor Matt McDonald
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course examines foreign policy and practices of diplomacy in international relations. We first examine theories of foreign policy before exploring the process of foreign policy formation, the role of different sets of actors in influencing foreign policy, key practices or sites of diplomacy and the role of ethical considerations in foreign policy. In the latter half of the course we apply these insights to a series of foreign policy case studies.
This course examines foreign policy and the practices of diplomacy in international relations. The first half of this course engages with debates about the origins, ethics and process of foreign policy formation, while the second half focuses on a series of case studies designed to illuminate key elements of foreign policy formation and the dynamics of diplomacy.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Restrictions
Course offering may be cancelled unless a minimum of 10 students enrol
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Matt McDonald
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
There will be 11 x 2 hour teaching activities commencing in Week 1.ﾠ
There will be 1 x 90 minute in class exam during class time (10am-11.30am) on Wednesday 15th October. You MUST be available in person for this exam.
Aims and outcomes
The seminars are designed to provide you with a broad knowledge of foreign policy and diplomacy. There is a strong emphasis in the course on the importance of developing theoretically-informed understanding of foreign policy and the practices of diplomacy in international relations, and applying this knowledge to particular case studies.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary practices of foreign policy formation and implementation
LO2.
Evaluate the origins, role, and efficacy of tools and practices of diplomacy
LO3.
Apply theories of international relations and foreign policy to particular case studies
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Policy Recommendation (1000 words)
|
25% |
29/08/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique |
Major Essay (3000 words)
|
45% |
26/09/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
In class exam
|
30% |
15/10/2025 10:00 am |
Assessment details
Policy Recommendation (1000 words)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
29/08/2025 2:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
Policy Recommendation: 2 x A4 page Ministerial Policy Recommendation (up to 1000 words).
Students will be asked to choose a country and a key foreign policy issue they are interested in (concerning that country) and recommend a policy change to the Foreign Minister in an area that falls under the Foreign Minister’s jurisdiction. The policy recommendation will need to consider the following in both the briefing itself and recommendations:
- Briefly outline current policy and rationale behind it;
- Clearly outline the change and the rationale for it;
- Note other key players and their likely reactions;
- Note like-minded states in the international system with whom the country concerned could potentially build a coalition;
- Outline domestic implications (eg costs);
- Note key domestic state-holders and their concerns.
In-text references are not appropriate for this piece of assessment, but you should ensure that you include a bibliography of sources that you consulted in preparing the assessment. Submission via Turnitin (via Blackboard) by 2pm Friday 29 August. Example policy recommendations, and a document of tips / frequently asked questions, will be made available on Blackboard.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Turnitin on Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Major Essay (3000 words)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
26/09/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Students will submit a 3000 word research essay on a foreign policy case study, with questions to be posted on Blackboard in the first weeks of semester. This will be due on Friday 26th September, 2pm. Excess word length (over 10%) will be penalised.
Questions will be made available on Blackboard or students can choose a question of their own in consultation with Matt. In the case of negotiating an alternative essay question, the topic and wording of the question must be agreed with Matt by 26th August. Students will be required to cite at least two (2) sources from the course reading list — failure to do so will incur a penalty of 10% = 4.5 marks.
Essays must be submitted through Turnitin (through Blackboard), an essay criteria sheet will be made available on Blackboard.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
In class exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
15/10/2025 10:00 am
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Students will sit an in-class, 90 minute examination on Wednesday 15th October at 10am. This examination will be composed of 30 short answer questions (worth 1 mark each). These questions will be correct / incorrect answers, hence criteria will not be available on Blackboard.
22 questions will be from the first six (5) foundational seminars of the semester on the topics: introduction to foreign policy (2 questions) traditional theories of foreign policy (4 questions); critical theories of foreign policy (4 questions); the processes of making foreign policy (4 questions); practices of diplomacy (4 questions); and ethics and foreign policy (4 questions). The remaining 8 questions will come from the case study seminar weeks on the topics: US and Cuban Missile Crisis (2 questions); China and Soft Power (2 questions); Turkey and the West (2 questions); and Climate Change (2 questions).
No material or devices (laptops, smart watches or phones) will be allowed for this exam, students are to bring writing material (ie pens) to complete the exam on the written exam script provided.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
NA - exam scripts will be collected from the exam venue
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
A deferred exam — if required — will be organised by the course coordinator in consultation with the student.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not address the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student addresses the question poorly and shows very little evidence of reading. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay and employs some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow appears throughout the assignment. The student addresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However, falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument and employs an adequate research base to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow is sustained throughout the essay. The student answers the question and shows evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides suitable evidence to support an argument and employs a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct, well supported fashion and shows evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic and provides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and succeeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employs significant research and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
1.ﾠ Failﾠ 1 - 19%
2. Failﾠ 20 - 44%
3. Failﾠ 45 - 49%
4. Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
5. Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
6. Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinctionﾠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Own copy required
You'll need to have your own copy of the following reading resources. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Book |
Foreign policy: theories, actors, cases
by Smith; S. A.; Hadfield; Amelia; Dunne; Timothy; Kitchen; Nicholas - 2024 Edition: Fourth edition Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 9780192863072 |
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Seminar |
WEEK 1 - Introduction
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Seminar |
WEEK 2: Traditional Theories of Foreign Policy Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 3: No Classes: Ekka Holiday |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Seminar |
WEEK 4: Critical Theories of Foreign Policy Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Seminar |
WEEK 5: Making Foreign Policy (with Dr Minran Liu) Key Questions for seminar discussion
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Seminar |
WEEK 6: Practices of Diplomacy Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Seminar |
WEEK 7: Ethics and Foreign Policy Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Seminar |
WEEK 8: Case Study 1: US & Cuban Missile Crisis Key Questions for seminar discussion
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Seminar |
WEEK 9: Case Study 2- China & Soft Power Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
MID SEMESTER BREAK |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Seminar |
WEEK 10: Case Study 3- Turkey & the West Key Questions for seminar discussion:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Seminar |
WEEK 11: In Class Examination A 90 minute in-person examination will be held in the normal seminar room from 10am on 15th October. See 'Assessment' for more details Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Seminar |
WEEK 12: Case Study: Climate Change Key Questions for seminar discussion
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Seminar |
WEEK 13: Conclusion and Review
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.