Teaching International Relations at the University of St Andrews (Scotland)

This paper contributes to a collaborative project involving university educators from around the world entitled “Adapting IR for Diverse Contexts.” Our objective is primarily descriptive and reflective rather than argumentative. We begin by describing the evolution and current structure of teaching within the School of International Relations, with particular emphasis on the sub-honours programme as the formative introduction to the academic field of IR. We then address key considerations concerning the organisation of substantive content and assessment, and link these to three guiding pedagogic considerations: appropriate sequencing of material; enhancing academic skills training; and improving diversity in instructional provision.