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Geopolitics
Communication, Journalism & Media Studies Program
Madrid, Spain
Dates: early Sep 2025 - mid Dec 2025
Geopolitics
OVERVIEW
CEA CAPA Partner Institution: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Location: Madrid, Spain
Primary Subject Area: Political Science
Instruction in: English
Course Code: 17689
Transcript Source: Partner Institution
Course Details: Level 200
Recommended Semester Credits: 3
Contact Hours: 42
DESCRIPTION
FIRST PART. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF GEOPOLITICS
TOPIC 1. GEOPOLITICS AS A DISCIPLINE: DEFINITIONS, CONCEPTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND SCHOOLS
1. Defining the object of Geopolitics.
2. Traditional subjects in geopolitical studies.
3. Geopolitics relationships to other fields.
4. Geographical features and global geopolitics: realist vs. idealist approaches.
TOPIC 2: REPRESENTATIONS OF GEOPOLITICAL FACTS: FROM CARTOGRAPHY TO POPULAR GEOPOLITICS
1. Analyzing representations in Geopolitics: concepts and methodology.
2. Cartography and geopolitics.
3. On different ways of regionalizing and imagining the world: geopolitical consequences.
4. Popular geopolitics and the mass media.
SECOND PART. TERRITORY, POWER AND CONFLICT IN TODAY'S WORLD
TOPIC 3. THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF WORLD'S POWER: GLOBAL GEOPOLITICAL THEORIES AND SYSTEMS
1. Power analysis form a geopolitical point of view.
2. Imperialist geopolitics' world view (1890-1945): maritime power and continental power.
3. Global geopolitical theories and systems during the Cold War (1945-1991).
4. Post-Cold War geopolitics: from unipolarity to multipolarity.
TOPIC 4. THE GEOPOLITICS OF CONFLICTS
1. The study of concepts from a geopolitical point of view: concepts, methods and sources.
2. Typology, cartography and evolution of geopolitical conflicts within post-Cold War world.
3. Explaining the world map of geopolitical conflicts.
4. Peace processes and conflict resolution: a geographical approach.
THIRD PART. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE STATE
TOPIC 5. THE STATE SYSTEM IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD POLITICAL MAP
1. The territorial state.
2. The formation of contemporary world political map: borders and state territorial dynamics.
3. Tendencies and prospect of evolution of world political map within the context of globalization.
TOPIC 6. THE TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE: MODELS, DIVISIONS AND IDEOLOGIES
1. The political-administrative organization of territory: introduction to state territorial models.
2. Territorial divisions and regionalization processes.
3. Territory and nationalism.
4. Landscape, ideology and identity.
FOURTH PART: INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS. THE CASE OF SPAIN
TOPIC 7. EXTERNAL GEOPOLITICS OF TODAY'S SPAIN: GENERAL OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER
1. Methods of regional geopolitics.
2. Geopolitical features of Spanish territory. Spain's position in the world.
3. Spain as EU external border: geopolitical and territorial implications.
TOPIC 1. GEOPOLITICS AS A DISCIPLINE: DEFINITIONS, CONCEPTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND SCHOOLS
1. Defining the object of Geopolitics.
2. Traditional subjects in geopolitical studies.
3. Geopolitics relationships to other fields.
4. Geographical features and global geopolitics: realist vs. idealist approaches.
TOPIC 2: REPRESENTATIONS OF GEOPOLITICAL FACTS: FROM CARTOGRAPHY TO POPULAR GEOPOLITICS
1. Analyzing representations in Geopolitics: concepts and methodology.
2. Cartography and geopolitics.
3. On different ways of regionalizing and imagining the world: geopolitical consequences.
4. Popular geopolitics and the mass media.
SECOND PART. TERRITORY, POWER AND CONFLICT IN TODAY'S WORLD
TOPIC 3. THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF WORLD'S POWER: GLOBAL GEOPOLITICAL THEORIES AND SYSTEMS
1. Power analysis form a geopolitical point of view.
2. Imperialist geopolitics' world view (1890-1945): maritime power and continental power.
3. Global geopolitical theories and systems during the Cold War (1945-1991).
4. Post-Cold War geopolitics: from unipolarity to multipolarity.
TOPIC 4. THE GEOPOLITICS OF CONFLICTS
1. The study of concepts from a geopolitical point of view: concepts, methods and sources.
2. Typology, cartography and evolution of geopolitical conflicts within post-Cold War world.
3. Explaining the world map of geopolitical conflicts.
4. Peace processes and conflict resolution: a geographical approach.
THIRD PART. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE STATE
TOPIC 5. THE STATE SYSTEM IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD POLITICAL MAP
1. The territorial state.
2. The formation of contemporary world political map: borders and state territorial dynamics.
3. Tendencies and prospect of evolution of world political map within the context of globalization.
TOPIC 6. THE TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE: MODELS, DIVISIONS AND IDEOLOGIES
1. The political-administrative organization of territory: introduction to state territorial models.
2. Territorial divisions and regionalization processes.
3. Territory and nationalism.
4. Landscape, ideology and identity.
FOURTH PART: INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS. THE CASE OF SPAIN
TOPIC 7. EXTERNAL GEOPOLITICS OF TODAY'S SPAIN: GENERAL OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER
1. Methods of regional geopolitics.
2. Geopolitical features of Spanish territory. Spain's position in the world.
3. Spain as EU external border: geopolitical and territorial implications.