Course description
Offered as a distance-delivered, course-based program, the Master of International Trade brings together practical hands-on experience with academic expertise in a unique and innovative interdisciplinary approach to international trade. Addressing a range of political, economic, commercial, technological, legal, and social issues, the program is designed for professionals and practitioners currently engaged in international trade and trade policy in government, international organizations, and the private sector, as well as students interested in pursuing a career in international trade.
Core Courses
The Master of International Trade program consists of nine online courses:
INTR 801 - Research Methods in International Trade Policy *
Research Methods in International Trade Policy provides you with the analytical skills required to make sense of the vast literature on international trade, much of which presents data in sophisticated ways, reports the results of the use of at least rudimentary and often quite sophisticated statistical techniques, and may even be the result of mathematical modeling. You will have the opportunity to apply some of the statistical techniques to actual data. By the end of the course, you will be conversant with the concepts used in discourse about international trade. Research Methods in International Trade Policy is fundamentally about how to evaluate research undertaken by others. The course is not restricted to purely quantitative or qualitative approaches; rather the focus is on determining appropriate methodologies given specific research areas of interest.
INTR 802 - International Trade and Commercial Policy
This course is designed to provide you with the ability to analyze the economic effects arising from the constraints imposed by trade policies of individual countries and international trade agreements. It will provide you with the institutional background for major trade agreements and the tools of trade policy. You will learn how to evaluate proposed changes in trade policy as well as approaches to larger trade policy questions such as trade and the environment, the international protection of intellectual property and trade in services. You will learn how to asses policies such as tariffs, import quotas, trade barriers put in place to protect human, animal and plant health and safety, technical standards and subsidies. You will be able to distinguish between trade policies that provide economic protection for commercial interests and those that promote the general betterment of society. The course provides the basis for individuals, whether from the private sector, government, international organizations or non-government organizations, to understand the international trading environment in which they operate, how to anticipate and prepare for changes in trade regimes and how to devise suggestions for improvements in trade policy.
INTR 803 - International Trade Theory
Economic theory and evidence has provided support for improved trade relations among nations. This course will provide you an opportunity to understand the economic rationale, as well as the evidence, used to evaluate the effects of freer trade on national economics. We will take a thorough review of the major economic theories related to international trade. We will explore both classical theories of trade as well as new models of trade that stress increasing returns and market structure. By the end of the course, you will be able to identify the primary motivations for trade, the factors that promote trade, and the potential gains/losses from trade. You will also be able to critically examine claims made in the popular press regarding the effects, impact, and importance of trade in economic outcomes. An important component of this course will be an examination of original data to understand the role trade plays in economic events. By the end of the course, you will be able to find, use, and analyze trade relevant data for your own purposes.
INTR 804 - International Monetary Economics
National economies are linked through trade in goods as well as trade in financial assets. As trade in both sectors has increased, there has been a greater focus on the consequences of fluctuations in exchange rates and external balances on domestic firms, households, and governments. A critical aspect is the exchange rate regime chosen by governments. By the end of the course, you will be able to explain what determines exchange rates, the benefits and costs of alternative exchange rate regimes (fixed versus floating), and the efficacy of fiscal and monetary policy under different regimes. You will also be able to assess the causes and consequences of a currency crisis. You will use original data to understand the importance international money markets play in world economic events. By the end of the course you, will be able to find, use, and analyze international monetary data for your own purposes.
INTR 805 - Politics of International Trade
Because so much is at stake, politics, at both the domestic and international levels, plays a key role in international trade. In order to help contextualize the global significance of international trade politics, the course will provide you an overview of the key themes in the literature on globalization by exploring the views of some prominent scholars writing on the subject. Because of their importance in understanding international trade, the course will next focus on the trade policy decision making processes in such major countries as the United States, China, Japan and Canada, as well as in the EU. You will then examine the politics of trade at the international level where these and other countries, regional organizations as well as non-governmental organizations engaged in trade negotiations and trade policy-making in the WTO and other international organizations, as well as in the wider global context.
INTR 806 - International Trade Law
In this course you will examine the law of international trade in goods and services, focusing principally on the law of the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement. These agreements are part of a specialized sector of international law focused on liberalizing trade between its members. In this course, you will gain an understanding of the particular rules and disciplines contained in these agreements and gain an understanding of how these agreements influence the domestic regulatory choices of its member states. The course pays particular attention to the application of these legal rules and disciplines in legal decisions rendered in dispute resolution forums utilized to resolve trade disputes between its members. In this course you will also consider how the system of dispute resolution manages the relationship between trade and other objectives, such as environmental protection, health and product standards.
INTR 807 - International Sales and Finance Law (International Commercial Transactions)
As a participant in this course you will be introduced to legal concepts and operational principles relevant to transnational commercial transactions including the sources of private international law, the nature and roles of the various types of private international conventions (law treaties), international law as it relates to delivery of goods and payment, including the use of commercial letters of credit, the legal conceptual framework within which transnational secured financing occurs, the role of national courts in enforcing international commercial contracts and the legal and functional context within which international commercial arbitration occurs.
INTR 808 - International Business Environment
The globalization of business brings new opportunities and challenges to firms, governments and individuals. The challenge is to compete successfully in the global marketplace as it exists today and develops tomorrow. As new sectors become increasingly engaged in trade, new issues, such as intellectual property rights, e-business, and increasingly complex trade law are emerging. This course will provide you with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the dominant themes, problems and theories of international trade. It will explore the cultural, political, legal, financial, competitive, and physical environments in which international business must operate in the twenty-first century.
INTR 809 - The Management of Technology
The enormous research and development costs of advanced technologies - such as life science technologies - mean that international market access is vital for commercial success. The objective of the course is to provide you with an understanding of the strategic management of advanced technologies in the comparative context of differing market access rules. Of importance is the manner in which the commercialization of such products deals with the many linkages between trade rules and policy and other disciplines relating to the environment, labour, human rights, intellectual property protection, health and products standards, third world development and other facets of globalization.
Courses are delivered so part-time students can complete the program in two years. Students wishing to complete the program in this timeframe are advised to take two courses each fall term, two courses each winter term, and one course, INTR 808, offered over the spring/summer term. It is highly recommended that students do not enrol in a heavier course load if employed on a full-time basis. The program can be completed in one year of full-time study by taking four courses in each of the fall and winter terms and one in the spring/summer term.
*It is recommended that INTR 801 be taken before INTR 803 and 804.
