course-details-portlet

POL3502

Causes of War

Choose study year
Credits 15
Level Second degree level
Course start Autumn 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Assignment with adjusting oral exam

About

About the course

Course content

The course provides an overview of the most important theories and empirical studies on the causes and consequenses of political unrest, internal armed conflicts and interstate wars.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall:

  • have knowledge about the terms, theories and empirical research concerning the causes and consequenses of armed conflicts
  • have knowledge of central trends concerning armed conflicts and important explanations
  • have knowledge of current data within peace and conflict research

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

  • treat one of the topics covered in the course in an independent analytical text (comparative analysis, syntheses, replication) which fulfills the requirements for scientific writing
  • orally discuss and reflect over one's own written work and topics covered in the lectures

Learning methods and activities

Lectures/group discussions, 4 hours per week throughout the semester. Supervision of the term paper takes place mainly as a part of the seminars. If 6 or fewer students attend the course the two first weeks of teaching, the course will be offered as an individual study course with supervision. Please contact the departement for further information.

Compulsory assignments

  • Give prepared comments on another student's term paper
  • Presentation of outline and first draft of the term paper

Further on evaluation

Form of assessment: Term paper and oral examination. Length of term paper: 6000-8000 words. The oral exam covers the term paper as well as readings. The oral exam will be used to adjust the term paper's grade by a maximum of one grade. Both the term paper and the oral exam must be retaken at a repeat of the exam.

Required previous knowledge

60 credits including SOS1002 or an equivalent course in research methods. The requirement must be fulfilled to be admitted to the course.

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
SVPOL342 15 sp
POL8502 10 sp Spring 2006
POL3519 7.5 sp Autumn 2013
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Social Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Political Science

Contact information

Course coordinator

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Sociology and Political Science

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Assignment with adjusting oral exam
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025

Assignment with adjusting oral exam
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Assignment with adjusting oral exam
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment