Course Catalogue

The (Geo)Politics of Infectious Disease GEOG4139

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2 (Alternate Years)
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course introduces students to the complicated and continually unfolding relationship between disease and geopolitics by drawing on historical examples that continue to shape our imagining of disease, as well as policy and everyday practice, and current examples that prompt new concerns and ways of managing disease. In the process we discuss how infection, contagion, containment and treatment have been differently understood over time and space, and how these understandings have intersected with concerns around health, security, sovereignty and ethics.

Timetable

2 hours of timetabled lectures (on-campus) per week over 10 weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Students should have completed Level 2 Geography at minimum of grade C3

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

1. Seen Examination (50%)

2. Coursework Essay (50%)

Main Assessment In: April/May

Course Aims

This course aims to

■ introduce the nature of infectious disease emergence and how this has been understood in historical and contemporary settings;

■ introduce the (geo)political dimensions of infectious diseases;

■ explore attempts to contain and manage the threats of disease outbreak.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Discuss different geographies of infectious disease;

■ Evaluate historical practices of containment of infectious disease threat;

■ Explain the international politics of infectious diseases;

■ Critically assess the links between infectious disease, health, sovereignty, security, and ethics.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions