Sovereignty is a key concept in the theory and practice of politics. What does it mean to be sovereign? Who or what is a sovereign subject? How is sovereignty contested and by whom? This course examines sovereignty as a legal principle, a historical phenomenon, and a political claim. We will examine the origins of state sovereignty and its transformation over time. We will also examine different expressions of sovereignty, including for example, postcolonial, Indigenous and animal sovereignty, and the concrete struggles they entail. The course will enable students to critically engage with the theory and practice of sovereignty at stake in major political questions of our time, including migration and border control, decolonization, and human/non-human relations. After the first week of the semester, permission of the instructor will be required in order to register for this course.