Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

1)   To introduce the concepts and principles that underpin politics and IR informed by research that fosters critical and independent thought, enabling students to engage in politics as citizens and actors in the global political arena.

2)   To introduce students to debates about ‘who gets what, when, how and why’ in domestic and international realms and hone their analytic tools to determine the legitimacy of these distributions.

3)   To engage students in debates about national and international events , institutions and ideas and the methodological and theoretical assumptions which underpin political arguments .

4)   To familiarise students with key concepts in politics and international relations , including power, justice, accountability, order, conflict, cooperation, violence, sovereignty, governance and decision-making.

5)   To combine the study of politics and IR with related disciplines in humanities and social sciences and to enable students to extend, apply and/or reflect on their learning through training in the UK or abroad and/or through the study of a modern language.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

• QAA Benchmarking statements for Politics and International Relations

• Framework for Higher Education Qualifications

• University Learning and Teaching Strategy

• School Learning and Teaching policies

• The research interests and specialisms of the teaching staff and their professional involvement in the discipline

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

K1. discuss the nature and characteristics of a variety of political and international issues, ideas and phenomena;

K2. analyse the social, economic and historical context in which political systems evolve and operate;

K3. explain competing interpretations of national and international political issues and events;

K4. apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of politics and IR to analyse political ideas, institutions and practices.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

C1. choose appropriate methods to investigate key issues and events in politics and international relations;

C2. evaluate political opinions, ideas and events and defend personal preferences through reasoned argument;

C3. illustrate analyses of politics and international relations with appropriate evidence and examples;

C4. use argument and analysis to propose solutions to complex problems

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

P1. use information technology to retrieve information from a variety of primary and secondary sources;

P2. use information technology to communicate ideas orally, visually and in writing;

P3. undertake independent research under supervision;

P4. organise personal learning and development self-critically

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

 T1. use constructive criticism to improve and strengthen work;

T2. work independently, demonstrating initiative and the ability to manage time and resources effectively;

T3. comprehend unfamiliar ideas through individual research and effort;

T4. express abstract ideas, political phenomena and events, fluently and with sophistication, to lay and specialist audiences;

T5. evaluate alternative solutions to complex problems;

T6. collaborate with others for collective benefit and knowledge advancement.

4. Programme structure

Politics and International Relations

This is a three-year long full-time degree programme.  In each of the three parts (years) of the degree (A, B and C), students take modules amounting to 120 credits with a minimum modular weight of 50 credits in each Semester, taking into account compulsory, optional and elective modules.

In addition, students have the opportunity to undertake a Placement Year (Part I) after Part B.

Important Note: No module may be taken and passed more than once.  Optional module availability is subject to timetabling constraints and optional modules may be subject to change.

Part A – Introductory Modules

The split of credits between Semesters in this Part will typically be 60:60  

(i) Compulsory Modules (total modular weight 100 Credits)

(ii) Optional Modules (total modular weight 20 Credits)

Students must choose 20 Credits of optional modules from:

Part B – Degree Modules

EITHER

(a) Standard Route

(i) Compulsory Modules (total modular weight 20 Credits)

(ii) Optional Modules (total modular weight 100 Credits)

Students should choose modules in Politics and International Relations with a minimum modular weight of 40 Credits each. Group 1 contains Politics modules and Group 2 contains International Relations Modules.

Students also have the option of selecting 20 Credits from Group 3. Choices of modules from this Group will be subject to satisfying any pre-requisites set out in individual module specifications.

Combinations of modules of the same titles but with different credit-weightings are mutually exclusive.

Group 1 – Politics

Group 2 – International Relations

Group 3 – Elective Modules

OR

(b) International Semester Route

Students may replace the modules required for Part B Semester 2 with an approved course of study taught in English at a foreign University.  In Semester 2, students will undertake assessed work equivalent to 50 credits, as required by Politics and International Studies, along with a Distance Learning Research Design module. Students who opt for this route must ensure that they have selected a total of 60 Credits in Semester 1.

(i) Compulsory Modules (total modular weight 70 Credits)

(ii) Optional Modules (total modular weight 50 Credits)

Students should choose modules in Politics and International Relations with a minimum modular weight of 20 Credits each. Group 1 contains Politics modules, and Group 2 contains International Relations modules. Students also have the option of selecting 10 Credits from Group 4 - choices of modules from this Group will be subject to satisfying any pre-requisites set out in individual module specifications.

Combinations of modules of the same titles but with different credit-weightings are mutually exclusive.

Group 1 – Politics

Group 2 – International Relations

Group 3 – Elective Modules

Part I

Students will undertake one of the following approved study and/or work placements leading to the Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) or Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) in accordance with Regulation XI.

Part C – Degree Modules

(i) Compulsory Module (total modular weight 40 Credits)

(ii) Optional Modules (total modular weight 80 Credits)

Students should choose modules in Politics and International Relations with a modular weight of 40 credits each.  Group 1 contains Politics Modules and Group 2 contains International Relations modules.  Group 3 modules count as either subject.

Students also have the option of selecting 20 Credits from Group 4. Choices of modules from this Group will be subject to satisfying any pre-requisites set out in individual module specifications. These Credits can be used as a substitute for 20 of the 40 Credits in either component.

Group 1 – Politics

Group 2 – International Relations

Group 3 – Politics and International Relations

Group 4

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

5.1 In order to progress from Part A to Part B, from Part B to C, and to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, candidates must not only satisfy the minimum credit requirements set out in Regulation XX but also achieve a module mark of at least 30% in all modules in each Part.

5.2 Provision will be made in accordance with Regulation XX for candidates who have the right of reassessment in any Part of the programme to undergo re-assessment in the University's special assessment period.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification

Candidates' final degree classification will be determined on the basis of their performance in degree level Module Assessments in Parts B and C. The percentage mark for each Part will be combined in the ratio Part B 40%, Part C 60% to determine the final programme percentage mark.