module specification

The principal aim of the module is to introduce students to the discipline of Political Science. It aims to examine some of its key concepts and a series of institutions that students may already be reasonably familiar with as citizens.

You will explore the basic theories and methods associated with the study of politics and introduces students to key concepts such as the political system, political culture and participation. You will then examine some of the key institutions of politics including political parties; pressure and interest groups; legislatures and executives. Other elements of Political Science including state constitutions; political economy and public policy and management contribute to the variety of topics covered to give students a broad introduction to some of the subject matter of the discipline.

It is a core module at certificate level for BA International Relations, BA International Relations (with Foundation Year), and BA International Relations and Politics degree courses.

None. Available for Study Abroad

The syllabus will include:

• Introduction
• Politics as an art and science. Political Science: its nature and status as an academic discipline; sub-disciplines; concepts and institutions of study
• Theories and Methods of Political Science
• Political Systems
• Political Culture
• Political Participation
• Parties, Elections and Voting
• Interest Groups
• Constitutions
• Legislatures
• Executives
• Public Policy and Management
• Political Economy
• Conclusion: Politics: the master science?

The module will be delivered through a semester length series of lectures, workshops and seminars. As well as exploring some of the subject matter of Political Science - including concepts and institutions - students will be encouraged to utilise methods, theories and models applicable to the discipline, and will be given advice to further develop effective written and oral communication skills. Employability is an ongoing theme throughout the module drawing on the transferable and practical skills gained through understanding of concepts, theories, approaches, models, institutions, and processes.

Teaching consists of a weekly one hour lecture followed by a one hour workshop and then a one hour seminar. Lectures will involve a combination of taught lectures, workshops exploring particular themes of Political Science, and the use of primary and secondary documents and websites. During the module seminars will combine a variety of methods including discussion based on pre-set questions and potentially role plays. Blended Learning will be a key component of the module, building on existing face-to-face contact time via a virtual environment, and offering additional resources for students to develop further their subject specific knowledge and transferable skills. Lecture notes and primary and secondary documents for use in class will be posted on line, as will web links for academic, governmental and non-governmental websites. All lectures are recorded weekly to provide an additional resource for students on Weblearn

Materials for use in class will be posted at least one week in advance on line to allow students to reflect on the subject and prepare. Questions for class discussion will be available from the beginning of the module via the Module Booklet available on Weblearn, that will include a list of resources students can use to answer questions and study the subject in greater depth.

Further skills development will form a central component of the module, including specific workshop sessions on assessment preparation and writing.

The transferable employability skills students should have developed include:
• The ability to communicate effectively in speech (the ability to work under pressure in seminars, where students must demonstrate the ability to respond to questions orally) and writing (for example, writing the short essay using commonly accepted standards of definition, analysis, grammatical prose, and documentation);
• Research skills, including the ability to synthesise and analyse arguments, to read and understand texts on Political Science and to exercise critical judgement;
• The capacity to work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time-management, as well as co-operating with other students such as in seminars to achieve common goals.

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge of Political Science and cognate theories, methods, models and approaches
2. provide empirically informed analysis of the concepts and institutions of study of Political Science covered in the module
3. present and defend their views and findings clearly and coherently in seminar discussion
4. demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of Political Science via the in course test.
5. research, organise and write in a lucid, reasoned and cogent manner a short essay on a chosen topic of Political Science.

The module is assessed through a variety of instruments. 50% of the assessment is allocated to a short essay of 1000 words that students select from a set of topics made available at the start of the module. 25% of the assessment is allocated to a short 40 minute in course test on topics covered in the first half of the module syllabus. The remaining 25% of the assessment is allocated to the student’s performance in weekly seminars throughout the module.

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