Programme Specifications

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Politics and International Relations

September 2023

International Relations is about who gets what, how they get it and why. It is about the international system, relationships between nation states, global resources, international cooperation, inequality and conflict. International Relations is fundamentally interdisciplinary, drawing on several subjects including Politics, History, Philosophy, Law, geography and Sociology. The programme encompasses philosophical, historical, theoretical and empirical questions and concerns. The multiple dimensions of International Relations are considered in a core framework of modules that provide the foundations of an undergraduate specialism in the subject matter, together with a range of optional modules which allow students to engage with issues which capture their interest. All modules are taught by research-active staff who thrive on the opportunity to engage students with their work (published, and in progress). The programme aims to produce students with the necessary skills to analyse and reflect on the subject matter of the degree scheme as well as acquire a broad range of transferable skill. Skills in this subject will be, we believe, valuable for future employers and the wider civil society. International Relations offers a distinct understanding of the world in which we live as well as the problems it confronts.

The learning outcomes of this programme are designed to meet the expectations of the Benchmarking Statement for Politics and International Relations. The structure and the delivery of the degree scheme recognizes the need to achieve an appropriate balance between the acquisition of subject specific knowledge, and the development of discipline specific and generic skills. Integrating these two components is a central feature of the learning outcomes. The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge, understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

A knowledge and understanding of:

• A1. The evolution of the international system from Westphalia to the present day

• A2. Key debates in the history of International Relations as a discipline

• A3. The core theories and concepts in the field

• A4. The main structures and processes in world politics, including knowledge of regional dynamics, regimes and institutions

• A5. The key actors in international relations

• A6. The key dynamics, processes and problems facing contemporary Global Politics.

• A7. How these approaches help us to explain and understand events in the world

Teaching/learning and assessment methods:

Acquisition of 1-7 is through lectures, seminars, assessed coursework, exams and independent research. Students also learn through participation in discipline-specific student societies and public lectures as well as through other public resources such as newsprint media, TV, radio and the internet. Throughout, students are encouraged to undertake independent reading to supplement, consolidate and broaden individual knowledge and understanding of the subject. Knowledge and understanding (1-7) is tested through a combination of unseen and pre-seen written examinations (1-7), essays (1-7), dissertation (1-7, depending upon topic) and may, depending on option choices, include seminar presentations, reports, literature searches, book or film reviews, e-portfolios, learning logs or blogs. Students also learn through self-reflection when completing their entries to the Careers Development Programme.

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills:

• B1. Identify, describe and evaluate different approaches

• B2. Identify and research issues

• B3. Apply concepts, theories and ideas to concrete cases

• B4. Identify, investigate and formulate solutions to intellectual problems

• B5. Critically reason, analyse and interpret data and ideas

• B6. Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind

• B7. Reflect on experience of learning and adjust intellectual strategies accordingly

• B8. The ability to apply acquired knowledge to solving hypothetical or actual problems

• B9. The ability to distinguish relevance and irrelevance

• B10. Recognition that problems often have more than one solution

Teaching and learning methods and assessment:

While lectures introduce students to topics and ideas, the development of intellectual skills takes place when students engage with the topic themselves and interact with others in the intellectual learning community both during discussions (in seminars, where tutors seek to guide and develop intellectual skills, and wider public debate), and in the process of reading and writing notes, essays or examinations. Reflection and self assessment are also integral to the learning of intellectual skills. Tutors form impressions of, and assess, a student's ability and progress through contact with students in seminars and in the assessment of written work. Intellectual skills (1-10) are assessed primarily in essay and examination performance, plus the other methods of assessment set out above. The published assessment criteria reflect these intellectual skills that in turn are mirrored in the feedback to students. Students can assess their own performance by gauging their rate of progress in comparison to that of their peers, and in the light of tutor's comments. Students are free to discuss the informal development and assessment of such skills during staff office hours. Personal learning (7) is not formally assessed but relative success is reflected in a student's ability to improve over time. Personal learning is also enhanced through engagement with the Careers Development Programme process.

10.2.2 Professional Practical Skills:

• C1. Seek, extract and effectively annotate information from a range of sources

• C2. Prioritise and organise information and deploy it as evidence in argument

• C3. Plan, undertake and complete written work (to strict deadlines) suitable for different audiences or tasks

• C4. Identify and retrieve relevant and up to date information

• C5. Collate information and arguments at short notice to answer specific questions

• C6. Express informed opinions through written work and discussion.

• C7. Listen and respond appropriately to the opinions of others

• C8. Formulate questions and explore links between divergent topics

• C9. Learn from experience

Teaching and learning methods and assessment:

All core modules, and in particular those taught at Part One, contain elements which directly address the development of practical skills (1-8). The process of writing essays, reports and presentations etc (1-6) and preparing for examinations (1-6, 9) allows the student to hone skills through practice, guided by feedback from tutors. Discussion in seminars or engagement with debate in public fora leads students to improve their intellectual communication skills (2, 5-9). Students also learn and improve such skills through personal reflection on their learning experience and purposeful adaptation of their learning methods; a process reflected upon in all modules. Personal learning is also enhanced through engagement with the Careers Development Programme process.

On completion of the programme the student will be able to take responsibility for themselves and their work. S/he will be able to:

• D1 Work independently

• D2 Work in a team

• D3 Respect the views and beliefs of others

• D4 Listen

• D5 Communicate orally

• D6 Communicate in writing

• D7 Communicate electronically

• D8 Word-process

• D9 Use the Web

• D10 Manage time and work to deadlines

• D11 Research issues

• D12 Solve problems

• D13 Adapt to change

• D14 Develop career awareness