Programme Specifications

The relevant QAA ‘Framework for Higher Education Qualifications” can be found here: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-education-qualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx

Languages and Related Studies

January 2016

September 2023

Joint programmes allow students to develop an in-depth knowledge of both International Politics and another subject, taking half of their modules in each discipline/Department. With regards to the International Politics component, students gain a firm grounding in the core principles and concepts of International Politics, as well as exploring key sub-fields of their choice within a spectrum of modules on global politics. All modules in the Department of International Politics 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. The department is keenly aware of the inter-relationships that exist between academic subjects and the value society places upon students who have been able to master the requirements of two academic subjects. These programmes allow students to combine subjects in innovative and effective ways ensuring throughout that they receive a disciplined academic training that broadens their intellectual horizon. These programmes enable students to enter a variety of rewarding careers.

• to develop the learner’s interest in and knowledge and understanding of the French-speaking world, past and present, including selected aspects of language, culture, history and institutions, as a complementary element of a degree predominantly (approximately 2/3) in another subject;
• to develop a resource of intellectually-trained individuals capable of acting as bridges of understanding and conduits of knowledge between the French-speaking and British cultures;
• to enhance by the addition of a French element (amounting to approximately one third of the total programme) the learning experience of students following degrees predominantly in another subject;
• to develop and enhance students’ communication skills and their capacity both for independent and co-operative working;
• to release graduates into a wide range of employment contexts as lifelong learners.

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:

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

A knowledge and understanding of:

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

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

3. The core theories and concepts in the field

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

5. The key actors in international relations

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

7. 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.

1. French language (spoken and written);
2. French-language culture in its widest sense (including film, literature and linguistics);
3. French history and contemporary French society;
4. key methods and concepts of cultural and/or linguistic analysis;
5. the position of all of the above in a wider European and world context.

Acquisition of 1 is through small-group classes and regular assessed coursework, with emphasis on group discussions/conversations. Additional support is provided through both assisted and self-access facilities for language learning in the Language Resource Centre. The year abroad provides total immersion in the target language and culture. Acquisition of 2-5 is through a combination of lectures/seminars in year/level 1, and subsequently developed through increasingly seminar-based teaching in later years. Throughout, the learner is encouraged to undertake independent reading both to supplement and to consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Testing of the knowledge base is through a combination of unseen written examinations (1-5), assessed coursework (1-5) in the form of essays (1-5), oral examinations and classes (1), other set assignments or tasks undertaken under examination conditions (1-5), and extended essays (1-5).

Intellectual Skills:

1. Identify, describe and evaluate different approaches

2. Identify and research issues

3. Apply concepts, theories and ideas to concrete cases

4. Identify, investigate and formulate solutions to intellectual problems

5. Critically reason, analyse and interpret data and ideas

6. Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind

7. Reflect on experience of learning and adjust intellectual strategies accordingly

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

9. The ability to distinguish relevance and irrelevance

10. 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.

Professional Practical Skills:

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

2. Prioritise and organise information and deploy it as evidence in argument

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

4. Identify and retrieve relevant and up to date information

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

6. Express informed opinions through written work and discussion.

7. Listen and respond appropriately to the opinions of others

8. Formulate questions and explore links between divergent topics

9. 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.

1. reason critically
2. apply filmic and/or linguistic and/or literary and/or other cultural concepts;
3. identify and solve problems;
4. analyse and interpret;
5. demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme outlined above (and in section 10). Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing, analysis and interpretation of material, and feedback for learners on work produced.

Assessment

The variety of assessment methods employed places great emphasis (as shown in their assessment criteria) on the learner’s ability to demonstrate skills 1-5 through the production of coherent written and oral responses either to problems or tasks set. Most learners produce at least one extended essay during their studies (specifically for the year abroad) which provides a vehicle for the demonstration of these skills.

1. retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources;
2. plan, undertake and report a bibliographically-based piece of research;
3. speak, write and read French at high or near-native level of proficiency;
4. apply key methods and concepts of cultural and linguistic analysis.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

All learners receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use material available in libraries and elsewhere. Bibliographies are provided for each course at the outset, as are guidelines for the production of coursework essays and extended essays. Classes and tutorials are given on cultural, historical and linguistic concepts, and on translation techniques. Students are required to read texts in French for all courses. The year abroad promotes the active learning of language to a high level as well as the development of intercultural awareness.

Assessment

Skills 1-5 are primarily assessed through coursework (independently producedessays and translation assignments), which forms an integral part of the assessment for all courses in French culture and linguistics. Additionally, skill 4 is assessed in unseen written examinations in these areas. Language is assessed throughout in oral classes (in which a topic presentation and active participation contribute to the assessment), by coursework and by unseen written examination.

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

• Work independently

• Work in a team

• Respect the views and beliefs of others

• Listen

• Communicate orally

• Communicate in writing

• Communicate electronically

• Word-process

• Use the Web

• Manage time and work to deadlines

• Research issues

• Solve problems

• Adapt to change

• Develop career awareness

1. structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing;
2. manage time and work to deadlines;
3. participate constructively in groups;
4. work independently;
5. find information and use information technology;
6. be self-reliant;
7. assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others.

All courses except FR10210 require regular written work, usually in the form of essays, and regular feedback on this is given to the learner to develop not only their understanding but also their powers of expression (1). Skill 2 is learnt (rather than taught) through the management of time to meet the various and sometimes conflicting deadlines (all notified at the outset of each course) for submission of coursework. Skills 3 and 7 are developed in classes, seminars and tutorials, which rely on discussion and interaction, as well as presentations given by individuals or groups of learners. Skills 4 and 6 are particularly developed during the year abroad, for which learners are prepared in advance. IT skills are largely developed through individual learning.

Effective communication of ideas is an important criterion in assessing all areas of a learner’s work, and the regular feedback as well as the final mark reflect this. Skills 4, 6 and 7 are assessed by both the coursework and extended essays produced, which although supervised, are nevertheless the results of independent thought and work/research by the learner. Skill 5 is assessed through the assembly of necessary information for essays, etc., and their production on PCs. Skill 3 is assessed in oral classes. Skills 2 is not formally assessed.