Double MA Europe and the World - Joint Programme with the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Lille, France

This module provides students with a broad understanding of the important developments within the European polity. In particular, the module analyses the evolution of the EU, the role of European institutions, recent trends in European politics, economics and society, and the impact of European integration at both national and supranational levels. 

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is on the basis of one 5, 000 word essay

This module focuses on the process of European Political and Economic Cooperation up to the present day and beyond; particularly, Europe’s growing role as an international actor. Within this framework, issues looked at will include the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and its role as mediator in international conflicts such as the Gulf War, Middle East, and the former Yugoslavia, with a particular emphasis on the war on terrorism, Iraq, and intelligence co-operation, as well as the Union’s positioning vis-à-vis the United States, particularly since the latest EU enlargement. Another area to be looked at is Europe as an economic power and her relations with its immediate neighbours, its major partners such as the US, Japan and South-East Asia, particularly in the age of the euro, and its role in Third World development and global environmental issues. While analysing these issues we will evaluate what the trends appear to be, in the context of globalisation and world developments.

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is on the basis of one 5, 000 word essay

Students will demonstrate their ability to design, conduct and report the results of a research project in the subject domain relevant to their Master programme. They will work independently, under the guidance of a supervisor. Preparing a Masters dissertation is a complex exercise which will strengthen and test various subject-specific and transferable research skills, including research methodology and academic writing.

Assessment method: Students prepare a 15,000 word dissertation on a research subject of their choosing, guided by a member of the academic staff.

The aim is that the student acquires knowledge and understanding of key methodological processes in social science research, and, by the end of the module, should be able to apply appropriate selected methods to his/her own research (notably the dissertation). The student should also learn to use a multi-media VLE environment effectively and confidently in a self-directed (though supervised) way.

Students learn to apply conceptual and ethical approaches to social science research, develop high-level quantitative and qualitative methods of social science data collection and data analysis.

Assessment method: The assessment is by one essay (3000 words; 40% of grade) and completion of the task-focused continuous assessment (60%).

This course aims to enable students to acquire familiarity with main areas and problems of leadership studies in political science, and with key concepts used in the analysis of political institutions and leadership. This knowledge forms the conceptual, methodological and analytical basis for many of the political and politics-related issues to be studied by MA students. This course aims to enable students to acquire familiarity with main areas and problems of the study of political leaders and leadership, and with key concepts used in their analysis.

Assessment method: Assessment is by one 5,000 word essay.

The module provides a comprehensive comparative overview of regions, and forms of regionalism / “minority nationalism” in present-day Europe. The course will focus on (i) constitutional, legal and political arrangements for regions within the EU, including in the recently reformed countries of East-Central Europe; (ii) the EU’s own regional policy-making, (iii) a survey of on-going reform processes of territorial governance in a variety of countries (e.g. UK, Spain, Poland), and (iv) the increased levels of paradiplomacy and cross-border engagement of regional governments and authorities across the EU.

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is by way of one 4, 000 to 5, 000 word essay.

The module will be an advanced level course comparing the EU with East Asian visions of regionalism and analysing the political, economic and social relations between the EU, its member-states with East Asia (here defined as the ASEAN 10 plus Japan, North and South Korea, China and Taiwan). It is an interdisciplinary module and students will be exposed to the wide and diverse perspectives on international and interregional relations. The module will draw from history, area studies, international relations, sociology, business and economics and comparative regionalism. It will also call upon the participation of a variety of external experts.

Assessment method: Assessment is by means of a portfolio (75%) and an exam (25%)

For the portfolio, students will be required to prepare short class presentations for each session and to complete one written assignment (2,500 words). The presentations ought to be accompanied by a one-page handout containing the main points. The assignment will be in form of a briefing paper/ policy analysis of a topical issue chosen by the student. The portfolio will contain the handouts and the briefing paper.

This module provides a detailed overview of the most important aspects of religious and political development in Europe from 1945 until today. It includes a detailed empirical account of the following main themes of research: theoretical approaches to religion and politics; the historical trajectory of religion and politics after 1945; an overview of Huntington’s theory of the conflict of civilisations; European secularism and fundamentalism; Christianity and politics; models of church-state relations; Islam and politics; religion and politics in the construction of the European Union; and religion and

international relations.

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is by way of one 5, 000 word essay

This module focuses on the evolution of security and defence policies in the European Union. It will start by considering the origins of security cooperation in Europe before going to consider the evolution of EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

The module will then examine the broader issues of European security by looking at several case studies starting with European involvement in former Yugoslavia and moving onto more recent ESDP missions, including EUFOR Chad, EUPOL  Afghanistan and EULEX Kosovo.  By focusing on ESDP case studies, the module aims to explore wider issues concerning EU’s security policies such as its unique approaches to crisis management, military capacity and civilian-military dimensions of conflict intervention and state-building. 

Assessment method: Assessment is by means of one 5,000 word essay

This module provides students with a thorough knowledge of the theoretical foundations of political communication in contemporary democracies. It examines various aspects of government information policy and the relationship between government, the media and the public, exploring the political content of the mass media. It assesses the relationship between media, political actors and the public, and considers the extent to which mediated activity has influenced politics and the distribution of power. This is a policy-relevant module that distinguishes students as highly informed and strategic thinkers in the political arena.

Assessment method: Assessment is by means of a campaign portfolio – materials and presentation, to include analysis of strategy deployed (20%) and one 3,500 word essay (80%).

This module engages with the praxiological element of international politics.  It begins with the theoretical discourses surrounding international politics as a way of exploring the practices that emerge within its structures.  It then examines the interplay of theory and practice by engaging with alternative textual sources namely, works of fiction, memoires, diaries and film to grasp the nature of ethical and moral debates of international politics.
 

Assessment method: Assessment for this module 4 bi-weekly submissions each worth 25 % To be submitted in class on the following weeks: 16, 18, 20, 22. 

This module provides students with an appreciation of the broad and complex issue of political leadership as an academic discipline in the context of Europe, both within the EU, Europe more generally, and its nation states. There will also be comparative analysis with leadership in the US. Students will be able to understand key political concepts regarding leadership, and to use them in political debates.  They will also develop an understanding of the key contents and problems of the major sub-discipline of leadership studies in political science.

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is by one 5,000 word essay

This module considers key questions in post-Cold War international security. It starts by considering the scope and evolution of Security Studies, and introducing students to key approaches to security, including realism, liberalism and constructivism. Subsequently, students will have the opportunity to examine key concerns of global security by considering issues such as the pattern of global conflict, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, energy security, piracy and the defence trade. We will also consider the changing role of key security actors, such as the UN and NATO.

Guiding questions of this module are: What are the key concerns of international security? What are perceived to be the key threats and how are they managed? Are international security concerns different to national security?

Assessment method: Assessment for this module will be by way of one 5, 000 word essay

This is a truly unique module combining the subject areas of International and Comparative Political Economy. The module is divided into two parts. Part I is dedicated to an introduction to International Political Economy (IPE), a branch of International Relations, which focuses on the interactions between states and markets, power and wealth in the international system. Why do we live in a world characterised by inequality? What are the reasons for underdevelopment and what are the possible solutions? What is driving the North-South conflict? Why is it so difficult to solve the problem of re-occurring financial crisis despite its devastating social consequences?

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is by means of one 3,000 word essay (85%). 15% of the grade for this module comes from presentation, preparation and involvement(15%): this involves  a presentation to the group of around 20 minutes, as well as preparation for and contribution to the weekly seminar sessions.

This module examines how economic policy-making is conducted at EU level on the basis of the legal instruments adopted since the inception of the integration process through to the most recent treaty developments.

After reviewing the treaty bases for policy and the legal system that has evolved to give effect to them, including the balance of powers between the institutions, the module examines the key policy areas affecting the European economy as set out in the basic instruments and developed at political level.

The module then focuses on two of the most important competences of the EU as regards economic policy, namely EU competition rules and the single market, and compares and contrasts the approaches to law and policy taken at European level in these fields.

Assessment method: Assessment for this module is by way of one 3, 000 word essay.