FHEQ level

This course is set at Level 6 in the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

Course Aims

The programme will:
1. Enable students to understand the importance of International Relations in the contemporary world.
2. Ensure that students acquire knowledge and understanding in appropriate areas of theory and analysis.
3. Enable students to understand and use the concepts, approaches and methods of the discipline and develop an understanding of the contested nature and problematic character of inquiry in the discipline.
4. Provide students with the opportunity to combine the insights and methods of the discipline.
5. Develop students' capacities to critically analyse events, ideas, institutions and practices.
6. Provide students with opportunities to develop their intellectual, personal and interpersonal skills so as to enable them to participate meaningfully in their societies.
7. Provide a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate.
8. Provide students with a supportive and receptive learning environment.
9. Develop the intellectual and practical skills of students in the analysis, interpretation and understanding of inter-related aspects of the societies, cultures, economics and politics of less developed and developing regions of the world.
10. Explore the important issues, such as race, the environment, gender relations and socio-economic development.
11. Encourage students to understand the importance of Development Studies in the contemporary world.
12. Encourage students to engage in life-long learning, study and enquiry and to appreciate the value of education for society.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

Undergraduates should achieve a basic but rigorous grounding in International Relations. This means graduates will be able to:
A1. Understand the core concepts and questions which define the discipline of IR and the area of development studies;
A2. Demonstrate awareness of the major practical, political and moral challenges facing contemporary global society;
A3. Demonstrate familiarity with the key theoretical traditions of IR as an academic discipline and the major theoretical debates in development and cross-cultural studies;
A4. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the history of modern international relations;
A5. Understand the significance of the world economy for the nature of the international system.
A6. Demonstrate flexibility in utilising a variety of intellectual approaches as required by the multifaceted character of the subject of International Relations and the area of Development Studies.
A7. Show an understanding of the ethical issues involved in developmental and cross-cultural research and analysis.
A8. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of a specialist area within the discipline.

Assessment

A range of assessment modes will be employed:
1. Unseen examinations, which will test students ability to respond concisely to questions within a time-bound context.
2. Essays, including coursework essays, which allow the student to define intellectual problems which they can address though papers of varying length.
3. Dissertations which allow student to define intellectual problems and address these through extended research and written work.

Teaching and Learning Methods Used to Enable Outcomes to Be Achieved and Demonstrated

A range of teaching modes will be employed as appropriate to each stage of the programme:
1. Lectures, which will be used to relay a broad range of information.
2. Seminars, which will be based on groups of students allowing them to advance intellectually through discussion and making presentations.
3. Workshops, which require students to engage cooperatively to resolve problems and present them to the wider group communally.
4. Individual supervision, which will be used especially to provide students with guidance in researching and writing their dissertations.

B. Intellectual Skills

Graduates in the programme will be able to:
B1. Read effectively and take meaningful notes.
B2. Apply a range of skills in the retrieval and use of primary and secondary sources including basic statistical and numerical information.
B3. Present concise, critical and cogently structured argument, both orally and in writing.
B4. Reflect upon and take responsibility for their own learning, making use of constructive feedback.
B5. Work independently.

Assessment

A range of assessment modes will be employed:
1. Unseen examinations, which will test students ability to respond concisely to questions within a time-bound context.
2. Essays, including coursework essays, which allow the student to define intellectual problems which they can address though papers of varying length.
3. Dissertations which allow student to define intellectual problems and address these through extended research and written work.
The diverse modes of assessment help to ensure the acquisition of these varying intellectual skills.

Teaching and Learning Methods Used

A range of teaching modes will be employed as appropriate to each stage of the programme:
1. Lectures, which will be used to relay a broad range of information.
2. Seminars, which will be based on groups of students allowing them to advance intellectually through discussion and making presentations.
3. Workshops, which require students to engage cooperatively to resolve problems and present them to the wider group communally.
4. Individual supervision, which will be used especially to provide students with guidance in researching and writing their dissertations.
The diverse modes of teaching and learning help to ensure the acquisition of these varying intellectual skills.

C. Practical Skills

Graduates in the programme will be able to:
C1. Deploy a range of communication and information technology skills.
C2. Communicate effectively with others both orally and in writing.
C3. Co-operate with others to achieve common goals.
C4. Meet deadlines under pressure.

Assessment

A range of assessment modes will be employed:
1. Unseen examinations, which will test students ability to respond concisely to questions within a time-bound context.
2. Essays, including coursework essays, which allow the student to define intellectual problems which they can address though papers of varying length.
3. Dissertations which allow student to define intellectual problems and address these through extended research and written work.
The diverse modes of assessment help to ensure the acquisition of these varying practical skills.

Teaching and Learning Methods Used

A range of teaching modes will be employed as appropriate to each stage of the programme:
1. Lectures, which will be used to relay a broad range of information.
2. Seminars, which will be based on groups of students allowing them to advance intellectually through discussion and making presentations.
3. Workshops, which require students to engage cooperatively to resolve problems and present them to the wider group communally.
4. Individual supervision, which will be used especially to provide students with guidance in researching and writing their dissertations.
The diverse modes of teaching and learning help to ensure the acquisition of these varying practical skills.

D. Transferable Skills

D1. Problem solving skills.
D2. Time management skills.
D3. Presentational skills.
D4. Ability to presentation information in a range of modes.

Assessment

A range of assessment modes will be employed:
1. Unseen examinations, which will test students ability to respond concisely to questions within a time-bound context.
2. Essays, including coursework essays, which allow the student to define intellectual problems which they can address though papers of varying length.
3. Dissertations which allow student to define intellectual problems and address these through extended research and written work.
The diverse modes of assessment help to ensure the acquisition of these varying transferable skills.

Teaching and Learning Methods Used

A range of teaching modes will be employed as appropriate to each stage of the programme:
1. Lectures, which will be used to relay a broad range of information.
2. Seminars, which will be based on groups of students allowing them to advance intellectually through discussion and making presentations.
3. Workshops, which require students to engage cooperatively to resolve problems and present them to the wider group communally.
4. Individual supervision, which will be used especially to provide students with guidance in researching and writing their dissertations.
The diverse modes of teaching and learning help to ensure the acquisition of these varying transferable skills.

Full-time course composition