Constitutional Foundations of the European Union (M5031)

15 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

The module examines the constitutional foundations of the European Union (EU), with an emphasis on the role of law as a tool of European integration.

The module concentrates on a detailed study of the constitutional principles and values of the EU as expressed in the treaties and case law of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), including:

  • supremacy
  • subsidiarity
  • direct effect
  • indirect effect
  • state liability
  • protection of fundamental rights.

Teaching

67%: Lecture
33%: Seminar

Assessment

30%: Coursework (Test)
70%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 25 hours of contact time and about 125 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2020/21. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.