International Relations Minor
Politics Dual Honours
Politics Minor
Politics Single Honours
This module gives a clear introduction to the study of foreign policy, which is one aspect of the academic discipline of International Relations. It is useful therefore useful for beginning students of International Relations. Yet it is also of interest to students who would simply like to find out what kinds of ideas and concepts are employed when we try to explain or evaluate the foreign policy behaviour of any country and learn how to apply some of these to a particular country (the USA, Britain, Russia, Iran or China, for example).
The 10 lectures in the module are accompanied by 10 weekly meetings of each small seminar group. Activity in the seminar groups is organised around the delivery of short oral presentations by 2-3 students each week, and the work of other students in small teams peer assessing those presentations and practising their team-working skills. Students thus develop the important employability skills of effective oral communication, team working and evaluating the work of one's colleagues in a constructive spirit. Students receive feedback from the Tutor (as well as from their fellow students) on their oral presentations and from the Tutor on their essay plans while the teaching is continuing. Assessment format: team peer assessment of student presentations (formative only); 40% oral presentation; 10% essay plan; 50% essay.
2) To offer International Relations students the opportunity to develop the ability effectively to deliver an oral presentation on an academic topic (which is an employability and core study skill).
Develop an argument and assemble a coherent analysis that is communicated clearly in written form, applying good standards of punctuation and spelling. Will be achieved by assessments: 03, 04.
Correctly apply the Harvard referencing system for acknowledging sources used. Will be achieved by assessments: 03, 04.
Prepare and deliver in a clear and engaging manner an oral presentation that conveys a coherent analysis within the time period (10-15 minutes) allotted, supported by an effective handout, and respond competently to subsequent questions from the audience. Will be achieved by assessments: 01.
Work collaboratively in a small team to peer assess the work of other students, will be achieved by assessments: 02.
10 hours attendance at tutorials
30 hours preparation of oral presentation
30 hours preparation for ten tutorials
10 hours preparation and writing of the essay plan
60 hours researching and writing the essay
Supported by the extensive guidance provided by the module in preparing, delivering, and evaluating oral presentations, each student's oral presentation will receive peer evaluation and feedback as well Tutor feedback and assessment (delivered at the next meeting of the tutorial group).
Each student team together peer assesses the oral presentations of another student team and delivers a completed oral presentation feedback sheet to the Tutor, who assesses its usefulness as formative feedback to the relevant student presenters, before passing it on to those presenters.
3-400 words long, this will identify and explain the proposed structure of the essay, referring to some of the sources used and supplemented (outside the word limit) by an appropriately constructed Bibliography, using the Harvard system. The plan will address questions indicated in the guidance to be provided on essay planning and writing.
A 1,500 word essay on a question taken from the list of essays in the relevant module space in the KLE, employing the Harvard referencing system.
Author: HILL, C.
Author: SMITH, S., HADFIELD, A. & DUNNE, T.
Author: WEBBER, M. & SMITH, M. (EDS)
This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.