Politics

Honours Politics

The honours programme covers the third and fourth year of study and can be taken as single honours (specialising in politics) or joint honours (politics plus another subject). In both cases the programme adds to 240 credits. However, the type and number of optional courses students must take depend on their choice of programme. Note that entry into Honours is not automatic. Students have to meet certain criteria to be admitted.

Aims
The Honours programme aims to provide a rigorous and wide-ranging education in the study of politics in both its empirical (scientific) and normative (philosophical) aspects. Students can choose from a wide range of options based on different approaches to their subject area and a variety of teaching methods. The diversity of available options allows students to tailor their curricula to match their personal and academic interests. Moreover, it means that they benefit both from the specialised knowledge of staff in areas where they have made a particular research contribution, and from teaching methods which are tailored to the particular aims and intended learning outcomes of the options studied.

Intended learning outcomes
Students who graduate with a degree in Politics will have:

• A general knowledge of comparative political analysis and acquaintance with the range of methods in the study of politics;
• A detailed knowledge of the political institutions and political behaviour within a variety of political systems;
• An ability to evaluate political systems and theories, and analyse critically the arguments of scholarly authorities;
• Acquired the disposition to approach any subject of enquiry in an open-minded, rigorous and undogmatic manner and the skill to construct arguments and express their own views in a logical and lucid fashion.

Methods of teaching and assessment
There are a variety of teaching methods employed in the subject of Politics. Some options are taught by lectures and tutorials, others mainly in seminars. The method used is that thought most appropriate by the lecturers concerned and depends to some extent on class size.

There are also a variety of assessment methods used. Some options are assessed entirely by unseen written examination at the end of the final Honours year. Most, however, have a continuous assessment element, usually based on essays. Generally, the final examination counts for 50%  of the final grade and the essay(s) 50%. 

If you have any questions about the Politics and its courses, contact Dr Ana Ines Langer.