Political Economy BA with Year Abroad

Modules in the first year

In the first year of your degree you receive a thorough grounding in the study of political economy, with particular emphasis on the major approaches to the discipline and key ideas such as globalisation, markets, trade, wealth and power, technology, the monetary system, and development. Each of the modules you take in the first year is designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of political economy and to provide you with a foundation for more advanced, specialised study in the second and third years of your degree.

Compulsory modules

• Understanding Politics
• Principles of Economics
• Politics as a Vocation 1 and 2
• Pathways to Political Research 1 and 2
• Understanding Political Economy

Optional modules

You can choose one from

• Introduction to Politcal Theory
• Understanding International Relations
• Social Justice and Politics
• International Relations of the Global South

The second year of your degree course further develops your understanding of the discipline and introduces new perspectives on political economy. It is designed to develop your knowledge and theoretical understanding of this dynamic and changing field. You will take one compulsory module, International Political Economy, which builds on what you have learnt in the first year by applying major theoretical perspectives to key practical problems in the international political economy, including trade, development, the financial crisis and environmental issues.

Optional modules

Your second year of study will also provide you with the opportunity to undertake more specialised study in areas of the subject that interest you. You will be able to choose five optional modules from the extensive list of modules that we offer. These modules will build on the knowledge and skills you have acquired thus far on your degree and allow you to tailor your studies in a way that best fits with your interests and future plans.

• Public Choice Theory
• International Political Economy
• Diplomatic History post 1945
• British Politics
• International Security
• International Relations Theory
• The Political Economy of Energy and Energy Security
• International Politics & Security in Russia & Eurasia
• Modern Political Thought
• Analysing Political Worlds
• Global Governance
• International Relations of the Middle East
• Feminist Political Ideas
• Comparative Politics
• Elections and Voting in Britain
• America and the Middle East through Politics and Film
• Public Policy Blunders and Bad Decision Making
• Soviet Politics: Rise and Fall of a Superpower
• War and Peace in Theory and Practice
• Quantitative Political Analysis
• Rebels and Revolutionaries: The Politics of Non-State Armed Groups
• Controversies in Contemporary Democracies: Comparative Perspectives

In your third year you will register for the equivalent of 120 credits at the host institution. You will have to undertake and pass the assessment for 60 credits of the modules for which you are registered at the host institution. A Pass is required for progression to the 4th year of the programme. These credits will not contribute to the overall degree classification.

• 60 credits - POLSIS year abroad
• 60 credits - Year Abroad Assessment Module

In the final year of your degree you will take a compulsory module, Contemporary Political Economy, and undertake an independent study project. Modules in the final year are advanced, research led modules taught by experts in the subject area.

There are two distinct independent study pathways of independent study in the final year:

On this pathway you will write a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of your choice. You will be guided and supported by a supervisor who is an expert in your area of interest. In addition to writing the dissertation you will be able to take three optional modules.

On the second pathway you take the module Problems in World Politics. This module is designed to allow students to apply the knowledge they have acquired on their degree to real world policy problems in politics. In addition to this independent study module you will be able to take four optional modules.

• War-Torn States and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in the South
• Power in Britain
• Contemporary US Foreign and Security Policy
• Contemporary International Political Economy
• Topics in British Politics
• Democracy and Democratization in Contemporary Europe
• The Diplomacy of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
• Controversies in Contemporary Democracies
• Left Parties and Protest Movements
• Gender in World Politics
• Critical Approaches to Security
• Issues in US Domestic Politics
• International Ethics
• Professional Development
• Global Capitalism and Migration
• Law, Politics and the International System: Mediating Power beyond the State
• Varieties of Capitalism and Welfare State Models
• Parties, Voters and Elections
• Russian Foreign Policy
• Security in Europe: Actors, Crises and Threats
• Strategy and Decision-Making
• Conflict, Statehood and Sovereignty in World Politics
• Populism in Contemporary Politics
• Politics of Migrants, Refugees, and Diasporas in the Middle East
• New Media, Social Media, and International Politics
• Social Justice and Politics
• Global Uprisings: Critique and Radical Politics
• Contemporary Russian and East European Politics
• Body Politics: Security, Economy, Violence
• Understanding Brexit: Identity and Euroscepticism in Europe
• The Political Economy of Russia
• Environment, Politics and Society
• Politics, Music and the Arts
• The EU in a Globalised World
• Politics in Russia
• Globalisation, Capitalism and Welfare
• Exploring the Mekong

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2020. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.