Political Economy

Course detail Description

Our Political Economy BA/BSc aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of political and economic events and processes in a global context. You will learn to think critically and independently about the issues you encounter in your studies, and develop a range of skills that will support your intellectual, vocational and personal development.

Your first year will provide the foundations for the study of economics, politics and the intersection of the two subjects. You will then be able to choose between two pathways through the final two years of the degree, depending on your interests. If you choose the BA, you will focus primarily on political analysis and processes, while choosing the BSc leads to a course with a stronger emphasis on economic analysis.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the programme. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide support and guidance for your studies.

Contact time: On average, you can expect to receive approximately nine hours of taught lectures and six hours of seminars and group tutorials.

Sitting within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy, the Department of Political Economy has an interdisciplinary, social science ethos, fostering a stimulating intellectual environment that has attracted leading scholars. Our research-led curriculum encourages critical analysis and debate on contemporary international political and policy issues.

We will assess your progress and attainment on all the modules you take on both the BA and BSc degrees through a range of techniques including written examinations, coursework, assessed essays and presentations. You may also benefit from some informal assessment during individual modules to help steer your studies and enhance your learning.

Political Economy BA/BSc is taught primarily at our Strand Campus, putting you close to all the facilities offered by the College and within easy reach of the cultural attractions of the Southbank and Covent Garden. The library and computing facilities are readily accessible together with the opportunity to use the University of London library at Senate House.

• Politics BA
  
• Philosophy, Politics & Economics
• Politics, Philosophy & Law LLB
• Economics BSc
• European Politics BA

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Structure

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide upto-date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on this course page for updates.

You are required to take the following modules:

• Fundamentals of Politics Research (15 credits)
• Comparing Political Systems (30 credits)
• Introduction to Political Theory (30 credits)
• Principles of Economics (30 credits)
• Quantitative Methods (15 credits)

There are no optional modules for this course in Year 1, however you can also take an assessed 15 credit language module in addition to your 120 credits.

Year 2 Required Modules

After your first year you will choose between the BA and BSc pathways. The following module is required for both of these courses:

• Political Economy: Approaches, Concepts and Issues (15 credits)

If you choose the BSc you will also be required to take the following modules, which are also available as optional modules for BA students:

• Macroeconomics (15 credits)
• Microeconomics (15 credits)
• Econometrics (15 credits)

In addition, you are required to select additional optional modules to bring your total credits to 120 for the year. You can choose from a wide range of optional modules taught at the Department of Political Economy. Below are examples of Optional modules we typically offer. The list may change depending on the availablity of academic staff:

• Political Change in Europe (15 credits)
• The International Politics of Energy (15 credits)
• Political Theory of Capitalism(15 credits)
• Post Colonial Theory (15 credits)
• Ethics, Economics & Environmental Protection (15 credits)
• Issues in International Politics (15 credits)
• The Economics of Politics (15 credits)
• Game Theory & Strategic Decision Making (15 credits)
• Economics of the Public Sector (15 credits)
• Mathematics for Economics (15 credits)
• Policy Analysis (15 credits)
• British Politics (15 credits)
• The Political Economy of Immigration (15 credits)
• Extended Essay (15 credits)

You can also take an assessed 15 credit language module in addition to your 120 credits.

As a second-year student you also have the option to study abroad with one of our partner institutions during the second term of the year. Partner institutions currently include:

• Hong Kong University (Faculty of Economics & Business)
• National University of Singapore
• 3 Campus Programme (students attend Keio, Yonsei and Hong Kong University)
• University of North Carolina
• Georgetown University
• Sciences Po, Paris (you would require basic French language for this option although a significant number of English-language taught modules are now available) – this option is not appropriate for students in the BSc pathway because the required economics modules are not guaranteed.
• University of California – this option is not appropriate for students in the BSc pathway because the required economics modules are not guaranteed.

Year 3 Required Modules There are no required modules in Year 3. Optional Modules

You are required to take 120 credits of optional modules in Year 3. Some examples of the optional modules we typically offer are:

• Democracy & Its Critics (15 credits)

• Religion & Politics (15 credits)

• Commerce, Liberty & Virtue (15 credits)

• Democracy & Development (15 credits)

• Culture, Identity & Justice (15 credits)

• Advanced Issues in International Politics (15 credits)

• The Economics of Crime (15 credits)

• Economic Policy Making (15 credits)

• Advanced Issues in International Politics (15 credits)

• Behavioural Political Economy (15 credits)

• Development Economics (15 credits)

• Liberalism (15 credits)

• Global Power Europe (15 credits)

• Advanced Economic Analysis (15 credits)

• Comparative Political Theory (15 credits)

• Empirical Political Economy (15 credits)

• Politics & Justice in International Law (15 credits)

• Women & Politics (15 credits)

• Understanding Extremism & Populism (15 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change.