2024/25
2.2 (minimum 55%)
1 year (Full-time)
2 years (Part-time)
30 (Full Time)
30 (Part Time)
The MSc in International Public Policy at Queen’s offers a high-quality programme of academic and personal professional development, providing students with the tools to understand and influence the contemporary policy problems faced by governments globally.
Students undertaking the MSc programme will engage with a wide variety of theories, ideas and sources in the study of public policy both domestically and internationally and will be introduced to a variety of research methods. As they progress through the MSc programme, students can choose to examine public policy issues across a range of international policy domains including climate change, AI and technology, global ethics, security and terrorism, policing and crime, and EU governance, and write a supervised dissertation on a public policy theme of their choosing.
As well as hearing from guest speakers, there will also be a study visit to the EU institutions, NGOs, embassies and think tanks in Brussels, and the OECD in Paris to better understand the interplay of public policy between national and international levels.
The programme uniquely offers opportunities for personal as well as academic advancement opportunities, and participants on the MSc can avail of the opportunity to undertake the Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Work placements with the Northern Ireland Civil Service may be offered to a limited number of students.
International Public Policy highlights
Global Opportunities
The MSc in International Public Policy will involve a study visit to the EU institutions, NGOs, embassies and think tanks in Brussels and the OECD in Paris to better understand the interplay of public policy between national and international levels. Queen’s is ranked 22nd in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2020).
Student Experience
During the year, there will be a number of guest lecture events and social occasions.
Professional Accreditations
Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership
Participants on the MSc programme will avail of the opportunity to undertake the Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
Industry Links
During the CMI programme, students will hear from leading industry and NGO figures.
Career Development
Students on the MSc programme will be able to participate in career development training.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Students benefit from intensive teaching by a wide and varied range of QUB academics with strong publishing profiles and international reputations in their areas of expertise and will be assessed through a range of examination methods.
Students will hear from senior practitioners from the national and international organisations during their time on the programme.
Student Experience
Queen’s was ranked joint 1st in the UK for Research Intensity (Complete University Guide 2021).
Queen’s is ranked in the top 170 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).
Queen’s ranked 18 in the world for international outlook (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023).
I would recommend the MSc in International Public Policy to anyone who is interested in developing their knowledge and gaining a fresh perspective in policy. I have enjoyed every Module I have taken, in large part because of the commitment and passion each lecturer has brought to their class. Subjects have been challenging in all the right ways and I have learned so much about international public policy. Both the library and postgraduate centre provide a wonderful environment for studying.
Maedhbh Keating-Fitzpatrick (2020-21 class)
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Course content
Course Structure
To acquire foundational knowledge and understanding in International Public Policy, students will take three Core Modules: international Public Policy, and Approaches and Debates on Research Design in Semester 1, and Global Political Economy in Semester 2. Students on the programme choose three further Optional Modules: one in Semester 1 and 2 in Semester 2. A dissertation of no more than 15,000 is completed over the summer semester, which comes after the field visit to Brussels and Paris in early June.
The 2 CMI programme Modules undertaken by students takes place between semesters, mainly in January and April/May.
People teaching you
Lecturer in International Political EconomyHAPP
Dr Jack Taggart is a critical political economist. His work examines both the shifting politics of international development and the contested nature of contemporary global governance.
Email: j.taggart@qub.ac.uk
HAPP
Professor Muiris MacCarthaigh's current research interests relate to the politics and practice of state retrenchment and administrative reform, issues with which he is involved in a number of international research networks, and with a particular focus on the Irish case.
Email: m.macCarthaigh@qub.ac.uk
Teaching Times
Teaching takes place at a variety of times from 9-8pm Monday – Friday.Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities associated with the course are outlined below:
Cognitive Skills
Upon completion of the programme you will be well versed with the methodologies and approaches to international public policy and be able to research independently using the expert language of the subject.
The Dissertation will provide the opportunity to combine several skills into a single piece of original scholarship.Knowledge and Understanding
The programme will enhance existing understanding of comparative methods, theoretical models, political and economic decision-making across the globe and public policy trends.
The programme will furthermore provide a firm grounding in the study the emerging structures of governance beyond the nation-state
It will introduce the learner not only to the specialist literature of the field, but to key debates in contemporary international public policy.Specific Skills
Upon completion of the program you will be well versed with the methodologies and approaches to international public policy and be able to research independently using the expert language of the subject.
The program will enhance existing understanding of comparative methods, theoretical models, political and economic decision-making across the globe and public policy trends.
The program will furthermore provide a firm grounding in the study the emerging structures of governance beyond the nation-state.
It will introduce the learner not only to the specialist literature of the field, but to key debates in contemporary international public policy.Teaching
Students benefit from intensive teaching by a wide and varied range of QUB academics with strong publishing profiles and international reputations in their areas of expertise, and will be assessed through a range of examination methods.
Assessment
Assessment and Feedback are continuous throughout the course of study.
- Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
• Written assignments
• Presentations
• Group work
• Blogs - Feedback associated with this course is outlined below:
• Written feedback will be provided on assignments
• Verbal feedback will be provided in class.
• There will be ongoing online feedback associated with the course.
Modules
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2023/24). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
- Year 1
Core Modules
International Public Policy (20 credits)International Public Policy
Overview
This module introduces students to the study of international public policy adopting a multi-level approach. Students will begin by looking at contemporary public policy making theories and models at national level, before turning to the international level and the interplay between these levels.
The Module will adopt a strong comparative dimension, and involve the use of official statistics and international league tables with a view to better understanding the bases of decision-making at international and national levels.
Module Contents
Week 1: Introduction
Section 1 – Theories and Models
Week 2: Theoretical approaches to the policy process
Week 3: Policy policy-making at international and national levels: Concepts and models
Section 2 – Comparative public policy
Week 4: Understanding public administration systems and cultures
Week 5: Examining key public policy sectors in national and international contexts
Week 6: Public policy reform
Week 7: Reading week and blog development
Section 3: Evidence-based policy-making
Week 8: Using official statistics for policy-making
Week 9: The role of international organisations, networks and NGOs in national policy-making
Section 4: Technology and Public Policy
Week 10: Public policy in a digital age
Week 11: Algorithms, data and public governance
Week 12: Class presentations and discussionLearning Outcomes
By the end of the Module, students will have:
Developed an understanding of the various theories and models concerning how we can understand the process of public policy-making at the national and international levels, including key concepts, ideas and people
An advanced knowledge of public policy systems and processes and an ability to compare and contrast them globally
Understanding of the motivations, means and mechanisms and public policy reform
Cognisance of and experience with of engaging with official statistics from national statistics agencies, and understand the interplay between international and national levels in respect of evidence-informed policy-making
Awareness of the rapid changes to policy-making arising from digitisation generally, as well as the use of big data and algorithms in government and the challenges there present to traditional systemsSkills
Intellectual skills
Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate wayCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7070
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
APPROACHES TO RESEARCH DESIGN (20 credits)APPROACHES TO RESEARCH DESIGN
Overview
This module aims to introduce key approaches to research design, while also introducing some of the contemporary debates in research in the social sciences and humanities. It will also provide students with an introduction to some of the key practical research skills they will find of use when designing and conducting their academic research. These skills are also those which students will find necessary as they continue their academic and research career.
Students will have a high degree of choice across workshops, enabling them to tailor the module content to their pathway of student and personal research goals. The workshops will address five key areas: Fundamentals of Research; Debates; Philosophy of Science/Epistemology; Qualitative Methods; and Quantitative Methods.
The broad aims of the module are to:
• Introduce students to the diversity of research approaches and debates;
• Heighten awareness of methodological issues facing researchers in the social sciences and humanities;
• Develop an awareness of interdisciplinarity and its potentials and challenges in research;
• Encourage students to develop their research skills through the selective use of this reading guide and their own search for appropriate literature on research design topics that are of interest to them.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will have:
• obtained a clear understanding of some central issues and methodological debates that are basic to social science and humanities research;
• been introduced to interdisciplinarity in research, and developed an understanding of how it relates to their own work;
• communicated this understanding in an analytically rigorous manner through assessed written work;
• demonstrated the kind of methodological awareness that will allow them to pursue their own research or coursework in an analytically rigorous and self-critical manner.
• been equipped with the intellectual capacity to defend a particular approach to their own research;
• started to make preparations for a research dissertation.Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
HAP7001
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Global Political Economy (20 credits)Global Political Economy
Overview
This module provides a themed examination of the changing politics of the world economy, through the lens of the sub/inter-discipline, known as International Political Economy. International Political Economy (IPE) has become the accepted academic term for the analysis of the exercise of economic power and the politics of economic policy and capitalist development placed in a global context. This module introduces students to theories and concepts in International Political Economy related to the exercise of power and authority. It then goes to analyze a number of key topics and issues relating to the power and politics of economic organization and management including: the future of United States supremacy; the politics of money and finance; theories of development; the politics and policy of economic development in developing countries; problems of underdevelopment; the politics of global civil society; the global politics of energy policy and climate change; and the political economy of environmental sustainability.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:, understand the main theoretical, ideological and normative interpretations of and claims relating to globalisation; understand the ways in which globalisation is reconfiguring political, cultural and economic processes; pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking; communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
Skills
Students will develop key intellectual skills such as critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving; communication, e.g., oral, listening and written, working with others, improvement of learning and performance, managing information They will also cultivate employability skills such as research and communication skills, independent learning (organising and prioritising ideas), critical/independent thinking, co-operative endeavour (e.g. tutorial based teamwork). Subject specific skills include: listening/analytical/literacy/presentation skills; comparative methods, textual analysis, developing cogent arguments, ability to participate in a tolerant and supportive learning environment
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7030
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Dissertation (60 credits)Dissertation
Overview
The research and writing of a 15,000-word dissertation on any chosen aspect of Politics or International Studies. Submission date 15th September.
Learning Outcomes
To encourage students to engage in independent and original research.
Skills
Students are allocated an individual supervisor, with whom they work closely throughout the research, drafting and writing of their dissertation. The skills required for ongoing research, organisation of a thesis and professional writing and presentation of a dissertation are all acquired, and monitored, through liaison with the supervisor.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
60
Module Code
PAI9099
Teaching Period
Summer
Duration
12 weeks
Optional Modules
Institutions and Politics of the European Union (20 credits)Institutions and Politics of the European Union
Overview
The module explores the structure and institutions of the European Union (EU) as well as selected theoretical approaches to the study of European integration. It examines in detail the nature and roles of the EU’s main institutions (i.e. Commission, European Parliament, Council, European Council, European Central Bank, and Court of Justice), and provides a critical assessment of selected EU policies and political challenges facing the EU. In doing so the module explores the decision- and policy-making dynamics within the EU as well as some of the most pressing themes in European governance.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will:
• have a detailed knowledge of the institutional structure of the European Union
• have an appreciation of the explanatory value of selected theoretical approaches to the study of European integration and EU decision- and policy-making
• be able to critically assess the essential characteristics of the EU’s institutional framework
• have a familiarity with the EU policy base and policy priorities
• be able to identify specific, timely and pressing contemporary issues of relevance to the politics of the European Union
• have detailed knowledge of a selection of salient policy areas
• be able to pursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical/independent thinkingSkills
Intellectual skills
• Managing and Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical and Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate wayCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7052
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Democratic Innovations (20 credits)Democratic Innovations
Overview
This module explores the relationship between citizens and political decision-making in contemporary democracies. Around the world, conventional democratic processes and institutions have come under strain. Decreasing levels of voter turnout, low levels of trust in politicians and political institutions, and declining membership of traditional organisations such as political parties are just some expressions of a growing gap between citizens and decision-makers. This module will critically examine the changing nature of citizen engagement with democratic decision-making before considering ways of supplementing conventional processes and institutions with greater opportunities for citizen participation. We will consider two broad approaches. First, the module will consider contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems through the lens of different models of democracy. Second, using examples from around the world, it will then introduce students to a range of democratic innovations designed to supplement representative forms of decision-making, such as participatory budgeting and deliberative mini-publics. Students will engage in debates about different practical forms of participatory and deliberative processes as well as learn about how these processes are designed and implemented. The objectives are to enable students to engage critically in discussions about citizen participation in modern democracies and to develop their communication skills. Throughout the module there will be an emphasis on connecting academic research with democratic practice: where possible students will hear directly from practitioners and will have the opportunity to attend and observe real-world cases of democratic innovation.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
- Will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary challenges facing democratic political systems, particularly regarding the role and attitudes of citizens;
- Will understand theoretical and empirical debates surrounding both established forms of citizen participation and democratic innovations;
- Will be able to draw on relevant criteria and evidence to critically evaluate democratic innovations and their design features;
- Will be able to communicate key findings from academic research in this field for the benefit of a non-academic audience.Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge; manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning;
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance .
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.Coursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7100
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Social Injustice (20 credits)Social Injustice
Overview
This module examines the problem of social injustice in contemporary, plural societies. The first half of the module explores some of the main philosophical assessments of social injustice. Students will first be introduced to key critiques of liberal theory as a response to the structural disadvantages associated with difference (including race, gender, sexual-orientation, religion, and class, among others). Here, liberal policy approaches to difference (including toleration, uniform treatment, and non-discrimination), will be critiqued alongside liberal modes of justification for their failure to deal appropriately with the disadvantages suffered by affected groups.
The second half of the module discusses the practical implications of both social injustice and its potential solutions. Precise topics vary year-on-year, but may include discussion of some of the following questions: Is unfettered freedom of speech a necessary feature of or a hindrance in the fight for social equality? What role does historical injustice play in the ongoing oppression of marginalised groups? Is the recognition of difference the appropriate response to cultural domination? How has social media changed the shape of social justice movements? Is civil disobedience a legitimate response to injustice, and must it always be ‘civil’ in nature?Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students:
• Should demonstrate a critical understanding of key debates about social injustice.
• Should be able to explain some of the central critiques of liberal theory as a way of dealing with structural oppression.
• Should be familiar with debates surrounding the role of historical injustice as it pertains to ongoing marginalisation.
• Should have a critical understanding of the changing nature of social justice movements.Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner.
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments.
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field.
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing.
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning.
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment.
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development.
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines.
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PHL7057
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
The Politics of the Republic of Ireland (20 credits)The Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Overview
This module explores and analyses the political development of the Irish Free State/Republic of Ireland in historical context. It combines an historical and thematic approach to provide students with an understanding of the politics of the Irish Free State, later the Republic. It introduces students to key debates on the Irish Revolution and its background, on Irish historical revisionism, on the foundations of statehood, and the institutions and political culture of the new state. Particular themes include partition , the pursuit of stability and order, negotiations of identity, problems of modernisation, Ireland’s shifting place in European and world politics, changing attitudes towards partition and ‘the Troubles’, the impact of social change on self-representation in a post-Tiger context.
Learning Outcomes
To enrich understanding of key debates and themes in modern Irish politics.
Skills
To enrich understanding of key debates and themes in modern Irish politics.
Coursework
40%
Examination
60%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7022
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
The Politics and Political Economy of Energy and Low Carbon Energy Transitions
Overview
This module will take as it’s starting the concept of ‘Carbon Literacy’, its definition, measurement and development. Students will study policy making, governance and institutional structures at International, national, regional and local levels through the selection of relevant case studies. They will gain an understanding of the spectrum of carbon literacy and the challenges of identifying knowledge and capacity building needs for stakeholders, policy and decision makers at all levels, from global to local and individual.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module each student should have gained knowledge of:
• The emergence of carbon literacy and its role in the creation of a low carbon society;
• The conceptual and interdisciplinary dimensions of carbon literacy as a communication and policy language and tool;
• The scientific and normative components of carbon literacy in theory and practice;
• The positive and negative dimensions of carbon literacy in relation to communication and policy relevance; and
• The relationship between carbon literacy and existing frameworks for understanding and devising policies for the green economy.Skills
The module provides students with opportunities to develop the following skills:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7036
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Global Development (20 credits)Global Development
Overview
This module provides a critical examination of the policies, theories, politics, and practices that comprise the field of international or ‘Global’ Development. This module is not only concerned with mainstream policies and practices, but also with the processes of resistance that result from the pursuit of ‘Development’ projects across diverse polities and geographical contexts. Interdisciplinary in nature, this module provides a comprehensive overview of the field. It engages with literatures and debates across International Political Economy, Human Geography, Business Management, International Relations, and Development Studies.
Students will examine the colonial origins of the development regime, the pursuit of "development" alongside US power and hegemony in the mid-20th century, the role of "modernisation" discourses and "state-led" forms of development, development as a vehicle towards neoliberal capital accumulation, radical and post-modernist understandings on the means and ends of development, the rise of "new" actors and discourses such as Chinese and Indian "South-South Cooperation", the growing privatization of global development, and the ecological limits to the pursuit of development alongside "post-growth" alternatives.
This module will be particularly of interest for those seeking work in international development, international organisations, or non-governmental sectors.Learning Outcomes
* Students will possess an advanced understanding of the current state of international development both as a field of practice and area of academic debate and inquiry. * Students will be able to apply and interrogate a range of concepts from across International Political Economy, International Relations and Human Geography.
* Students will understand not only heterodox critiques of mainstream international development practices and discourses, but they will also receive balanced insights into the practical challenges and bottlenecks faced by practitioners in the field.Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include: Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner * Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments * Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing * Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Technical and practical skills * Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT Organisational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines * Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information * Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way * Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7103
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Policing and Crime Prevention (20 credits)Policing and Crime Prevention
Overview
The focus of this module will be the exploration of key facets of policing and crime prevention. The module is taught in two interrelated parts: The first part deals with the front-end of the criminal justice system as represented by the state police and focuses on a number of key debates in policing studies such as the historical role of the police, issues around democratic accountability, the ‘doing of policing’ involving questions of race, sexuality, gender and age, as well as the impact of austerity, the burgeoning of the private security sector and the commodification of security more generally. The main emphasis is on state policing in the UK although many of the issues and debates have a resonance in other jurisdictions and contexts. The second part of the module focuses no less importantly on the back-end of the criminal justice system, namely the ways that crime prevention policy and practice has been operationalised in political discourse over the past three decades. This has shifted from viewing crime as something that requires a social response (employment, education and opportunities) to something that is deemed to be entirely voluntaristic, requiring a punitive, carceral response. The module demonstrates that policing and crime prevention are political activities that need to be framed within the broad ambit of social justice.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the learning process each student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and understanding of the key facets of state policing and crime prevention policy and practice.
2. To demonstrate how historical accounts of crime and policing can help illuminate contemporary practice.
September 2016
3. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and understanding of legal, socio-legal and criminological approaches to exploring the relationships between policing, crime and crime prevention.
4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of how crime and responses to it are the subject of considerable debate within contemporary society.
5. Use evaluative skills to make an overall assessment of the efficacy and effectiveness of crime control strategies in contemporary society and to identify areas of best practice, both nationally and internationally.
6. Analyse the effectiveness of state policing and crime prevention strategies in controlling, reducing or managing crime in contemporary society.
7. Situate debates about policing and crime prevention within a broader political canvas and to view each as an expressly political activity.Skills
At the end of the module each student will be able to:
1. Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of the inter-relationship between policing and crime prevention and to situate these debates within the broader intellectual contours of criminology more generally.
2. Apply legal, socio-legal and criminological perspectives to studying policing, crime prevention and community safety.
3. Synthesise relevant and directed readings with independent research, and present findings both orally and in written format.
4. Engage in independent study and research and to develop skills around self-directed learning and to exercise initiative in the learning process.
5. Be in a position to assimilate a range of policy and statistical information regarding policing, crime and crime prevention and to draw conclusions and make assessments on this.
6. Be in a position to develop effective oral communication skills during class and group presentations.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
LAW7841
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The Politics and Institutions of Northern Ireland (20 credits)The Politics and Institutions of Northern Ireland
Overview
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement put an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland and set up institutions designed to govern a society and polity divided along unionist and nationalist lines. As the experience of Northern Ireland shows, governing in such a context is not easy. Stability and cross-community agreement can be hard to reach, which has occasionally led to the suspension of Northern Ireland’s institutions. Yet these institutions have endured despite repeated crises and are heralded by some as examples of post-conflict governance.
The module explores contemporary developments in Northern Irish politics and discusses institutional design and politics in a changing Northern Ireland. It addresses topics such as the development of Northern Ireland’s consociational model of government, how institutions like the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive perform their functions, how parties and identity shape politics and voting behaviour, North-South relations after Brexit, and Northern Ireland’s place in Europe.Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students
- Should be able to understand how Northern Ireland institutions work and how they compare to other devolved institutions
- Should demonstrate a critical understanding of the debates about consociationalism and the role it plays in the stability of Northern Ireland’s institutions and of its community divisions
- Should understand party competition and voting in Northern Ireland
- Should demonstrate an ability to write well, conciselySkills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7021
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Freedom and modernity (20 credits)Freedom and modernity
Overview
The modern era is distinguished by the emergence of divergent interpretations of the nature of freedom, individual, social, and political. This course is devoted to exploring the nature of these different conceptions and the theories of freedom associated with them. Benjamin Constant famously contrasted the liberties of the ancients, i.e. collective political freedoms, with the liberties of the moderns, i.e. individual freedoms. Berlin’s canonical contrast between negative and positive liberty, while partly inspired by Constant, approaches the analysis of freedom in a different way, foregrounding the contrast between ‘freedom from’ and ‘freedom to’. Recent work on freedom, however, challenges these accounts by reviving an older, republican, conception of freedom as freedom from domination. Where libertarian theories typically consider the state to be the primary threat to freedom, the non-domination account understands the state to be a potential bulwark against domination by other social actors. In this way, its concerns overlap with those of the critical theorists who are similarly concerned with obstacles to freedom in social relations more generally, reflected in theories of alienation and disciplinary power. This course will combine analytical and genealogical approaches to the problem understating the complexity of freedom in the modern world. Topics will vary from year to year but may include: liberal and libertarian conceptions of individual freedom, the relation between individual and political freedom, populist and constitutionalist conceptions of collective freedom; freedom as non-domination and the problem of structural domination; dimensions and theories of autonomy: moral, social, and political; alienation and disciplinary power.
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be familiar with the standard theoretical analyses of the nature of freedom, i.e. negative liberty, autonomy and non-domination. 2. Students will be familiar with the historical development of different currents of thought about freedom in the modern era. 3. Students will be familiar with debates about interpersonal and structural accounts of domination, alienation and oppression. 4. Students will be familiar with debates about the different dimensions of freedom: personal, social, and political and their relations to one another.
Skills
Intellectual skills * Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner. * Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments. * Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field. Professional and career development skills * Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing. * Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning. * Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development. * Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance. Organizational skills * Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines. * Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information. * Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way. * Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7059
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Gender and Politics (20 credits)Gender and Politics
Overview
This module encourages students to examine the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping political dynamics at the local, national and global level. It approaches the topic drawing upon feminist political thought; strategies for political mobilization and change; and feminist analyses of contemporary global politics. The module outlines the contribution of feminist scholarship in challenging understandings of politics and international relations as gender-neutral and draws attention to the, often neglected, experiences, agency and political claims of women and other minoritised groups. We will consider key contemporary issues such as transnational feminism, queer politics and social justice; feminism and global governance; reproductive justice; nationalism, populism and anti-gender politics; international security; borders and migration; feminism and the politics of crisis, feminist and queer visions for life. Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered complexities of global politics.
AIMS:
This module is designed to provide you with the conceptual tools and study skills for developing your own critical appraisal of gender politics in an intersectional and transnational perspective. At the end of this module, you will have enhanced your skills to critically interrogate different dimensions of the political through the application of feminist intersectional lenses. Crucially, I also hope that you will feel empowered to apply this mode of thinking to analyse intersections between gender and other inequalities and to reflect on your own position in learning, knowledge production and politics.Learning Outcomes
OOn successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
analyse and explain the causes of gender inequalities in the public/private realm;
understand how gender interacts with race, class, sexuality and nationality to produce divisions of power and resources, as well as processes of violence and exclusion.
discuss and assess different feminist perspectives.
apply feminist theories to analyse key issues in global politics and current political problems.
think critically about narratives and practices of politics and international relations.
independently develop a small research project of their choice.Skills
Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, in oral and written form.\nPursue intellectual questions in a rigorous and academic manner, employing analytical skills and critical thinking.\nDiscuss issues that challenge dominant perspectives in an informed manner.\nEngage in small group activity.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7032
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
The UK and Europe (20 credits)The UK and Europe
Overview
This module offers students the opportunity to address core issues in Politics via a focus on the UK’s relationship with Europe in a time of flux. It is built around three broad themes: understanding, negotiating and delivering Brexit.
The first part of the module focuses on explaining the UK’s past relationship with Europe, it’s nature as an ‘awkward partner’ in European integration and the outcome of the 2016 Referendum (“understanding Brexit”). It introduces students to theories of Euroscepticism, ideas of British ‘exceptionalism’ and the study of elections, referendums and public opinion.
The second part of the module engages with the on-going Brexit negotiations, in terms of trade, citizens’ rights and borders. It introduces students to the politics of trade and negotiation dynamics. It considers and explain changes to both the UK and EU positions in the negotiations.
The third part of the module focuses on Brexit delivery - the administrative challenges of taking back control and the constitutional challenges of repatriating competences for central and devolved governments. It introduces students to studies of multi-level governance and devolution and theories of implementation, enforcement and good governance.Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, the students:
- Should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the UK’s relationship with the EU
- Should understand debates about explanations of the EU referendum outcome and challenges for delivering Brexit
- Should be able to understand how different theories and approaches in political science can help make sense of the UK’s changing relationship with Europe
- Should have developed basic blog writing skills and basic policy brief writing skillsSkills
Skills
This module will assist in developing students’ skills in a number of important areas. These include:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7099
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Conflict Intervention (20 credits)Conflict Intervention
Overview
The module will evaluate the changing nature of intervention, from unilateral forceful intervention to multi-lateral intervention, to humanitarian intervention, and third party mediation. Focusing on state, intergovernmental and non-governmental actors’ interventions, it will look at various conflict intervention practices in all phases of conflict from conflict prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding.
Learning Outcomes
To acquire an overview, both historical and substantive, of various approaches to analysis of conflicts and of conflict transformation. The content will deal with different theories of conflict origins, conflict process, and conflict transformation, as well as examining the practices of different state and non-state actors after conflicts.
Skills
Emphasis will be placed on the development of analytic skills for identifying different types of conflict and alternative modes of intervention. Special attention will be given to questions of language, moral justification and power.
Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7027
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
Theories in Comparative Politics (20 credits)Theories in Comparative Politics
Overview
This module introduces students to the study of comparative politics through a survey of the main concepts, theoretical debates, and methodological approaches of the field. Critical thinking is stressed throughout the course, and students are encouraged to bring their own ideas into classroom discussions. One major objective of this course is to familiarize students both with “classic” and contemporary theoretical material that is applied throughout political studies. Throughout the module, we will explore important theoretical and methodological issues in the comparative study of political behaviour and institutions.
Learning Outcomes
The module will offer students ways of:
- understanding how concepts are constructed and applied in contemporary study of politics.
- understand important classic and contemporary works of comparative political studies.
- understand the key concepts and debates in political studies.
- understanding and critically assessing advanced political science research.
- articulating their views about complex topics in a small-group setting.
- applying comparative perspectives to the field of politics.
- using advanced social science research while developing reasoned analyzes of social and political phenomena.Skills
Intellectual skills
- Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
- Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
- Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
- Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
- Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
- Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
- Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT
Organizational skills
- Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
- Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
- Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate wayCoursework
90%
Examination
0%
Practical
10%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7038
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Youth and Social Justice (20 credits)Youth and Social Justice
Overview
This module introduces students to key concepts, theories and debates in youth studies, and to contemporary youth issues. It provides an understanding of the ways in which major social science disciplines have conceptualised and studied young people, alongside some of the contemporary issues that affect their lives. The module explores the framing, conceptualisation and theorisation of youth across time, considering the academic and political interest in young people. In doing so, it will consider the relationship between young people, social change and social policy. The module encourages students to apply critical thinking and theory to contemporary ‘youth issues’, and to critically consider institutional and policy responses. A key focus is the consideration of ways in which division and disadvantage are reproduced, and how social justice issues are responded to at policy, practice and societal levels.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• Critically assess the representation of ‘youth’ and ‘youth problems’
• Demonstrate an understanding of theories and debates in youth studies
• Apply theory and critical analysis to contemporary ‘youth’ and ‘youth issues’
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of social and institutional processes on young people's lives
• Compile and upload a comment pieceSkills
Students will be engaged in processes allowing them to:
• Understand how theory relates to policy and practice development
• Develop skills in the critical evaluation of youth policy and practice
• Develop research and organisational skills by using library resources and electronic resources
• Develop and enhance skills in critical thinking and analysis
• Develop oral skills through participation in workshops and group work tasks
• Develop skills in digital literacy through blog postings and discussion forum activities
• Develop an ability to write in a clear, structured and critical manner utilising a wide range of source materialCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
SOC9044
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Contemporary Security (20 credits)Contemporary Security
Overview
The module will examine the key theoretical approaches and practical issues and debates that have defined the evolution of Security Studies. They will engage the changing definitions of security and approaches to understanding security. It will address both ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ security and the ways in which these are increasingly connected in both theory and practice. Moreover, it will introduce students to the inter-disciplinary nature of engagements with security (from politics to geography to technology). It will engage theorising in application by introducing students both to the major concepts and theoretical assumptions of understandings of security and showing how these play out in debates and practices of security. Students will be introduced to the core concepts and differences between ‘traditional’ rationalist theories of security and the emergence and development of varieties of critical security studies. They will then examine key issues in security that may include: The state, sovereignty and internal securities; uncertainty, the security dilemma and risk; regimes, regions and security communities; non-proliferation and disarmament; theorising war; migration and borders; surveillance and security; cyber-security; environmental security: beyond energy and resource conflict; Poverty, food, and human security; gender and security; and others. Students will therefore engage critically with the intersections of theory and practice; domestic and international; and state and human securities; and be able to understand contemporary transformations of security in relation to power, sovereignty, mobilities, and technology.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will:
- Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different theoretical engagements with security and the diversity of critical approaches.
- Understand how theories of security translate into different political practices of security.
- Be able to apply critical security concepts to contemporary security practices.
- Critically engage in debates on key developments in the politics of security.
- Be able to reflect upon the ethical and political implications developments in security theory and practice.
- Be able to engage in depth with a wide range of security issues in a theoretically informed way.
- Pursue independent, creative and critical thinking through both written work and group discussions.Skills
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative waysCoursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7051
Teaching Period
Autumn
Duration
12 weeks
Global Terrorism (20 credits)Global Terrorism
Overview
This module introduces students to the range of important issues relating to the phenomenon of
global terrorism and responses in terms of the global war on terrorism.
The key debates that students will engage with will include: the emergence of transnational terrorism structures, transnational terrorism case studies, state and transnational state responses to terrorism including international actors such as the UN, NATO and other regional organisations.
The study of these debates will lead to the investigation of particular groups, state actors, themes and responses which will culminate in a student-led simulation exercise.
Overall the module aims to equip students with an understanding of the key discourse and examples as they pertain to contemporary terrorist challenges and responses at a global level.Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students should
- Have acquired a good understanding of the basic concepts underlying the module;
- Have an in depth knowledge of a variety of manifestations of violence and terrorism and;
- Be able to critically discuss different responses to terrorism, situated on a spectrum from domestic to international measures.Skills
The module provides students with opportunities to develop the following skills:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way;
• Enterprising thinking: to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, display originality of thought and argument.Coursework
100%
Examination
0%
Practical
0%
Credits
20
Module Code
PAI7007
Teaching Period
Spring
Duration
12 weeks
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Course content
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Entry requirements
Entrance requirements
Graduate
Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in a Social Sciences, Humanities or Arts subject; or a 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in any subject with relevant professional experience..
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 16th August 2024 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
- Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
- Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Career Prospects
Employment after the Course
The MSc in International Public Policy will be particularly useful for students wishing to work in public affairs, consultancy, NGOs, public relations, journalism or the public service at national or international levels. Recent graduates have secured work in international NGOs (Peace Corps, Joseph Rowntree Trust); international consultancy firms (PwC, H/Advisors Cicero); public affairs companies (Gryphon, Minerva), the media (Financial Times) and the public service (Home Office, Central Bank of Ireland).
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
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Entry Requirements
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Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Northern Ireland (NI) 1 | £8,800 |
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2 | £8,800 |
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1 | £8,800 |
EU Other 3 | £23,100 |
International | £23,100 |
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
More information on postgraduate tuition fees.
Additional course costs
The tuition fee for the MSc in International Public Policy includes the cost of undertaking the CMI-accredited Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership, as well as travel and accommodation costs for the study visit to Brussels and Paris.
The programme attracts a premium fee arising from the associated field trip and the Certificate in Management and Leadership.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
More information on funding options and financial assistance - please check this link regularly, even after you have submitted an application, as new scholarships may become available to you.
International Scholarships
Information on scholarships for international students, is available at www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/international-scholarships.
How to Apply
Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.
When to Apply
The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2021. In the event that any programme receives a high volume of applications, the university reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Entry Portal (DAP) against the programme application page.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.
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Fees and Funding