BA Economics and Politics

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Arts)

Learning outcomes

The programme will:
- allow the study of the two disciplines to the same depth as any single honours student but with less the breadth in each discipline;
- provide a basis for further advanced study in either of the disciplines or in a cognate interdisciplinary area.

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- understand and demonstrate coherent and detailed subject knowledge and professional competencies some of which will be informed by recent research/scholarship in the disciplines of economics and politics;
- deploy accurately standard techniques of analysis and enquiry within economics and / or politics;
- appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limitations of knowledge in both academic disciplines;
- describe and comment on particular aspects of recent research and/or scholarship;
- collect and analyse data derived from a range of sources, making use of scholarly reviews and primary sources;
- show a capacity for critical thinking and an ability to evaluate the value and relevance of data within the framework provided by available theory and practice; and
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding in chosen advanced specialist areas in Economics.
- demonstrate an ability to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches within the disciplines of economics and politics; and appreciate their strengths and weaknesses as learners;
- demonstrate an awareness of the boundaries between economics, politics and other disciplines;
- be furnished with a historically informed and theoretically aware academic understanding of the dynamics of political phenomena and an in depth understanding of political processes, both at the domestic and international levels;
- have a broad and balanced knowledge and understanding of key political theories, concepts, institutions and processes;
- have an up to date knowledge of the main political theories that structure our political systems, and the wider social forces that shape political life;
- have the ability to critically analyse British politics and international issues.
- demonstrate in-depth grasp of specialist aspects of political systems/processes and/or specialist topics in political theory
- use theories and concepts to critically appraise specialist aspects of political systems/processes or key conceptual debates within political analysis (or cognate disciplines where appropriate)
- present structured and well-researched evaluation of specialist debates within the discipline of political analysis or economics

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- the generic skills necessary for employment related to the areas studied;
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;
- the deployment of decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations;
- the communication of information, ideas, problems and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences; and
- the skills necessary to support future independent learning.

Students will have had the opportunity to, as defined in the modules specified for the programme:
- demonstrate transferable skills necessary for employment such as initiative, analysis of information, problem-solving, finding information;
- the skills of communication of concepts, facts and issues in a variety of ways;
- demonstrate an ability to apply a broad range of disciplinary aspects;
- draw on the scholarly material;
- evaluate the scholarly arguments;
- conduct independent work within the discipline;
- use critical ability.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- demonstrating the ability to apply a core range of aspects of the discipline;
- work that draws on a variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of an ability to conduct an in-depth enquiry within the discipline; and
- work that is typically both evaluative and analytical.

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include:
- dissertation;
- oral assessment;
- written reports and log books;
- assessment essays;
- examinations.

These will demonstrate the ability to
- use the scholarly literature;
- analyse and evaluate arguments;
- show self-discipline and self-direction;
- conduct independent work.