BA Politics and Parliamentary Studies

Year 4

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Arts)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- understand and demonstrate a coherent knowledge of the main issues in the contemporary scholarship of the discipline;
- understand and use the main conceptual ideas in the discipline;
- analyse and evaluate political issues;
- appreciate the uncertainty of knowledge within the academic discipline;
- evaluate and make appropriate use of the scholarly literature;
- write, present and support arguments in a scholarly way;
- initiate and undertake an extended project;
- in the dissertation students should be able to demonstrate conceptual grasp and an ability to make a sustained argument.

Especially through the placement schemes,
- an ability to work in a team as a contributor;
- write to specifications for a variety of audiences;
- organise and take initiatives in a group context;
- appreciate the skills needed for a political office;
- make use of opportunities to develop oral and writing skills for non-academic audiences.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, 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;
- work in non-academic contexts to demanding and high standards.

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:
- 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.