PIR-10041 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module is designed to provide a clear introduction to the academic study of International Relations and is useful to both beginning International Relations students and to students who would like simply to find out what the subject is about and explore a few topics or issues in the module that particularly interest them. The module shows how the modern `society of states¿ came about and was affected by various factors such as nationalism and other ideologies, technology and a globalising capitalist economy. It also gives students a basic understanding of the more traditional schools of thought in the academic discipline of IR.

1 - To introduce students to the academic study of International Relations (IR), including some of the more `traditional¿ schools of thought in the discipline.
2 - To consolidate study skills which would be necessary for future modules.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Explain the development of the modern `society of states¿ and how its evolution has been shaped by various factors such as nationalism, technology, international law and organisations, war and security, and a globalising capitalist economy: 1,2
Interpret and compare the more `traditional¿ perspectives in the academic discipline of International Relations: 1,2
Recognise the important functions performed by lectures and be able effectively to identify and coherently summarise their key points: 1,2
Develop and strengthen essential study skills including the ability use search engines in order to find relevant scholarship; read and summarise key ideas and arguments in scholarly sources; develop an argument and coherently explicate and evidence it in an essay form, whilst drawing on scholarly sources; and properly deploy the Harvard referencing system: 1,2

Study hours

10 hours attendance at lectures
10 hours attendance at seminars
50 hours preparation for the ten plenary seminars
20 hours reading, researching and writing the journal review
60 hours researching and writing the essay

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment