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Department of Politics and International Studies

Introduction to political theory

Course Code:
153400001
Unit value:
1
Taught in:
Full Year
This is a compulsory and core course for all students taking Politics degrees in the Department and must be taken in the first year. It provides an introduction to the basic concepts of political study and analysis as well as to some of the classic texts of political theory.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

The principal objective of this course is to equip students with the analytical skills needed to undertake theoretical, empirical and comparative courses in the second and third years of their degree programme. These analytical skills will be developed through the study and discussion of excellent examples of political argument.

By the end of the year students will have developed their abilities to develop clear and concise arguments and to present these coherently through writing and speech.

Method of assessment

Assessment is 40% coursework and 60% unseen examination.