Final Year Project in Politics and International Relations

Key information
- Start date
- End date
- Year of study
- Final Year
- Duration
- Full
- Module code
- 153400169
- FHEQ Level
- 6
- Credits
- 30
- Department
- Department of Politics and International Studies
Module overview
The Final Year Project allows students to develop an independent research and writing project on an approved topic and supervised by a member of academic staff in the Department.
The project usually takes the format of a 10.000 word dissertation, but other formats are possible. It is accompanied by a compulsory seminar that provides training and guidance on how to design, research and write/present the project. The seminar runs throughout terms one and two and is intended as a forum in which students present their ideas and get feedback from peers as well as a forum for support and guidance on their project.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
- Understand and engage with a key issue or problem in the area of international relations and politics.
- Show their ability to undertake a literature review and position themselves within it
- Organise their ideas through theoretical and empirical material and plan, develop and present an argument in relation to this.
- Show their ability to effectively gather, manage and organise relevant data in support of their argument.
- Demonstrate their ability to work independently or in a team under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
- Demonstrate good academic research practice, analytical skills, and competence in academic writing or another format of presenting their project
Workload
- 1 hour lecture per week
- T2: Additional 1 hour tutorial per week
Method of assessment
Dissertation: 100%
Suggested reading
- Turabian, Kate L. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Smith, Karen, Malcolm Todd, and Julia Waldman. 2009. Doing your undergraduate social science dissertation. Abingdon: Routledge.
- Judith Burnett. 2009. Doing your Social Science Dissertation. London: Sage
- Roselle, Laura and Sharon Spray. 2008. Research and Writing in International Relations. London: Pearson Education.
- Jegede et al., 2020. Writing Successful Undergraduate Dissertations in Social Sciences: A Student's Handbook (2nd Edn.), Abingdon: Routledge
Disclaimer
Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules
Key staff
Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics