Programme Specification for the 2020/1 academic year
BA (Hons) Politics and Sociology
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Politics and Sociology | Programme code | UFA3HPSHPS03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Full Time |
Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
This programme enables you to study the social organisation, economy and cosmology of a range of societies together with their political ideas, institutions and practices.
Your work is divided evenly between the two subjects, with the politics and international relations modules appropriate to the combined degree. The programmes are designed so that there are no differences in the workload in comparison to the Single Honours degrees. In the final year, you’ll take a dissertation in either sociology or politics, depending on your own area of interest.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
1. To produce graduates from the programme that are useful, productive and questioning members of society
2. To produce graduates who are grounded in the main themes of Politics through a combination of modules which develop a deep understanding of some pervasive and problematic features of the discipline
3. To produce graduates who are grounded in the main themes of Sociology through a combination of modules which develop a deep understanding of how societies, institutions and practices of all kinds came into being, how they are currently organised, and how they might change in the future
4. To develop students' competence in the specific skills required in Sociology and in Politics, and in core academic and personal and key skills
5. To offer a wide range of choice within the programme of study, insofar as this choice is consistent with the coherence and intellectual rigour of the degree
4. Programme Structure
This joint honours programme is studied over three years and is university-based throughout that time. It is comprised of three stages, of 120 credits per stage, each of which normally occupies an academic year so that it requires three years to accumulate the 360 credits required for a final award. Part-time study over a longer period is possible by negotiation with the College.
The programme is divided into units called modules. Each module studied successfully contribute 15 or 30 credits toward the degree. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload and one credit is nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work. The 'level' of a module (designated by the first number in the module code) indicates its position in the progressive development of academic abilities and/or practical skills. The degree programme contains compulsory and optional modules and as part of the degree programme students may take up to 30 credits a year outside their main degree subjects, choosing from modules in another department within the College of Social Sciences, or within another College. Given the demands of this joint honours programme, students will not be able to choose 30 credits outside their programme at Stage 1. However, they will be able to do so at both Stages 2 and 3.
Modules and other study components can be taken only with the approval of the Department (normally given by the student’s personal tutor). Modules are not all available every year; options are offered each year at the discretion of Departments. A module may be taken only if the necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, if the timetable allows, and if the module or an equivalent module has not been taken previously.
Assessment at Stage 1 is formative and does not contribute towards the overall mark for the degree programme, although an overall pass is necessary for progression to Stage 2. Further information on the weighting of your programme for calculating your degree can be found at:-
https://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/socialsciences/student/undergraduate/collegehandbook/assessmentandfeedback/
5. Programme Modules
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
The BA Politics and Sociology degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each. Full-time undergraduate students need to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits each year.
Depending on your programme you can also take up to 30 credits each year in another subject, for instance a language or business module, to develop career-related skills or just widen your intellectual horizons.
Please note that modules offered are subject to change, depending on staff availability, timetabling, and demand.
Stage 1
60 credits of compulsory Level 1 Sociology modules, 60 credits of optional Level 1 Politics modules.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC1019 | Contemporary Society: Themes and Perspectives | 15 | No |
| SOC1020 | Contemporary Society: Field and Case Studies | 15 | No |
| SOC1048 | Social Analysis I | 15 | No |
| SOC1049 | Social Analysis II | 15 | No |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL S1 BA Politics SH opt 2020-1 60 credits | |||
| POL1001B | State of Britain | 15 | No |
| POL1006 | State and Society | 15 | No |
| POL1017 | Globalisation of World Politics | 15 | No |
| POL1018 | The Challenges of World Politics in the Twenty-First Century | 15 | No |
| POL1019 | Power and Democracy | 15 | No |
| POL1020 | Politics in Europe | 15 | No |
| POL1023 | Politics and Economy of the Contemporary Middle East | 15 | No |
| POL1025 | Classical Political Thought | 15 | No |
| POL1026 | Early Modern Political Thought | 15 | No |
| POL1028 | Introduction to Strategic Studies | 15 | No |
| POL1045 | International Politics of the Global South | 15 | No |
| SSI1005 | Introduction to Social Data | 15 | No |
| SSI1006 | Data Analysis in Social Science 1 | 15 | No |
Stage 2
120 credits of optional modules.
Optional Modules
Students to choose 60 credits of modules from Level 2 of the Sociology Programme
AND
Students to choose 60 credits of modules from the Level 2 Politics Programme
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC S2 BA Sociology SH opt 2019-0 | |||
| SOC2038 | On Violence | 15 | No |
| SOC2034 | Gender and Society 1 | 15 | No |
| SOC2014 | Media in Society | 15 | No |
| SOC2030 | Sociology of Art and Culture | 15 | No |
| SOC2035 | International Criminal Justice: Comparative Criminology | 15 | No |
| SOC2009 | Deviance: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 15 | No |
| SOC2036 | International Criminal Justice: Application of Theory to Transnational and International Crime | 15 | No |
| SOC2084 | Ethnomusicology | 15 | No |
| SOC2085 | Health, Illness and Bodies in Contemporary Society Part 1: Medicine and Social Control | 15 | No |
| SOC2087 | Disability and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC2086 | Addiction | 30 | No |
| SOC2088 | Health, Illness and Bodies in Contemporary Society: Part 2: Bodies in Society | 15 | No |
| SOC2096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 | No |
| SOC2097 | Environment and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC2098 | Sociology of Imprisonment | 15 | No |
| SOC2101 | Police and Policing | 15 | No |
| SOC2103 | Senses and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC2104 | Victimology | 15 | No |
| SOC2107 | Culture and Wellbeing | 15 | No |
| SOC2039 | Sociology of Family and Gender | 15 | No |
| SOC2105 | Contemporary Capitalism, Critique and Resistance | 15 | No |
| SOC2114 | Anthropology of the State | 15 | No |
| SOC2115 | Deception | 15 | No |
| SOC2052 | Environments in Public | 15 | No |
| SOC2037 | Pharmaceutical Cultures | 15 | No |
| SOC2116 | Sociology and Demography of Religion | 15 | No |
| SOC2119 | Introduction to Critical Theory | 15 | No |
| SOC2112 | Introduction to Terrorism Studies | 30 | No |
| SSI2006 | Immigration in Western Societies | 15 | No |
| SSI2007 | Data Analysis in Social Science 3 | 15 | No |
| SOC S2 BA Sociology SH comp 2019-0 | |||
| SOC2004 | Into the Field | 15 | No |
| SOC2005 | Theoretical Sociology | 30 | No |
| SOC2050 | Knowing the Social World | 15 | No |
| POL S2 BA Politics SH opt 2020-1 | |||
| POL2020 | Contemporary Theories of World Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2025 | Health Policy in Comparative Perspective | 15 | No |
| POL2026 | Political Analysis: Behaviour, Institutions, Ideas | 15 | No |
| POL2027 | The Politics of the World Economy | 15 | No |
| POL2047 | American Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2050 | Political Philosophy | 15 | No |
| POL2051 | War and Peace in the Middle East | 15 | No |
| POL2052 | Foreign Policy: Leadership, Power and Responsibility | 15 | No |
| POL2057 | Security Studies | 15 | No |
| POL2075 | Integration and Disintegration in the European Union | 15 | No |
| POL2081 | Thinking about Race: Perspectives from the Biological and Social Sciences | 15 | No |
| POL2082 | Changing Character of Warfare | 15 | No |
| POL2086 | Strategy and Psychology in Foreign Policy | 15 | No |
| POL2097 | Behavioural Public Policy and the Nudge Agenda | 15 | No |
| POL2098 | What is Law? Jurisprudence from Stone Tablet to Brain Imaging | 15 | No |
| POL2099 | The Politics of Social Justice | 15 | No |
| POL2100 | Political Conflicts in Europe | 15 | No |
| POL2102 | Explaining Public Policies | 15 | No |
| POL2103 | The Logic of Democracies and Dictatorships | 15 | No |
| POL2106 | America in the World | 15 | No |
| POL2107 | Gender and Comparative Public Policy | 15 | No |
| POL2108 | The Legal Regulation of Civil Society | 15 | No |
| POL2115 | British Foreign Policy | 15 | No |
| SSI2005 | Data Analysis in Social Science 2 | 15 | No |
| SSI2006 | Immigration in Western Societies | 15 | No |
| SSI2007 | Data Analysis in Social Science 3 | 15 | No |
| POL2079 | Contemporary Public Debate in an Age of 'Anti-Politics' | 15 | No |
| POL2116 | Political Economy of Armed Conflicts | 15 | No |
| POL2114 | Issues in Modern British Politics | 15 | No |
Stage 3
120 credits of optional modules.
Optional Modules
Students to choose 60 credits from Level 3 of the Sociology Programme
AND
Students to choose 60 credits from the Level 3 Politics programme
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL SF BA Politics SH opt 2020-1 | |||
| POL3000 | Deadly Words: The Language of Political Violence | 15 | No |
| POL3040 | Dissertation | 30 | No |
| POL3051 | The Media in Europe | 30 | No |
| POL3069 | Globalisation and the Politics of Resistance | 30 | No |
| POL3074 | The Politics of Climate Change | 30 | No |
| POL3076 | Research Design for Dissertation | 30 | No |
| POL3077 | Global Environmental Politics and Policy | 30 | No |
| POL3080 | The International Politics of Religion | 30 | No |
| POL3088 | Forced Migration, Refugees and International Relations | 30 | No |
| POL3120 | War and Public Opinion | 30 | No |
| POL3132 | Globalisation and Democratic Politics: the End of the Nation State? | 30 | No |
| POL3136 | Political Psychology | 30 | No |
| POL3172 | Political Participation | 15 | No |
| POL3180 | Latin American Parties, Politics and Elections | 30 | No |
| POL3196 | Democracy in the European Union | 30 | No |
| POL3204 | Politics through the Life Course | 30 | No |
| POL3206 | The Political Economy of the State | 30 | No |
| POL3207 | Realism and International Security | 15 | No |
| POL3208 | Maritime Power and Security in Global Politics | 15 | No |
| POL3217 | Feminist Political Theory | 30 | No |
| POL3227 | Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa | 30 | No |
| POL3228 | From the Shadows into the Light: Political Advisers and Policy Making | 30 | No |
| POL3234 | Religion, Politics and Policy in Europe | 30 | No |
| POL3237 | The Rise and Decline of New Political Parties | 15 | No |
| POL3254 | International Relations in Global History | 30 | No |
| POL3257 | Understanding Terrorism and Counterterrorism | 30 | No |
| POL3258 | The Politics of Humour | 30 | No |
| POL3260 | Russian Foreign Policy | 15 | No |
| POL3261 | Becoming an Actor in World Politics: International and Transnational Recognition | 30 | No |
| POL3262 | The Idea of Human Rights | 15 | No |
| POL3263 | Political Economy of Development | 15 | No |
| POL3161 | Policy Analysis for the Real World | 15 | No |
| POL3178 | Policy Analysis for the Real World | 30 | No |
| POL3255 | Deliberating the Environmental Emergency: The Citizens' Assembly | 30 | No |
| POL3256 | Trumping the Mainstream: The Populist Radical Right and Democratic politics | 30 | No |
| POL3259 | Climate Justice | 30 | No |
| SOC SF BA Sociology SH opt 2019-0 | |||
| SOC3002 | On Violence | 15 | No |
| SOC3013 | Gender and Society 1 | 15 | No |
| SOC3028 | Media in Society | 15 | No |
| SOC3030 | Sociology of Art and Culture | 15 | No |
| SOC3034 | International Criminal Justice: Comparative Criminology | 15 | No |
| SOC3035 | Deviance: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 15 | No |
| SOC3036 | International Criminal Justice: Application of Theory to Transnational and International Crime | 15 | No |
| SOC3084 | Ethnomusicology | 15 | No |
| SOC3085 | Health, Illness and Bodies in Contemporary Society Part 1: Medicine and Social Control | 15 | No |
| SOC3086 | Addiction | 30 | No |
| SOC3087 | Disability and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC3088 | Health, Illness and Bodies in Contemporary Society: Part 2: Bodies in Society | 15 | No |
| SOC3096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 | No |
| SOC3097 | Environment and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC3098 | Sociology of Imprisonment | 15 | No |
| SOC3101 | Police and Policing | 15 | No |
| SOC3103 | Senses and Society | 15 | No |
| SOC3104 | Victimology | 15 | No |
| SOC3107 | Culture and Wellbeing | 15 | No |
| SOC3108 | Sociology of Family and Gender | 15 | No |
| SOC3109 | Contemporary Capitalism, Critique and Resistance | 15 | No |
| SOC3111 | Evidence-Based Policing | 15 | No |
| SOC3112 | Introduction to Terrorism Studies | 30 | No |
| SOC3114 | Anthropology of the State | 15 | No |
| SOC3115 | Deception | 15 | No |
| SOC3117 | Environments in Public | 15 | No |
| SOC3080 | Pharmaceutical Cultures | 15 | No |
| SOC3118 | Sociology and Demography of Religion | 15 | No |
| SOC3119 | Introduction to Critical Theory | 15 | No |
| SPA3001 | Debates, Issues and Practices | 15 | No |
| SSI3002 | Immigration in Western Societies | 15 | No |
| SSI3003 | Data Analysis in Social Science 3 | 15 | No |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
1. Politics: Understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity |
| The assessment of these skills is through a combination of term-time essays 1-13, oral presentations1-13, and examinations 1-13 (and, where applicable, Research Methods Project, Sociology or Politics Dissertation work 1-13). The criteria of assessment pay full recognition to the importance of the various skills outlined. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
14. Draw thematic comparisons between material from different sources (benchmark 6.1.3) | These skills are developed throughout the degree programme, but the emphasis becomes more complex as students move from stage to stage. They are developed through lectures and seminars 1-14, written work1-14, and oral work 1-14 (both presentation and class discussion). | These skills are assessed through term-time essays 14-27, assessed presentations 14-27, and examinations 14-27. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
28. Undertake independent study and ability to work to deadlines |
|
|
7. Programme Regulations
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
Classification
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
Personal and Academic tutoring: It is University policy that all Colleges should have in place a system of academic and personal tutors. The role of academic tutors is to support you on individual modules; the role of personal tutors is to provide you with advice and support for the duration of the programme and extends to providing you with details of how to obtain support and guidance on personal difficulties such as accommodation, financial difficulties and sickness. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.
As an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student in the College of Social Sciences and International Studies you will be allocated a Personal Tutor at the commencement of your studies. In normal circumstances your Personal Tutor will remain your tutor throughout your study programme. Your Personal Tutor is normally available through scheduled office hours, but should also see you as a matter of course three or four times a year (depending on your year of study); these meetings may typically commence soon after registration. These meetings will take place once or twice mid-year to discuss your progress and to perhaps consider Personal Development Planning (ePDP) and once to discuss your overall performance. The ePDP is a particularly useful developmental tool which you are encouraged to utilize and which is accessible though the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE).
You should feel that you are able to approach your personal tutor for advice, pastoral support or academic support in a wider sense.
Library, ELE and other resources provided to support this programme:
The Library offers you core services for learning and research. Whilst the various locations house a large collection of materials and services, many of our resources are available online through this website http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/ for you to use at home, work or wherever you are located for your study. Each discipline has a subject librarian on hand to help you to find resources and we also work with tutors to digitize reading lists for inclusion in the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE).
Exeter Learning Environment (ELE) is used throughout the University to make course materials
available online. You will be able to access module information, presentations, handouts, reading materials as well as interacting with other students and your tutors. Many tutors use ELE to run assessments and set coursework assignments. In addition to the materials provided by your tutors, there are various other resources available on ELE to help you in your studies, for example, you will be able to access your ePDP, the University’s online PDP system, which has been developed to help you keep an ongoing record of your academic, work and extra-curricular experiences, and help you develop action plans and personal statements.
The University provides a range of IT services, including open and training clusters of PCs (available on a 24/7 basis). In the Social Sciences and International Studies College this includes a 24/7 suite in Amory, based in the Law Library and a second one in the St Luke’s Campus Library. These suites are accessible by swiping your university card. The majority of the College also has access to the university’s wireless network. Network access is
available from the majority of rooms in University halls of residence through the ResNet system.
At St Luke’s there is also a college-based open access suite (South Cloisters 14) providing access to another 20 machines. Entry is again made by use of your university card and it is open from 8.30am to 7pm Monday to Friday.
All of these suites have the standard ‘palms’ printing systems in them (printing from credit held on your university card). At the St Luke’s Campus there is also a cash-based printing service at the GSE Print Unit based in South Cloisters.
Please see link below for further information on the IT Services facilities on the Exeter Campuses: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/forum/public/Study_map_A4_2pp_Term3.pdf
Helpdesks are maintained on the Streatham and Cornwall campuses.
Student/Staff Liaison Committee enables students & staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.
The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.
(http://as.exeter.ac.uk/support/admin/staff/qualityassuranceandmonitoring/tqamanual/fullcontents/)
12. Indicators of Quality and Standards
The programme is not subject to accreditation and/ or review by professional and statutory regulatory bodies (PSRBs).
13. Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards
The University and its constituent Colleges draw on a range of data to review the quality of educational provision. The College documents the performance in each of its taught programmes, against a range of criteria on an annual basis through the Annual Programme Monitoring cycle:
- Admissions, progression and completion data
- In Year Analysis data
- Previous monitoring report
- Monitoring of core (and optional) modules
- External examiner's reports and University and College responses (reported to SSLC)
- Any Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body/accrediting body or other external reports
- Consultation with employers and former students
- Staff evaluation
- Student evaluation
- Programme aims
Subject areas are reviewed every four years through a periodic subject review scheme that includes external contributions. (http://admin.exeter.ac.uk/academic/tls/tqa/Part%209/9JREVISEDPSRSCHEME.pdf)
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
0
18. Final Award
BA (Hons) Politics and Sociology
19. UCAS Code
LLH2
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 360 |
ECTS credits | 180 |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
[Honours] Politics and international relations
[Honours] Sociology
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 02/10/2000 |
Date of last revision | 14/06/2012 |
|---|


