Study information

Programme Specification for the 2020/1 academic year

BSc (Hons) Economics and Politics with Industrial Experience

1. Programme Details

Programme nameBSc (Hons) Economics and Politics with Industrial Experience Programme codeUFS4SBEHPS02
Study mode(s)Full Time
 Academic year2020/1
Campus(es)Streatham (Exeter)
 NQF Level of the Final Award6 (Honours)

2. Description of the Programme

This programme is taught jointly by members of staff from the University of Exeter Business School and the Department of Politics within the College of Social Sciences and International Studies. It aims to provide a thorough grounding in both disciplines, particularly in their more practical aspects, and bring out their connection and inter-relationship. At each level there is a special inter-disciplinary module. Each of these modules, in its different way, explores the interaction between economic ideas and economic behaviour on the one hand and the working of the political process and government policy on the other.

In the first year, you take introductory modules in economics and politics and in statistical analysis. During the second and final years a variety of modules are taken, some of which are especially concerned with policymaking processes in economic and social affairs. As one of your final examination papers, you select from a range of options offered by the two Schools, and can thus specialise to some extent in either politics or economics; additionally, you have the opportunity to present a dissertation on a suitable topic, provided that satisfactory arrangements can be made for its supervision.

3. Educational Aims of the Programme

  • To provide an excellent education across the range of political and economic studies, from core to specialist, in a supportive and responsive learning environment that is enriched by research.
  • To enable students to understand and use the main concepts, approaches and theories of the disciplines of Economics and Politics.
  • To enable students to analyse, interpret and evaluate political events, ideas and institutions and to relate their academic study to questions of public concern.
  • To give students a solid grounding in economic concepts and reasoning, while also providing opportunities to explore how these core principles can be applied to various areas.
  • To develop students’ competence in subject-specific, core academic and personal and key skills.
  • To offer students a wide range of choice, insofar as this choice is consistent with the coherence and intellectual rigour of the degree.
  • To equip graduates to be questioning and productive members of society.

4. Programme Structure

Your Economics and Politics with Industrial Experience programme is a four year programme of study at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). This programme is divided into four ‘Stages’. Each Stage is normally equivalent to an academic year.  The programme is also divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work.

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 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. Details of the modules currently offered may be obtained from the College web site:
 
 
http://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/economics/ba_ep/
  
You may take Option Modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module. Descriptions of the individual modules are given in full on the College web site (http://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/modules).
 
 
You may take Elective Modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme in the first, second and final stage of the programme as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.   The fourth character of any module code signifies its NQF level, according to the following scheme:
 
 

Fourth Character

NQF level

1

4

2

5

3

6

M

7
 
At the point of application or shortly after enrolling students may select a four-year version of this programme. We offer “with Year Abroad”, or “with Industrial Experience” variants. In these cases Stage 3 becomes Stage 4, and Stage 3 is replaced with 120 credits of alternative work and assessment.

 

Students take modules BSD1002 in their first year and BSD2002 in their second year as preparation for their year in industry.  Students will then be enrolled on the module BUS3002 during their placement year. To progress from Stage 1 on this programme, students must achieve a weighted average of 50% in their first year. This programme has compulsory preparation sessions in the first two years.

 

Stage 1

Stage 1 consists of 105 credits of compulsory modules, plus a further 15/30 credits of elective modules. If students have taken A-Level Maths they can take BEE1036 and BEE1037 instead of BEE1029.

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
BEE1029 Economic Principles 30Yes
BEE1025 Statistics for Business and Management 15No
BEE1032 History of Economic Thought 15No
BEE1035 Basic Quantitative Methods 15No
POL1044 Introduction to Public Policy 15No
POL1019 Power and Democracy 15No
BSD1002 Introduction to 'With Industrial Experience' 0No

Stage 2

Stage 2 consists of 60 credits of compulsory modules and 60 credits of elective modules. Electives must include at least 15 credits Economics and 15 credits Politics. 

Students who have taken BEE1036 and BEE 1037 will take BEE 2025 and BEE 2026.

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
BEE2038 Intermediate Microeconomics 15Yes
BEE2039 Intermediate Macroeconomics 15Yes
POL2046 The Economics of Politics 15No
POL2027 The Politics of the World Economy 15No
BSD2002 Career Management Skills for 'with Industrial Experience' Students 0No

Stage 3

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
BUS3002 Business School Industrial Experience 120Yes

Stage 4

Stage 4 consists of 15 credits of compulsory modules, 45 credits from Economics and a further 75 credits from elective modules. 

Students who have taken BEE2033 at stage two do not need to select BEE3042 or BEE2033 in their third year. 

Students should take a minimum of 45 credits from Economics (this can include BEE3042 or BEE2033 if being taken in the third year). 

Electives must include at least 30 credits from Politics.

Compulsory Modules

CodeModule Credits Non-condonable?
BEE3042 International Political Economy 15No
BEE2033 Public Finance 15No

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. Understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity.
2. Apply concepts and theories used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideas, institutions and practices.
3. Evaluate different interpretations of political issues and events.
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of the principles of economics, at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic level.
5. Demonstrate an appreciation of how these concepts can be used to understand the economic dimension of issues that arise at the level of the individual, the organisation, or society as a whole.
6. Demonstrate a knowledge of basic statistical and econometric techniques, and ability to use them to investigate particular economic hypotheses.

  • A1 and A4 are developed across all programme stages, moving from broad areas of politics in stage 1 to progressively more specialised aspects at stages 2 to 3.
  • A2 and A3 are present in some form in all Politics modules. A3 is also ensured through
  • directed module choice embedded in programme pathways at stages 1 and 2
  • A4 is served by the core Economics modules BEE1029 and BEE1025 which enable students to progress from a basic to intermediate level of understanding.
  • A5 is reflected in BEE2033 and BEE1025.
  • The core statistics module BEE1025 ensures a basic competence of statistics (A6).
  1. Exams (all 6 ILOs)
  2. Essays (all 6 ILOs)
  3. Class exercises (all 6 ILOs)
  4. Individual and group presentations (all 6 ILOs)

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:

7. Gather, organise and deploy evidence and information from a variety of sources.
8. Construct reasoned argument, synthesize relevant information, and critically analyse subject material.
9. Manage own learning self-critically.

These skills are developed throughout the degree programme, with progression in B7 and B8 as students move from stage to stage. B9 is developed through peer and self assessment of assignments, staff feedback on formative assignments, and student self-appraisal.

  • B7 and B8 are assessed through term-time essays, oral presentations, and examinations.
  • B9 is not assessed (there is no requirement to do so in the subject benchmark statement).

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:

10. A global outlook: Our graduates are engaged and prepared for the demands of global business and society.
11. A critical thinker: Our graduates have a commercial awareness that enables them to critically analyse, conceptualise and evaluate the challenges facing business.
12. A collaborative mind-set: Our graduates are enterprising and motivated individuals who are able to actively collaborate and effectively communicate within a range of diverse settings.
13. An ethical ethos: Our graduates understand the social, financial and environmental factors that can impact on corporate sustainability and are able to make decisions openly and responsibly.
14. Technological and digital literacy: Our graduates are able to use technologies to source, process and communicate information.

C10:

  • POL2027 The Politics of the World Economy  instructs students about how the how the international political economy impacts on particular actors, including governments; firms and other producers; civil society. 
  • BEE3042 International Political Economy critically explores contemporary issues in international political economy such as the nature and logic of capitalism, the rise of neo-liberalism, new economic thinking and globalisation.

C11:

  • BEE1029 Economic Principles allows students to apply the economic way of thinking to understand microeconomic problems such as why markets allocate resources where they are most wanted; why prices and wages rise and fall; how consumers allocate their budgets, and how firms arrive at production decisions.
  • POL1044 Introduction to Public Policy asks students to engage critically with material and to obtain a degree of academic impartiality on the prevailing trends in UK public policy.
  • POL1019 Power and Democracy requires students to assess the insightfulness of different interpretations of political texts and phenomena. In addition students must assimilate and analyse a range of sources in political theory.
  • BEE2039 Intermediate Macroeconomics asks students to critically evaluate macroeconomic policies; after completing the module, students are able to apply economic reasoning to the analysis of economic questions and policy.
  • POL2027 The Politics of the World Economy asks students to think critically about how the international political economy is conceived and governed, in particular through evaluating issues of power and equity.
  • POL2046 The Economics of Politics aims to provide students with the skills to critically evaluate and apply rational choice approaches as an analytical tool for the examination of political phenomena.
  • BEE3042 International Political Economy critically explores contemporary issues in international political economy such as the nature and logic of capitalism, the rise of neo-liberalism, new economic thinking and globalisation.

C12:

  • BEE1032 History of Economic Thought asks student to work in groups.

C13:

  • POL2027 The Politics of the World Economy requires students to demonstrate the ability to articulate one’s own ethical and political positions on questions of the international political economy.

C14: 

  • BEE1025 Statistics for Business and Management instructs students in the use of software packages such as Excel and Minitab.

C10:

  • POL2027 – Examination (ILO 1) and essay (ILO 1)
  • BEE3042 – Examination – (ILOs 1 and 3)

C11:

  • BEE1029 – Examination 1 and 2 and online exercises (ILOs 4 and 8 )
  • POL1044 - Essay (ILO 5)
  • POL1019 - Examination and Essay (ILOs 3 and 4)
  • BEE2038 – Examination (ILOs 4 and 5)
  • BEE2039 – Examination (ILOs 4 and 5)
  • POL2027 – Essay and Examination (ILOs 3 and 4)
  • POL2046 – ELE tests and Examination (ILOs 3, 6 and 7)
  • BEE3042 – Examination (ILO 7)

C12:

  • POL2027 – Essay and Examination (ILO 2)

C14:

  • BEE1025 – Examination and Mid-Term (ILOs 5 and 8)

 

 

7. Programme Regulations

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.

 

Student/Staff Liaison Committee enables students & staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.

 

The Undergraduate Student Handbook can be accessed via ELE at the following address: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1647

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.

All applications are considered individually on merit. The University is committed to an equal opportunities policy with respect to gender, age, race, sexual orientation and/or disability when dealing with applications. It is also committed to widening access to higher education to students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience.

 

Candidates must satisfy the general admissions requirements of the University of Exeter.

International students should check details of our English language requirements and may be interested in our Foundation programmes.

 

Please read the important information about our Typical offer.

For full and up-to-date information on applying to Exeter and entry requirements, including requirements for other types of qualification, please see the Applying section.

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

Certain programmes are 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

University of Exeter Business School (UEBS)

16. Partner College / Institution

Partner College(s)

College of Social Sciences and International Studies (CSSIS)

Not applicable to this programme

Partner Institution

Not applicable to this programme.

17. Programme Accredited / Validated by

0

18. Final Award

BSc (Hons) Economics and Politics with Industrial Experience

19. UCAS Code

LL12

20. NQF Level of Final Award

6 (Honours)

21. Credit

CATS credits

480

 ECTS credits

240

22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group

[Honours] Economics
[Honours] Politics and international relations

23. Dates

Origin Date Date of last revision