Programme Specification for the 2024/5 academic year
BA (Hons) Political and Philosophical Studies
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Political and Philosophical Studies | Programme code | UFA3HPSHPS39 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Full Time |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
This programme is a variant for BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics for those requiring to exit from the parent programme.
Political and Philosophical Studies enables students to study an inter-disciplinary programme of the social sciences and humanities across two distinctive disciplines at Exeter. You will study how government is constituted, how being and truth are deliberated and how goods, services and peoples are organised. You will explore the philosophical and political foundations of order and justice. You will examine the various forms of democracy through history. You will interrogate the questions of human society including war and peace, resource scarcity and distribution, the natural environment, faith and reason. You will take modules of study that introduce them to these big questions under the guidance of leading scholars in their fields. By your third-year you will focus on the specific manifestations of these questions in modules on certain regions and themes of politics, as well as on certain texts, issues and thinkers of philosophy.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
- To provide you with an excellent education across disciplines of politics and philosophy from core to specialist, in a supportive and responsive learning environment that is enriched by research.
- To enable you to understand and use the main concepts, approaches and theories of these disciplines; to analyse, interpret and evaluate philosophical ideas and political behaviour, events and institutions; and to relate the academic study of politics and philosophy to questions of public concern.
- To develop your competence in discipline-specific, core academic and personal and key skills.
- To offer you a wide range of choice, insofar as this choice is consistent with the coherence and intellectual rigour of the degree.
- To equip you to be a questioning and productive member of society.
4. Programme Structure
Your Political and Philosophical Studies programme is a 3 year programme of study at National Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). This programme is divided into 3 ‘Stages’, but as an exit award, at least one stage will be from your original parent programme. 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
Your Political and Philosophical Studies programme is a 3 year programme of study at National Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). This programme is divided into 3 ‘Stages’, but as an exit award, at least one stage will be from your original parent programme. 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.
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual review of this programme. Details of the modules currently offered may be obtained from the Faculty website:
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=philosophy
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=politics
You may take optional 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.
You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme in stage 2 and the final year 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.
Stage 1: 105 credits of compulsory modules, 15 credits of optional modules
As per the parent programme of BA Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, however any non-condonable fails can now be condoned.
Stage 2: 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules
Stage 2
Stage 2: 60 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules
[note a] Students must take both modules
[note b] Students must choose at least 30 credits of these (15 credit) modules
Option Modules
Please note, you must ensure you take a minimum of 120 credits in both Politics and Philosophy across Stages 2 and 3, including a minimum of 30 in both at Stage 3.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| POL2046 | The Economics of Politics see [note a] | 15 | No |
| POL2050 | Political Philosophy see [note a] | 15 | No |
| PHL2010A | Philosophy of Mind 1 see [note b] | 15 | No |
| PHL2043 | Philosophical Research see [note b] | 15 | No |
| PHL2015 | Body and Mind see [note b] | 15 | No |
| PHL2016 | Metaphysics see [note b] | 15 | No |
| PHL2018 | Philosophy of Language see [note b] | 15 | No |
| PHL2118 | Moral agency in social context see [note b] | 15 | No |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Political and Philosophical Studies Optional Modules Stage 2 | |||
| 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 |
| POL2046 | The Economics of Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2047 | American Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2050 | Political Philosophy | 15 | No |
| POL2057 | Security Studies | 15 | No |
| POL2059 | Political Thought of Modernity | 15 | No |
| POL2076 | Rising Powers, Peace and Conflict | 15 | No |
| POL2079 | Contemporary Public Debate in an Age of 'Anti-Politics' | 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 |
| POL2087 | Digital Media and Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2098 | What is Law? Jurisprudence from Stone Tablet to Brain Imaging | 15 | No |
| POL2102 | Explaining Public Policies | 15 | No |
| POL2104 | Party Politics and Democracy | 15 | No |
| POL2106 | America in the World | 15 | No |
| POL2112 | Politics and Its Discontents | 15 | No |
| POL2113 | Parliamentary Studies | 15 | No |
| POL2114 | Issues in Modern British Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2115 | British Foreign Policy | 15 | No |
| POL2116 | Political Economy of Armed Conflicts | 15 | No |
| POL2117 | Great Power Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2119 | Transformations of Social and Political Realities through Smartphones | 15 | No |
| POL2120 | Democratic Innovations, Deliberation and Public Policy | 15 | No |
| POL2121 | Politics and Conflict in Deeply Divided Societies | 15 | No |
| POL2122 | The Politics and Policies of Youth Engagement | 15 | No |
| POL2124 | The Politics of the Body | 15 | No |
| POL2126 | Environmental policy in times of crisis | 15 | No |
| POL2127 | Electoral Politics | 15 | No |
| POL2128 | Introduction to Research Design in Politics and International Relations | 15 | No |
| PHL2010A | Philosophy of Mind 1 | 15 | No |
| PHL2011A | The Philosophy of Nature 1 | 15 | No |
| PHL2015 | Body and Mind | 15 | No |
| PHL2016 | Metaphysics | 15 | No |
| PHL2018 | Philosophy of Language | 15 | No |
| PHL2020 | Virtues and Vices | 15 | No |
| PHL2021 | Symbolic Logic | 15 | No |
| PHL2022 | Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology | 15 | No |
| PHL2026 | Philosophy of Science | 15 | No |
| PHL2038 | The Self | 15 | No |
| PHL2040 | Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism | 15 | No |
| PHL2041 | Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class | 15 | No |
| PHL2042 | Philosophical Frontiers | 15 | No |
| PHL2045 | Aesthetics | 15 | No |
| PHL2046A | The Holocaust, Genocide and Society | 30 | No |
| PHL2052 | Epistemology | 15 | No |
| PHL2053 | History of Philosophy | 15 | No |
| PHL2054 | Philosophy of Psychiatry | 15 | No |
| PHL2056 | The Nature of Normativity | 15 | No |
| PHL2060 | Philosophy of Emotion | 15 | No |
| PHL2061 | Philosophy of Law | 15 | No |
| PHL2096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 | No |
| PHL2111 | The Deep Past, History and Humanity | 15 | No |
| PHL2112 | Practical Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL2114 | Aristotle's Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL2117 | Philosophy and Psychedelics | 15 | No |
| PHL2118 | Moral agency in social context | 15 | No |
| PHL2119 | Animal Minds and Animal Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL2120 | Philosophy and Sociology of Race | 15 | No |
| PHL2123 | Philosophy of Medicine | 15 | No |
| PHL2126 | Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy | 15 | No |
| PHL2127 | Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy | 15 | No |
Stage 3
Stage 3: 30 credits of compulsory Dissertation, 90 credits of optional modules
[note c] Students must choose one of these Dissertation modules
Option Modules
Please note, you must ensure you take a minimum of 120 credits in both Politics and Philosophy across Stages 2 and 3, including a minimum of 30 in both at Stage 3.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHL3040 | Philosophy Dissertation see [note c] | 30 | No |
| POL3040 | Dissertation see [note c] | 30 | No |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Political and Philosophical Studies Optional Modules Stage 3 or 4 | |||
| PHL3013 | Virtues and Vices | 15 | No |
| PHL3014 | Symbolic Logic | 15 | No |
| PHL3026 | Philosophy of Science | 15 | No |
| PHL3018 | Sex and Death: Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology | 15 | No |
| PHL3038 | The Self | 15 | No |
| PHL3045 | Aesthetics | 15 | No |
| PHL3046A | The Holocaust, Genocide and Society | 30 | No |
| PHL3052 | Epistemology | 15 | No |
| PHL3053 | History of Philosophy | 15 | No |
| PHL3054 | Philosophy of Psychiatry | 15 | No |
| PHL3056 | The Nature of Normativity | 15 | No |
| PHL3060 | Philosophy of Emotion | 15 | No |
| PHL3061 | Philosophy of Law | 15 | No |
| PHL3078 | Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Communicative Capitalism | 15 | No |
| PHL3079 | Feminist Philosophy: Gender, Race and Class | 15 | No |
| PHL3080 | Philosophical Frontiers | 15 | No |
| PHL3096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 | No |
| PHL3111 | The Deep Past, History and Humanity | 15 | No |
| PHL3113 | Practical Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL3117 | Philosophy and Psychedelics | 15 | No |
| PHL3114 | Aristotle's Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL3118 | Animal Minds and Animal Ethics | 15 | No |
| PHL3119 | Philosophy and Sociology of Race | 15 | No |
| PHL3122 | Philosophy of Medicine | 15 | No |
| PHL3125 | Mind and World in Contemporary Japanese Philosophy | 15 | No |
| PHL3126 | Hidden Voices in Early Modern Philosophy | 15 | No |
| PHL3128 | Knowledge, Human Values and Anti-Science | 15 | No |
| POL3051 | The Media in Europe | 30 | No |
| POL3054 | Nuclear Weapons in International Relations | 15 | No |
| POL3069 | Globalisation and the Politics of Resistance | 30 | No |
| POL3120 | War and Public Opinion | 30 | No |
| POL3136 | Political Psychology | 30 | No |
| POL3156 | Central Asian Politics | 30 | No |
| POL3168 | War and its Aftermath: Interventions and Contemporary Conflict | 30 | No |
| POL3174 | International Security and US Foreign Policy | 30 | No |
| POL3180 | Latin American Parties, Politics and Elections | 30 | No |
| POL3193 | Women in the Criminal Justice System: Law, Policy and Institutions | 30 | No |
| POL3194 | Rethinking the Politics of Communities | 30 | No |
| POL3196 | Democracy in the European Union | 30 | No |
| POL3202 | China in World Affairs | 30 | No |
| POL3206 | The Political Economy of the State | 30 | No |
| POL3217 | Feminist Political Theory | 30 | No |
| POL3226 | Money, Lobbying, and Policymaking | 30 | No |
| POL3231 | Research Experience | 15 | No |
| POL3247 | Politics of Biology | 15 | No |
| POL3248 | Marxism(s) and International Relations | 15 | No |
| POL3256 | Trumping the Mainstream: The Populist Radical Right and Democratic politics | 30 | No |
| POL3259 | Climate Justice | 30 | No |
| POL3260 | Russian Foreign Policy | 15 | No |
| POL3264 | International Relations in Global History | 15 | No |
| POL3267 | Misinformation, Misperceptions and Conspiracy Theories | 15 | No |
| POL3277 | Developments in British Politics: Institutions and Behaviour | 15 | No |
| POL3282 | World Orders: Past, Present, and Future | 30 | No |
| POL3288 | Political Science and the Real World | 30 | No |
| POL3290 | Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa | 15 | No |
| POL3291 | Disrupting Western and Neo-Liberal Policing of the Global and the Local | 30 | No |
| POL3292 | LGBTQ+ Policies and Politics in the UK | 15 | No |
| POL3293 | The Political Economy of Chinese Development | 15 | No |
| POL3294 | Land, Power and Politics: a critical problem-based approach | 15 | No |
| POL3295 | Security, Society, and Algorithms | 15 | No |
| POL3296 | Political Economy of Populism | 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. 1. Understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity | These ILOs are developed across all programme stages, moving from broad themes in stage 1 to progressively more specialised aspects at stages 2 to 3. The skills are mainly developed through lectures, seminars, and formatively and summatively assessed essay work, practical exercises and special close reading seminars. | ILOs 1-2 are assessed in Politics modules through a combination of term-time essays, oral presentations, examinations and Dissertation work. ILOs 3-4 are assessed in Philosophy modules through a combination of term-time essays, oral presentations, examinations and Dissertation work. |
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: | |
5. 5. Gather, organise and deploy evidence and information from a variety of primary and secondary sources | Skills are developed throughout the degree programme by lectures and seminars, written work and oral work (both oral presentations and class discussion). A more sophisticated use of these skills is developed in the second and third stages; in the third stage, independent use of these skills is developed through the dissertation and Level 6 optional modules selected by the student. | Skills are assessed through coursework essays (7-12), assessed oral presentations (8-9) and examinations (10-12) at stages 1-2 and through the dissertation at stage 3. |
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: | |
11. 11. Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing; | All skills are developed through the preparation and delivery of oral presentations in many modules at all levels in both sides of the programme. They are further developed through one-to-one or small-group tutorials giving feedback on written work, discussion in seminars, written assignments (essays) in most modules and examinations in many modules. | Skills are assessed through formatively assessed seminar presentations (14, 15), written work at all levels and in all modules (15, 16, 17), examination in many modules (13, 17, 18) and the dissertation (13-16). |
7. Programme Regulations
Classification
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
Personal and Academic tutoring: It is University policy that all Faculties 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 Faculty 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 utilise 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 digitise 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 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.
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
10. Admissions Criteria
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
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
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) Political and Philosophical Studies
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 360 |
ECTS credits | 180 |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 08/08/2023 |
Date of last revision | 08/08/2023 |
|---|
