Cookies

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

School of Government & International Affairs

Teaching

Single Honours Degrees

The Single Honours degree consists of twelve modules, with six examined at the end of the second year and six at the end of the third. In their second year, students take six modules chosen from the following according to degree regulations: (these modules can be subject to change and optional modules are not all taught in any one year)

  • The Politics of Pacific Asia
  • Foundations of Western Political Thought
  • Sovereignty, State and Empire 
  • Democracy and Democratic Theory
  • International Relations Theory
  • The Israel-Palestine Question
  • Islam, State and Government
  • International Organisations
  • Middle East in the International System
  • German Politics and Society
  • Global Political Economy

See Second Year Handbook, at the bottom of this page, for details of modules offered in 2012-2013

In the third year, students take six modules chosen from a range of options which includes: (these modules can be subject to change and are not all taught in any one year)

  • The Political Economy of the Enlarged European Union
  • China in Global Political Economy
  • The New Germany
  • British Political Thought since 1850
  • The Politics of the Middle East's Oil Monarchies
  • The Ethics and Violence in International Relations
  • The Middle East and the Global Economy
  • History of International Political Theory
  • Culture and Conflict in American Politics
  • Political Extremism in Britain
  • Theories of Liberty
  • China: State and Society since 1949
  • Evolution and Development of Military Occupation
  • Islam and Politics in the Modern World
  • Culture and Conflict in American Politics
  • The American Presidency
  • Nature, Space, Power
  • Democracy Against the State:  A Social History of Western Political Thought
  • Nations and Nationalism
  • People, Protest, Change:  Exploring Social Movement Theory
  • The Developmental State: Politics and Markets in East Asia

See Final Year Handbook, at the bottom of this page, for details of modules offered in 2012-2013

A dissertation of 10,000 words, which counts as a double module, is required of all single honours students and most joint honours students. The dissertation enables the student to engage in a systematic study of a problem which is of particular interest to him or her. Subject to the approval of the Chairman of the School, the topic is chosen by the student and is supervised by a member of staff.

Joint Honours Degrees

Joint Honours degrees in Politics are offered in conjunction with Economics and Philosophy. In the first year students take six modules, three in each department.  Over the two final honours years students normally take six modules in each of the two Departments in question. However, in certain cases, they can shift the balance by taking seven in one Department and five in the other. The modules available in Politics are the same as those listed for Single Honours.

Joint Honours students in Politics and Economics, and in Philosophy and Politics are required to submit a dissertation in addition to undertaking examinations/summative assignments in their other modules. Apart from the dissertation, modules offered by the School of Government and International Affairs are currently assessed by unseen written examinations, group project work and continuously assessed essays.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

Over the two final years students should take no fewer than 2 modules and no more than 8 modules in each of the three disciplines (12 in total for the three subjects over years 2 and 3).

PPE students are required to submit a dissertation in one of the three subjects in addition to taking examinations/assessments in their other modules.

Combined Honours in Social Sciences

Students studying for this degree may choose modules from those listed for Single Honours in Politics.

A Year Abroad

The Department has an ERASMUS exchange scheme with universities in Italy, France, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Poland and Germany. Students who wish to take advantage of this scheme should register for Politics (Year Abroad). This is a four year degree consisting of the Single Honours Politics course with a year spent at a foreign university in between the second and the final years at Durham

The University also offers international exchanges with Hong Kong, USA, Canada and Singapore.  This scheme is considered by an internal University wide application process and there are a limited number of places.  Students would not know if they are successful in these applications until their second year of studies.

Handbooks

Study