Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2038: International Relations, War and Peace in the Middle East

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to:

  •     familiarise you with the key issues and main developments in the politics of the Arab-Israeli conflict;

  •     introduce you to the literature on the conflict and to contradictory interpretations of the conflict;

  •     introduce you to the main issues concerning the politics of the Middle East peace process;

  •     introduce you to the basic data and the relevant literature available; and

  •     familiarise you with a range of perspectives held by different authors on the process.


The module will also aim to:

  •     sharpen your presentational skills (e.g. argumentation, discussion, presentations);

  •     introduce you to the complexities and skills required for effective diplomacy;

  •     improve your written skills through briefing papers and essays; and

  •     develop your appreciation of team work and openness to other’s ideas.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate a knowledge of key issues in contemporary Middle East politics;
2. demonstrate an understanding of the actors, dynamics and trends in the peace process in the Middle East;
3. demonstrate an understanding of the peace process negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians;
4. demonstrate a knowledge of key issues in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict: refugees, settlements, Jerusalem, one state-two state solution;
Discipline-Specific Skills5. demonstrate an ability to find, use and analyse secondary and primary data relevant to specific issue areas;
6. demonstrate an ability to place contemporary political issues into larger contexts;
7. deploy critical arguments in analysing political issues and evaluating sources;
Personal and Key Skills8. demonstrate independent and group work including the presentation of material for group discussion articulating and defending positions on tutorial topics;
9. demonstrate analytical skills and the ability to digest, select and organise material;
10. produce well organised and coherent essays to a deadline.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Discussions during tutorialsThroughout module delivery1-4, 8Verbal

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay 1502,000 words1-7, 9-10Written
Essay 2502,000 words1-7, 9-10Written
0
0
0
0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Essay 1Essay (2,000 words)1-7, 9-10August/September assessment period
Essay 2Essay (2,000 words)1-7, 9-10August/September assessment period