Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2102: Explaining Public Policies

This module descriptor refers to the 2024/5 academic year.

Module Aims

The module helps you understand and explain why policies take the forms they do. After the introductory lecture, the module is taught in four 2-week cycles; a theoretical framework will be introduced in the first week and then applied to an empirical setting in the second week through research-led teaching. The tutorials will mirror these lectures.  In addition to encouraging students to think like policymakers, the module will provide links to employability and future career pathways such as the Civil Service, political communication, lobbying, think tanks and policy advisor roles.

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 understanding of the nature and evolution of core concepts regarding public policy;
2. analyse policy problems through key conceptual lenses.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. critically assess the utilities of different public policy-oriented theories and methods deployed in policy analysis;
4. apply key theoretical ideas to concrete, empirical examples.
Personal and Key Skills5. communicate ideas effectively both formally through position papers and essays, and informally during class discussions;
6. communicate ideas in a highly effective fashion in a given number of words in written form;
7. work independently to a very high level.