Postgraduate Module Descriptor

POLM806: Topics and Texts in Social and Political Thought

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

This module is part of the core for MA programmes in the History of Political Thought, Modern Continental Political Thought, and Social and Political Thought, but it is also open to other students on related philosophy and other MA programmes. It will be run in conjunction with the Political Theory Reading Group, a postgraduate and faculty research seminar series in the Politics Department, and it will allow some freedom for MA students to shape the content of the reading group with the agreement of the reading group organizers. Its aims are: to familiarise postgraduate students with some key texts and topics in social and political philosophy and cognate philosophical disciplines; to develop analytical skills by close reading of texts; to expose students to a variety of approaches and methodological positions in theoretical and philosophical disciplines; and to promote interdisciplinarity.It will also aim to help students to select the topic for their final dissertation and equip them with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to carry out an independent piece of research.

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 Skills	1. Critically analyse arguments by reading and discussing key texts in seminars; 2. Present concisely sophisticated arguments; 3. Explain difficult points to an audience also of non specialists; 4. Identify key aspects of a philosophical and theoretical debate.
Discipline-Specific Skills	5. Analyse arguments; 6. Criticise texts 7. Introduce discussions, 8. Write well-argued essays, and question received ideas.
Personal and Key Skills	9. Construct and evaluate ideas, 10. Formulate and express ideas at different levels of abstraction, 11. Assess and criticise the views of others and to undertake an individual research project.

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 assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Outline of presentation and of final essay	To be discussed with module convenor	1-11	Verbal feedback

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.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
80	0	20

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

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Presentation	20	30 minutes	1-11	Verbal feedback
Essay	80	4,000 words	1-11	Written feedback
	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 assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Presentation	Presentation (30 minutes)	1-11	Next reassessment period
Essay	Essay (4,000 words)	1-11	Next reassessment period