Postgraduate Module Descriptor


LAWM097: International Law of Armed Conflict

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Please note that the following syllabus is indicative and that the topics covered by the module may change from year to year:

  • Introduction to the Law of Armed Conflict
  • Material, Geographical and Temporal Scope of Application
  • Personal Scope of Application
  • Targeting
  • Means of Warfare
  • Methods of Warfare
  • Detention in Armed Conflict
  • LOAC and International Human Rights Law
  • The Law of Non-International Armed Conflict
  • Humanitarian Assistance

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
332670

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity33Seminars (11 x 3 hours): the main teaching method for the module consists of weekly seminars requiring active participation by all students under guidance of the module convenor.
Guided Independent Study24Preparation of seminar paper: for each seminar at least one student will research and write a paper on the seminar topic, presenting it to the rest of the group.
Guided independent study200Assigned seminar readings (including for the seminar paper).
Guided independent study40Preparation of the assessed/summative essay.
Guided Independent Study3Attendance at relevant events organised by the Exeter Centre for International Law.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

International Committee of the Red Cross: http://www.icrc.org/

International Review of the Red Cross: http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/international-review/index.jsp

International Law Department, US Naval War College: http://www.usnwc.libguides.com/LOAC-IHL

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia: http://www.icty.org/

United Nations War Crimes Commission Law Reports of Trials of War Criminals (LRTWC): http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/law-reports-trials-war-criminals.html

 

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
Seminar paper forming the basis of a presentation to the group1,000 words 1-6Individual and collective oral feedback from the module convenor and the seminar group
Individual oral seminar presentation to the seminar group on the basis of the seminar paper15 minutes1-6Individual and collective oral feedback from the module convenor and the seminar group

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
50500

...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
Written essay503,000 words 1-6Written with percentage grade
Examination502 hours1-7Written with percentage grade
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
Written essayWritten essay (3,000 words)1-6August/September assessment period
ExaminationExamination (2 hours)1-7August/September assessment period