Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2057: Security Studies

This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.

Module Aims

This module will introduce you to the study of war and the use of force in world politics. It will explore three schools of thought (strategic studies, contemporary security studies and peace studies) and examine the theories and concepts they deploy to understand contemporary conflict. Moreover, it will examine cases of political violence and address current issues relating to strategy, security and peace. The module will focus first on strategic studies and the pursuit or order and national security, before going on to look at (international) security more broadly and the old and new concerns it raises, and then finally considering peace and international interventions to end conflict. The module provides a broad survey of strategy, security and peace which will provide a basis for more detailed studies at Level 3 and in undergraduate and postgraduate 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. demonstrate knowledge of a specific case of conflict with regard to the following schools of thought: strategic studies, contemporary security studies and peace studies; 2. situate this knowledge critically with respect to the other schools of thought; 3. understand how these concepts and cases inform our study of the general field of International Relations;
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. critically analyse secondary source material including audio-visual material in the field of politics; 5. understand and use political theory; 6. construct well-structured and rigorous political arguments;
Personal and Key Skills	7. demonstrate the ability to digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment; 8. demonstrate competence to use the internet and other IT resources.

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
7 xTutorial worksheets	Two page A4 worksheets	1-2, 4, 7-8	Verbal

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
33	67	0

...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
Examination	67	1.5 hours	1-7	Written
Essay	33	1,500 words	1-8	Written
	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
Examination	Examination (1.5 hours)	1-7	August/September assessment period
Essay	Essay (1,500 words)	1-8	August/September assessment period