Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC2123: Politics of the Middle East

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

This module aims to provide an introduction to the main themes and dynamics in the politics of the contemporary Middle East at the domestic, regional and global levels. It considers the political, economic, and social changes that have affected the region since the birth of the nation-state. In doing so, the module provides you with the cognitive skills and academic inquisitiveness that are necessary to nuance your understanding of the region.

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. evaluate the enduring legacies of colonialism on the politics in, and discourses about, the region and analyse the process of state-formation in the contemporary Middle East; 2. assess critically the impact of globalisation on economic and political liberalisation and appreciate the transnational dynamics of civil organizing and political mobilization in the region.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. evaluate different theoretical and practical approaches in the study of politics of the Middle East; 4. construct coherent yet concise arguments.
Personal and Key Skills	5. write analytically for an academic and non-academic public; 6. develop good research and indexing praxis (on line and in the library); 7. defend ones position on seminar discussions.

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
Group Presentation	18 minutes	1-7	Written or 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
100	0	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
Attendance reflection	10	200 words/topic	1-7	Written and/or Oral
Essay	60	2,500 words	1-7	Written
Review Piece	30	900	1-7	Written

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
Attendance reflection	Opinion piece (200 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period
Essay	Essay 2,500 words	1-7	August/September reassessment period
Review Piece	Review piece (900 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period

Re-assessment notes

Review Piece (30%) of 1,000 words. Students write a critical review on one of the essential readings encountered throughout the year. Convenor to designate 10 pieces for students to choose from.)

Essay of 2,500 words (70%) August/September reassessment period (Students to write an essay answering one question out of 5 provided).