Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3054: Nuclear Weapons in International Relations

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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The module is structured in three parts. 1) Following an introductory seminar, the module tracks the history of nuclear weapons since World War Two; 2) it examines a range of highly contested analytical and normative problems created in the nuclearized era; and 3) finally, it examines competing arguments for how states should approach and manage nuclear weapons in our time.

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
22128

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities22Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities
Guided Independent Study50Private study – reading and preparing for seminars
Guided Independent Study78Preparation for essay – including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay. Exam revision.

Online Resources

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

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
Essay plan feedbackOver Term 21-6Oral

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
Examination501.5 hours 1-7Written comments
Essay 503,000 word essay1-6Written comments

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
Examination1.5 hour examination1-7August-September re-assessment period
Essay 3,000 word essay1-6August-September re-assessment period