Module POL3077 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3077: Global Environmental Politics and Policy
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module has two primary aims. The first is to provide an introduction to global environmental politics and policy. You will examine the issues, actors, and institutions that shape global environmental politics, as well as the socioeconomic forces that strengthen or undermine global environmental sustainability. You will also critically evaluate core theoretical frameworks in the field of environmental politics and apply these frameworks to real-world environmental issues.
The second aim is to introduce you to the practices and procedures associated with producing original quantitative research. As part of this module, you will participate in a series of quantitative methods and statistical software tutorials. These tutorials will not only provide you with the necessary tools to complete your final essay, but will give you a set of quantitative skills that are increasingly important for potential employers and graduate school admissions boards.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. describe key global environmental issues, including why such issues arise and why they are considered policy problems"; 2. analyze the key stakeholders, institutions, and political processes that shape global environmental politics; 3. critically evaluate proposed solutions to environmental problems; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. critically assess the primary international and domestic forces that either constrain or facilitate international cooperation on the environment; 5. summarize and critique key approaches to studying environmental politics; 6. apply key approaches to assess current environmental issues; 7. isolate and evaluate the empirical implications of theoretical frameworks; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. analyze quantitative data using R (a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics), including the analysis of descriptive statistics and basic hypothesis testing; 9. identify the basic steps of conducting empirical research and writing an empirical paper; and 10. demonstrate oral and written communication skills. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay research question | 100 words | 1-3, 4, 6, 7, 9 | Written |
| Essay research proposal | 500 words | 1-3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 | Written |
| Seminar and tutorial participation | weekly | 1-10 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 30 | 10 |
...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 | 30 | 1.5 hours | 1-7, 10 | Written |
| Essay | 60 | 5,000 words | 1-10 | Written |
| Individual Essay presentation | 10 | 15 minutes | 10 | Verbal |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 hour examination | 1.5 hour examination | 1-7, 10 | August/September reassessment period |
| 5,000 word essay | 5,000 word essay | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| 15 minute essay presentation | 15 minute presentation to module leader | 10 | August/September reassessment period |
