Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3265: Maritime Power and Security in Global Politics

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

Develop your understanding of contemporary global security issues including globalisation, migration and law
Develop your understanding of those issues in a maritime security context
Help you identify the key security debates related to maritime security and the exercise of seapower
Develop your understanding of how contemporary debates about seapower and maritime security have been informed by an appreciation of relevant history
Develop your analytical skills by applying theory to contemporary real world maritime issues and crises
Develop your understanding of a range of maritime issues including different approaches to maritime power, traditional and non-traditional maritime security threats and International Maritime Law
Develop your policy focused applied writing skills
Develop your understanding of the maritime as a strategic environment where challenges can be met with ‘practical wisdom’

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 in-depth knowledge of the nature of the history of maritime power and security and its evolving characteristics. 2. Demonstrate detailed understanding of the contemporary maritime security environment. 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the contextual forces relevant to maritime power and security. 4. Demonstrate an in-depth awareness of the interaction between maritime power and security and globalisation.
Discipline-Specific Skills	5. Critically examine secondary and primary source material in the field of maritime power and security. 6. Demonstrate critical awareness of the key concepts and debates relating to the study of historical and contemporary maritime power and security in an applied fashion. 7. Critically evaluate competing conceptions, theories and approaches to maritime power and security.
Personal and Key Skills	8. Study independently and manage time and assessment deadlines effectively. 9. Communicate effectively in speech and writing. 10. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through tutorial discussions and module assessments. 11. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases and other IT resources for the purposes of tutorial and assessment preparation. 12. Demonstrate effective applied writing.

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Introduction to Seapower – concepts / theory
The key maritime thinkers
Seapower in history – Bronze age to Age of sail
Seapower in history – Age of sail to 1914
Seapower in history – Total War and Cold War
Contemporary seapower – the UK
Contemporary seapower – the USA
Contemporary seapower – China
Contemporary seapower – Russia
Contemporary seapower – the EU
Contemporary seapower – Latin America
Contemporary seapower – Africa
The future of ‘traditional seapower’
The future of ‘non-traditional’ seapower – role of non-state actors, ngo’s, terrorism and seapower

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
44	256	0

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity	44	22 x 2-hour seminars
Guided independent study	100	Private study - reading and preparing for seminars
Guided independent study	156	Preparation for assignments including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay

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