Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3054: Nuclear Weapons in International Relations

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Aims

This module will provide you with:

A grasp of the history of nuclear weapons from their initial invention to the 21^st Century, via the Cold War;
The opportunity to evaluate competing visions of how nuclear weapons should be understood;
A critical understanding of debates around what drives proliferation and disarmament;
A vital context for judging the validity of competing theoretical approaches in International Relations.

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 and understanding of key issues revolving around nuclear weapons and international security; 2. apply this awareness to contemporary problems of proliferation and counter-proliferation;
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. display an understanding of the evolution of strategic theory and international relations theory, and their utility for contemporary decision-making; 4. exercise informed judgement about change and continuity in international relations;
Personal and Key Skills	5. conduct independent research, exercise critical judgement and write clearly and persuasively; 6. demonstrate the ability to analyse complex and fast-changing problems and to have the confidence individually and as part of a group to design and advocate workable strategic solutions; 7. demonstrate the ability to work independently within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics: 1) the history of nuclear weapons, starting in World War II; 2) a range of highly contested analytical and normative problems created in the nuclearized era; and 3) 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 Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	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 and Teaching Activities	22	11 x 2-hour seminars
Guided Independent Study	50	Private study reading and preparing for seminars
Guided Independent Study	78	Preparation for essay including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay.

Online Resources

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