Minor Seminar in Political Science

Learning outcomes

Skills - The student is able to:

(1) apply theories and insights introduced in lecture courses to current social issues;

(2) provide oral contributions and written reports demonstrating knowledge and understanding of key ideas introduced in the lecture courses;

(3) process knowledge drawn from other disciplines and apply this in the analysis of social and political problems.

Attitude - The student displays:

(4) a critical attitude towards key concepts and debates in comparative politics and international relations and towards prevailing views on politics.

Course Content

This course provides students with the opportunity to further engage with the literature from concurrent courses, meet and share experiences with other students in the minor programme, and apply newly-acquired knowledge in written assignments and in-class activities. The preparatory assignments and participation components of assessment in this course reflect the importance of in-class discussions. Attendance at the seminars is therefore mandatory. A written assignment may replace one seminar in exceptional circumstances. The seminars are scheduled in periods 1-2 before students write and submit the final paper during period 3.

Additional Information Teaching Methods

This course offers interactive seminars, during which students engage in discussions and activities that deepen their understanding of the content from concurrent lecture courses (State, Power, Conflict & International Relations and Global Governance). As a course solely for students in the minor programme, students will also be able to connect as a cohort and reflect on the connections and differences between political science and other disciplines. Preparatory assignments submitted prior to the seminars will facilitate in-class discussions. The final seminar consists of a writing workshop in preparation for submitting an argumentative essay at the end of the course.

Method of Assessment

1. Preparatory assignments (x2) 20%

2. Final paper 60%

3. Participation 20%

Literature

The literature for this course is drawn from the courses in periods 1-2: State, Power, Conflict and International Relations and Global Governance. Short news articles or videos may be assigned to familiarize students with a particular case.