Undergraduate Programme Handbook

BA Global Politics and International Relations

2013-2014

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Contents

Introduction to BA Global Politics and International RelationsIntroductionUseful contactsStructure of the degreeTeaching arrangements The dissertationBreak in Studies Policy and Withdrawal from a Module or ProgrammeResultsRepeating modules and intermediate awards

Introduction to the Department of PoliticsHistory of the DepartmentFull-time academic staffEmeritus and visiting staffProfessorial FellowsAdministrative StaffAims and objectivesThe Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public LifeLocationAccessDepartment websiteDepartmental blog and twitterKeeping in touch

Student Support and Disability AdviceStudent SupportStudy SupportEnglish language support for non-native speakersDisability StatementThe Disability OfficeAccess at BirkbeckThe Disabled Students AllowanceThe Personal Assistance SchemeSupport in your SchoolSpecific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia)ExaminationsFurther information

AnnexDisclaimer and useful linksUseful contacts Criteria for the award of the degree

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Introduction to the BA Global Politics and International Relations

IntroductionHow did the contemporary international political and economic system come about? What is its future? This innovative course looks at the nature of politics at the global level and covers international relations, political economy, and war and security studies. You will gain the skills necessary for political, sociological, historical and economic analysis in a learning environment that is supportive, radical and exciting. You will also develop and practice skills of communication, presenting, analysing and evaluating social science evidence and arguments, and academic writing. If you choose to write a dissertation, you will develop an ability to conduct independent research.

Useful contactsThe programme director is Dr Ali Burak Güven (Email: a.guven@bbk.ac.uk; Tel: 020 7631 6697) The programme administrator is Irene Breckon (i.breckon@bbk.ac.uk)

Structure of the DegreeThe BA Global Politics and International Relations programme is an Honours degree that requires three years’ full-time or four years’ part-time study. All students must complete twelve modules during the degree.

i. five compulsory modules;

ii. seven option modules; students may, in lieu of their seventh option module, choose to submit a dissertation.

PART-TIME (FOUR YEARS) FULL-TIME (THREE YEARS)

YEAR ONEIntroduction to Global Politics (Level 4)The Study of Politics (Level 4)Political Transformations (Level 5)

YEAR ONEIntroduction to Global Politics (Level 4)The Study of Politics (Level 4)Political Transformations (Level 5)Level 5 option

YEAR TWOIntro to Int. Political Economy (Level 5)Two Level 4 options (out of The Evolution ofInt. System, Int. Organisations, Politicsof Identity, and The Practice of Politics)

YEAR TWOIntro to Int. Political Economy (level 5)Two Level 4 options (out of The Evolution ofInt. System, Int. Organisations, Politicsof Identity, and The Practice of Politics)Level 5 or Level 6 option

YEAR THREEWar and Modern Society (Level 6)Level 5 or Level 6 optionLevel 5 or Level 6 option

YEAR THREEWar and Modern Society (Level 6)Three Level 6 options or Two Level 6options + dissertation

YEAR FOURThree Level 6 options or Two Level 6options + dissertation

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Level 4 options• The Evolution of the International System • International Organisations • Politics of Identity, Culture and Conflict• The Practice of Politics

Level 5 Options• Contemporary British Politics • Democracy and Authoritarianism

Level 6 Options• Social & Political Theory • The Politics of European Integration • Food, Politics, and Society • Capitalism and the Politics of Markets • Parliamentary Studies • Russian Politics and Society, 1905-Present • American Politics and Foreign Policy • British and Comparative Foreign Policy • Politics and the Middle East • Challenges in Contemporary Politics • International Migration and Transnationalism

Final year students may take ONE of the following History options (subject toavailability):• Empire in Comparative Perspective• Colonial Encounters: Race, Identity, and Cultural Exchange in the British Empire• The Russian Revolution• The Reconstruction of Europe 1945-50 • The Ottoman Empire • Ireland and the Irish from the Act of Union to Partition • History of Paris • The State and Sexuality in Twentieth Century Britain

Students are required to make their option module choices by the end of August. For full details about how to complete the BA options form, descriptions of the modules and timetables for Politics and History, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates/ba-option-choices

Teaching ArrangementsAll lectures and classes are held between 6.00pm and 9.00pm in the evening. Each module on the programme amounts to between thirty-forty hours of teaching (lectures and seminars). Each 30-credit level 5 and level 6 module meets one night a week during both the autumn and spring terms. Teaching on level 4 modules takes place over the course of a single term and for three hours per class. The degree involves attendance, on average, on two or three evenings a week for 20 weeks per year in part-time study, and four evenings a week for 20 weeks per year in full-time study. In Level 4 modules, students are often assessed throughout the semester via various

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assignments and tests. In Level 5 and Level 6 modules, students are examined at the end of the year and via coursework submitted during term time.

DissertationsIn the final year of study, and with the agreement of the Department, students may choose to submit a dissertation in lieu of one Level 6 option module. The dissertation, which must be between 8,000 and 10,000 words in length, offers an opportunity to research a subject in depth, and to prepare a substantial, argued piece of work. All BA dissertations must be submitted by May 15th. Dissertations are to be submitted on Moodle and one hard copy must be presented to the Politics Departmental Office at 10 Gower Street between the hours of 10.00 and 18.00.

Students who wish to do a dissertation rather than an option module must indicate so on their BA options form, which must be submitted by 31 August.

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates/ba-option-choices

Once students have chosen to do a dissertation, they must submit a completed dissertation proposal form by 31 October. The purpose of this form is to identify a research topic for your dissertation on the basis of which you will be allocated a Dissertation Supervisor by the undergraduate dissertation coordinator, Dr Alejandro Colas (a.colas@bbk.ac.uk).

Dissertation proposal forms and full guidelines on writing an undergraduate dissertation are available from the Department of Politics website: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates

If you wish to do a dissertation you should contact your Programme Director in the summer term prior to commencement of the fourth year to discuss possible topics. You must then submit a dissertation proposal form to your Programme Director in the spring term (January) of your final year of study. This document can, in most, cases by submitted via the Moodle portal for your dissertation.

Dissertation proposal forms must be accompanied by a completed ethics proposal form to ensure that your dissertation meets Birkbeck’s rules on research ethics. Dissertation proposal forms and ethical proposal forms along with more detailed guidance on writing dissertations are available from the Department website: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates

Break in Studies Policy and Withdrawal from a Module or ProgrammeWithdrawing from a moduleStudents who wish to withdraw from the examination for a module should inform their Programme Director in advance of the examination. Students who do so without claiming mitigating circumstances that are then accepted by the Politics Exam Board will fail the module and be given two additional attempts to pass the module via re-take or reassessment (see section of repeating modules below). Students who withdraw from a module and claim mitigating circumstances that are approved by the Politics Exam Board will be offered either alternative assessment (see section of repeating modules below) or three additional chances to pass the module at the discretion of the Politics Exam Board. Please note that where a first-year, part-time student withdraws from a module, it falls to the Politics Exam Board to decide

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whether this module must first be passed before the student can proceed to the second year of study. For further details on mitigating circumstances, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigating-circumstances

Withdrawing from your dissertationStudents who wish to withdraw from their dissertation must inform their Programme Director before the dissertation is due. Students who do so without claiming mitigating circumstances that are then accepted by their Programme Director will be given two additional attempts to pass. Students who claim mitigating circumstances that are approved by their Programme Director will be offered three remaining chances to pass the dissertation. Deferred dissertations can be submitted by 15 May (or the Friday before if 15 May is a Saturday or Sunday) or September 15 (or the Friday before if 15 September is a Saturday or Sunday) in the year following deferral.

For further details on mitigating circumstances, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigating-circumstances

Break in StudiesCollege regulations permit a student to suspend studies for a maximum of two years in total during their programme of study. Please see your Programme Director and the Department Office if you are considering a break in studies. Further details on relevant College regulations can be found here:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/bis.doc/view Withdrawing from your programmeIf for any reason you decide to withdraw from your degree on a permanent basis, we hope you will talk to us first. Students choose to withdraw for a wide range of reasons and it may be that we will be able to make arrangements to help you complete your course.

For further information, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/withdrawing

Please note that if you are requesting a refund, a medical certificate is required, where applicable. Please note that the reimbursement policy is as follows:

A student who withdraws 15 or more days after the start of the first term of study, or after they have completed enrolment (whichever is the later) is liable for payment of tuition fees for the first term of their intended study, and all subsequent terms up to and including the term in which they withdraw. Liability for tuition fees is divided equally across all terms of study (with the exception explained in 20 below), e.g. for study over three terms tuition fee liability is:

Term 12: 1/3 of total course feeTerm 2: 2/3 of total course fee

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Term 3: All of total course fee

For full details, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/Terms%20and%20Conditions%202013-14.pdf

ResultsWhen you submit coursework during the year you can usually expect to receive a mark and feedback within three weeks. All marks are provisional until they are approved by the Politics Exam Board, which meets in July of each year. Exam and dissertation results are released after the July meeting of the Politics Exam Board. These results will be made available to you via your My Birkbeck Profile (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/) but please note that it can take up to several weeks after the Exam Board meets until marks for all students are entered on this system.

Repeating modules and intermediate awardsIf you fail a module you will be offered two additional attempts to pass the module. This second attempt will take the form of a ‘re-take’, ‘re-assessment’ or ‘alternative assessment’ at the discretion of the Politics Exam Board. A re-take requires attendance at the module’s lectures and seminars as well as another attempt at the assessment, whereas “re-assessment” is where a student attempts only the failed element(s) of a failed module. Alternative assessment allows a student to submit additional coursework in lieu of a second attempt at an exam and may be offered only in those cases where a student has applied for mitigating circumstances and this claim has been accepted by the Politics Exam Board. Any offer of alternative assessment is made only after a consideration of the student’s overall progression for the year and is not an automatic entitlement. For further details on mitigating circumstances, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigating-circumstances

Intermediate awards can be offered by the Examinations Board when a student fails to complete the full requirements for the degree.

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Qualification Credits neededCertificate in Higher Education 120Diploma in Higher Education 240

(including 120 at level 5 or above)

Introduction to the Department of Politics

History of the DepartmentBirkbeck College was founded in 1823 as the London Mechanics Institute, and was admitted as a constituent School of the University of London in 1920. Its mission is to provide programmes of study to meet the needs of adults who are engaged in earning their livelihood. Nearly 18,000 students studied at Birkbeck in 2010-2011 (4,683 undergraduates, 5,075 postgraduates, and 8,064 certificate students), the overwhelming majority (roughly 90%) of whom studied part-time.

The Department of Politics was founded in 1972. It initially offered inter-disciplinary degrees at the postgraduate level, but now also offers undergraduate and single subject programmes in Politics. Located at 10 Gower Street, it is one of seven departments in the School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy. The Department currently has approximately 20 full-time members, several part-time lecturers, and a number of distinguished visiting Professors and Fellows. It teaches both part-time and full-time students. Classes are taught in the evening in fulfilment of the College’s mission.

Over the years, the Department has acquired a reputation for teaching and research of which it is justly proud. It is unusual among UK politics departments in two respects. Firstly, it is genuinely interdisciplinary, recognising no intellectual boundaries between politics, political history, political theory and sociology, and its degrees transcend these distinctions. Secondly, its primary teaching commitment remains the provision of top-quality undergraduate and postgraduate education to part-time students in full-time employment. Teaching and learning arrangements have been designed accordingly to meet their needs. The Department attracts a body of students whose diverse professional experience, personal backgrounds and maturity, mean that they bring to the classroom tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge, often in fields relevant to the subjects under study. This enriches the intellectual life of the Department for students and staff alike.

Full-time academic staffSamantha Ashenden, BA (Kingston), MPhil (Cantab), PhD (Lond.)Senior Lecturer in SociologyEdwin Bacon, BA (Sheffield), MSocSc (Birmingham), PhD (Birmingham)Reader in Comparative PoliticsAntoine Bousquet, BSc (UCL), MSc (LSE), PhD (LSE) Lecturer in Politics & International RelationsRosie Campbell, BA, MSc (Southampton) PhD (Lond)Senior Lecturer in PoliticsAlejandro Colás, BSc (Bristol), MSc/MRes (LSE), PhD (LSE)Senior Lecturer in International RelationsDiana Coole, BA (Wales), MSc (London), PhD (Toronto)Professor of Political and Social TheoryDionyssis Dimitrakopoulos BA (Athens), Lic Spec (Brussels), PhD (Hull)Senior Lecturer in PoliticsJason Edwards, BA (Oxon), MSc (Lond.), PhD (Lond.)Lecturer in PoliticsAli Burak Güven, BSc, MSc (Middle East Technical University), PhD (Toronto)Lecturer in International Relations and International Political Economy

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Dermot Hodson BA (TCD), MA (College of Europe) and PhD (LSE)Senior Lecturer in Political EconomyEric Kaufmann, BA (U. Western Ontario), MSc/MRes (LSE), PhD (LSE)Professor of PoliticsJoni Lovenduski BSc, MA (Manchester), PhD (Loughborough)Anniversary Professor of PoliticsDeborah Mabbett, BA (Victoria University of Wellington), D.Phil (Oxon)Professor of Politics, Head of DepartmentRobert Singh, BA (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon) Professor of PoliticsJorg Spieker MA (SOAS), MRes/PhD (KCL)Lecturer in Political TheoryDavid Styan, BA (SOAS), DEA (University of Bordeaux), PhD (LSE)Lecturer in PoliticsMatthijs van den Bos, MA (University of Amsterdam), MA (Utrecht University), PhD (University of Amsterdam)Lecturer in International StudiesBarbara Zollner, MA (Bonn), PhD (SOAS)Lecturer in Islamic StudiesBen Worthy BA, MA, PhD (Manchester)Lecturer in Politics

Emeritus and visiting staffHelen Bolderson Hussein Kassim Dr Sarah Childs Peter John Anne Showstack Sassoon Sami Zubaida

Professorial FellowsTony Wright

Administrative StaffJane Halstead, Assistant School ManagerIrene Breckon, Team LeaderNina Dartford, AdministratorJames Harding, Administrator

For an up to date list of staff members, including sessional teaching staff, see:http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/our-staff

Aims and objectivesThe Department’s principal aims are:

to enable mature students in full-time employment to undertake undergraduate and postgraduate study in Politics in fulfilment of the mission of the College;

to enable students to develop and deepen their understanding of the conceptual and theoretical bases of the disciplines, their methods of inquiry, and their domains of knowledge;

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to offer students the opportunity to develop and deepen their skills of critical evaluation and analysis;

to enable students to develop and extend their key skills as a foundation for personal development, employment or further academic study; and

to contribute to the needs of local, national and international communities. Against the backdrop of these objectives, all graduating students from the Department will:

be able to demonstrate the ability to apply critically the main theories, models and concepts used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideas, institutions, processes, practices, developments and events;

have developed an understanding and substantive knowledge of political processes and/or social and political theory;

have extended and developed their analytical, evaluative and critical capacities;

have developed transferable skills, including the ability to take responsibility for their own learning, learning how to learn, making oral and written presentations, planning and producing written assignments, working independently, and using information technology; and

have developed, where they complete a dissertation, the ability to undertake independent research.

The Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public LifeThe Department of Politics is home to the Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public Life is based in the Department of Politics The Centre aims to engage with key issues in British politics and public life through public debates, conferences, lectures, seminars and seminar series, and workshops. For further details please see: http://www.csbppl.com

LocationThe Department is located at 10 Gower Street, and the Department Office on the ground floor is open for enquiries between 10:00 and 18:00 every weekday. Please press the buzzer for the Department Office for access. Members of staff have offices in 10 Gower Street or adjacent buildings. Much of the teaching is held in Birkbeck’s main building in Malet Street.

AccessYou will need your Birkbeck ID card throughout your time at Birkbeck, since it acts as your College ID card, library card and access card. Once you have completed your enrolment, you will be entitled to an ID card. The simplest way to get your ID card is by ordering it via your My Birkbeck profile. Just upload a recent image of yourself and submit your order. Alternatively, visit the My Birkbeck Helpdesk where they can take a photo of you and produce a card. Please note you may be required to queue

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during busy periods. The ID card will remain valid for the duration of your studies, and you will not be issued with a new card for each subsequent academic year. See the following link for further details:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/you/cards

If you lose or damage your Birkbeck student card, a replacement can be ordered for a non-refundable fee of £10.00. See the following link for further details:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/you/cards/replacement

Departmental websiteThe Department website (www.bbk.ac.uk/politics) carries information about the Department, the staff, students and courses, and a notice board. Also available are learning resources, such as guidelines on essay and dissertation writing, course materials (access to which may require a password and username), and links to sites of particular interest to students in Politics. Students are advised to familiarise themselves with the website and to visit it regularly.

Departmental blog and twitterSee the departmental blog (www.10-gower-street.com) for updates by scholars from Birkbeck and beyond on political research in progress and commentary on current affairs. You can also follow the Department on twitter (https://twitter.com/bbkpolitics).

Keeping in touchPlease check the Department website (www.bbk.ac.uk/politics) regularly for notices.

Email is the main method by which we will contact you, so it is important that we get your email address right. Please check your My Birkbeck profile to ensure that we have the correct email address for you (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck).

Change of addressYou must inform the Registry if you change address at any time while studying at Birkbeck. You can do so online by logging into your 'MyBirkbeck Profile' (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/).

Student Support and Disability Advice

Student supportAs a Birkbeck student, you can get access to a range of support facilities including:Accommodation servicesCareer servicesCounselling serviceFinancial supportHealth servicesNurseryStudents' Union

For more details, please see: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities

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Study supportThe Centre for Learning and Professional Development (CLPD) offers a range of academic development workshops for students. Some courses are initially only available to first year undergraduates, but other students can join a standby list. All workshops are free of charge unless stated otherwise. Topics covered in these modules include:

MoodleReading skillsNote takingTime ManagementEssay writingAcademic English

For more details, please see the Centre for Learning and Professional Development website: http://www.clpd.bbk.ac.uk/students/

English language support for non-native speakersThe Academic English module offered by the Centre for Learning and Professional Development (see above) is open to native and non-native speakers. For a module aimed specifically at non-native speakers, the College runs a range of short modules designed for students who are about to start a university degree or are already studying at undergraduate or postgraduate level. An additional fee is charged for attending these modules.

For further details, please see: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce2013/englishlanguagefornon-nativeenglishspeakers/index.html

Disability StatementAt Birkbeck there are students with a wide range of disabilities including dyslexia, visual or hearing impairments, mobility difficulties, mental health needs, medical conditions, respiratory conditions. Many of them have benefited from the advice and support provided by the College’s Disability Office.

The Disability OfficeThe College has a Disability Office located in room G12 on the ground floor of the Malet Street building. We have a Disability Service Manager, Mark Pimm, a Disability Administrator, John Muya and a Mental Health Advisor, Elizabeth Hughes. We will shortly be appointing an SpLD Advisor.

All enquiries should come to the Disability office, who will determine the appropriate referral to specialist staff. They can provide advice and support on travel and parking, physical access, the Disabled Students Allowance, special equipment, personal support, examination arrangements etc. If you have a disability or dyslexia, we recommend you come to our drop in session where we can discuss support and make follow up appointments as necessary. The drop-in sessions are between 4pm and 6pm Monday to Thursday.

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The Disability Office can also complete an Individual Student Support Agreement form with you, confirming your support requirements and send this to your School and relevant Departments at the College so they are informed of your needs.

Access at BirkbeckBirkbeck's main buildings have wheelchair access, accessible lifts and toilets, our reception desks have induction loops for people with hearing impairments and we have large print and tactile signage. Disabled parking, lockers, specialist seating in lectures and seminars and portable induction loops can all be arranged by the Disability Office.

The Disabled Students AllowanceUK and most EU students with disabilities on undergraduate and postgraduate courses are eligible to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). The DSA usually provides thousands of pounds worth of support and all the evidence shows that students who receive it are more likely to complete their courses successfully. The Disability Office can provide further information on the DSA and can assist you in applying to Student Finance England for this support.

The Personal Assistance SchemeSome students need a personal assistant to provide support on their course, for example a note-taker, sign language interpreter, reader, personal assistant, disability mentor or dyslexia support tutor. Birkbeck uses a specialist agency to recruit Personal Assistants and they can assist you with recruiting, training and paying your personal assistant. Please contact the Disability Office for information on this scheme.

Support in your SchoolThe provision which can be made for students with disabilities by Schools is set out in the Procedures for Students with Disabilities. This is available from the Disability Office and on the disability website (see below).

As mentioned above your School will receive a copy of your Individual Student Support Agreement from the Disability Office. This will make specific recommendations about the support you should receive from the School.Whilst we anticipate that this support will be provided by the Programme Director, tutors and School Administrator in the School of Arts also has a Student Disability Liaison Officer. If you experience any difficulties or require additional support from the School then they may also be able to assist you. They may be contacted through the School Office or the Disability Office.

Support in IT Services and Library ServicesThere is a comprehensive range of specialist equipment for students with disabilities in IT Services. This includes software packages for dyslexic students (e.g. Claroread and Inspiration), screen reading and character enhancing software for students with visual impairments, specialist scanning software, large monitors, ergonomic mice and keyboards, specialist orthopaedic chairs etc. For advice and assistance please contact Disability IT Support. There is also a range of specialist equipment in the Library including a CCTV reading machine for visually impaired students as well as specialist orthopaedic chairs and writing slopes. The Disability Office refers all students with disabilities to the Library Access Support service who provides a comprehensive range of services for students with disabilities.

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Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia)Mature students who experienced problems at school are often unaware that these problems may result from their being dyslexic. Whilst dyslexia cannot be cured, you can learn strategies, which make studying significantly easier. If you think you may be dyslexic you should contact the Disability Office who can screen you and where appropriate refer you to an Educational Psychologist for a dyslexia assessment. These assessments cost £225. Some students can receive assistance in meeting this cost from their employer. In exceptional cases students may receive assistance from the Access to Learning Fund.

ExaminationsStudents with disabilities and dyslexia may be eligible for special arrangements for examinations e.g. extra time, use of a word processor, amanuensis, enlarged examination papers etc. In order to receive special arrangements a student must provide medical evidence of their disability (or an Educational Psychologists report if you are dyslexic) to the Disability Office. For School examinations you should contact your Programme Director to request special arrangements at least 2 weeks before the examination. For main College summer examinations you are given the opportunity to declare that you require special provision on your assessment entry form. Students who require provision should then attend an appointment with the Disability Office to discuss and formalise the appropriate arrangements. The closing date for making special examination arrangements in College examinations is the 15th March and beyond this date consideration will only be given to emergency cases.

Further informationFull information on disability support can be found at: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities/disability

For further information or to make an appointment to see the Disability office, please call the Student Centre on 020 7631 6316 or email disability@bbk.ac.uk.

Alternatively you can go to the Disability Office in room G12 between 4pm and 6pm Monday – Thursday for during their drop-in hours.

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Annex: Disclaimer and Useful links

Regulations, procedures and codes of practice:Ever effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this programme handbook is accurate at the time of going to press. For full, up-to-date information about College regulations, please see:

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs

Other useful links

Department of Politicshttp://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics

Moodle:http://www.ble.ac.uk

Regulations, procedures and codes of practice:http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs

Regulations for Taught Programmes of Study:http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/casregs.pdf

Mitigating Circumstances Policy, Procedure and Guidance: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/mitcircspol.pdf

Break-in-Study Policy:http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/bis.doc

College Policy on Plagiarism and other Assessment Offenceshttp://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/assmtoff.pdf

Disability and dyslexia supporthttp://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities/disability

Birkbeck data protection policyhttp://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/policies_services/policies_az/data_protection_policy

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Annex: Useful contacts

Academic staffSamantha Ashenden s.ashenden@bbk.ac.ukEdwin Bacon e.bacon@bbk.ac.ukAntoine Bousquet a.bousquet@bbk.ac.ukRosie Campbell r.campbell@bbk.ac.ukAlejandro Colás a.colás@bbk.ac.ukDiana Coole d.coole@bbk.ac.ukDionyssis Dimitrakopoulos d.dimitrakopoulos@bbk.ac.ukJason Edwards j.edwards@bbk.ac.ukAli Burak Güven a.guven@bbk.ac.ukDermot Hodson d.hodson@bbk.ac.ukEric Kaufmann e.kaufmann@bbk.ac.ukJoni Lovenduski j.lovenduski@bbk.ac.ukDeborah Mabbett d.mabbett@bbk.ac.ukRob Singh r.singh@bbk.ac.ukJorg Spieker j.spieker@bbk.ac.ukDavid Styan d.styan@bbk.ac.ukMatthijs van den Bos m.van-den-bos@bbk.ac.ukBen Worthy b.worthy@bbk.ac.ukSami Zubaida s.zubaida@bbk.ac.ukBarbara Zollner b.zollner@bbk.ac.ukAdministrative staffIrene Breckon 020 7079 0755 i.breckon@bbk.ac.ukNina Dartford 020 7631 6780 n.dartford@bbk.ac.ukJames Harding 020 7631 6789 js.harding@bbk.ac.ukPolitics Office 0 20 7631 6780 politics@bbk.ac.uk

Other useful numbersCollege Switchboard

020 7631 6000

Registry 020 7631 6390/6309College Library 020 7631 6239Students Union 020 7631 6335Student Financial Support

020 7631 6362

Disability Office 020 7631 6336ITS Reception 020 7631 6543

Telephone numbers are liable to change from time to time – please phone the Department Office (020 7631 6780/6789) or the Birkbeck Switchboard (020 7631 6000) in case of difficulties.

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Annex: Criteria for the Award of Honours

1. In order to obtain an Honours Degree in Global Politics and International Relations, students must accumulate a total of 360 credits, where each module is worth 30 credits. Students must therefore normally pass 12 modules in order to be awarded the degree, except in cases where credit for prior study has been approved.

2. Students take 120 credits at level 4, a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 120 credits at level 5, and a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 180 credits at level 6.

3. Students take 4 modules at Level 4 (120 credits), 4 modules at Level 5 (120 credits) and 4 modules at Level 6 (120 credits):

3. Introduction to Global Politics, The Study of Politics, Political Transformations, Introduction to International Political Economy and War and Modern Society are all designated as compulsory modules. Students must attend and take all assessment for these modules. If any of these modules are failed in the first instance, students must retake or be reassessed for the module (up to a total of three failed attempts).

4. A passing grade for a module is recorded when a student achieves an overall module result of 40% or above.

5. If a student achieves an overall module result of between 30-39%, their grade is recorded as a fail. Students may be reassessed for the failed elements of their assessment on the module, up to a total of three failed attempts.

6. A student failing a module by a narrow margin may be awarded a Compensated Fail. No more than two 30 credit modules designated as Compensated Fails may contribute towards the 360 credits required to obtain a degree. No more than 30 credits Compensated Fail (i.e. one module) contributing towards the final credit total can be at Level 6.

7. A student achieving a module result of less than 29% will be deemed to have failed the module with an unsatisfactory performance. No credit will be awarded for the module and students cannot be reassessed. Students may only retake the entire module, which requires that they attend all scheduled contact sessions and complete all assessment on the module on the next occasion that it runs.

8. The Politics Exam Board determines whether a student failing with an overall module result between 30-39% is to be reassessed for the failed elements of assessment, or is required to retake the entire module.

9. When calculating final degree classification, only Level 5 and Level 6 modules contribute. The final classification is a weighted average of Level 5 and Level 6 modules; Level 5 weighted at 1, and Level 6 at 2.

9.1 The College sets the class of Degree that may be awarded as follows:

First: 70% or above for the average weighted module results

Upper Second: 60% or above for the average weighted module results

Lower Second: 50% or above for the average weighted module results

Third: 40% or above for the average weighted module results

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9.2 Where a student’s average result is within 2% of the next (higher) degree classification the Politics Exam Board should consider the number of modules and credit for which the assessment falls within a particular class. If a candidate has preponderance of module results in a higher class than that determined by the aggregate result, the higher degree may be awarded. 9.3 A student may obtain a Pass classification if they have accumulated 300 credits, with at least 120 credits at Level 6, and no more than 60 credits as Compensated Fail (of which no more than 30 can be at Level 6).

9.4 A student may NOT attempt further modules above a total of 360 credits in order to improve his/ her average result.

9.5. The Politics Exam Board may take into account such additional factors as may have affected candidates’ performance and any special difficulties the candidate may have experienced, such as illness. Discretion will be used to the benefit of the candidate and not otherwise.

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