LONDON CITY CAMPUS

Department of Law, Governance andInternational Relations

MA in International Relations

Course HandbookFor admission in 2009-2010

The Postgraduate Academic Year 2009-2010

AUTUMN SEMESTER Start - End

Welcome Programme 24 September 2009 - 2 October 2009

Teaching 5 October 2009 - 18 December 2009

Christmas Break 21 December 2009 - 8 January 2010

Teaching/revision 11 January 2010 - 15 January 2010

Examinations 18 January 2010 - 5 February 2010

Dissertation Deadline 22 January 2010

SPRING SEMESTER

Welcome Programme(new February entrants only)

2 February 2010 - 5 February 2010

Teaching 8 February 2010 - 26 March 2010

Easter Break 29 March 2010 - 9 April 2010

Teaching 12 April 2010 - 7 May 2010

Teaching/revision 10 May 2010 - 14 May 2010

Examinations 17 May 2010 - 4 June 2010

Dissertation Deadline 22 May 2010

SUMMER STUDY PERIOD

Summer 7 June 2010 - 24 September 2010

Resit Examinations 19 July 2010 - 30 July 2010

Reassessment Coursework 30 July 2010

Dissertation Deadline 3 September 2010

In addition to these dates you need to be aware of other important events anddeadlines throughout the year; such as coursework submission dates, publication of theexam timetable, publication of results, mitigating circumstances deadlines, programmeplanning deadlines.

You can access these at: www.londonmet.acuk/pg-students

KEY CONTACTS

Postgraduate Office:Room 201, 2nd Floor, Calcutta HouseEmail address: pgoffice.Calcutta@londonmet.ac.ukTel: 020 7320 3170

Departmental Office: Room CS302 Ext 1161

Course Leader: Dermott McCann (Acting)

Course Leader’s Office: Room CS414 Calcutta HouseEmail address: d.mccann@londonmet.ac.ukTel: 020 7320 1143

Main Campus teaching location: Calcutta House, Small Building

CONTENTS

1.0 WELCOME TO THE COURSE ........................................................................................11.1 Using This Handbook .......................................................................................................12.0 WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT LAW, GOVERNANCE AND INTERNATIONALRELATIONS ..............................................................................................................................12.1 Introduction to the Course ................................................................................................12.2 Key Features of Postgraduate Courses............................................................................12.3 Introduction to the Department .........................................................................................22.4 Location and Department Facilities supporting the course................................................22.5 Learning and Teaching on the Course..............................................................................22.6 Research in the department .............................................................................................33.0 BEING A POSTGRADUATE STUDENT ..........................................................................43.1 Welcome Programme Checklist .......................................................................................43.2 Your first semester ...........................................................................................................43.3 Attendance, academic engagement and employment ......................................................43.4 Studying ...........................................................................................................................53.5 Enrolment and Re-enrolment............................................................................................63.6 Credit for previous learning ..............................................................................................63.7 Module Registration and Programme Approval ................................................................63.8 Your Timetable .................................................................................................................73.9 Publication of Results and Transcripts..............................................................................74.0 MANAGING YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE ON-LINE ..............................................................84.1 Your University IT Account ...............................................................................................84.2 Communication ................................................................................................................84.3 Your Contact Details........................................................................................................84.4 Evision .............................................................................................................................84.5 WebLearn – Online module resources .............................................................................85.0 THE STUDENT VOICE ....................................................................................................95.1 StARs...............................................................................................................................95.2 Course Committees..........................................................................................................95.3 Students’ views on modules and courses .........................................................................96.0 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE.................................................................96.1 Postgraduate Office..........................................................................................................96.2 The Graduate School .....................................................................................................106.3 Postgraduate Course Leader..........................................................................................106.4 Module Lecturers............................................................................................................106.5 Student Success through Learning Development ...........................................................106.7 Student Services ...........................................................................................................116.8 Disabilities and Dyslexia Service (DDS) ........................................................................116.9 Placements/study abroad ..............................................................................................127.0 DISSERTATION OR PROJECT.....................................................................................127.1 Registration ....................................................................................................................127.2 Supervision Arrangements .............................................................................................127.3 Topic approval................................................................................................................127.4 Planning and Timing.......................................................................................................137.5 Submission.....................................................................................................................138.0 MARKING AND ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................148.1 Academic Regulations....................................................................................................148.2 Marking and grades........................................................................................................148.3 Your responsibilities concerning Assessment .................................................................148.4 Assessment Feedback ...................................................................................................148.5 Submission of coursework..............................................................................................158.6 Examination Timetable ...................................................................................................168.7 Past Examination Papers ...............................................................................................168.8 Mitigating circumstances ................................................................................................168.9 Assessment Board Appeals............................................................................................168.10 Action in the event of failure to pass a module ...............................................................178.11 University Criteria for Awards .........................................................................................17

9.0 WITHDRAWAL, INTERRUPTION OR TRANSFER .......................................................179.1 Withdrawal from a module..............................................................................................179.2 Intermission of Studies ...................................................................................................189.3 Mode of Study ................................................................................................................189.4 Course Transfers............................................................................................................1810.0 STUDY RESOURCES AND FACILITIES.......................................................................1810.1 Libraries and Special Collections....................................................................................1810.2 Subject Librarians and Subject Guides...........................................................................1910.3 Student feedback ...........................................................................................................1910.4 Media Resources ...........................................................................................................1910.5 ICT Services...................................................................................................................1911.0 FURTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES .....................................................................2011.1 Open Language Programme ..........................................................................................2012.0 COURSE SPECIFICATION............................................................................................2113.0 USEFUL INFORMATION ...............................................................................................3414.0 DIRECTORY OF MODULES FOR THE COURSE .........................................................3515.0 INDEX OF KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION ............................................................3915.1 Relevant University Procedures: ....................................................................................3915.2 Useful online information: ...............................................................................................40

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1.0 WELCOME TO THE COURSE

This is the Course Handbook for the MA International Relations. The staff of the Department ofLaw, Governance and International Relations, wish you a warm welcome to LondonMetropolitan University City campus and to the study of MA Industrial Relations.

1.1 Using This Handbook

This handbook contains a lot of information. Some of it will be of more relevance later in thecourse than at the start of your studies. You can access the course handbook either by logginginto your Evision account or via the University’s website at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/pg-course-handbooks

We recommend that you read this Course Handbook thoroughly and carefully, as it coversmany of the questions you will have about your course. Sections 4 and 6 in particular, will helpyou locate the advice you will need and Section 15 contains an Index of key sources ofinformation that you may need to access during your course.

For detailed information you will sometimes need to consult other sources, including:

University Student Handbook - for details of important University regulations andprocedures. It also provides information on university life and all the support servicesavailable. The University Student Handbook can be accessed at:www.londonmet.ac.uk/student-handbook

PostGrad-Line – a comprehensive on-line source of postgraduate course and moduleinformation available at: https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/prog-plan/postgrad-line

Postgraduate students webpage – a comprehensive on-line resource for postgraduatestudents. Provides information about your Postgraduate Office, timetables, details oftimeslots and room numbers for most taught modules. Once you have completedenrolment and registration, you can view and print your personal timetable Please see:www.londonmet.ac.uk/pg-students

The Course Specification (Section 12 of this handbook) defines the key features of your course,its aims, structure and learning outcomes, and includes all the modules you must study for theaward.

All postgraduate courses are governed by the University’s Academic Regulations(www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations). It is your responsibility to be fully awareof the regulations which govern your studies as a postgraduate student of theUniversity. Your course may in addition have some course specific regulations or maybe governed by a Professional Body. Where relevant these are included in paragraph 32of the Course Specification, contained within Section 12 of this handbook.

You should note that occasionally, the details in this handbook may be amended or revised inorder to improve the Course.

We hope that some of you will feel sufficiently committed to your course to participate as aStudent Representative (see Section 5). Equally, we would at any time, welcome yourcomments about the course or any suggestions for improvements. We wish you every successwith your studies.

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2.0 WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT LAW, GOVERNANCE ANDINTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.1 Introduction to the Course

Interdisciplinary research and teaching on international relations at this university goes backmany decades. This MA was launched at the end of the 1990s by the late Professor PeterGowan, who directed it from 2000 until 2008.

The MA adopts a broader perspective on international relations than the focus of most MAs inthe field, which are typically overwhelmingly concerned only with international politics:international political economy and international law are integral to the MA. And within each ofthese disciplines it seeks to familiarise students with the strongly contrasting theoreticalperspectives and analytical approaches available. The core taught curriculum also includes amodule on Theory and Research Methods in IR and this focuses not only upon differenttheoretical approaches to the field of international relations but also on more fundamentalissues in Social Science theory and research strategies.

We thus intend that by the time students have completed their MA they will be able to reflectupon and do research on international relations in an inter-disciplinary way. This will beparticularly valuable for students interested in policy issues in international relations: real worldpolicy is always, of necessity inter-disciplinary. At the same time we intend our students to beable to recognise and critically engage with the various contrasting (and conflicting) trends inthinking about contemporary international relations.

The curriculum is strongly focused on contemporary IR and on global processes, actors andstructures. At the same time, within each module students have ample opportunities tospecialise on sectoral or regional issues of particular concern to them

2.2 Key Features of Postgraduate Courses

The Course Specification (see Section 12) details your course curriculum and structure and youshould study this closely. Many features are defined by the Postgraduate RegulatoryFramework, part of the University’s Academic Regulations (see Section 15 of this handbook fordetails), which sets out general features common to almost all Masters courses.

(i) Full-time students starting Masters programmes in the Autumn semester are taughtover a 48-week year, requiring approximately 40 hours of study per week. For full-time students starting courses in February the workload is similar but is distributedover a longer study period and normally completed at the end of the following Springsemester. Part-time students undertake the equivalent overall workload over alonger period of study, normally at least two years.

(ii) The standard Masters award requires 180 credits at level M: normally 120 credits forthe taught elements and 60 credits for the Dissertation or Project. There are someexceptions to the rule, such as specified Masters courses in Human ResourceManagement, which require 200 credits, and the MBA at 220 credits.

(iii) Most postgraduate modules are equivalent to 20 credits. Typically, a full-time studentstudies modules equivalent to 60 credits per semester (normally 3 modules), with 15weeks of teaching, revision and assessment activities for each module.

(iv) The taught elements of postgraduate courses are mainly compulsory “core” modulesand normally include one concerned with research methodology and projectdevelopment and practice, in preparation for the dissertation or project. Somecourses may include “designate” modules, which can be chosen from a specified list

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for the course, or “elective” modules, which can be chosen from any available atpostgraduate level.

(v) All taught modules and the dissertation or project module, are marked on apercentage scale, with a pass/fail threshold of 50%.

(vi) Based on the final aggregate of average percentage results, Masters awards aregraded as: Masters (50-59%), Masters with Merit (60–69%), or Masters withDistinction (70% plus)

(vii) While most students will aim to achieve the full Masters qualification, all Masterscourses offer the subsidiary awards of Postgraduate Certificate or PostgraduateDiploma (both available with Merit or with Distinction) for students unable to completetheir full programme of study. The full list of awards and their requirements is asfollows:

Award Credits at level M Modules Required

Masters 180 credits 6 modules +dissertation

Postgraduate Diploma 120 credits 6 modules

PostgraduateCertificate

60 credits 3 modules

2.3 Introduction to the Department

The Department of Law, Governance and International Relations (LGIR) is a large department.As it’s name suggests it has responsibility for the university’s work in law, politics, publicmanagement and administration and international relations. The department’s work takes placeat all the main sites of the University’s two campuses. The MA in International Relations(Interdisciplinary Programme) is taught mainly by staff at the City Campus site but also by staffat the Ladbroke House site of the North Campus (where the Department’s international publiclaw staff are mainly located).

While the bulk of your classes will be in City Campus, your international law modules will betaught in Ladbroke House. Your MA comes under the management of the Governance andInternational Relations section of the Department

2.4 Location and Department Facilities supporting the course

Dermot McCann .is your Course Leader, whose office is in the Calcutta House site in roomCS414. If you have any problems related to your course you should contact the email addressis: d.mccann@londonmet.ac.uk.

2.5 Learning and Teaching on the Course

The standard collective teaching/learning format in the modules is that of lectures andseminars. In modules where this format is being employed there will typically be a lecture eachweek followed by a seminar. The seminars are student-led, with you giving seminarpresentations and with the lecturers playing the role of facilitators. But some modules useworkshops rather than seminars: in that case you are working together with other students oncollective tasks. The Dissertation will use classes and workshops for the exploration of researchmethods. Lecturers also use the Weblearn facility to provide much greater information abouttheir modules – normally with additional reading and supplementary notes.

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During the MA you will also have opportunities for inter-active tutorials with your lecturers.These are used in a variety of ways: to help you in preparing for course work and yourdissertation; but also to provide feedback on work you have already done.

SeminarsSeminar discussions are a central part of our learning strategy.

We stress the following features of seminars:1. they are a co-operative learning experience for everybody in the seminar -- not anoccasion for putting one of two of you on the spot to see how much you know.

2. They should be structured to provide the maximum opportunity for participation byeveryone in discussion.

3. The presentations should thus be designed to stimulate discussion, by raising issues, bychallenging other participants, by raising questions. Thus, in general, we favour shortintroductory presentations and we favour these being made from notes rather than read froma prepared paper.4. At the same time, the seminar presenters should be given a free hand to decide forthemselves how they want to organise the discussion. We also welcome their planning theseminar jointly.

5. The role of the lecturer should above all be that of a facilitator: helping presenters withplanning if they wish it, perhaps throwing extra issues in for discussion if they feel this can beuseful, providing informational help and, if necessary, playing the role of a 'sweeper' at the end.But in general we prefer the approach of 'radical non-intervention' by lecturers rather thanrisking the collapse of the seminar into a quasi-lecture.

6. In general, we do not wish to impose one single format on seminars: variation in style isa good thing and different lecturers will encourage different approaches.

In addition, there are other intellectual techniques which we hope seminars will help to develop,such as the following:

1. Supporting a claim with telling evidence.2. Challenging or modifying a claim with counter-evidence.3. Spotting logical flaws in an argument: e.g. tautologies or non sequiturs

4. Spotting gaps in an argument: conclusions were being advanced without adequatesupporting propositions.5.Being able to make connections or distinctions that clarify issues under discussion.6.Being able to identify gaps in knowledge or understanding that need further exploration.And so on.

Feedback Through TutorialsLecturers try to give all students who hand their coursework in before the deadline a tutorial todiscuss your work. They will put up notices on the door of their room or on the InternationalRelations notice board asking you to put your name down for a particular tutorial time. In thetutorial they will return the coursework to you with a written comment and their own mark.These marks are not necessarily final: they are subject to review by internal and externalexaminers.

2.6 Research in the department

Alongside our postgraduate work on this and other MAs, the Governance and InternationalRelations sections of the Department have a substantial number of research students studyingfor M.Phils and PhDs. All the staff on the MA are also active in research and many of them areworking in research centres and research institutes in the University. For information about the

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staff and their research, see the Departmental websiteHttp://www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/lgir/lgir_home.cfm

Undertaking study at postgraduate level is likely to involve new and different methods ofworking compared to your previous experience. You will study more specialised subject matterat a more advanced level, relatively quickly and over a shorter period. You will be expected topursue your studies with a greater degree of independence than at undergraduate level and toset your own learning objectives within the framework of the course.

The remainder of this section highlights the general features and expectations associated withpostgraduate study.

3.0 BEING A POSTGRADUATE STUDENT

Undertaking study at postgraduate level is likely to involve new and different methods ofworking compared to your previous experience. You will study more specialised subject matterat a more advanced level, relatively quickly and over a shorter period. You will be expected topursue your studies with a greater degree of independence than at undergraduate level and toset your own learning objectives within the framework of the course.

The remainder of this section highlights the general features and expectations associated withpostgraduate study.

3.1 Welcome Programme Checklist

Following the Welcome Programme and Course Introductory Meeting, you should check thatyou have received the following:

an ID card (including library number and computer network username) an email address a course timetable the location of your Postgraduate Office the location of your Department Office the location of you main learning centre and IT facilities the name of your Course Leader

If you arrived late you will still need to obtain the items above and there will be a lateWelcome session for you. Contact your designated Postgraduate Office to ensure youknow what to do and where to go to get started. Classes commence from the Mondayimmediately following the Welcome Programme.

3.2 Your first semester

After your welcome, you will find yourself in the first week of formal teaching, where you willmeet the module lecturers, who will often be giving the main lecture for the module, and otherteaching staff, who may be taking seminars or workshop groups.

Your first semester usually involves mainly compulsory (core) modules covering essentialsubject contents and skills elements in your area of study. During this first semester you willmeet with your Course Leader who will discuss your study programme and advise you on howto plan your studies for the second semester if you did not do this at the start of thecourse.

3.3 Attendance, academic engagement and employment

Your success depends upon full and regular attendance at all classes, seminars, lectures,workshops, tutorials and the completion of all of your module assessment(s), including yourdissertation. Our records show that students who do not attend all their classes are at very

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high risk of failure. The University’s Academic Regulations make it clear that attendance andfull academic engagement are requirements of your registration on your course. The content ofmodules is progressive, so if you miss a session you will need to catch up. However, we dorecognise that for some postgraduate students there may be occasions where your absence isunavoidable; in such circumstances, we strongly recommend that you contact your CourseLeader or Module Tutor/Lecturer. If you are having ongoing difficulties with attendance orcommitting fully to your postgraduate studies please contact your Postgraduate Office foradvice on what to do.

Please note - for international students, the University is required by the UK government toconfirm that you are in regular attendance.

The University looks carefully at the evidence of your attendance and academic engagementand full-time students who fall below these requirements can find themselves being moved to apart-time programme. This can have serious implications for you and your course. In the caseof part-time students, if you fail to meet attendance and academic engagement requirementsthe University may withdraw you from some of your modules. In some circumstances this canalso lead to you being required to leave your course.

We recognise that you may need to undertake part-time work, but strongly advise you not totake employment of more than 15 hours a week if you are a full time student (should you needto take employment of more than 15 hours per week we recommend you register as a part-timestudent). The University’s Employment Service, in Student Services, can help you find asuitable part-time job that can enhance your employability and complement your studies.(https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices/careers)

3.4 Studying

As a postgraduate student, you will be seeking to develop your learning at more advanced leveland your course will provide many opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills. To makethe most of these you will need to develop a strategy for your studies, planning ahead,managing your time effectively and reflecting on your learning.

Assessment is an important feature of study at postgraduate level. Each module booklet setsout detailed assessment requirements and learning outcomes, providing a focus for yourstudies. There are various forms of assessment and modules often involve a combination ofexamination and coursework or presentation. It is important that you understand clearly theexpectations and deadlines for each item of assessment.

You should be aware that all the various coursework assessments and examinations have tobe completed for the achievement of your final award. In addition to attending the timetabledsessions, you will need to study in your own time. You should expect to spend 12-14 hours perweek on each module, making a 40 hour per week commitment for a full-time student. Part-time students need to plan a similar time commitment for each module, but will generally betaking fewer modules at any one time.

Independent study is particularly important when planning work for your dissertation or project.This is a substantial piece of work, to be developed and completed over a relatively lengthyperiod, with much of the writing concentrated in the final stages. Working closely with yourassigned supervisor, you will need to plan your work carefully, with initial discussion to definethe topic, preparatory research and reading, planning the structure of the research and finalreport, writing and re-writing particular sections and drafts.

Please be respectful of the learning environment and remember to switch off your mobile phonebefore entering all classes and study areas.

In summary: plan your learning strategy; allocate enough time; attend all of your modulelectures, tutorials and other sessions; start assignments well in advance; seek advice andhelp; use the learning resources offered; and, enjoy the learning experience!

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3.5 Enrolment and Re-enrolment

Enrolment is an annual process. The first time you enrol you will need to provide evidence ofyour identity and the qualifications which formed the basis of your offer from the University. Youwill also need to pay your tuition fees or demonstrate how these will be paid.

The University ID card you received at enrolment contains your library number and computernetwork username and allows entry to the University’s buildings. Provided you fully completedyour enrolment your card should work throughout the year. If it stops working then please seekadvice from your Postgraduate Office. By signing the enrolment form you confirm that youaccept and will follow the University’s regulations

If you are studying on a part-time basis over more than one academic year or need to return tocomplete your studies, you will need to re-enrol online usually from around mid-August. Re-enrolment is necessary for your ID card to be reactivated for the new academic year. There willbe a deadline for this so it is important that you complete this before the start of the nextacademic year.

3.6 Credit for previous learning

If you already hold a qualification (for example from another college) that may exempt you frompart of your course, you may apply for Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL).Similarly, if you have undertaken work, paid or voluntary, that has resulted in learning skills orknowledge equivalent to a module you will be studying you may apply for Accreditation of PriorExperiential Learning (APEL). Collectively these are known as Accreditation of Prior Learning(APL).

It is important to be aware that any application for APL credit in respect of postgraduate studiesmust be based on prior learning or experience at a suitably advanced level. This means that itis not normally possible to accredit prior learning at undergraduate level, even if the contentmay appear similar.

The University operates the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), where 1 Europeancredit (ECTS) is equivalent to 2 UK credits (CATS). Thus, each taught module of 20 credits isnormally equivalent to 10 ECTS credits, and a full Masters of 180 UK credits is equivalent to 90ECTS.

If you wish to claim for APL please contact your Postgraduate Office or refer to the Index(Section 15) of this handbook for further information.

3.7 Module Registration and Programme Approval

Your Course Leader should provide the information you will require in order to choose yourmodules. Core Modules are compulsory for your course, but your course may also offerDesignate Modules, which can be chosen from a specified list. Additionally, you may beallowed to take Elective Modules, which can be chosen from any available at postgraduatelevel.

Further information about modules and their timeslots can be found on PostGrad-Line:https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/prog-plan/postgrad-line. When you carry out moduleregistration you may be able to choose some time slots, subject to capacity of the class, if themodule(s) run more than once. You are more likely to get your first choices if you register ontime.

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Programme Planning Deadlines: 2009/10 Module Registration

Autumn Semester 2009/10Starters

Spring Semester 2009/10 Starters

24 September – 2October 2009

Module Choice Events duringWelcome Programme1

9 October 2009Deadline for confirmation of Autumn

Semester programmes2 .

17 - 28 November2009

Confirmation of Spring SemesterModules3

22 January 2010Autumn Semester Dissertation

Deadline4

2 – 5 February2010

Module Choice Events duringWelcome Programme

12 Feb 2010Deadline for confirmation of Spring

Semester programmes

March/April 2010Module choice exercise for studentscontinuing their studies in 2010/11

Module choice exercise for studentscontinuing their studies in 2010/11

21 May 2010Spring Semester Dissertation

Deadline4

3 September 2010 Summer Dissertation Deadline Summer Dissertation Deadline

1Students should ideally plan for the whole 2009/10 programme.

2Students confirm their programme for the semester and may not vary it after this point

3Students plan for Spring Semester if they did not do this when enrolling in October.

4It is unlikely that students will be in a position to take their dissertation at this stage, but it is just possible

that they may have sufficient credit at entry to do so.

3.8 Your Timetable

The University timetable operates from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

You will be given a course timetable at the Course Introductory Session. This gives timeslotsand rooms for all modules on your course. Once you have registered your modules you canget a print out of your individual timetable for the current semester at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/pg-course-information . Your timetable will change each semester, and will be available on the webshortly before the start of each semester.

If you do not have a course timetable please contact your Postgraduate Office.

3.9 Publication of Results and Transcripts

At the end of each semester Assessment Boards confirm marks and awards. The PostgraduateOffices are responsible for providing these results to you via Evision.www.londonmet.ac.uk/evision (refer 4.4 below)

An official transcript will be posted to you at your home address on the completion of yourcourse. There is no charge for this end of course transcript but a fee will be payable for anysubsequent transcripts.

For reason of employment or to provide proof of study at the University during your course, youmay need a formal transcript, stamped by the Postgraduate Office. There is a fee for these

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transcripts, payable at the time of request. Requests should be made to the PostgraduateOffice, who aim to produce transcripts within 5 working days of request.

4.0 MANAGING YOUR ACADEMIC LIFE ON-LINE

4.1 Your University IT Account

You use the same account to access all University IT systems. Your account name is printedat the top of on the ID card that you receive at enrolment and is 7 characters in length (e.g.ABC1234). Your password will be set initially to be your date of birth (DD/MM/YY) so youshould change to something secure when you first log in.

4.2 Communication

We do our best to keep you informed of what you need to know at all times. We use the Web toprovide much of the information you need so it is essential to familiarise yourself with theUniversity website. At other times we will use email to contact you so it is essential that youcheck your University email on a regular basis.

4.3 Your Contact Details

The University will contact you by letter, phone, or email, perhaps to arrange a meeting, toprovide you with information, or to respond to a query. It is therefore essential that you keepyour contact details up to date on your student Evision account.

Increasingly, we use email to communicate and keep you informed. You will also have beenallocated a University email address, which is your 7 character account name (see 4.1 above)e.g. ABC1234@londonmet.ac.uk . Even if you already have an email account that you willcontinue to use you should regularly check your London Met account or set up an auto forward,as important messages will be sent to you by email.

You can change the details of the email address that the University holds for you though yourEvision account (see below) and the University’s IT Helpdesks can help you to make the bestuse of the University’s extensive IT facilities.

4.4 Evision

Evision is the University’s online facility that allows you to access your personal student record,to register your modules online for the next session and where you print your courseworkcoversheets and other forms that you may need. You also re-enrol via Evision and viewinformation showing your attendance at classes. You can view your:

Personal and contact details (can be updated online) Registered modules Enrolment and progression

Tuition fee details Record of coursework deadlines and submissions Mitigating Circumstances decisions Module results (available from notified date of publication) Details of final award

For more information please check: www.londonmet.ac.uk/evision

4.5 WebLearn – Online module resources

WebLearn provides online support for many of your modules, enabling you to communicatewith your tutor and other students. Course materials, information, assessments and

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administration are available on WebLearn as well as study programmes, such as “Writing andCommunicating at University”. WebLearn requires your user name and password and can beaccessed at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/tltc/weblearn

5.0 THE STUDENT VOICE

5.1 StARs

Feedback from students is vital to the University to find out how well the teaching, guidance andother services are working. This is obtained in different ways, including via Student AcademicRepresentatives (StARs) who, supported by the Students’ Union, provide direct feedback fromstudents on the course and raise any issues on their behalf. You will have the opportunity tostand for election as a StAR or to elect a fellow student.

5.2 Course Committees

A Course Committee is normally convened each semester to review a set of modules andcourses and provide quality assurance. Key staff, including module and course lecturers,attend these meetings and student input is received via the Student Academic Representatives(StARs).

5.3 Students’ views on modules and courses

Students’ views are obtained by a variety of means such as focus groups and web-basedquestionnaires. While staff welcome informal feedback from students, Module Lecturers willproduce formal monitoring reports which cover areas such as teaching, student feedback andassessment. Reports and action points agreed are available from both module and coursereviews.

6.0 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE

6.1 Postgraduate Office

The Postgraduate Office is the key administrative service to support you in your studiesthroughout your time at the University. You will be assigned to the Postgraduate Office linked toyour course, normally in the building where the subject teaching staff are located. It will be herethat you go with timetable queries, to plan your modules, to hand in your coursework, to collectletters you may need, and to ask any questions about your studies.

You should also contact your Postgraduate Office in relation to the following issues:

• Queries about your enrolment status, the fees that you have been charged or if youhave not received your student loan;

• Queries about your timetable or the modules that are registered for you;• If your ID card is not working;• Submit a module query, a claim for mitigating circumstances, an appeal, or get advice

about examination arrangements;• Advice on claiming credit for previous study or experience;• Help you contact your course leader;• Obtain standard letters and council tax exemption certificates;• Visa extension letters for international students;• Advice on the consequences of withdrawing.

Your Postgraduate Office is responsible for processing your results and ensuring that they arepublished on time. Each group of courses has a Course Administrator and you will becomefamiliar with them throughout your time at the University. Your Postgraduate Office will alsocontact you if you are missing classes or not submitting work on time.

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The offices are normally open throughout the academic year but can also be contacted byphone or email – see www.londonmet.ac.uk/registry

When contacting your Postgraduate Office, please always quote your student number as itenables staff to access your information quickly and so respond to your query.

6.2 The Graduate School

The Graduate School provides a focus for postgraduate education and research activity withinthe University. It works closely with academic departments and Postgraduate Offices; the latterproviding information and advice to all students on taught Masters level courses. The ResearchOffice, which is part of the Graduate School, deals with the administration of postgraduateresearch degrees (MPhil, PhD, Professional Doctorate, etc), provides advice and support toresearch degree students, and plays a central role in facilitating the University's ResearchPolicy. It can also assist Masters students who may be planning to go on to study for aresearch-based MPhil or PhD on completion of their masters programme.

The Graduate School’s website provides further information about its activities andarrangements to support postgraduate study and research, and includes advice on researchethics and resources to support the development of research skills. You can view this at:http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/research

6.3 Postgraduate Course Leader

Course Leaders are the main contacts for personal academic advice, including programmeplanning and approval, and are also responsible for the day-to-day organisation of their courseand liaising with academic and administrative staff. They can be a source of valuable advice forother matters also and should be tour first port of call if problems arise. They are able to:

provide you with academic advice on all aspects of your studies and progress explain the implications of assessment results and associated feedback on your

academic performance advise you on managing and planning your studies; refer you to Student Services for support regarding personal problems, housing, health

and finance

Your Course Leader can also write you a reference, for a job application for example.

6.4 Module Lecturers

Module lecturers are members of academic staff who lead the modules contributing to yourprogramme of study and are key to your learning experience. They should be your first port ofcall for advice on any topics you do not understand following a lecture or seminar. All Modulelecturers have “office hours” – these are set times during the week when they are available forconsultation. For each module there will be a Module Booklet.

6.5 Student Success through Learning Development

Some students may need extra help with their studies, sometimes for a particular module, or,more generally, across their programme. This might include help with presentations, essaywriting and critical analysis. It is always best to seek help in good time and to take advantageof the range of additional classes, courses and resources available. For the full range of studyand skills programmes and to find out more about the Learning Development Unit, please visit:www.londonmet.ac.uk/ldu/

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6.7 Student Services

The Department of Student Services offers advice, information, support and guidance across arange of areas including:

finances and funding personal and emotional issues career choices services for disabled and dyslexic students employment and CV advice volunteering and mentoring opportunities visa renewals and immigration regulations faith and spirituality student opportunity activities and projects

For more information call into one of the main Student Services receptions or visit their website:https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices. Please take some time during the first fewweeks of your course to look at the website and familiarise yourself with the services offered.

6.8 Disabilities and Dyslexia Service (DDS)

The Disabilities and Dyslexia Services (DDS) offers a confidential service to any student with adisability, long term medical problem or Specific Learning Difficulty (e.g. dyslexia). They canalso assist in obtaining a diagnosis for students who feel that they may have a SpecificLearning Difficulty. This service can be accessed at any time during your course.

Once you have registered with the DDS and provided the evidence required to establish yourclaim for support, the service can assist you in obtaining adjustments to help you successfullycomplete your course. Such adjustments are based on individual circumstances and relate tothe severity of impact of your disability on your ability to study. Depending on the level of needidentified, these may include:

Practical Assistance: specialist tutors (specific learning difficulties), note-takers, orcommunication supportSpecific Adjustments to Study-Related Services: extended library loans (week loans only) oraccessibility related rooming adjustmentsTeaching-Related Adjustments: internal needs assessment report to identify needs toAcademic StaffAssessment Specific Adjustments: exam adjustments, coursework certificates or alternativeassessment arrangements.

Important NoteThere are some aspects of course assessment that cannot be changed. These are known as‘competence criteria’. To be identified as ‘competence criteria’ the assessed items must beessential to the course and all students must be able to fulfil these criteria. Although in suchsituations it may not be possible to alter the format of the assessment, disabled students maystill be entitled to adjustments (e.g. extra time or an amanuensis).

Placement supportIf you are required, as part of your course, to go on placement you can receive assistance toensure that your placement is suitable for you and for any required adjustments to be discussedand organised as appropriate.

Most disabled students are entitled to government allowances. You are strongly advised tocontact the Disabilities and Dyslexia Services who will help you with funding applications.Please refer to the Student Handbook for full information on the types of funding available orthe Disabilities and Dyslexia Services website at:

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https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices/dyslexia-disabilities

6.9 Placements/study abroad

The MA includes a designated module (GIPO13) which involves a placement in anorganisation active in the international relations field. Students wishing to take this module or toexplore the possibilities of doing so should contact the module tutor, David Edye early in theirfirst semester in order to explore the possibilities of acquiring a suitable placement.

7.0 DISSERTATION OR PROJECT

7.1 Registration

You register for your Masters Dissertation or Project in the same way as for your other modules- see section 3.8 Module Registration and Programme Approval.

Once you are registered for your dissertation/project, you are expected to submit it in the periodfor which you are registered. The University’s standard assessment arrangements andmitigating circumstances procedures apply (see below for information on withdrawal andmitigating circumstances).

Formal requirements for your dissertation are set out in detail in the Dissertation/Project ModuleBooklet for your course, and the main aspects are summarised below:

7.2 Supervision Arrangements

Students begin work on their dissertations with six weeks of classes on dissertation researchduring which they face the task of defining their research question. If your dissertation deadlineis in May, these classes will begin in September of the previous year. If your deadline is inSeptember, your classes will start in February.

By the end of the six weeks of classes you will be expected to have developed an initialresearch question in discussion with the module tutor who will approve your question and willthen allocate you a dissertation supervisor, on the basis of the relationship between yourresearch interest and those of the staff in the department.

You will then contact your supervisor and arrange a first meeting. The total time allocated tosupervisors for helping you with your dissertation is seven hours, covering both contact timewith you and reading material from you during the course of your work on your dissertation. Soyou must use that time to your best advantage. How you use that time is a matter for you andyour supervisor to agree, but supervisors are particularly valuable during the early part of yourwork when you are defining your research puzzle and your strategy for resolving it. They canalso be valuable near the end of your work for helping you with the overall structure of yourcompleted dissertation. But do not expect your supervisor to read and make detailed commentson your final draft: that is impossibly time-consuming, given the number of students eachmember of staff has to supervise.

We have found that the most productive way for you to use your supervisor is to email orotherwise supply written material to him or her in advance of your meetings.

7.3 Topic approval

As explained above, your initial research question will be approved by your module tutor andthis will form the basis for your allocation to a supervisor. It is, however, not uncommon forstudents to wish to amend or even entirely change their research question as a result of theirresearch in the field. Such changes are in principle perfectly acceptable, but they must be

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approved by your supervisor in order to ensure that your research focus remains acceptablewithin the framework of the MA.

You should also consult the University’s Code of Good Research Practice which can beaccessed on the Graduate School’s website at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/research/the-graduate-school/forms-and-documents/forms-and-documents_home.cfm to see whether theseguidelines raise any issues for your own research, and discuss them with your supervisor.

7.4 Planning and Timing

Planning your work on your dissertation is very important because of the other pressures youare under, particularly as a full-time student, because you will be starting your work on yourdissertation while you are still studying for three taught modules. You therefore face thetemptation to postpone serious work on your dissertation until you have completed your taughtmodules. You need to resist this temptation and allocate regular time in the week for yourdissertation research alongside your studies for your taught modules. Otherwise you will findyourself under rather severe time pressures later.

If you are starting work on your dissertation with classes in February-March and with aSeptember deadline, remember that staff will typically be away on leave for part of the summer,so you must build this reality into your planning.

It is a good idea to have contact with your supervisor as you are completing your dissertation inorder to gain feedback on its overall structure. But remember that by this stage feedback willconcern the overall structure rather than detailed issues within the text. The most valuable wayfor you to use this feedback is for you to supply your supervisor with a short summary of theoverall structure of your work, chapter by chapter for comment and feedback. This exercise willalso help you to focus on the overall thrust of your work and thus to tighten your structure andargument.

7.5 Submission

You must submit two copies of your dissertation/ project. One copy will be available for you tocollect after marking and the other may be kept by the University, for reference.

Both copies should be securely bound so that pages cannot easily be removed, lost orreplaced. It is helpful if at least one of the copies is bound with front and rear boards rigidenough to hold the dissertation upright on a shelf, and has a navy blue cover with gold lettering.(Your Postgraduate Office can provide a list of thesis binders. You should expect to payaround £15 - £20 per volume).

There are three standard deadline dates for submission in every academic year. The dates for2009/10 are:

Deadline

Autumn Semester 22 January 2010

Spring Semester 21 May 2010

Summer Period 3 September 2010

Dissertations/Projects must be submitted at your Postgraduate Office

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8.0 MARKING AND ASSESSMENT

8.1 Academic Regulations

The University’s Academic Regulations govern all aspects of assessment and those concerningpostgraduate assessment can be found in Section 4.2 (www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations).

8.2 Marking and grades

The University provides you with marks and grades for the work that you submit forassessment. The detailed requirements of assessment in each module are specified in modulebooklets, together with indicative assessment criteria associated with different levels ofperformance and results. Each component of assessed work is assigned a percentage markwith a pass/fail threshold at 50%.

At postgraduate level, degrees are awarded according to the overall average mark obtained forall modules and the dissertation, with classification thresholds for each grade of award asfollows:

70% and above Masters degree with Distinction60% - 69.99% Masters degree with Merit50% - 59.99% Masters degree0% - 49.99% Fail

At the end of each semester, module results and awards are confirmed by Assessment Boards(Subject Standards Boards and Awards Boards). Assessment Boards uphold the academicstandards of your course and ensure that each student is treated fairly and equally through theassessment process.

8.3 Your responsibilities concerning Assessment

You have a responsibility to ensure that all coursework assessments are completed inaccordance with the published deadlines and that all examinations are attended in accordancewith the published timetable. While there are opportunities to be re-assessed in assignmentsand examinations (see 8.10 below) you should be aware that, under the University’s AcademicRegulations, if you pass the module on reassessment your overall module mark will be cappedat the bare pass mark level of 50%.

You are also responsible for ensuring that all work submitted is your own and that it isappropriately referenced. The University does not tolerate cheating of any kind. You arestrongly advised to familiarise yourself with the Academic Misconduct Procedures (refer to theIndex for details of how these can be accessed).

8.4 Assessment Feedback

Assessment feedback is a critical part of your learning experience and supports successfulachievement on your course. Feedback can be:

diagnostic – it provides an indicator of your aptitude and preparedness for study andcan identify your strengths and weaknesses.

formative – it provides you with feedback on progress on your work. The work may ormay not contribute to the overall module grade.

summative – it provides a measure of achievement or failure in respect of yourperformance in relation to intended learning outcomes for a piece of assessment.

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During your course you will probably receive feedback in a number of different forms. in teaching sessions to the whole class or to you individually; orally or in writing; written using a feedback sheet on your work;

during the module as well as at the end.

Your assessment tasks may be set for submission during the semester or towards theend of the semester.

You should note carefully the following details

For coursework submitted up to the end of teaching week 9 of a semester

i) Your marked coursework and accompanying feedback should normally be returned toyou during module sessions. Alternative arrangements may be made, for example,where the assessment involves bulky pieces of coursework.

For coursework submitted after teaching week 9 of a semester

i) Your tutor’s feedback (without the coursework) will be available for collection either fromyour module lecturer or from the Postgraduate Office.

ii) The marked work with your tutor’s comments will be available for collection two weeksafter the formal publication of the result.

iii) Any unclaimed work will be kept for a period of 6 months following publication of theresult, after which it will be destroyed.

All arrangements for coursework and feedback return will normally be stated in modulebooklets. This should include:

due dates for coursework submission; dates when coursework feedback will be distributed in class (for work submitted up to

the end of week 9); dates when coursework feedback can be collected from the module lecturer or the

Postgraduate Centre (for work submitted after week 9); the format by which assessment feedback will be given;

the process by which coursework can be collected two weeks following the publicationof the result concerned.

8.5 Submission of coursework

When handing in coursework you must ensure that you have understood and followed all theinstructions provided by the module lecturer. Your coursework should be accompanied by asecurely attached barcoded coursework coversheet printed from Evision.

Unless you are given formal guidance to do otherwise (e.g. for some design work or work to besubmitted via WebLearn), written coursework must be submitted only to the PostgraduateOffice in the building that the module is taught. Work handed in to tutors prior to, or on, theconfirmed coursework deadline date does not constitute a valid submission and will not beprocessed.

It is important that you retain both your submission receipt (this is an electronic receipt sent toyour University email address and also available to view on your Evision account) and a copy ofthe coursework until the results are published on Evision.

Full details of the coursework submission process, including how to obtain courseworkcover sheets, can be accessed at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/coursework-exams

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8.6 Examination Timetable

Examinations take place during Weeks 13,14 and 15 of each semester and during the SummerReassessment period in July. (See inside cover of this handbook for 2009/10 dates). Theexamination timetable is published three weeks prior to the start of each examination period at:www.londonmet.ac.uk/examtrack

Copies are also posted on Postgraduate Office noticeboards.

8.7 Past Examination Papers

These are available online at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/coursework-exams

8.8 Mitigating circumstances

Students who are unable to attend an examination must contact theirUndergraduate/Postgraduate Office on or before the date of the exam. A claim should also bemade under the procedures for Mitigating Circumstances which, if accepted, will result in anopportunity to redo the exam without penalty in the summer period. Students who are unable tosubmit coursework by the due date should also make a claim under the mitigatingcircumstances process but are also expected, where possible, to submit the assignment within10 working days of the due date with an explanation of the reasons for lateness.

Students who do not submit assessment and do not notify the University of the reasonsfor this in advance will not be eligible for reassessment and may be required to leave thecourse.

For further information access: www.londonmet.ac.uk/mitigation

If you think you are likely to need to make a claim under these procedures you are advised tocontact your Undergraduate/Postgraduate Office in advance of the due date.

Claims of mitigating circumstances must be submitted to the Undergraduate/PostgraduateOffice on the appropriate form, attaching independent supporting evidence of the particularcircumstances that affected your studies. Forms should be printed from:www.londonmet.ac.uk/mitigation

The deadlines for the submission of claims are published at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/mitigation ,but also on notice boards outside the Undergraduate/Postgraduate Office.

Prior to submitting a claim for Mitigating Circumstances you are strongly advised to familiariseyourself with the Mitigating Circumstances Criteria (Section 10.3 of the Academic Regulations),which can be found at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations

8.9 Assessment Board Appeals

There are only three grounds on which students may appeal against the outcome of anassessment board decision. These are very specific and an appeal may not be made inrespect of an academic judgment or in respect of a rejected claim of mitigating circumstances.The University operates a strict deadline for submission of appeals, following the publication ofthe result(s) concerned. Refer to the Index (Section 15.0) for sources of further information.

Prior to submitting an Appeal you should familiarise yourself with the Procedures for thesubmission of Appeals (Section 10.4 of the Academic Regulations), which can be found at:www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations

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8.10 Action in the event of failure to pass a module

Reassessment

A student who attempts the final component of assessment in a module shall normally beentitled to be reassessed on one occasion in any module for which a failing mark has beenawarded. Reassessment takes place during the summer resit period following the academicsession in which the module was taken. However, reassessment of a dissertation shall takeplace at the next available assessment point (i.e. January for September submissions, Mayfor January submissions and September for May submissions). Under the University’sAcademic Regulations, if you pass the module following reassessment, your overall modulemark will be capped at the bare pass.

A student who does not attempt the final component of assessment in a module will only bepermitted reassessment if they have notified the University (normally in advance of the date ofsubmission/date of examination). Where the reasons given are documented and meet thecriteria for Mitigating Circumstances (see Section 8.8), a student will be entitled to be assessedduring the summer period as if for the first time and will be entitled to the full range of marks forthe module. Where a request for a deferral of assessment is made but the claim does notsatisfy the criteria for Mitigating Circumstances, the University may agree a reassessmentopportunity but any passing module mark will be capped at a bare pass.

If you have received failing marks in three or more modules (60 credits) in a level you will berequired to undertake a review of your academic performance with your Course Leader ornominee. On the basis of this review, you may be required to leave the course or seekadmission on to a different course.

You should ensure that you familiarise yourself with the University regulations on reassessment(Section 4.2 of the Academic Regulations), which can be found at:www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations

Retaking a module

If, after reassessment, you still have not passed a module, you may need to re-register and totake the whole module again. You are only permitted to re-register any module on one occasionand a fee may be charged for re-registrations.

8.11 University Criteria for Awards

The Postgraduate Awards Framework, the list of all of the University’s postgraduate awards,can be found at the beginning of Section 4.1 of the Academic Regulations. Section 4.2 of theAcademic Regulations details the minimum criteria for all the University’s postgraduate awards.

9.0 WITHDRAWAL, INTERRUPTION OR TRANSFER

9.1 Withdrawal from a module

Normally once you have a registered programme for the academic year it cannot be changed.You have until the end of week 2 of the first semester to withdraw from a module withoutacademic or financial penalty. After this point you are expected to complete every moduleregistered against your record and to pay any fee due for your registered programme. Forfurther information and advice please contact your Postgraduate Office.

Withdrawal from a module is not permitted after Week 2 of the first semester and students withunforeseen circumstances, which prevent completion of an assessment or a module, shouldsubmit a claim of mitigating circumstances. (See section 8.8). Requests to substitute modulesfor the second semester of study must be submitted by the University’s specified deadline for

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such requests and shall be subject to University approval. Such requests shall only beconsidered where there is no reduction in the total number of modules registered.

9.2 Intermission of Studies

There may be circumstances that arise in the year that make it difficult for you to continue onyour course or part of your course. If this is the case you should in the first instance, contactyour Postgraduate Office, who will advise you of the options available to you. You may need tosee your Course Leader and/or Student Services.

Intermission of studies is only possible in exceptional cases and you will need to provideevidence of your circumstances that confirms it is not possible for you to continue on yourcourse. Intermission can have as financial implications (where applicable) and on your statusin the UK if you are an international student. During an approved intermission of studies youwill not be eligible to sit examinations, submit coursework or undertake any other form ofassessment.

The maximum period of intermission permitted is two years and the maximum period inwhich to qualify for a Masters degree (including any agreed intermission) is six years.

If you intermit without prior approval you will be deemed to have withdrawn from yourcourse and you may not be allowed to recommence at a later date.

For further details go to: www.londonmet.ac.uk/intermission

9.3 Mode of Study

Your mode of study is determined by the University based on the number of modules that youhave registered for a particular semester (Refer to Section 4.1, Regulation 13 of the AcademicRegulations).

9.4 Course Transfers

If you intend to change course, you should seek advice from your Postgraduate Office.

10.0 STUDY RESOURCES AND FACILITIES

10.1 Libraries and Special Collections

Library Services at London Metropolitan hope you will make full use of the study facilities,specialist library staff and extensive range of printed and online resources available to supportyour studies and help you succeed.

You can use any of the five University libraries located at Calcutta House, Commercial Road,Holloway Road, Ladbroke House and Moorgate. All have integrated facilities with access to alarge range of up-to-date information and resources available in a variety of electronic, printedand audiovisual media. The online resources include e-journals, e-books, and databases whichare also accessible outside the University, via the library catalogue at;http://catalogue.londonmet.ac.uk/

Each library has open access networked PCs and printers, copying and media facilities tosupport your studies. In designated areas you can get wireless access to the Internet usingyour own laptop – look out for the MetNet signs. All the libraries offer group and silent learningzones and there are group study rooms, which can be booked. To save you time, there aremany self-service facilities including borrowing and returning items, renewals and reservations.The web based catalogue is easy to use and can be accessed both on and off campus.

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Information on our services, library opening hours, borrowing rights, resources and contactscan be found at: www.londonmet.ac.uk/library

10.2 Subject Librarians and Subject Guides

Subject librarians are qualified to provide learning support and information skills training andensure that the appropriate information resources you need are available throughout yourcourse.

Subject librarians can help you acquire valuable information literacy skills which will enable youto locate, retrieve, evaluate and use the most relevant resources for your research for specificassignments and projects. This is done in a variety of ways from drop-in workshop sessions tobespoke course group sessions planned in conjunction with academic staff and based on yourlearning objectives.

They publish guides and online tutorials to resources specific to your subject area which are agood starting point when you need support. You can talk to your subject librarian in personduring one of the regular drop-in sessions at all libraries or, if you prefer, send an email withyour enquiry. For further information:http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/services/sessions.cfm

To access subject guides and find your subject librarian go to:www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/subject-help/subjects/index.cfm

10.3 Student feedback

Library Services are always looking at ways to improve the service we offer to all our users andwelcome your views. Please go to our Comments and Suggestions link on our web pageshttp://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/comments.cfm or email your LearningResources Manager http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/services/conman.cfm

10.4 Media Resources

Media equipment and resources (e.g. video, reprographics etc.) are available from theUniversity’s media resource centres. The media team also provide technical support andadvice. All classrooms are fully equipped with fixed Audio-Visual installations, includingoverhead projector, PC, whiteboard and screen.

10.5 ICT Services

The University has a number of computer studios, offering both specialist and general-purposesoftware, running mainly on PCs, but some on Apple Macs.

AccessICT facilities can only be accessed through using individually assigned IDs and passwords.General-purpose PC and Mac studios are provided and supported by IT support staff. Most areopen-access to students except when booked for teaching.

Support staffSupport is provided through dedicated teams, with Student Helpdesks located in TowerBuilding, Calcutta House, Commercial Road, Eden Grove, Ladbroke House, Moorgate, SpringHouse and Tower Hill.

Students are encouraged to make use of the Student Portal,https://portal.londonmet.ac.uk/student, which allows them to view personalised information andto interact with the university.

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Opening HoursFor full details of opening hours, refer to:www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/ictsupport/ict_home.cfm

Students can access many of the University’s computing facilities from home or anotherworkplace via the Internet.

PrintingLaser printing is available throughout the University. A fee is charged.

11.0 FURTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

11.1 Open Language Programme

In addition to their main programme of study, the University offers all postgraduate students theopportunity through the Open Language Programme, to learn (or gain fluency in) one of a widerange of languages. For the majority of courses an additional fee payment is charged shouldyou wish to pursue this.

Before registering for an OLP module you will need to be assessed so that you can be placedat the appropriate level; these assessments are made by the Open Language Programme atkey points in the year.

The languages available are usually: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, MandarinChinese and Spanish.

Learning is achieved through a combination of taught sessions and independent study packs,both of which are essential to make real progress. For further information please visit:www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/hal/olp

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12.0 COURSE SPECIFICATION

1. Name of course and highest awardMA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMME)

2. SchemePOSTGRADUATE

3. Total credit for course180

4. Possible interim awardsCertificate in International RelationsDiploma in International Relations

5. Awarding/validating institution/bodyLondon Metropolitan University

6. Teaching institutionLondon Metropolitan University

7. Course also accredited byN/A

8. Professional body exemptions/accreditationN/A

9. External subject benchmarksN/A

10. UCAS code (undergraduate only)N/A

11. London Met course codePMST

12. Route codeINTREL-N

13. JACS codeL200

14. Source of funding

15. Approved to run from

16. Mode of attendanceFull-time, Part-time Evening.

17. Expected duration of courseFull-time: one calendar year; part-time 2 years minimum

18. Organised work experience/sandwich year/year abroadThe course includes an optional work placement with project (GIP013N).

19. Career education, information and guidance

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Career guidance is provided by the Course Leader and students may also use the CareersServices.

20. AdmissionsAdmissions are in the Autumn and Spring semesters.

21. Teaching locationCity Campus

22. Home academic departmentLGIR

23. Course LeaderActing Course Leader: Dermot McCann

Main educational aims of the course

This MA in International Relations, launched at the end of the 1990s, is now one of the threelargest general international relations MAs offered by universities in London. About half ourstudents are from the UK; the other half come from all over the world.

The MA was designed with two main ambitions in mind: first, to equip students who do notnecessarily have an undergraduate background in International Relations with the capacity forindependent research and reflection on contemporary international relations and with thecompetences necessary for pursuing a wide variety of careers related to international relations;second, to offer a programme which is not confined to the study of international politics, butoffers students a sophisticated grounding in international political economy and internationallaw as well and thus enables them to engage in interdisciplinary work. In addition we seek toapproach international studies from a global perspective rather than a narrowly Anglo-Americanone and we seek to offer students ample scope for them to accent their studies towards theirown individual interests and goals

1. The Interdisciplinary Character of the MAOur intention is that the compulsory core modules of the MA will enable our students tocombine their understanding of the three core disciplines of the MA (international politics,political economy and law) in interdisciplinary research – a wider and more inclusive frameworkfor understanding international relations and one which corresponds more closely to theinterconnectedness of the real world. This approach is signalled in the word ‘interdisciplinary’ inour MA title. And it accounts for the interdisciplinary and policy-oriented character of many ofthe options offered on the MA. And it widens the career horizons of our students, withoutpreventing individual students from specialising in one of the three core disciplines in theiroption choices and dissertation if they wish

The MA’s interdisciplinary approach also corresponds to the long-established approach of thestaff who launched the MA: since the 1970s we had been working at undergraduate andpostgraduate level on the international relations of Europe, within the university’s EuropeanStudies programme, combining politics, political-economy and law and institutional relations inan interdisciplinary way.

The inclusion of international law in our core curriculum needs some explanation in the contextof Anglo-American postgraduate international relations where international law figures,generally, only at the margins of studies if at all. No other general MA in international relationsin the UK, for example, places international law within the compulsory core curriculum (althoughit is commonly important in European continental approaches to international relations). Wegive it priority not only because international law is, in reality, integral to any legitimateinternational order but also because of the vocational dimension of our MA: those wishing tobecome practitioners in the field find that international relations of all kinds are shaped inimportant ways by the observance (or violation) of international law and internationalinstitutional regimes.

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2. Giving Access to International Relations at Postgraduate LevelThe course’s openness to students without an academic background in fields directlyconnected to international relations means that the core curriculum lays stress on providingstudents with a grounding in general social science theory and research methodologies. Allstudents must take a core module on Theory and Research Methods in IR, which is geared toproviding students with a sophisticated grounding not only in I R theory but also in socialscience theory and in the theoretical and methodological problems entailed in social scienceanalysis and research.

3. The MA’s Global PerspectiveThe MA enables students to gain a thorough grounding in the Anglo-American literatures oninternational relations. At the same time, the course team is committed to resisting a narrowlyparochial Anglo-American perspective on contemporary international relations (or, indeed, aEurocentric perspective). At the heart of our approach, therefore, is the attempt to define thecentral issues and problems in contemporary international relations from a global perspectiverather than one which uses parochial problem-definitions corresponding to the concerns of asmall number of powerful states. And throughout the MA students are invited to engage withcontrasting and conflicting theoretical and analytical perspectives on contemporary internationalstructures and processes.

4. Students’ Individual Concerns and GoalsA further aim of the MA is to provide scope for individual students to accent their studiestowards their own personal or career concerns and goals. This scope is provided above allthrough their dissertation but also through the design of individual taught module syllabi, whichenable students to specialise on those aspects of the module syllabus of special interest tothem: for example, students’ regional interests or commitments to specific theoreticalperspectives.

25. Course learning outcomes

Knowledge and UnderstandingBy the end of their MA students will be able to critically evaluate major theoretical perspectiveson international politics, international political economy and law and to situate this knowledge inthe context of more fundamental social science theories and research methodologies. Studentswill also be able to grasp the inter-connections between political, economic and legal-institutional dimensions of international relations. They will also have been able to acquirespecialist knowledge in fields of particular concern to them as individuals, through theirdissertation and through the scope for individual specialisation within the syllabi of taughtmodules.

Cognitive/intellectual skillsThe MA is mainly focused on the cognitive dimensions of International Relations. By the end ofthe course, Students will be able to track the cognitive strategies of IR scholars and to tracetheir underlying cognitive assumptions, assess explanatory strategies, be sensitive to howconcepts are constructed and connected to each other, demonstrate an awareness of differingapproaches to causation and an awareness of ways of testing the validity of claims main byscholars in international relations and in the wider social sciences.

Students will also have strengthened their ability to design their own independent research, toidentify the key methodological problems raised by their research questions, to apply morerigorous thought to their own use of concepts, their own explanatory strategies and to their ownjustifications for their research conclusions. They will also greatly enhance their capacity toorganise research materials and to organise their writing effectively.

Practical SkillsBy the end of their MA students will have greatly strengthen their practical research skillsthrough learning how to exploit the very large research resources available to them both in theuniversity’s databases and in a wide range of other London libraries. They will have thoroughly

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internalised ways of making their written work transparent to others through systematicreferencing. They will also have acquired competence in a wide variety of writing formats,gaining the ability to communicate in writing in flexible ways. And they will also develop a rangeof oral communication skills through making presentations in various formats and throughcontributing to seminar discussions. Students’ assessments also ensure that they can developtheir ability to read in different registers for different purposes. Their dissertation will also ensurethat they master the ability to ability to select, store and process large quantities of datarelevant to a specific research question. The very diverse cultural and ideational backgroundsof our students also results in their developing their abilities to communicate in a multi-culturalcontext and to combine tact with a readiness to advance their own arguments and points ofview.

Key/transferable skillsThe great bulk of the intellectual and practical skills which students will acquire on the MA aretransferable to non-academic contexts, particularly those involving any kind of research, criticalreflection, writing and oral communication. Students will be able to communicate ideas,theories and information by oral and written means. They should also be able to interactfruitfully in debate with others, developing their skills through collective discussion. They willalso have an enhanced capacity for independent study and research.

These skills will be promoted by classroom discussion, written essay work and through thedissertation.

26. Course structure diagram

The diagrams below give you details about all the various modules running in each semester,along with their Codes, whether they are core (C) or designated (D). But to gain a clear pictureof the structure of your studies as a full-time or part-time student, see the section above onprogramme planning.

POSTGRADUATE COURSE STRUCTURE DIAGRAM - FT Autumn EntryStudents take a total of 6 taught modules, three per semester. Of the 6 taught modules, four arecompulsory core modules. The two other taught modules are options, some of which rule in theAutumn Semester and some of which run in the Spring Semester (and two of which run in bothsemesters).

All full-time students starting in the Autumn semester must take GIP007N, a core module whichruns only in the autumn semester. All other core modules run in the Spring Semester even thosethat also run in the Autumn Semester).

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FT Autumn EntryAward1 Semester2 Code3 Title4

Sta-tus5

CreditPoints6

Notes7

Masters Autumn GIP028c Theory and Research Methods inInternational Relations

C 20

GIP007c Evolution of the Modern Inter-state System

C 20

GIP009c International Relations and theLegal Regulation of Conflict

C 20

GIP017c State Collapse, ExternalIntervention and State Building

D 20

GIP064c International Conflict Resolution D 20

GIP023c The New Europe in the NewInternational Order

D 20

LLP004N International Legal Institutions D 20

.

Spring GIP009c

GIP008c

International Relations and theLegal Regulation of Conflict

Contemporary InternationalPolitical Economy

C

C

20

20

GIP010c Human Rights and theInternational Order

D 20

GIP015c Migration, Refugees and AsylumSeekers

D 20

D 20

GIP020c European Integration D 20

LLP004n

GIP076C.

International Legal Institutions

Religion and InternationalRelations

D

D

20

20

Sessions regarding dissertationstart in Spring, but note thatstudents MUST register for thisNOT for Spring, but rather forSummer Period

SummerPeriod

GIPP12N Dissertation C 60

PG Dip Any combination of modulesto the value of 120 points

PG Cert Any combination of modulesto the value of 60 points

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POSTGRADUATE COURSE STRUCTURE DIAGRAM- FT Spring EntryStudents take a total of 6 taught modules, three per semester. Of the 6 taught modules, four arecompulsory core modules. The two other taught modules are options, some of which rule in theAutumn Semester and some of which run in the Spring Semester (and two of which run in bothsemesters).

All full-time students starting in the Spring will take the core module and GIP008c.

FT Spring EntryAward1 Semester2 Code3 Title4

Status5

CreditPoints6

Notes7

Masters Spring GIP028c Theory and Research Methods inInternational Relations

C 20

GIP008c Contemporary IPE C 20

GIP009c International Relations and theLegal Regulation of Conflict

C 20

GIP010c Human Rights and theInternational Order

D 20

GIP015c Migration, Refugees and AsylumSeekers

D 20

GIP020c European Integration D 20

LLP004N

GIP076C

International Legal Institutions

Religion and InternationalRelations

D

D

20

20

Autumn GIP007 Evolution of the Modern Inter-state System

C 20

D 20

GIP017 State Collapse, ExternalIntervention and State Building

D 20

GIP023 The New Europe in the NewInternational Order

D 20

GIP064 International Conflict Resolution D 20

Dissertation Sessions regarding dissertationstart in Autumn, but note thatstudents MUST register for thisNOT for Autumn, but rather forSpring

Spring(II year)

GIPP12 Dissertation C 60

PG Dip Any combination of modulesto the value of 120 points

PG Cert Any combination of modulesto the value of 60 points

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DIAGRAM FOR POSTGRADUATE COURSES part 1Modules

Assessment GIP028 GIP007 GIP008 GIP009N GIP010N GIP082C GIPP12N

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Unseenexam EXU

50 15 45 14 50 14

Seen examEXS

25 13 100 14

CourseworkCWK

25 11 45 12 50 12 80 14 75 14

Oralpresenta-tion ORL

20 12 25+

report

PracticalPRA

Dissertation/Project DIS

100 30

Other OTHBriefingPaper

30 11

DIAGRAM FOR POSTGRADUATE COURSES part 2Modules

Assessment GIP015 GIP017 GIP064N GIP020

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Unseenexam EXU

Seen examEXS

50 14

CourseworkCWK

50 14 80 14 25 40 11 8 50 13 50

Oralpresenta-tion ORL

20 11 15 11 10 -

PracticalPRA

50 11

27. Additional general comments (if appropriate)

28. Standard University entry requirements, inc APEL/AP(E)L

30. Career opportunitiesA significant number of our students, especially of our international students from outside theAtlantic area, enter careers in their country’s diplomatic service or work for internationalorganisations. The MA is also an important conduit into working for NGOs both in thedevelopment, aid and relief fields and in peace building, human rights and global justice areas.Another route from the MA is into international journalism, particularly for those already workingin the media but wishing to switch into the international area. A large number of our home part-time students are working for British government agencies and the MA enhances their career inthose agencies and enables some who wish to transfer to the Foreign and Commonwealth

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Office to do so. Some of our students are already in professional, well-paid careers in the Cityof London, in the business world or in other professions such as medicine and law. For thesestudents the MA offers the opportunity to switch careers: the combination of their earlierprofessional qualifications and experience and the MA enables such a switch into responsible,challenging positions in the IR area possible. Another group of our students on the MA haveacquired academic and/or professional qualifications outside the IR field but wish to combinethis expertise with work in the IR field. For example, students qualified in translating andinterpreting who wish to work in the field of international relations translation and interpretinggreatly enhance their career prospects through this MA. So do economists or political scientistsor lawyers wishing to pursue careers in the IR field. Another significant section of our studentsconsists of people who have acquired high qualifications or held responsible positions in the IRfield in their countries of origin but who have, for various reasons, had to leave their country oforigin and gain residence here. For these students, the MA enables them to overcome the factthat their home qualifications are not recognised abroad and/or prepares them for eventualreturn to higher educational or practitioner posts in their country of origin. At the same time,some of these students, and some of our students from all backgrounds wish to use the MA asa preparation for teaching or for academic research careers. At the same time, the MA greatlystrengthens students’ capacity for multidisciplinary and policy-related research. The resultingstudent capacities for such research in the IR field makes them valuable researchers in a verywide variety of fields including the world of international business.

31. Course summaryThe MA involves six taught modules and a dissertation worth the equivalent of three modules.Of the six taught modules four are compulsory core modules and two are options. Thecompulsory core modules cover: a module of IR theory and research methods and one moduleeach introducing students to systematic study in the 3 disciplines of the degree: internationalpolitics, IPE and international law.

Early decisions you need to takeRight at the start of your studies there are some pressing issues that you need to makedecisions about:1. Considering your option choices.2. Considering your dissertation topic.3. Planning your work schedule.4. Choosing your coursework questions

1. Considering Your Option ChoicesTwo of your six taught modules on the MA are designated IR options (the other four beingcompulsory core modules). Although the ideal pattern for your studies is to take 3 compulsorycore modules in your first semester, we do not live in an ideal world. Specifically, we do not runall our designated IR options twice in the year – each runs only once, in the Autumn semesteror in the Spring semester. So if you are a full-time student you may find that there is an optionthat you particularly wish to choose but it is running only in your first semester. If so, then youshould take that first semester option instead of one of your compulsory core modules. This ispossible because two of the core modules – Theory and Research Methods in IR (GIP028N)and The Contemporary International Political Economy (GIP008N) – run in both the Autumnand Spring semesters: they run during the day in the Autumn and in the evening in the Spring.

We will give you more detailed guidance on this below.

Another early issue in the area of option choice concerns those of you who are interested in theWork Placement Project. If you wish to seek a work placement in your second semester or inthe summer semester, you should contact the Work Placement Project tutor, Dave Edye right atthe start of your studies. He can give you help and advice, but success in gaining a workplacement ultimately depends upon you and finding one takes time.

2.Considering Your Dissertation TopicYou do not have to choose the topic area for your dissertation until your second semester if youare full-time student or until your second year if part-time. But you benefit if you already know

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what you want to do your dissertation on when you start the MA, because your compulsorymodule, Theory and Research Methods in IR includes a piece of coursework on designing apiece of dissertation research. This can thus directly prepare your work the following semesteron your dissertation.

Students typically use a number of different criteria for choosing their dissertation topic:1. A personal commitment to a particular field or topic.2. An intellectual fascination with some aspect of International Relations theory or of one of the

disciplines.3. A future career orientation that will be enhanced through research on a particular topic.

At the same time, do not worry if you are not certain what your dissertation topic area – nevermind your research question – will be. The piece of dissertation-related coursework you do inTheory and Research Methods in IR will still be a valuable preparatory exercise and many ofyou will wish to think long and hard (and read about) various topics for your dissertation beforemaking any hard and fast decisions. And your first semester modules may well influence yourultimate choices.

3.Planning Your Work ScheduleSettling into the university and the MA and getting to know other students on the MA takes time.But time also flies very fast for full-time MA students. Within a month of starting you will seeessay deadlines beginning to loom up on your horizon. They demand that you take earlydecisions on the coursework questions you are going to choose and that you begin work onthem swiftly.

You first task then is to study the module booklets that you will receive for each module at thestart of your studies. You should read these carefully and should note what assessments youmust prepare, what their deadlines are and exactly what you will be asked to do for theseassessments.

As a full-time student you may have as many as five pieces of course work to do during yourfirst semester as well as two unseen exams. And you will probably also have at least 3 seminarpresentations to give. To ensure that you handle this workload effectively you need to plan howyou’re going to manage your time, in order to ensure that you are in control of events instead ofbeing overwhelmed by them.

Each piece of coursework will have a deadline. These are absolutely unmovable dates bywhich time your course work must be handed in. You will find all your course work deadlines ona notice board outside the Assessment Unit in the Tower Building (and they will also, often, becontained in the module outline booklet). You should then start considering exactly what topicsor questions you will choose for your course work. You may, of course, wish to keep your finalchoice open for a few weeks while you learn more in the first lectures and seminars but youshould not delay your decisions too long for otherwise you may lack the time for the necessaryresearch. Furthermore, at the start of the semester you will usually have to choose a seminartopic for your seminar presentation on your various modules. And frequently your seminar topiccan also be linked to your research for coursework. This is also an encouragement for you tomake decisions early on your course work topic or question.

4.Establishing a Work RegimeYou have a rather heavy workload on this MA. The great bulk of this work consists of your ownprivate studying: searching for the relevant sources, reading, note-taking and writing. Simplyrelying on lecture notes and seminars to pass modules is not good enough to get you through.So right from the start you need to establish for yourself a regular, routinised study regime:regular, weekly blocks of time for sustained study in the library and/or at home. We ensure thatat least one full day each week is entirely free from classes so that you can devote entirely toyour own private study.

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See more information on studying at postgraduate level in section 4.

Option choice and Programme PlanningThe term ‘programme planning’ simply means deciding and registering the exact modules thatyou will be studying. As we mentioned above this is an urgent issue right at the start of yourstudies for any of you who are full-time students and wish to study one or more of thedesignated IR options which run in your first semester. (Those of you who are part-timestudents do not face this problem as you can study the relevant option in your second year).

Please see sections 4(i-k) for more important information about module registration,programme approval, module withdrawal and assessment.

Below is a list of options running in the Autumn Semester and running in the Spring Semester.As you will see most of our options run in the Spring Semester since the bulk of our full-timestudents start their studies in September.

Options Running in the Autumn Semester

GIP017 State Building and State Collapse M. Bojcun City Campus

GIP023 The New Europe in the New International Order C. Meade City CampusGIP064 International Conflict Resolution M. Newman City CampusLLP004N International Legal Institutions C. Meade Ladbroke House

Options Running in the Spring SemesterGIP010 Human Rights and the International Order K.Knight City Campus

GIP076c Religion and International Relatioons J. Haynes City Campus

GIP015C Migration, Asylum Seekers and Refugees City Campus

GIP020C European Integration DermotMcCann

City Campus

LLP004N International Legal Institutions C. Meade Ladbroke House

If you are starting as a full-time student in September and wish to do one or more of thedesignated options running in the Autumn Semester, you must take either Theory and Methodsin IR or The Contemporary International Political Economy in the Spring Semester. Similarly, ifyou are starting as a full-time student in February and wish to take one or more of the optionsrunning in the Spring semester, you must postpone one or more of your two core modules,Theory and Methods in IR and/ or The Contemporary International Political Economy, until theAutumn Semester.

It is important to note that not all options will necessarily run: they run only if they attract aminimum number of students. Because of this, the course leader will give all students aquestionnaire asking them to choose their first, second and third preferences for designatedoptions in their next semester. If too few students opt for your first or second choice of option, itwill not run and you will have to opt for your third choice. But in normal circumstances the greatbulk of the options listed above will run.

Your Key Programme Planning DecisionsProgramme Planning for Part-time students is easier than for full-time students because part-time students have greater flexibility over the order in which they take modules. Full-Timestudents must get it right from the start.

It is crucial that you remember that you have four compulsory core taught modules that youmust take and pass to gain the MA. (Your dissertation is also, of course, compulsory). You thenmust choose two designated options to complete the curriculum.

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The four compulsory core taught modules are:1. Theory and Methods in International Relations (GIP028) [General theoretical grounding]2. The Contemporary International Political Economy (GIP008) [IPE]3. The Evolution of the Modern Inter-State System (GIP007) [International Politics]4. International Relations and the Legal Regulation of Conflict (GIP009)[International law]

The first two of these core modules run in each semester: during the day in the autumn and inthe evening (to enable part-time students to take them) in the spring. The third module in thelist, GIP007N, runs in the Autumn Semester only, while the fourth, GIP009N runs only in theSpring semester.

FULL-TIME STUDENTSIn your first semester as a full-time student you take three taught modules. In your secondsemester you take another three taught modules and you also start your dissertation with 6weeks of taught classes followed by tutorials with your supervisor. However, if you begin inthe Autumn semester, you must register your dissertation for the Summer Period for adeadline in September. If you begin in the Spring Semester, you must register it for theSpring Semester of your second year for a deadline in early May.

PART-TIME STUDENTS

Part-time students can, if they wish, take only one module per semester, but the typical patternis to take 2 modules per semester and this would mean that you would complete yourdissertation in the summer semester of your second year.

Four key dangers to be avoided in your courseworkThere are four important dangers that you must avoid in your coursework:1. Plagiarism2. Inadequate Referencing of your work.3. Missing deadlines4. Ignoring the coursework guidelinesWe will look at each of these in turn.

1.PlagiarismPlagiarism means reproducing the work of others as if it was your own. It is a serious academicoffence. In a mild case, you would have to redo on entire module. In more serious cases youcould be forced to give up you course. If one of the markers of your work believes that you areguilty of plagiarism, there will be an investigation organised by the Chair of the AssessmentBoard. If this investigation finds that plagiarism has taken place, you will be called before acommittee facing a charge of engaging in an Assessment Offence.

Further guidance on plagiarism is given to all students in a specific document: Plagiarism: Aguide to an Assessment Offence. If you are unclear about the distinction between citing orquoting others and plagiarism, them consult your module tutor.

2. Inadequate referencing in your coursework.In academic work we have to show all the sources that we have drawn upon in our writing. Onlyby doing this can we enable other scholars to assess our arguments and our evidenceeffectively.

You must clearly cite the source of information you are using, of interpretations you are offeringor of authors you are quoting. These citations of the work of others should be given in the formof specific references to specific books, articles or other sources. There are different ways ofreferencing your work. One way is to combine footnotes or endnotes with a bibliography at theend of your coursework listing all the sources you have used. Another way is the so-calledHarvard system, where you cite the source in brackets in the text and provide the full details ofthe source in the bibliography.

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A failure adequately to reference your work will greatly reduce your marks and may result in afail. Lack of referencing will certainly result in a fail.

We lay great importance on your ability to reference your work systematically and will give youworkshop practice in this, introducing you to the various systems which you can use in themethods classes attached to your core module, Theory and Research Methods in InternationalRelations.

Note: you do not have to reference your examination answers in a two and a half hour exam.But you should try to mention the names of any authors whose arguments you are drawingupon.

3. Missing deadlines

In this university coursework deadlines are very important. If you miss a deadline and hand inyour coursework late, you fail that component of your assessment. Furthermore, your overallwork on the module will be recorded as a ‘Fail Incomplete’ for the module as a whole.

Lecturers cannot give you an extension. Therefore, you must organise your time carefully toensure that you hand in your work on time. In a sense, there is never enough time to doessays. The more time you give to them the better they will be. But you do not have unlimitedtime. You must do the best in the time available.

This means that you must make decisions about your essay topics very quickly at the beginningof the semester and immediately start the search for relevant sources.

If your work is late and your claim for mitigating circumstances is not accepted, this is not theend of the world. You should still hand in your essay so that it is marked and the essay willformally be treated as a ‘reassessment’ by the following Exam Board.

4. Ignoring the coursework guidelines in your module outline

Some students have been defeated by failing to note carefully enough what exactly they arebeing asked to do in a piece of coursework. You should check this very carefully. Usually yourmodule outline booklet will give you very precise guidance as to exactly what you have to do ineach piece of course work. And if you are in any doubt, ask your module tutor.

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What we are looking for in assessing your work: some guidelines on ourassessment criteria

To be successful in your studies, you must, of course, gain high marks in your modules. It istherefore important to understand the criteria we employ to decide whether a piece of work isstrong or weak.

1. Coursework

There are, of course, some ‘bottom-line’ issues in your course work – issues that you must getright. In particular:1. Observing the course work format rules for the particular piece of coursework. These rules

will be contained in your module outline and must be adhered to.2. Thoroughly and consistently referencing your course work.3. Demonstrating that you have done serious research and reading, rather than simply

regurgitating points from the lectures and seminars.

The qualities in your coursework that are likely to produce first class marks.

An excellent mark will go to coursework that contains most or all of the following:

a) Mastery of the Relevant Issues at stake in the question: excellent coursework shows astrong grasp of the analytical and evidential issues raised by the question being tackled and aconstant focus on those issues, without digression. This in turn implies clarity and consistencyin the concepts you are using.

b) First class, resourceful research: excellent coursework will normally demonstrate a thoroughgrasp of the main relevant sources on the topic, including a grasp of the various viewpoints andapproaches in the secondary literature. It will show real resourcefulness in using the very largelibrary and other research resources available to you. And it will also show a critical awarenessin handling sources, with sensitivities to biases or tacit underlying assumptions in the literature.

c) An independent, coherently argued answer, well supported by telling evidence or otherjustification and sensitive to counter-arguments in the literature: the coursework should movefrom staking out the key issues to providing a clear, argued response which is sensitive to therange of responses available in the existing literature, which is supported in legitimate wayswith appropriate evidence or other forms of justification and which shows an awareness ofpossible counter-arguments to your own.

d) Clear, effective organisation of your material. The argument of the essay should bepresented in a structured and coherent form, with clear signposting as to the approach that isbeing used to answer the question, and the links between the various stages in the argument. Aclear organisation of your material and clarity of expression are also essential.

e) Originality/ ‘Star’ Quality. This is difficult both to define and to achieve. At the very least,however, it involves the attainment of a personal perspective on the material that stimulates thereader (i.e. the lecturer) to consider it in a fresh way.

It is obviously extremely difficult to achieve all the above goals, but any coursework that wasregarded as successful in these respects would be given a First Class mark (i.e. over 70%).Coursework that achieved none of them would be given a very poor mark.

2.Unseen ExaminationsIn examination conditions, you are expected to focus upon ideas, concepts and arguments inthe particular field. Exams help you to consolidate your grasp of the main intellectual issues in afield. They are not a test of your ability to memorise large numbers of detailed facts. Thus, whilemany of the requirements for clarity, relevance and accuracy apply to both coursework andexams, the latter are concerned to develop your ability to think broadly and flexibly about theintellectual issues in your module.

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Answer the question that is askedWhile the topics in the exam will follow the guidelines in the syllabus, the exact question askedmay not be one that you have previously considered. And excellent answer will be one thataddresses the precise form of the question, identifies the key issues raised in that question andaddresses those issues in a knowledgeable, convincing, argued way. You will be marked downunless you ensure that your answer addresses the exact question on the exam paper.

Write a coherent answerDo not seek to write down everything you know about the topic. The examiners are notinterested in your general knowledge for its own sake, but in your ability to organise yourmaterial and arguments concisely in response to the particular question. Exam answers do notearn extra marks because they are long and they lose marks if they are rambling.

Make sure that you allow sufficient time to answer all the questions the paper requiresThe time constraint in exams is designed to enable you to show your range of understandingacross the field of the syllabus. Thus it is extremely important that you answer the number ofquestions that you are required to answer. By devoting most of your time to an excellentanswer on one question while neglecting adequate treatment of others will lower your overallmark. If you are required to answer two questions and you only complete one you will bemarked down very severely. (Two marks of 50% are worth more than one of 70% and one of10%!)

Write Legibly and GrammaticallyEven under pressure it is important to ensure that your scripts are readable andcomprehensible. If examiners cannot read what you say, or cannot understand it because theEnglish is too poor, they will give your script a low mark.

32. COURSE REGULATORY SCHEDULEThe course conforms to both the University’s Postgraduate Scheme and the UniversityAcademic Regulations.

13.0 USEFUL INFORMATION

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14.0 DIRECTORY OF MODULES FOR THE COURSE

Module Directory MA International Relations

The chart below gives you a summary of information about all the modules on your MA

ModuleCode

ModuleTitle

SemesterSpring,

Autumn orboth

semesters, orSummer

Study Period

Coreor

Desig-nate

SpecifyPrere-

quisitesModule Summary Assessment Requirements

GIP007 The evolution ofthe modern inter-states system

Au C N This core module introduces students to the systematic study of contemporaryinternational politics, setting contemporary political actors, structures andprocesses in their historical context.This module introduces students tocontrasting perspectives within which to engage in systematic studycontemporary international politics, setting contemporary political actors,structures and processes in their historical context. It is designed to enablestudents to explore how contemporary international politics has emergedfrom earlier transformations in the forms and substance of internationalpolitics, particularly transformations during the 20th century. At the same time,the module aims to help students explore contrasting and competing accountsof what the driving forces behind these transformations have been. Andagainst this context the module aims to enable students explore forthemselves the dynamics of contemporary international politics, includingforces for change and continuity

1. an essay on themes in thehistorical evolution ofinternational politics, 45%;2.an unseen exam oncontemporary structures,processes and actors, 45%;3.seminar participation 10%;

GIP008 The contemporaryinternationalpolitical economy

Sp C N This compulsory core module introduces students to theories of InternationalPolitical Economy and to key analytical issues in the contemporary IPE.Themodule is designed to enable students to understand how political processesand power relations influence economic processes and outcomes at theinternational level, and how economic processes can, in turn, affect politicalprocesses and outcomes. It also aims to show how the interactions andinterweaving of politics and economics are changing in the contemporaryworld. Because some of our students will have little background in economicsthe centre of gravity of the syllabus lies on the economic side of IPE.

Assessment: 2,500-3,000 wordessay (50%); unseen two and ahalf hour exam (50%) an essay(2,500 to 3,000 words) focusingon major actors in a major field ofthe contemporary world economy(50% of the marks). They willalso take an unseen exam onconcepts and theoriesconcerning the relationshipbetween politics and economicsin the contemporary world (50%of the marks).

GIP009N IR and the legalregulation of

Sp C N This core module introduces students to the systematic study of InternationalLaw in an international relations context.The module is designed to enablestudents to explore the substance and roles of international law in

one seen exam in which studentstake home a range of questionsand must answer one of them

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ModuleCode

ModuleTitle

SemesterSpring,

Autumn orboth

semesters, orSummer

Study Period

Coreor

Desig-nate

SpecifyPrere-

quisitesModule Summary Assessment Requirements

conflict international relations in such a way that they have a firm grasp of theinstitutional dimensions of international law and understand its roles incontemporary conflicts.It seeks to achieve these aims by ensuring that students engage in closestudy of the roles and modes of functioning of the UN and its agencies, andinternational judicial bodies (e.g. the International Court of Justice); and ituses case studies of the operations of these bodies (eg, in Korea, Nicaragua,Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan…). As far as possible, the teachingmaterials reflect developing contemporary situations.

with a 3,500-4,000 wordessay.(100%)

GIP010 Human rights andthe internationalorder

Sp D N This option examines the theory and practice of human rights and thesignificance of Human Rights politics and policy for the legal and politicalstructure of the contemporary world order.

1) This module aims to contextualise and critically evaluate thealternative conceptions of human rights in international relations. It examinesthe policy-making processes that have established and seek to apply humanrights norms through the United Nations, and regional organisations such asthe Council of Europe, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,Organisation of American States, and Organisation of African Unity.

2) Attention is also paid to state foreign policy, transnationalcorporations, and the work of non-governmental organisations.

3) Four themes in particular are addressed: human rights as an established feature of international relations the transformation of state sovereignty by human rights discourse

and practice the equal legitimacy of the "soft law" of diplomacy and the "hard

law" of treaties and court judgments the increasing importance of private actors in the process of

international human rights and international relationAll these issues are problematised in the context of the history and philosophyof human rights, liberalism and its critics, and regimes and systems ofinternational governance and conflict, including "globalisation

1. a case study (80%)2. a seminar presentation (20%)

GIP013

GIP015 Migration, asylumseekers andrefugees

Sp D N This option examines theories of migration and analytical and policy debateson migration, refugees and asylum and enables students to do empiricalresearch on these issues, including research on the policies of governmentsand international organisations on these questions.

1. One 2,500 word case study orbook review (50%)2. One 2,500 word essay (50%)

GIP017 State collapse, Au D N This option concerns the internal and external forces and processes tending Assessment: one essay

37

ModuleCode

ModuleTitle

SemesterSpring,

Autumn orboth

semesters, orSummer

Study Period

Coreor

Desig-nate

SpecifyPrere-

quisitesModule Summary Assessment Requirements

externalintervention andstate building

either to undermine the stability and capacity of weak states or to strengthenthem. The module also examines the roles and impacts of powerful states andinternational organisations in crises of states in the contemporary world. Themodule explores these issues through comparative studies focused on therepublics of the former USSR and on states in sub-Saharan Africa. It alsocompares case studies in state crises and external interventions.

(80%)and one seminarpresentation (20%)

GIP020 Europeanintegration

Sp D N The module deals with European integration, analysing its evolution, thedynamics of the processes, the decision-making system and the major policyareas. It also introduce a range of theories. It enables students to specialisewithin the syllabus.

Coursework (100%). Two essaysof 2500 words each, coveringtwo of the themes

GIP023 The new Europe inthe newinternational order

Sp D N This module examines Europe's relations with the rest of the world since1989. International relations theory is used to explain the processes involvedin the construction of a New World Order

Coursework essay (100%)

GIP028C Theory andresearch methodsin IR

Au/Sp C N This compulsory core module is devoted to International Relations theories,their relation to more general social science theories and the theoretical basisof research strategies in international relations. The module also includesworkshops on research methods and practical exercises in designing a pieceof IR research.

1. A Research Design Project inwhich students design an IRresearch question and explorethe methodological problems thatwould have to be tackled in orderto find answers to their question.(25%)2. Critical Commentary: studentsare given a collection of texts in acontemporary IR theoreticaldebate and have five weeks inwhich to answer questions aboutthe texts. (25%)3. A two and a half hour unseenexam on the main IR theoriesstudied in the module (50%).

GIP064 InternationalConflict Resolution

Au D N This module explores the roles and activities of a range of actors in resolvingintra-state and inter-state conflicts. It examines the theoretical, analytical,normative and practical aspects of international conflict resolution. It considersseveral approaches, drawing upon concepts, theories and policy prescriptionsdeveloped within fields that contribute to the subject area. Each student willundertake research into a particular case study of conflict for a seminarpresentation and as written coursework, while the lectures will focus on moretheoretical and practical approaches in the subject as a whole that will alsoform the basis for the unseen exam.

1. An oral presentation on a casestudy (10%).2. An essay of 3,000-3,500words (40%).3. Unseen examination (50%).

38

ModuleCode

ModuleTitle

SemesterSpring,

Autumn orboth

semesters, orSummer

Study Period

Coreor

Desig-nate

SpecifyPrere-

quisitesModule Summary Assessment Requirements

GIPP12 Dissertation Au/Sp/S C N This is a compulsory core triple module. It consists of a piece of originalresearch in the field of international relations with a normal length of 15,000words.It is designed to enable students to engage in a major piece ofindependent research in international relations, which is sensitive totheoretical and methodological issues and which employs a full scholarlyapparatus.

A 15,000 word dissertation(100%)

LLP004N International legalinstitutions

Sp D N This is a module on the North Campus LLM in International Law but you cantake it as a designated option on this MA. It aims To provide students withsubstantive knowledge of legal structures, constitutions, legal instruments andjudicial process in international legal institutions; to introduce critical issues of jurisdiction and/or jurisprudence in the context of international institutions;and To provide students with an understanding of the political and economic

contexts within which international law creation takes place.

1. An individual oralpresentation (20%)2. An essay (80%).

GIP076C Religion andInternationalRelations

Sp D N The principal aims of this module are, firstly, to enable students to evaluatediffering interpretations of religious actors in International Relations and,secondly, to introduce students to religious considerations that impact upon

post-Cold War security issues.

1. 1.An exam50%

2. 2.An essay50%

39

15.0 INDEX OF KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION

15.1 Relevant University Procedures:

Procedure Full procedurein the AcademicRegulations

Full Procedure &notes in theUniversity’s StudentHandbook

Further information/guidance available at:

Academic Misconduct

(Section 10.5) www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-misconduct

Appeals against decisionsof Assessment Boards

(Section 10.4) www.londonmet.ac.uk/appeals

APL Procedures

(Section 10.1)(Notes only) Limits to the amount of APL, which can be claimed, are detailed within the

Awards Framework and Regulations that regulate your course.www.londonmet.ac.uk/credit

Complaints Procedure

Fees and enrolments

(Section 9) Fees:

www.londonmet.ac.uk/fees-and-refunds

Enrolment:www.londonmet.ac.uk/enrolment.cfm

Intermission (Suspensionof Studies)

(Section 9.1) www.londonmet.ac.uk/intermission

Mitigating Circumstances

(Section 10.3)

(including deadlines)www.londonmet.ac.uk/mitigation

Postgraduate AssessmentRegulations

(Section 4.2) www.londonmet.ac.uk/coursework-exams

Postgraduate AwardsFramework, SchemeRegulations & CourseStructure

(Section 4.1)

4015.2 Useful online information:

Academic and Professional ServiceDepartments

https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk

Academic Regulations www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations

Examination Timetable (and ExamTrack)

www.londonmet.ac.uk/coursework-exams

www.londonmet.ac.uk/examtrack

Evision www.londonmet.ac.uk/evision

Learning Development Unit www.londonmet.ac.uk/college-of-london/ldu

Postgraduate Offices www.londonmet.ac.uk/registry

Postgraduate Students www.londonmet/pg-students

PostGrad-Line https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/prog-plan/postgrad-line

Programme Planning www.londonmet.ac.uk/evision/progplan

Student Handbook www.londonmet.ac.uk/student-handbook

Student Services https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices

Timetable information www.londonmet.ac.uk/pg-course-information

WebLearn www.londonmet.ac.uk/tltc/weblearn

Key sources of online information:

Academic andProfessionalServiceDepartments

https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk

AcademicRegulations

www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations

ExaminationTimetable

www.londonmet.ac.uk/examtrack

Evision www.londonmet.ac.uk/evision

LearningDevelopment Unit

www.londonmet.ac.uk/college-of-london/ldu

PostgraduateOfficers

www.londonmet.ac.uk/registry

PostGrad-Line https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/prog-plan/postgrad-line

Student Handbook www.londonmet.ac.uk/student-handbook/

Student Services https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices

Timetableinformation

www.londonmet.ac.uk/pg-course-information

WebLearn www.londonmet.ac.uk/tltc/weblearn