Public Affairs MSc - 2021/2
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Level 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Public Affairs
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGCert | Public Affairs |
| PGDip | Public Affairs |
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PLB61007 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
NA
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Politics
Programme Leader
KAEDING Malte (Politics)
Date of production/revision of spec
07/09/2022
Educational aims of the programme
- To enable students to understand and use a range of concepts, approaches and methods appropriate to politics, and to develop an understanding of their contested nature and of the problematic character of political enquiry.
- To provide students with a foundation of knowledge and understanding of theory and analysis, and to encourage them to apply these issues in contemporary international affairs.
- To develop students¿ capacity to think critically about events, ideas, people and institutions at local, national, regional and international levels.
- To assist students to develop a range of cognitive and social skills relevant to their intellectual, vocational and personal development.
- To give students opportunities to apply their theoretical knowledge and understanding to the resolution of real-life problems and so develop their skills in respect of professional as well as academic life.
- To provide a curriculum which encourages breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate, supported by scholarship, a research culture, and staff reflection and development.
- To create a learning environment that is receptive to the needs and views of students and encourages them to achieve their full potential, even while fostering an atmosphere where students as independent learners can take responsibility for their own learning processes.
- To understand and respect issues related to diversity and to employ a range of methods and approaches in relation to diverse needs.
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Demonstrate critical knowledge of key concepts, principles and theoretical approaches associated with the study of politics, international relations and public policy. | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| In-depth understanding of international structures of governance and their impact on regional, national and local structures. | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of politics, international relations and public policy to the analysis of the political arena, and in so doing demonstrating good knowledge of the workings of political systems at the national and international level. | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Detailed knowledge and understanding of contemporary debates within the field of public policy. | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Understanding of processes of knowledge creation and contestation within public affairs | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Understanding of techniques of research and enquiry and their application to the study of public affairs | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Analytical knowledge of contemporary debates in the study of international politics, particularly in relation to the international system and global governance, differing forms of intervention in response to poverty, humanitarian crisis, abuses of human rights, state failure and armed conflict | K | PGCert | |
| A good understanding of international structures of governance and their impact on regional, national and local structures; and of theories of international relations | K | PGCert | |
| Detailed knowledge and understanding within at least one sub-field of international politics, for example development and humanitarian assistance; peace-making; peace-keeping and peace-building; use of international legal institutions and processes; and coercive military intervention to secure regime change | K | PGCert | |
| Understanding of processes of knowledge creation and contestation within international politics | K | PGCert | |
| Understanding of techniques of research and enquiry and their application to the study of politics | K | PGCert | |
| Gather, organise and deploy evidence and information from a range of different sources | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Analyse and synthesise a wide range of material in verbal and numerical formats | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Deal with complex issues systematically and creatively | C | PGDip, MSc | |
| Construct reasoned argument | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Apply theoretical and analytical frameworks to empirical analysis | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Deal with complex issues systematically | C | PGCert | |
| Make sound judgements on the basis of incomplete evidence | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate self-direction and originality in solving problems and analysing evidence | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Apply theoretical frameworks to empirical analysis | C | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Carry out an advanced literature search | P | MSc | |
| Design and conduct a research project, selecting appropriate methods of data collection and analysis | P | MSc | |
| Use software packages to analyse qualitative and quantitative data | P | PGCert, PGDip | |
| Make appropriate use of information and communications technology | P | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Form effective arguments | P | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Organise own workload to meet deadlines | P | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Formulate research questions | P | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Present research findings orally and in writing | P | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Communicate and present ideas effectively | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Reason critically | T | PGDip, MSc | |
| Collaborate with others to achieve common goals | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Deploy a range of relevant research skills | T | PGDip, MSc | |
| Take responsibility for their own learning | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Reason analytically | T | PGCert | |
| Use information and communication technology for the retrieval and presentation of material | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Organise and plan their own work | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Adopt a proactive approach to problem-solving | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Deploy some relevant research skills | T | PGCert | |
| Make decisions in complex situations | T | PGCert, PGDip, MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must choose two options out of the available modules in semester one and three in semester two to obtain 60 credits per semester. Additional 60 credits will be either obtained through the placement (placement report) or alternatively through a dissertation. A student will take POLM031 OR POLM010 as a Compulsory Module.
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | N | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.