THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONTEMPORARY EUROPE - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module presents an overview of European integration and related political structures. It further discusses the various social, political and historical forces that have influenced the establishment of European integration in its current form.

Module provider

Politics & International Relations

Module Leader

GUERRA Simona (Politics IR)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

By following the work of the current European Commission, we will explore the impact of EU politics on national and international structures by looking at current trends in specific policy areas and issues characterising everyday politics and policy-making, including:
- enlargement
- economic governance
- environmental policy
- gender mainstreaming
- euroscepticism

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to enable students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the EU both conceptually and empirically. The assessments test critical thinking and policy analysis.Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of

• In-class test
• Policy Critique (2500)

Module aims

• Introduce students to the study of European integration.
• Introduce students to debates about the rationale for and impact of the integration process.
• Consolidate students¿ knowledge and understanding of the process of governance and its impact on socio-political dynamics by looking at the process of European integration.
• Establish a platform of knowledge and understanding of the history and institutions of the EU that will serve as a foundation for a deeper analysis of issues that will be covered in modules later in the degree.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

- Help students develop their subject knowledge;
- Help students understand the linkages and discontinuities between academic and political analysis;
- Help students understand EU policy making;
- Help students undertake informed debate about the current stage and the future evolution of the EU.

The learning and teaching methods include:

- lectures
- seminar work
- prescribed reading
- independent learning
- policy and document analysis.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: POL2049

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

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 2026/7 academic year.