Politics Handbook 13/14 (pdf; 353kb) - The School of Oriental and

Politics and International Studies

Information for Postgraduates

MSc African Politics

MSc Asian Politics

MSc Comparative Political Thought

MSc International Politics

MSc Middle East Politics

MSc Politics of China

MSc Politics of Conflict, Rights & Justice

MSc State, Society and Development

MRes Politics with (language)

2013/14

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STUDYING POLITICS AT SOAS

As with Politics degrees elsewhere, the degrees at SOAS are structured around four core sub-disciplines, namely comparative political sociology, comparative political economy, political theory, and international relations (although these sub-disciplines are sometimes known by other names). The study of Politics at SOAS offers a unique perspective that grounds the analytical tools and concepts of the discipline in the historical and contemporary contexts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well as in the global international trends that are formative of politics in these regions. By studying Politics at SOAS, you will gain detailed knowledge and a thorough understanding of some of the most important power shifts and conflicts of ideas unfolding in the world today. You will also learn to critically engage with and explore the relevance of social science concepts for understanding contemporary geopolitics, regional politics of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as gain the ability to undertake analyses and comparisons of political developments in specific countries. Teaching in the Department of Politics and International Studies combines an introduction to the discipline of politics as a comparative exercise together with awareness that comparisons must always respect the historical specificity of different political settings. This awareness is complemented by the work carried out in other departments of SOAS. A Politics degree at SOAS therefore gives you a better opportunity than most to understand global politics since our courses cover the politics of three quarters of the globe. A sampling of the courses we offer include Government and Politics of Asia, of China, of the Middle East, and of Africa; International Politics; Islam and Democracy; Politics of Development; Globalisation and Global Governance; and Politics of Culture. MSc DEGREE STRUCTURES There are eight different MSc degrees available in the Department, along with one MRes programme:

1) MSc African Politics 2) MSc Asian Politics 3) MSc Comparative Political Thought 4) MSc International Politics 5) MSc Middle East Politics 6) MSc Politics of China 7) MSc Politics of Conflict, Rights & Justice 8) MSc State, Society and Development 9) MRes Politics with (Language)

These are described in the Structure Diagrams on pages 4-12 of this guide. For information on the individual courses offered as part of these degrees, please see page 13 of this guide. Further details and precise requirements are available in the School's Undergraduate Prospectus, the Degree Regulations and Guide to the scheme for the classification for Honours. Students may also consult their personal tutors for further guidance.

MSc AFRICAN POLITICS

FOUR units required: ONE from A (compulsory), TWO from B, C and/or D, and

ONE from E (dissertation - compulsory)

A: Compulsory Course:

15PPOC205 Government and Politics in Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year

B Up to TWO units of the following 1.0 unit Politics courses:

15PPOC017 State and Development in Asia and Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC008 State and Society in Asia and Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC009 International Politics of Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC255 Islamic/Democratic Political Thought (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PPOH029 African Political Thought (0.5 Unit) Term 1

C Up to ONE unit of the following 0.5 unit Politics courses: 15PPOH019 Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH018 Conflict, Rights and Justice (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH012 International Migration and Diaspora Politics (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH017 Power in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH015 Security Governance (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH021 Comparative International Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH020 Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research

(0.5 unit) Term 2

D: Up to ONE unit of the following courses focussed on Africa in a cognate discipline:

15PECC203 Economic Development of Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year Language Course: one from Hausa, Somali, Swahili, Yoruba, Amharic or Zulu

E:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of African Politics raised by the compulsory course 15PPOC205)

MSc ASIAN POLITICS

FOUR units required: ONE from A (compulsory), TWO from B, C and/or D, and ONE from E (dissertation - compulsory). Students on this programme may only take ONE China-focussed unit – indicated below with asterisks (*)

A: ONE unit of the following regional Politics courses:

15PPOC003 Government and Politics of Modern South Asia (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PPOC247 Government and Politics of Modern South East Asia (1.0 unit) Full

Year

15PPOH022 State and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH023 Geopolitics and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus (0.5 unit)

Term 2 15PPOC253 Northeast Asian Politics and Society: Japan, Korea and Taiwan (1.0

unit) Full Year 15PPOC012 State and Society in the Chinese Political Process* (1.0 unit) Full

Year

B: Up to TWO of the following regional Politics courses:

15PPOC018 China and International Politics* (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC252 Taiwan’s Politics and Cross-Strait Relations* (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOC251 International Politics of East Asia (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOH033 Japan Unravelled (0.5 unit) Term 2

C: Up to ONE unit of the following disciplinary Politics courses: 15PPOC017 State and Development in Asia and Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year


15PPOH020 Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH021 Comparative International Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOC255 Islamic/Democratic Political Thought (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (0.5 unit) Term 2

D: Up to ONE unit of the following courses focussed on Asia in a cognate discipline:

15PLAC139 Modern Chinese Law and Human Rights (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PSAC291 Culture and Conflict in the Himalaya (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PECC004 Economic Development of South East Asia (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PECC035 Economic Problems and Policies in Modern China (1.0 unit) Full

Year 15PHIC042 Islam in South Asia (0.5 unit) (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PHIC071 Colonialism and Nationalism in South Asia (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PHIH013 Japanese Modernity 1 (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PHIH014 Japanese Modernity 2 (0.5 unit) Term 2

Language Course: one from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Bengali, Cantonese, Tibetan, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu,

Burmese or Gujurati

E:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of Asian Politics)

MSc MIDDLE EAST POLITICS

Students take taught courses to the value of 3 full units + dissertation:

TWO half units from list A (compulsory). ONE or TWO full units (or equivalent) from list B; or ONE full unit (or equivalent) from list B and ONE full unit (or equivalent) from list C. Dissertation on some aspect of Middle East Politics (compulsory).

A: COMPULSORY – choose two half units, ONE in term 1 and ONE in term 2: Either:

15PPOH008 Political Society in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

Combined with ONE of the following half unit courses offered in term 2:

15PPOH011 State and Transformation in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH007 Islam and Political Ideologies (0.5 unit) Term 2

Or:

15PPOH011 State and Transformation in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 2

Combined with ONE of the following half unit courses offered in term 1:

15PPOH008 Political Society in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH009 Political Violence (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH010 The Politics of Resistance in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

B: ONE or TWO full units (or the equivalent in half-units) from the following REGIONAL politics courses:

15PPOC027 International Politics of the Middle East (1.0 unit) Full Year


Term 2

The following may only be chosen if they have not already been chosen under list A:

15PPOH009 Political Violence (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH010 The Politics of Resistance in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH007 Islam and Political Ideologies (0.5 unit) Term 2

C: Up to ONE full unit (or the equivalent in half-units) from the following DISCIPLINARY politics courses:





15PPOC255 Islamic/Democratic Political Thought (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH034 The Law and Politics of State Violence: An Interdisciplinary

Perspective (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (0.5 unit)

Term 2

D: Up to ONE unit of the following courses focussed on the Middle East in a cognate discipline:

15PNMC377 Turkey – Continuity and Change (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PLAC121 Islamic Law 1 (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PECC341 Economic Development of the Middle East (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PHIH031 Modernity and the Transformation of the Middle East I (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PHIH032 Modernity and the Transformation of the Middle East II (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PNMC038 Israel, the Arab World and the Palestinians (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PMSH003 Mediated Culture in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PGNH001 Gender in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1

Language Course: one from Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Georgian or Turkish

E:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of Middle East Politics)

MSc POLITICS OF CHINA

FOUR units required: TWO units from A (compulsory), ONE unit from A, B or C,

and ONE from D (dissertation - compulsory).

A: TWO to THREE of the following Chinese Politics courses:

15PPOC018 China and International Politics (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC012 State and Society in the Chinese Political Process (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC252 Taiwan’s Politics and Cross-Strait Relations(1.0 unit) Full Year

B: Up to ONE unit of the following Politics courses:




15PPOC253 Northeast Asian Politics and Society: Japan, Korea and Taiwan (1.0 unit) Full Year


Term 2 15PPOC247 Government and Politics of Modern South East Asia (1.0 unit) Full

Year 15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative methods in Social Research (0.5 unit) Term 2

C: Up to ONE unit of the following courses focussed on China in a cognate discipline:

15PECC035 Economic Problems and Policies in Modern China (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PANC089 Culture and Society of China (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PHIH024 Knowledge and Power in Early Modern China (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PHIH022 Nationhood and Competing Identities in Modern China (0.5 unit)

Term 2

15PLAC106 Chinese Commercial Law (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PLAC139 Modern Chinese Law and Human Rights (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PSAC291 Culture and Conflict in the Himalaya (1.0 unit) Full Year Language Course: one from Chinese, Cantonese or Tibetan

D:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of Chinese Politics)

MSc INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

FOUR units required: ONE half-unit each from A (compulsory) and B, ONE unit

from C, ONE unit from D, and ONE unit from E (dissertation - compulsory).

A: Compulsory Course:

15PPOH014 International Theory (0.5 unit) Term 1

B: ONE of the following half-unit Politics courses:

15PPOH019 Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory (0.5 unit) Term 1


15PPOH024 Sociology of International Norms (0.5 unit) Term 2






15PPOH026 International Politics of Human Rights (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH026 International Political Economy (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH034 The Law and Politics of State Violence: An Interdisciplinary

Perspective (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1

C: ONE unit of the following regional International Politics courses:

15PPOC009 International Politics of Africa (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC018 China and International Politics (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC027 International Politics of the Middle East (1.0 unit) Full Year


D: ONE unit of the following regional Politics courses:



Year



15PPOC012 State and Society in the Chinese Political Process (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOC252 Taiwan’s Politics and Cross-Strait Relations (1.0 unit) Full Year



Term 2 15PPOH008 Political Society in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1


15PPOH011 State and Transformation in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH033 Japan Unravelled (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (0.5 unit)

Term 2

E:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of International Politics raised by the compulsory course 15PPOH014)

MSc STATE, SOCIETY AND DEVELOPMENT

FOUR units required: ONE or TWO units from A, ONE or TWO units from B, and

ONE from C (dissertation - compulsory).

A: ONE to TWO of the following disciplinary Politics courses:



B: ONE to TWO units of the following regional Politics courses:



Year 15PPOC012 State and Society in the Chinese Political Process (1.0 unit) Full

Year 15PPOC253 Northeast Asian Politics and Society: Japan, Korea and Taiwan (1.0

unit) Full Year


Term 2


15PPOH011 State and Transformation in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOC252 Taiwan’s Politics and Cross-Strait Relations (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PPOH033 Japan Unravelled (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

C:

15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH033 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH009 Political Violence (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (0.5 unit) Term 2

D:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would follow the disciplinary perspective [State and Development or State and Society] of the chosen degree

pathway)

MSc COMPARATIVE POLITICAL THOUGHT

FOUR units required: TWO units from A (compulsory), TWO units from B and/or

C (of which at least ONE must be from B), and ONE from D (dissertation - compulsory).

A: Compulsory Courses:

15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1


B: ONE to TWO units of the following Politics courses:


15PPOH009 Political Violence (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH007 Islam and Political Ideologies (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PPOH010 The Politics of Resistance in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH019 Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory (0.5 unit) Term 1



15PPOH029 African Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPPJ032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics Term 2

C: Up to ONE unit of the following courses:


15PPOC003 Government and Politics of Modern South Asia(1.0 unit) Full Year 15PPOC247 Government and Politics of Modern South East Asia (1.0 unit) Full

Year 15PPOC012 State and Society in the Chinese Political Process (1.0 unit) Full

Year

15PPOC252 Taiwan’s Politics and Cross-Strait Relations (1.0 unit) Full Year


15PPOH022 State and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus (0.5 unit) Term 1


15PPOH011 State and Transformation in the Middle East (0.5 unit) Term 2 15PSRC062 Non-Violence in Jain Scriptures, Philosophy and Law (1.0 unit) Full

Year

15PLAC150 Human Rights and Islamic Law (1.0 unit) Full Year

15PHIH024 Knowledge and Power in Early Modern China (0.5 unit) Term 1

D:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of Comparative Political Thought)

MSc POLITICS OF CONFLICT, RIGHTS AND JUSTICE

FOUR units required: ALL half-units from A, THREE half-units from B, and ONE

from C (dissertation - compulsory).

A: Compulsory Courses:


15PPOH019 Violence, Justice and the Politics of Memory (0.5 unit) Term 1


B: THREE half-units (or equivalent) of the following Politics courses: 15PPOH026 International Politics of Human Rights (0.5 unit) Term 2






15PPOH009 Political Violence (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 unit) Term 2

15PLAH020 International Laws on the Use of Force (0.5 unit) Term 1 15PDSH020 Security (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOC255 Islamic/Democratic Political Thought (1.0 unit) Full Year 15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 unit) Term 1

15PPOH034 The Law and Politics of State Violence: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (0.5 unit) Term 2

C:

15PPOC999 Dissertation in Political Studies (this would focus on some aspect of Conflict, Rights and Justice)

MRes POLITICS WITH [LANGUAGE]

YEAR 1

FOUR units required: TWO courses from A (worth two units), ONE unit (or TWO

halves) from B, and ONE unit (or TWO halves) from C, Dissertation – compulsory.

A: Research Methods Courses (taught by Birkbeck):

Qualitative Social Research

Quantitative Social Research

Research Methods Masterclass

B: ONE language course (or two half-courses) offered by the Faculty of Languages

and Cultures (taught by SOAS).

C: ONE course (or two half-courses) offered by the Department of Politics and International Studies (taught by SOAS):

15PPOC003 Government and politics of modern South Asia (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC008 State & society in Asia & Africa (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC009 International politics of Africa (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOC012 State and society in the Chinese political process (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC017 State and development in Asia and Africa (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOC018 China and international politics (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC026 Comparative politics of the Middle East (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC027 International politics of the Middle East (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOC205 Government and politics in Africa (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC247 Government and politics of modern South East Asia (1 Unit) Full

Year 15PPOC251 International politics of East Asia (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOC252 Taiwan's politics and cross-strait relations (1 Unit) Full Year 15PPOC253 Northeast Asian politics: Japan, Korea and Taiwan (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOH007 Islam and political ideologies (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH008 Political society in the Middle East (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH009 Political violence (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH010 Politics of resistance in the Middle East (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH011 State and transformation in the Middle East (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH012 International migration and diaspora politics (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH014 International theory (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH015 Security governance (0.5 Unit) Term 2

15PPOH017 Power in world politics (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH018 Conflict, rights and justice (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH019 Violence, justice and the politics of memory (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH020 Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH021 Comparative International Political Thought (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH022 State and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH023 Geopolitics and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus (0.5 Unit) Term 2

http://www.soas.ac.uk/courseunits/15PPOC003.html













http://www.soas.ac.uk/courseunits/15PPOH007.html















15PPOH024 Sociology of International Norms (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH026 International Politics of Human Rights (0.5 Unit) Term 2

15PPOH031 International Political Economy (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH032 The Indian Ocean in World Politics (0.5 Unit) Term 2

15PPOH030 Political Thought on the Just Rebellion (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH029 African Political Thought (0.5 Unit) Term 1

15PPOH028 Approaches to Comparative Political Thought (0.5 Unit) Term 1 15PPOH034 The Law & Politics of State Violence: An Interdisciplinary

Perspective (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOC255 Islamic/Democratic Political Thought (1 Unit) Full Year

15PPOH033 Japan Unravelled (0.5 Unit) Term 2 15PPOH035 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (0.5 Unit)

Term 2

YEAR 2

FOUR units required: ONE unit from A, ONE unit from B and ONE compulsory

course in C, Dissertation - compulsory.

A: ONE language course (or two half-courses) offered by the Faculty of Languages and Cultures (taught by SOAS). This should be in the same language as studied

in Year 1.

B: ONE course (or two half-courses) offered by the Department of Politics and

International Studies (taught by SOAS). Courses already taken in Year 1 may not be taken again in Year 2.

C:

ONE compulsory research methods course (taught by Birkbeck College): Masterclass in Social Research.

D:

15PPOC998 Dissertation in Politics with [Language].













POSTGRADUATE COURSES Courses in the Department are valued as one or half a course unit: those courses which are full year count as one course unit, those courses which run for one term only count as half course units. You can access a list of courses - including convenor details, course descriptions, and scheduling information – from the SOAS website, at http://www.soas.ac.uk/politics/programmes/pgcourses/. You can also access this page on your mobile device by scanning the barcode opposite. HELP, ADVICE AND SOURCES OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION There are many different sources of help and advice available to students: it is very important that you make use of the support systems if you need to do so. Small, easily solved problems may grow rapidly into big, difficult ones if nothing is done about them. Such difficulties are particularly common in the first year. Student Support Officers The Politics Department has a specific Postgraduate student support officer: an administrative member of staff who should be the first port of call for administrative issues pertaining to your studies. They will be able to answer queries relating to your timetable, class arrangements, coursework assignments and examinations, among other areas. The contact details for the student support officer can be found under the ‘key contacts’ section at the back of this handbook. Personal Advisors All students within the Department are allocated a Personal Advisor: an academic member of staff who should be the first port of call for academic and pastoral issues affecting your studies. You will be informed who your Personal Advisor is at the start of your studies at SOAS. If you need to check who your Personal Advisor is, please feel free to contact your Student Support Officer, who will be able to supply this information. Email Students should check their SOAS email account regularly as important information about your degree and/or courses will be sent from tutors and the faculty office. Details of how to forward messages automatically to another email account (e.g. hotmail) are given in the Faculty Handbook and the Students Union handbook. Bloomsbury Learning Environment The Bloomsbury Learning Environment (BLE) is used by tutors for making reading lists and other course information and announcements available online. It is also where you will submit assignments. You can access the BLE at http://ble.soas.ac.uk/. You should check the course pages for your courses on BLE regularly, as this is where important announcements relating to your courses (e.g. class reschedulings, information on coursework assignments, etc.) are posted.

http://www.soas.ac.uk/politics/programmes/pgcourses/

http://ble.soas.ac.uk/

Timetable Students should check the up-to-date postgraduate timetable by referring to www.soas.ac.uk/timetable or by scanning the barcode opposite with your mobile device (smartphone or tablet). If you find that your core courses clash you should consult the Faculty Office (R201) for advice. Term Dates The SOAS term dates can be found on the SOAS website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/about/keydates/. Student Representatives, Departmental Meeting and the Staff –Student Forum Each year student representatives are elected for the BA, MSc and PhD programmes. Representatives are invited to attend departmental meetings of the academic staff and to raise matters of concern. The forum is the means by which students representatives and staff can issues relating to specific courses and teaches, whereas the department meeting deals with more general issues. There are separate staff-student forums for BA, MSc and PhD representatives. They meet at least once a term. The BA staff-student forum is made up of student representatives, Undergraduate Tutor and the Head of Department. You will be given more information on the election of student representatives at the beginning of the first term. STUDENT REGULATIONS Definitive regulations governing the award of undergraduate degrees can be found in the SOAS Undergraduate Student Handbook, accessible online as a PDF file at http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/foi/pubscheme/students/file22914.pdf. Alternatively, scanning the barcode opposite will allow you to access this document on your mobile device. You should pay particular attention to the following sections: Class Attendance Requirements (pp. 84-85). The minimum class attendance requirement for all courses within the Law and Social Sciences Faculty is 80%. Coursework Submission (pp. 85-89). All coursework should be submitted online via the submission points on the relevant course pages on the BLE (http://ble.soas.ac.uk/). Coursework Deadlines (pp. 87). The School Deadline for submission of coursework assignments is 16.00 on the Friday immediately before the beginning of the May/June examination period of the academic year in which the course is taken. Any coursework assignments submitted after this date will not be marked. Individual courses set submission dates in advance of this deadline, however; assignments submitted between the individual assignment submission date and the School deadline will incur a penalty of two marks every day that the assignment is submitted late. Individual assignment submission dates can be found on the relevant course pages on the BLE (http://ble.soas.ac.uk/). It is possible to apply for a refund of marks deducted for late submission if you have particular mitigating circumstances (e.g. sudden illness, bereavement, etc.) which prevented you from submitting your assignment on time. In any case where you feel

http://www.soas.ac.uk/timetable

http://www.soas.ac.uk/about/keydates/

http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/foi/pubscheme/students/file22914.pdf

http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/foi/pubscheme/students/file22914.pdf



you may not be able to meet a particular deadline you should contact your student support officer as soon as possible. Coursework Word Limits (pp. 88-89). Coursework assignments which exceed the set word limit will be penalised as described in this section. Individual assignment word limits can be found on the relevant course pages on the BLE (http://ble.soas.ac.uk/). Plagiarism (p. 86). You should note that plagiarism – i.e. the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were your own – is an examination and/or assessment offence, and is dealt with under the School’s Regulations for proceedings in respect of assessment and examination offences (pp. 161-164). MARKING CRITERIA Coursework Marking Criteria The guidelines below reflect the standards of work expected at undergraduate level: 80+ (Distinction) A mark of 80+ will fulfil the following criteria: very significant ability to plan, organise and execute independently a research

project or coursework assignment; very significant ability to evaluate literature and theory critically and make

informed judgements; very high levels of creativity, originality and independence of thought; very significant ability to evaluate critically existing methodologies and suggest

new approaches to current research or professional practice; very significant ability to analyse data critically; outstanding levels of accuracy, technical competence, organisation, expression.

70-79 (Distinction) A mark in the range 70-79 will fulfil the following criteria: significant ability to plan, organise and execute independently a research project

or coursework assignment; clear evidence of wide and relevant reading, referencing and an engagement

with the conceptual issues; capacity to develop a sophisticated and intelligent argument; rigorous use and a sophisticated understanding of relevant source materials,

balancing appropriately between factual detail and key theoretical issues. Materials are evaluated directly and their assumptions and arguments challenged and/or appraised;

correct referencing; significant ability to analyse data critically; original thinking and a willingness to take risks.

60-69 (Merit) A mark in the 60-69 range will fulfil the following criteria: ability to plan, organise and execute independently a research project or

coursework assignment; strong evidence of critical insight and thinking; a detailed understanding of the major factual and/or theoretical issues and

directly engages with the relevant literature on the topic; clear evidence of planning and appropriate choice of sources and methodology

with correct referencing; ability to analyse data critically;


capacity to develop a focussed and clear argument and articulate clearly and convincingly a sustained train of logical thought.

50-59 (Pass) A mark in the range 50-59 will fulfil the following criteria: Ability to plan, organise and execute a research project or coursework

assignment; a reasonable understanding of the major factual and/or theoretical issues

involved; evidence of some knowledge of the literature with correct referencing; ability to analyse data; shows examples of a clear train of thought or argument; the text is introduced and concludes appropriately.

40-49 (Fail) A Fail will be awarded in cases in which there is: limited ability to plan, organise and execute a research project or coursework

assignment; some awareness and understanding of the literature and of factual or theoretical

issues, but with little development; limited ability to analyse data; incomplete referencing; limited ability to present a clear and coherent argument.

20-39 (Fail) A Fail will be awarded in cases in which there is: very limited ability to plan, organise and execute a research project or

coursework assignment; fails to develop a coherent argument that relates to the research project or

assignment; does not engage with the relevant literature or demonstrate a knowledge of the

key issues; incomplete referencing; contains clear conceptual or factual errors or misunderstandings; only fragmentary evidence of critical thought or data analysis.

0-19 (Fail) A Fail will be awarded in cases which: no demonstrable ability to plan, organise and execute a research project or

coursework assignment; little or no knowledge or understanding related to the research project or

assignment; little or no knowledge of the relevant literature; major errors in referencing; no evidence of critical thought or data analysis; incoherent argument.

Examination Marking Criteria A similar (but not identical) set of marking criteria is used in the marking of written examinations. This can be accessed on the SOAS website at http://www.soas.ac.uk/lawsocialsciences/pg-marking-guidelines/

http://www.soas.ac.uk/lawsocialsciences/pg-marking-guidelines/

DEPARTMENTAL POSTGRADUATE HANDBOOK You can access the Department’s Postgraduate Handbook here: http://www.soas.ac.uk/politics/student-handbooks/postgraduate/.

You can also access it on your mobile device by scanning the barcode opposite. This includes useful information on study skills, exam technique and essay writing, and links to other sections of the SOAS website, including Registry (for matters relating to registration, regulations, fees and scholarships), Student Services (for information regarding welfare, counselling, disabilities, and mental health and wellbeing), the Careers Service, and the Library. KEY CONTACTS

Post Name Contact details

Postgraduate Student Support Officer

Yvonne Henry Room R201, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4405 Email: [email protected]

Yvonne is available to support and guide students through any issues they may be facing throughout their degree. Yvonne works closely with the departments student representatives and welfare departments across the School, to provide specialised support to all students within the Politics department. Please contact Yvonne for information and guidance on class attendance, coursework deadlines and submission as well as mitigating circumstances and timetable queries.

Postgraduate Programme Convenor, Dept of Politics

Dafydd Fell Room 201, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4206 Email: [email protected]

MSc African Politics Convenor(s)

Phil Clark (T1/3)

Room 253a, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4611 Email: [email protected]

Tom Young (T2) Room 215, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4732 Email: [email protected]

MSc Asian Politics Convenor(s)

Enze Han Room 252, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4364 Email: [email protected]

MSc International Politics Convenor(s)

Mark Laffey Room 211, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4744 Email: [email protected]

MSc Middle East Politics Convenor(s)

Charles Tripp (T1)

Room 214, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4748 Email: [email protected]

Laleh Khalili (T2/3) Room 210, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4735 Email: [email protected]

MSc Politics of China Convenor(s)

Yuka Kobayashi Room 4425, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4736 Email: [email protected]

MSc State, Society and Development Convenor(s)

Tat Yan Kong Room 206, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4743 Email: [email protected]

MSc Conflict, Rights and Justice Convenor(s)

Leslie Vinjamuri Room 213, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4758 Email: [email protected]

http://www.soas.ac.uk/politics/student-handbooks/postgraduate/

mailto:[email protected]











Stephen Hopgood Room 209, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4738 Email: [email protected]

MSc Comparative Political Thought Convenor(s)

Rahul Rao Room 4432, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4534 Email: [email protected]

MRes Politics with [Language] Convenor(s)

Matthew Nelson Room 218, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4742 Email: [email protected]

Head of Department of Politics

Salwa Ismail Room 204, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4740 Email: [email protected]

Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), Faculty of Law and Social Sciences

Emilia Onyema Room 242, Main Building Tel.: 020 7898 4717 Email: [email protected]

The Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) is the final authority on all regulations and matters affecting students on taught programmes within the Law and Social Sciences Faculty. Contact Dr Onyema for queries pertaining to leave of absence, suspension of regulations and course changes that fall outside of the prescribed programme structures.

Student Advice and Wellbeing office

Alison Barty (Head) Room V302, Vernon Square Tel.: 020 7074 5015 Email: [email protected]

Student Advice and Wellbeing offer a wide range of specialist, professional advisory services in the following areas: international student advice; welfare and financial advice; support for students with disabilities; and student counselling.







TIMETABLE Fill out your weekly timetable here:

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Documents

Politics Handbook 13/14 (pdf; 353kb) - The School of Oriental and