Subject benchmark statements
Politics and international relations
Draft for consultation August 2006

Preface

Subject benchmark statements provide a means for the academic community to describe the nature and characteristics of programmes in a specific subject or subject area. They also represent general expectations about standards for the award of qualifications at a given level in terms of the attributes and capabilities that those possessing such qualifications should have demonstrated.

This subject benchmark statement, together with others published concurrently, refers to the bachelor’s degree with honours¹. In addition, some statements provide guidance on integrated master’s awards.

Subject benchmark statements are used for a variety of purposes. Primarily, they are an important external source of reference for higher education institutions when new programmes are being designed and developed in a subject area. They provide general guidance for articulating the learning outcomes associated with the programme but are not a specification of a detailed curriculum in the subject.

Subject benchmark statements also provide support to institutions in pursuit of internal quality assurance. They enable the learning outcomes specified for a particular programme to be reviewed and evaluated against agreed general expectations about standards. Subject benchmark statements allow for flexibility and innovation in programme design and can stimulate academic discussion and debate upon the content of new and existing programmes within an agreed overall framework. Their use in supporting programme design, delivery and review within institutions is supportive of the recent and ongoing move towards an emphasis on institutional responsibility for standards and quality.

Subject benchmark statements may also be of interest to prospective students and employers, seeking information about the nature and standards of awards in a given subject or subject area.

The relationship between the standards set out in this document and those produced by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies for individual disciplines will be a matter for individual institutions to consider in detail.

This subject benchmark statement represents a revised version of the original statement published in 2000. The review process was overseen by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) as part of a periodic review of all subject benchmark statements published in this year. The review and subsequent revision of the subject benchmark statement was undertaken by a group of subject specialists drawn from and acting on behalf of the subject community. The revised subject benchmark statement was subject to a full consultation with the wider academic community and stakeholder groups.

QAA publishes and distributes this subject benchmark statement and other subject benchmark statements developed by similar subject-specific groups.

1 Introduction

1.1 It is not the intention of this subject benchmark statement to set out a national curriculum for honours degrees in politics and international relations. Rather, the subject benchmark statement provides a description of the nature of the subject area and offers guidance on standards expected of honours graduates in the area in terms of their abilities and skills upon completion of the degree.

1.2 The subject benchmark statement aims to assist:

higher education institutions in designing and approving programmes of study
external examiners and academic reviewers in verifying and comparing standards
where appropriate, professional bodies in their accreditation and review of programmes relating to professional competence.

1.3 The subject benchmark statement may also be of value to:

students and employers seeking information about higher education provision and levels of attainment expected of graduates.

1.4 The subject benchmark statement covers six key areas:.

defining principles: acknowledges the breadth and diversity of politics and international relations
nature and extent of the subject: describes the nature of the subject area and undergraduate programmes falling within its boundaries
subject knowledge and understanding: outlines the areas of core knowledge and understanding expected of a graduate in the subject area and the overall aims of degree programmes relevant to the subject benchmark statement
subject-specific and generic skills: provides an indication of the attributes and capabilities expected of graduates in the subject area
teaching, learning and assessment: this section outlines different forms of teaching, learning and assessment appropriate to degrees in politics and international relations
benchmark standards: lists the standard expected of an honours graduate in the subject area in terms of threshold and typical levels of attainment.

1.5 The subject benchmark statement addresses single honours programmes in politics, international relations or both, and joint honours programmes in which politics and/or international relations comprise at least half of the curriculum leading to a degree. The subject benchmark statement is intended to provide a broad framework within which providers can develop programmes that respond to the needs of students and which, at the same time, acknowledges the diversity of approaches to politics and international relations. As emphasised in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.3 and 4.1, it is not the purpose of the subject benchmark statement to impose on institutions a set of rigid conditions that would stifle intellectual diversity or innovation in programme development and the design of learning experiences. It is intended that the subject benchmark statement will make a contribution to defining ‘graduateness’ in politics and international relations and to the maintenance of standards of awards.

2 Defining principles

2.1 The scope of politics and international relations is broad, the boundaries often being contested or in movement. Thus, departments have a variety of names. They may be called departments of government, politics, political science, international politics, international relations, international studies or some combination of these. Different names may reflect different nuances adopted in degree programmes or the extent to which both aspects of the discipline are taught in conjunction with one another.

2.2 Politics and international relations reach out to other disciplines such as anthropology, cultural studies, economics, sociology, geography, history, law or literature. Thus, programmes in departments of politics and international relations or international studies usually include courses in other social sciences and humanities. While many programmes are primarily social scientific in approach, some are on the cusp of the social sciences and humanities.

2.3 Politics and international relations may be taught in a variety of academic settings. Examples, of which there might be many more, include public administration taught in schools of management under the title of public sector management; political philosophy in philosophy departments; and the history of political thought in history departments. Degrees in peace or war studies or in conflict studies cut across conventional knowledge-based categories and their distinctive approaches to understanding and skills may need to draw on a wider range of materials and resources, including other subject benchmark statements, to capture fully the specific character of their particular degree programmes.

2.4 The labelling of approaches within politics and international relations and the scope of associated areas of study are also contestable (3.3 and 3.5). This point and those at 2.1, therefore, indicate that this subject benchmark statement itself might be regarded as transient. What follows is intended to be broad enough for a diversity of nuances, approaches and relationships with other disciplines to be expressed. In other words, specific references below to approaches, areas of study and courses are indicative rather than comprehensive, exclusive or prescriptive. They should be read in the context of the characteristic general approaches and the specialisms of each department.

3 Nature and extent of the subject

3.1 Politics is concerned with developing a knowledge and understanding of government and society. The interaction of people, ideas and institutions provides the focus to understand how values are allocated and resources distributed at many levels, from the local through to the sectoral, national, regional and global. Thus analyses of who gets what, when, how, why and where are central, and pertain to related questions of power, justice, order, conflict, legitimacy, accountability, obligation, sovereignty, governanceand decision-making. Politics encompasses philosophical, theoretical, institutional and issue-based concerns relating to governance.

3.2 International relations shares the concerns of politics, but its focus is the regional and global arenas. Traditionally preoccupied with anarchy (the absence of international or global government), the conflictual and cooperative engagement between states, international relations is increasingly concerned with engagement between states, intergovernmental organisations and non-state actors such as transnational corporations and transnational civil society groups. As with the study of politics, the study of international relations encompasses philosophical, theoretical, institutional and issue-based concerns relating to governance, but at the regional and global levels.

3.3 The study of politics and international relations involves the description of political phenomena, which we try to explain using general theories and on which we reflect normatively. Normative political theory or political philosophy concerns the normative study of the political values of society and the international order, investigated both historically and analytically. Positive political theory or explanatory political theory concerns the study of the general mechanisms and forces which steer the behaviour of individuals and institutions as they interact at domestic, regional and global levels to allocate values and resources. Political science or political analysis uses these theoretical perspectives to inform and assess the explanation of historical events, political behaviour, the workings of political institutions and actors, political processes and the policy outputs of governance and regulatory structures.

3.4 The study of politics and international relations uses a series of research strategies and methods, the range employed varying according to purpose. These could include textual analysis, historical research, use of contemporary media sources, discourse analysis, elite interviews, focus groups, mass surveys, statistical modelling, deductive modelling and computer simulation techniques. Politics and international relations also draw upon the knowledge bases of cognate disciplines.

3.5 The study of politics and international relations is both implicitly comparative and characterised by explicitly comparative investigations across time and space. Explaining the causes of an event or the workings of an institution involves asking questions about what might have happened under different conditions.

3.6 There are a number of approaches and areas of investigation in politics and international relations. These approaches cross-fertilise each other both methodologically and in subject matter; therefore certain topics may appear under more than one heading. Each has its own lines of debate and methodological disputes. Approaches may be competitive or complement each other. Debate within and between them has the effect of advancing knowledge and understanding. They may include:

within normative political theory or political philosophy primarily but not exclusively: conceptual analysis, historical textual analysis, rational choice and analytical political philosophy, liberalism, Marxist and neo-Marxist approaches, environmentalism, human rights, feminism, multiculturalism, relativism, postmodernism, classical realism, neo-realism, conservatism and nationalism

within positive political theory or explanatory political theory primarily but not exclusively: behaviouralism, comparative methods, game theory, institutionalism, political economy, political sociology, postmodernism, rational or public choice, social choice theory, cultural theory, critical theory and pluralism
within political science or political analysis primarily but not exclusively: international organisations, regimes, legislatures, executives, party systems, electoral systems, voting behaviour, public policy, public administration or public management, political communication, political development, urban politics, conflict analysis, peace research, human rights, foreign policy analysis, area studies, security studies, international law, international and economic relations.

4 Subject knowledge and understanding

4.1 Perhaps in no other academic discipline are the subject matter and approaches so much in contention and in flux. This contributes to the challenging yet captivating nature of the discipline. The present state of the discipline is the result of curiosity, free inquiry and debate and its future will be driven by the same forces. It is therefore not the intention of this section to lay out a 'national curriculum' for politics and international relations. All that can be asked of institutions is that they should continue to develop their teaching and research and to offer to their students a curriculum which is founded on the discipline as it has developed to date; which reflects their particular approach to the discipline and which draws on their specialist strengths. Bearing this in mind, it should be noted that exemplary lists below should be treated as such and not accorded any other status.

Contents of politics and/or international relations degree

4.2 A single honours graduate in politics will have experienced a curriculum which takes elements from political theory (normative and positive) and from political analysis/political science (see 3.3), and will have been introduced to the use of comparative and/or historical analysis in the study of the discipline. To the extent that it is necessary, the curriculum will introduce appropriate research methods and methodologies.

4.3 Joint or combined honours politics students cannot be expected to engage the subject with the breadth and depth expected of the single-honours student but, given this qualification, the curriculum should similarly expose them to elements of normative and/or positive political theory and elements of political analysis/political science.

4.4 The distinction between political theory (normative and positive) and political analysis/political science, maintained above (see again 3.3) for reasons of clarity, may well not be so maintained in teaching where, for example, theoretical considerations might appropriately be raised in courses dealing with essentially empirical material or, conversely, empirical cases might be raised in essentially theoretical courses.

4.5 Thus, political theory could be taught as, for example: traditional political thought, modern democratic thought, ethics, urban theories and integration theory. It could also be taught in courses on feminism, race, comparative politics, or in free-standing single country studies. The intention of this formulation is that there should be no specification of the theory that students should be exposed to, or where it might appear in the curriculum, simply that they should be exposed to theory.

4.6 A single honours graduate in international relations will have experienced a curriculum which incorporates elements of international political theory and of international political analysis. A single honours programme in international relations generally aims to communicate the character of world politics from both the system and actor perspectives. It includes the historical evolution of international systems and of global power structures. The main foci in terms of agency are states and international organisations, and transnational actors.

4.7 Joint or combined honours international relations students cannot be expected to engage the subject with the breadth and depth expected of the single honours student but, given this qualification, the curriculum should similarly expose them to elements of theory and elements of analysis.

4.8 International political theory could be taught as contending approaches such as realism, neo-realism, neo-liberalism, institutionalist theory, feminism, pluralism, Marxism or critical theory; it could also be taught as normative theory. Theory may also form some part of courses such as foreign policy, international organisation, international history, peace studies, human rights, gender or arms control.

4.9 International political analysis embraces the categories of global, sectoral and regional studies and often explores the interface of domestic and international politics. For example, courses might examine transnational corporations, environmental or financial politics, or the study of a particular region. As with politics, international relations has an important comparative and historical dimension which might be represented in courses on, for example, diplomacy, foreign policy, international order or area studies.

4.10 In the teaching of political analysis/science and international relations the term 'comparative and historical analysis' embraces the categories of cross-national studies, area studies and single-country studies, and acknowledges the importance of these approaches to the discipline.

4.11 Research methods and methodologies in politics and international relations include the use of information retrieval techniques; quantitative and qualitative methods, research design and the use of information technology. Their weight and character cannot be prescribed except to say that these should be determined in the light of the requirements of the particular curriculum being taught.

Aims of degree programmes in politics and international relations

4.12 Undergraduate programmes in politics and international relations aim to:

place questions of political and international order and decision-making at the centre of analysis
ensure that students of politics and international relations acquire knowledge and understanding in appropriate areas of theory and analysis
enable students to understand and use the concepts, approaches and methods of their discipline and develop an understanding of their contested nature and the problematic character of inquiry in the discipline
develop in students a capacity to think critically about events, ideas and institutions
encourage students to relate the academic study of politics to questions of public concern and to relate the academic theory to policies in practice
assist students to develop a range of cognitive and social skills relevant to their intellectual, vocational and personal development
provide a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate
create a learning environment that is receptive to the needs and views of students and encourages them to achieve their full potential.

Subject skills and other skills

4.13 Graduates in politics and international relations will be able to demonstrate a wide range of abilities and skills. These may be divided into three categories: knowledge and understanding of the subject; generic intellectual skills; and personal transferable skills.

Knowledge and understanding of the subject

4.14 Graduates in politics will be able to:

understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity
apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideas, institutions and practices
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different political systems, the nature and distribution of power in them; the social, economic, historical and cultural contexts within which they operate, and the relationships between them
evaluate different interpretations of political issues and events.

4.15 Graduates in international relations will be able to:

understand the nature and significance of politics as a global activity
apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of international relations to the analysis of political ideas, practices and issues in the global arena
demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the origins and evolution of the international political system, including contemporary changes underway
evaluate different interpretations of world political events and issues.

Generic intellectual skills

4.16 Graduates in politics and international relations will be able to:

gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources
identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems
construct reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement
reflect on their own learning and seek and make use of constructive feedback
manage their own learning self-critically.

Personal transferable skills

4.17 Graduates in politics and international relations will be able to:

communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing
use communication and information technology, including audiovisual technology, for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information
work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time management
collaborate with others to achieve common goals through,for example, group work, group projects, group presentations, etc.

5 Teaching, learning and assessment

5.1 Teaching and learning methods are designed and deployed to:

meet the aims and objectives of the course and/or programme
foster knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject
stimulate engagement and participation in the learning process
encourage deep rather than surface learning by students
encourage students to reflect on and take responsibility for their own learning
take account of the different circumstances and needs of students, facilitating wider participation.

5.2 Forms of teaching include an appropriate balance drawn from among the following:

lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops
whole group, small group and individual teaching
student-led and tutor-led sessions
skills-based, discussion-based and knowledge-based classes
tutor-student interaction including face-to-face communication, communication via information technology and, in some cases, by means of specially designed learning materials.

5.3 A combination of these methods or approaches allows students to develop a range of skills. These include presenting an overview of a topic, encouraging skills of concentration, note-taking and sifting information. The use of case studies within seminars can encourage the application of knowledge to real life situations, independent learning, group cooperation, imagination and original thinking, all of which enable students to demonstrate the skills identified at 4.3 to 4.17.

5.4 Student learning takes place in a variety of settings including scheduled meetings of tutors and students (for example, in lectures/seminars or in a one-to-one dissertation tutor/supervisory role), self-directed study time and preparation for and feedback from assessment. Student development may also include experiential learning (see 5.6).

5.5 In undergraduate programmes in politics and international relations, students learn through:

speaking, listening, reading and writing
engagement with printed, oral, broadcast and electronic sources
group and individual work
observation, participation and reflection.

5.6 Students of politics and international relations are expected to use a range of the following learning methods:

critical reading of a wide range of texts including documents, monographs, scholarly articles, statistics, newspapers, textbooks and sources on the internet
independent research using both primary and/or secondary sources and appropriate methods of enquiry
group discussion for communicating ideas and presenting own work in a variety of formats, including, for example, debates, case studies, role play and simulations
contact with political actors through visits, speakers, websites and, in some cases, experiential learning such as internships, placements or action research in the UK or abroad.

5.7 Assessment methods are designed to:

meet the aims and objectives of the course and/or programme
promote students' learning
be capable of being used for diagnostic, formative and summative purposes
be valid, reliable and fairly administered
allow students to demonstrate their learning according to explicit and transparent assessment criteria
provide appropriate opportunities for constructive and timely feedback.

5.8 Forms of assessment could include an appropriate balance of the following:

essays, seen and unseen exams, book reviews, reports and dissertations
oral and written assignments
group and individual work
tutor-directed and student-directed tasks
work completed under controlled or time-constrained conditions and work completed in self-directed study time
tutor, peer and self assessment.

5.9 Different forms of assessment test different skills and abilities. Commonly, these include the ability: to digest and précis a range of sources; to use wide-ranging knowledge; to demonstrate a grasp of concepts; to structure logical answers; to apply theories to cases; and to mount a reasoned argument, draw conclusions and communicate these effectively in speech and writing. Forms of assessment may also test the capacity to organise work and perform under acute time and resource constraints; or, to master a text, to analyse argumentation and to use specific examples. A final-year dissertation, thesis or extended essay assesses the ability to research independently.

6 Standards and levels of achievement

6.1 The achievement of honours graduates in politics and international relations is described in terms of the three areas of performance identified at 4.13: knowledge and understanding; generic intellectual skills; and personal transferable skills.

6.2 Student achievement is expressed in terms of learning outcomes on the successful completion of an honours degree programme (see 6.5). The subject benchmark statement is sufficiently broad to encourage institutions to develop undergraduate programmes that reflect the diverse and changing nature of politics and international relations. It does not specify the curriculum content, learning methods, nor mode of study by which the student is enabled to achieve these outcomes. In this respect, some of the learning outcomes could be achieved by prior learning that is accredited as part of a degree programme or through flexible modes of attendance (this could also facilitate widening levels of participation).

6.3 Although students will be required to demonstrate the appropriate level of attainment in each of the stated areas of performance, they need not necessarily cover all the learning outcomes outlined in 6.5; these will vary according to the nature and purpose of individual programmes. However, the curriculum design and learning opportunities should be appropriate to each stage of the programme and give students the opportunity to attain the required standards in each area of performance.

6.4 Section 6.5 identifies the criteria for the threshold and typical levels of achievement. ‘Threshold’ describes in positive terms the minimally acceptable level of attainment of an honours graduate. ‘Typical’ describes the level of achievement attained by the majority of graduates.