Programme Specification: BSc International Relations
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. UCAS Code
9. First written/last amended
LSE
N/A
BSc
International Relations
36 months full-time
International Relations
Politics and International Relations (2007)
L250 BSc/IntRel
April 2003 / December 2012
10. The programme aims to:
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provide an academically-challenging education, in a research-active environment, to
intellectually able students from a wide range of countries;
provide access to the wider context of the social sciences;
develop an awareness of key social science methodologies;
enable students who go directly into non-academic careers (e.g. government, the
voluntary sector, international organisations, business and media) to become
articulate, clear-thinking individuals, able to analyse critically complex bodies of
material;
provide undergraduate education of the highest standards,
provide specialist study opportunities to students of International Relations within a
broad field of social science expertise.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Students completing undergraduate degrees should possess:
 an advanced, critical understanding of the main theoretical and policy debates within
the field of International Relations;
 specialist knowledge of several fields of study arising out of or connected to
International Relations;
 the ability to work independently, employing an empirical and analytical knowledge of
International Relations in the planning and presentation of succinct, precise
arguments, written and oral;
 the ability to evaluate and independently criticise theories and practices applied to the
field of International Relations;
 a detailed knowledge of the main findings and theories associated with the particular
focus of their degree.
For further information relating to careers.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Teaching is a mix of lectures, classes and individual tuition. In addition, students are expected
to undertake guided and independent study.
Lectures provide an overview of the syllabus and most courses provide them, with some
having additional lecture series associated with the examined courses. Attendance is not
compulsory, although students are advised to attend lectures associated with their courses.
Classes are a key feature of teaching. Normally, classes have up to 14 students and meet for
between 1 and 1.5 hours. Classes can use a variety of teaching methods and are compulsory,
with attendance and participation noted.
All BSc students have an academic adviser in the Department, who maintains an overview of
their progress and offers advice on academic study. IR100 essays are marked by relevant
class teachers and academic advisers keep track of their advisees’ progress via LSE For You.
They also set a project in Michaelmas Term for their advisees as a further check on progress.
Students are expected to supplement formal contact hours by extensive unsupervised
reading, preparation for classes and essay writing. Reading lists and course guides, and in
many cases, lecture handouts, are provided in hard copy and electronically through Moodle.
Assessment Strategies
Students are mainly assessed via conventional unseen examinations in twelve courses, (or a
mixture of full and half units to the value of twelve courses.) Unseen examinations are seen as
the most appropriate way of determining whether the objective of producing students capable
of writing succinct, precise, lucid and analytical essays is being met. One alternative method
of assessment is a full course unit 10,000 word independently written long essay on a topic
chosen by the student with the approval of the course co-ordinator. Students receive some
group and if necessary individual tuition on preparing the dissertation which excludes
members of the academic staff reading prepared texts in whole or in part.
Each undergraduate full unit course involves as a procedural requirement the writing of four
c1,500 word essays, (two c1,500 word essays for half units), which are designed to develop
the capacity to write the succinct summaries of complex bodies of material that will be tested
in the final assessment.
In the International Relations Department full unit courses are assessed by a three-hour
unseen examination, apart from IR311 which is assessed by a c5,000 word essay (25%) and
a three-hour unseen examination (75%). Half unit courses are assessed by a two-hour unseen
examination.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the BSc International Relations programme regulations
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
A-level grades of at least AAA in selected subjects.
Careful consideration is given to all the supporting grades at AS and GCSE levels.
A minimum grade of B is required in GCSE Mathematics and English, and particular attention
is given to achievements in English language and history papers if they are offered.
15. Indicators of quality
1. Buoyant demand by well qualified applicants for the programme and high
qualifications required for admission.
2. Consistently good examination results and favourable remarks by External
Examiners.
3. Student questionnaires and feedback via Staff/Student Liaison Committee.
4. The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE
graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning:
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Taught Courses Sub-Committee looks at teaching and assessment issues twice or
three times a year and, when necessary, consults by e-mail. It reports to the
Department Meeting;
Staff/Student Liaison Committee for all taught course students meets once a term.
Representatives for years one and two of the BSc International Relations programme
are elected annually either online or at the second or third Michaelmas Term IR100
and IR200 lectures respectively. Elections for BSc International Relations year three
representatives are either held online or at a third year lecture series taken by many
of the students. For students not attending this particular lecture series, e-mails are
sent to ensure that everyone is aware of the election arrangements. SSLC items are
raised at the Departmental Meeting as required;
Taught Courses Sub-Committee considers proposals to change the degree and any
proposals for new courses. It reports to the Departmental Meeting;
TQARO student surveys. The Head of Department analyses the scores and, when
necessary, takes the advice of the Director of Teaching and Learning on the
appropriate action where the surveys indicate a problem;
Peer appraisal of academic staff takes place on a regular basis;
GTAs, particularly those who are teaching the subject for the first time, are closely
monitored by the Course Coordinator, in particular to ensure appropriate essay
marking standards. For IR100 and IR200 this monitoring of essay marking standards
is undertaken by a retired member of the International Relations Department;
The Teaching and Learning Centre is available to monitor and observe teaching and
offers constructive advice on how to improve the standard of teaching and quality;
Internal IRD programme reviews every 5 years;
The Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
Departmental TLAC review once every five years;
The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate programmes and
ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a
sequence of formal stages, so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible
with other developments.