Programme Specification – MSc Politics and Government in the European Union
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Awarding Body
LSE
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Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body,
e.g. ESRC; BPS etc
Name of final award
Programme Title
Duration of the course
Based in the Department/Institute:
N/A
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Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements (See Subject Benchmark
Statements)
UCAS Code
First written/last amended
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The programme aims to:
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MSc
Politics and Government in the European Union
12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
European Institute, Government, International
Relations
M1UM
November 2007 / November 2012
Provide a world-leading study programme of politics and government in the European
Union
To give students a wide-ranging understanding and knowledge of the wider processes
and effects of European integration and policy-making in the European Union
To expose students to a number of disciplinary perspectives and to make them
conversant with and comfortable with handling the arguments and discourses of these
different students
Enable students to focus their studies on one of the programme’s two streams: (1)
European Government and Policy or (2) The International Relations of Europe
Enable students intending to pursue research degrees to develop the necessary
analytical and theoretical sophistication, and breadth and depth of understanding, within
their field of study;
To prepare students for senior positions in public policy organisations such as national
agencies; supranational organisations; in non-governmental organisations; or in public
affairs consultancy.
To provide students wishing to go into other o non-academic careers with skills valuable
for other careers by training them to be articulate, clear thinking individuals, able critically
to analyse complex bodies of material
Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Programme Outcomes
By the end of this programme, students will have:
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An advanced understanding of the politics and government of the European Union, European
integration, European politics and EU policy-making;
an ability to analyse EU processes of decision-making the international relations of the EU,
EU laws and processes of Europeanisation;
an advanced critical understanding of and ability to engage the main theoretical debates
surrounding European comparative politics, European integration and EU policy-making;
the ability to apply this knowledge and understanding to new problems and contexts as these
emerge within the politics and government of Europe;
the ability to work independently, employing an empirical and analytical knowledge of EU
politics and government in the planning and presentation of succinct, precise arguments,
written and oral;
the ability to carry out research projects on European integration, processes of
Europeanisation and EU politics and to develop research skills which can be transferred to
new problems;
Knowledge and Skills
By the end of this course, students have:
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a detailed knowledge of of the politics and government of the European Union, European
integration and EU policy-making;
specialist knowledge of either European Government and Policy or the International
Relations of Europe;
a research-led knowledge of a dissertation in the field of European Union government or
European integration;
IT for general and academic purposes;
library and internet research;
oral presentation skills;
the ability to analyse and interpret data, particularly that of EU Institutions and
governments of the Member States, and secondary sources;
the ability to design and independently execute a dissertation on an approved subject of
the students’ own choice within the field of EU politics
For further information relating to careers.
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Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
Students acquire their detailed knowledge and understanding of the course through lectures,
seminars and guided independent study.
Key integrative courses set out a robust core, theoretical underpinnings and set out the threads to
be developed in options. In the first term, students are required therefore to take a general course
history and theory of European integration. In the second term, students build on these foundations
with their choice of options available to them within the programme’s two streams: (1) European
Union Government and Policy and (2) The International Relations of Europe. For each of the two
streams, there is a compulsory course that student are required to take.
Many of those involved in programme delivery are international experts at the forefront of research
in the field – and as such, students have direct insight into current thinking in the field. This aspect
of provision is further enhanced through specialist Departmental visiting lecturers that discuss ongoing research, as well as the array of LSE public lectures, which include senior national and
international policy makers, politicians and researchers in this and related fields.
All course reading lists include references to current research, and other primary sources including
official documents and web references, as well as original academic works. Further reading is
provided to encourage students to extend their knowledge beyond the minimum required to meet
the programme outcomes.
Skills of oral presentation and argument are developed in seminars where students will have to
make individual oral presentations; provide feedback on the week of others; write collective essays
with others; participate in debates on the virtual learning environment; and enter into a defence and
critique of different arguments presented by the lecturer
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The knowledge and analytical skills of students are developed and tested through formative
assessment and feedback from seminar teachers. In addition, students will receive guidance from
Academic Advisers on their performance and their success in acquiring this knowledge and skills.
Research, IT and library skills are developed in the first place through the setting of essays in the
different subjects which encourage students to research around the topic. They are developed
further through the requirement for students to write an independent 10,000 word dissertation on a
topic of their choice with the guidance of an academic. This piece of work may be based on one or
all of the following: original data collection analysis, original fieldwork, or novel conceptual and
theoretical critique. It is also an opportunity for students to practically demonstrate their research
skills as applied to a specific topic.
Assessment strategies:
Most courses are assessed by 2 hour unseen written examinations (3 hours in the case of full units).
These test the knowledge, understanding and analytical skills of students, as well their ability to
handle and interpret data and texts. In addition, a number of courses rely on other forms of
assessment, be it a piece of independent research by the student or an assessed essay on a
question prepared by the lecturer.
The research skills of students are assessed by the independent dissertation contributing to one
quarter of the overall assessment of the students final mark for the programme.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the MSc Politics and Government in the European Union programme regulations.
Additional information
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Criteria for admission to the programme
We consider applicants with good first degrees (2:1 or GPA of 3.5) in any discipline, but prefer
applicants with a degree in one of the social sciences.
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Indicators of quality
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Steady demand for the programme and high qualifications required for admission.
The high fees paid by students taking the programme.
Consistently good examination results and favourable remarks by External Examiners.
Student questionnaires and feedback via staff student liaison committees.
The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
Departmental mechanisms:
 formative essays, mock exams, assessed essays, final exams;
 student evaluation forms, student questionnaires;
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Teaching Observations of early career staff;
Regular review of take-up of different courses and demand for new courses (bi-annual)
meetings of the staff-student liaison committee (3 per year)
meetings of the programme’s teaching committee (3 per year).
School Mechanisms:
 regular staff appraisal and review;
 improvements in teaching technique by the Teaching and Learning Centre through
observations, advice and further training;
 induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
 centrally administered questionnaires by the Teaching Quality Assurance and Review
Office;
 a system for ensuring that External Examiners’ comments/recommendations are fed
through to Departments and acted upon;
 the School’s Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects
of teaching quality;
 LSE’s Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all postgraduate 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.
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