Undergraduate Programme Handbook
BA Politics and Government
2013-2014
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Contents
Introduction to the BA Politics and Government
Introduction
Useful contacts
Structure of the degree
Teaching arrangements
The dissertation
Teaching arrangements
Break in Studies Policy and Withdrawal from a Module or Programme
Results
Repeating modules and intermediate awards
Introduction to the Department of Politics
History of the Department
Full-time academic staff
Emeritus and visiting staff
Professorial Fellows
Administrative Staff
Aims and objectives
The Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public Life
Location
Access
Department website
Departmental blog and twitter
Keeping in touch
Student Support and Disability Advice
Student Support
Study Support
English language support for non-native speakers
Disability Statement
The Disability Office
Access at Birkbeck
The Disabled Students Allowance
The Personal Assistance Scheme
Support in your School
Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia)
Examinations
Further information
Annex
Disclaimer and useful links
Useful contacts
Criteria for the award of the degree
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Introduction to the BA Politics and Government
Introduction
This programme is designed to allow you to develop an understanding of the nature of
politics and government in contemporary societies. You will compare and contrast the
institutions and practices of government in different societies, analyse and criticise different
theories of politics and government, and be given the chance to develop skills which will
allow you to participate effectively in arguments about politics today. At the same time, the
degree encourages you to see the study of politics not as an isolated discipline but as one that
draws on other areas of thought central to the social sciences and humanities, such as history,
sociology, economics and philosophy.
You will also develop and practice skills of communication, presenting, analysing and
evaluating social science evidence and arguments, and academic writing. If you choose to
write a dissertation, you will develop an ability to conduct independent research.
Useful contacts
The programme director is Dr Edwin Bacon, email e.bacon@bbk.ac.uk.
For administrative enquiries, tel: 020 6731 6780/9, e-mail: ugpolitics@bbk.ac.uk.
Structure of the Degree
The BA Politics and Government is an Honours degree gained by four year’s part-time study
or three years full-time study. All students must complete twelve modules:
i.
seven compulsory modules;
ii.
five option modules; students may, in lieu of their fifth option module, choose to
submit a dissertation.
PART-TIME (FOUR YEARS)
FULL-TIME (THREE YEARS)
YEAR ONE
The Study of Politics
Comparative Government
Contemporary British Politics
YEAR ONE
The Study of Politics
Comparative Government
Contemporary British Politics
Level 5 option
YEAR TWO
The Practice of Politics
Modern Political Analysis
Democracy and Authoritarianism
Level 5 or Level 6 option
YEAR THREE
Social and Political Theory
Three Level 6 options or
Two Level 6 options + dissertation
---
YEAR TWO
The Practice of Politics
Modern Political Analysis
Democracy and Authoritarianism
YEAR THREE
Social and Political Theory
Level 5 or Level 6 option
Level 5 or Level 6 option
YEAR FOUR
Three Level 6 options or
Two Level 6 options + dissertation
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Level 5 Options
• Introduction to International Political Economy
• Political Transformations
Level 6 Options (in 2013/14; some options will change in 2014/15)
• War & Modern Society
• The Politics of European Integration
• Food, Politics, and Society
• Capitalism and the Politics of Markets
• Parliamentary Studies
• Russian Politics and Society, 1905-Present
• American Politics and Foreign Policy
• British and Comparative Foreign Policy
• Politics and the Middle East
• Challenges in Contemporary Politics
• International Migration and Transnationalism
Module descriptions for BA choices are available at:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates/ba-option-choices
Final year students may take ONE of the following History options (subject to availability):
• Colonial Encounters: Race, Identity, and Cultural Exchange in the British Empire
• The Ottoman Empire
• The Russian Revolution
• Ireland and the Irish from the Act of Union to Partition
• Empire in Comparative Perspective
• The Reconstruction of Europe 1945-50
• History of Paris
• The State and Sexuality in Twentieth Century Britain
Students are required to make their option module choices by the end of August. For
full details about how to complete the BA options form, descriptions of the modules and
timetables for Politics and History, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates/ba-option-choices
Teaching Arrangements
All lectures and classes are held between 6.00pm and 9.00pm in the evening. Each module on
the programme amounts to between thirty-forty hours of teaching (lectures and seminars).
Each 30-credit level 5 and level 6 module meets one night a week during both the autumn
and spring terms. Teaching on level 4 modules takes place over the course of a single term
and for three hours per class. The degree involves attendance, on average, on two or three
evenings a week for 20 weeks per year in part-time study, and four evenings a week for 20
weeks per year in full-time study. In Level 4 modules, students are often assessed throughout
the semester via various assignments and tests. In Level 5 and Level 6 modules, students are
examined at the end of the year and via coursework submitted during term time.
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Dissertations
In the final year of study, and with the agreement of the Department, students may choose to
submit a dissertation in lieu of one option module. The dissertation, which must be between
8,000 and 10,000 words in length, offers an opportunity to research a subject in depth, and to
prepare a substantial, argued piece of work. All BA dissertations must be submitted by the
15th May. Dissertations are to be submitted on Moodle and one hard copy must be
presented to the Politics Departmental Office at 10 Gower Street between the hours of
10.00 and 18.00.
Students who wish to do a dissertation rather than an option module must indicate so
on their BA options form, which must be submitted by 31 August.
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates/ba-option-choices
Once students have chosen to do a dissertation, they must submit a completed dissertation
proposal form by 31 October. The purpose of this form is to identify a research topic for your
dissertation on the basis of which you will be allocated a Dissertation Supervisor by the
undergraduate dissertation coordinator, Dr Alejandro Colas (a.colas@bbk.ac.uk).
If you propose to do research involving interviews or other forms of personal participation,
your dissertation proposal must be accompanied by a completed ethics proposal form to
ensure that your dissertation meets Birkbeck’s rules on research ethics. Dissertation proposal
forms and ethical proposal forms along with more detailed guidance on writing dissertations
are available from the Department website:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/current-students/undergraduates
Break in Studies Policy and Withdrawal from a Module or Programme
Withdrawing from a module
Students who wish to withdraw from the examination for a module should inform their
Programme Director in advance of the examination. Students who do so without claiming
mitigating circumstances that are then accepted by the Politics Exam Board will fail the
module and be given two additional attempts to pass the module via re-take or reassessment
(see section of repeating modules below). Students who withdraw from a module and claim
mitigating circumstances that are approved by the Politics Exam Board will be offered either
alternative assessment (see section of repeating modules below) or three additional chances
to pass the module at the discretion of the Politics Exam Board. Please note that where a firstyear, part-time student withdraws from a module, it falls to the Politics Exam Board to decide
whether this module must first be passed before the student can proceed to the second year of
study. For further details on mitigating circumstances, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigatingcircumstances
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Withdrawing from your dissertation
Students who wish to withdraw from their dissertation must inform their Programme Director
before the dissertation is due. Students who do so without claiming mitigating circumstances
that are then accepted by their Programme Director will be given two additional attempts to
pass. Students who claim mitigating circumstances that are approved by their Programme
Director will be offered three remaining chances to pass the dissertation. Deferred
dissertations can be submitted by 15 May (or the Friday before if 15 May is a Saturday or
Sunday) or September 15 (or the Friday before if 15 September is a Saturday or Sunday) in
the year following deferral.
For further details on mitigating circumstances, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigatingcircumstances
Break in Studies
College regulations permit a student to suspend studies for a maximum of two years in total
during their programme of study. Please see your Programme Director and the Department
Office if you are considering a break in studies. Further details on relevant College
regulations can be found here:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/bis.doc/view
Withdrawing from your programme
If for any reason you decide to withdraw from your degree on a permanent basis, we hope
you will talk to us first. Students choose to withdraw for a wide range of reasons and it may
be that we will be able to make arrangements to help you complete your course.
For further information, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/withdrawing
Please note that if you are requesting a refund, a medical certificate is required, where
applicable. Please note that the reimbursement policy is as follows:
A student who withdraws 15 or more days after the start of the first term of study, or after
they have completed enrolment (whichever is the later) is liable for payment of tuition fees
for the first term of their intended study, and all subsequent terms up to and including the
term in which they withdraw. Liability for tuition fees is divided equally across all terms of
study (with the exception explained in 20 below), e.g. for study over three terms tuition fee
liability is:
Term 12: 1/3 of total course fee
Term 2: 2/3 of total course fee
Term 3: All of total course fee
For full details, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/Terms%20and%20Conditions%20201314.pdf
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Results
When you submit coursework during the year you can usually expect to receive a mark and
feedback within three weeks. All marks are provisional until they are approved by the Politics
Exam Board, which meets in July of each year. Exam and dissertation results are released
after the July meeting of the Politics Exam Board. These results will be made available to you
via your My Birkbeck Profile (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/) but please note that it can
take up to several weeks after the Exam Board meets until marks for all students are entered
on this system.
Repeating modules and intermediate awards
If you fail a module you will be offered a second and final attempt to pass the module. This
second attempt will take the form of a ‘re-take’, ‘re-assessment’ or ‘alternative assessment’ at
the discretion of the Politics Exam Board. A re-take requires attendance at the module’s
lectures and seminars as well as another attempt at the assessment, whereas “re-assessment”
is where a student attempts only the failed element(s) of a failed module. Alternative
assessment allows a student to submit additional coursework in lieu of a second attempt at an
exam and may be offered only in those cases where a student has applied for mitigating
circumstances and this claim has been accepted by the Politics Exam Board. Any offer of
alternative assessment is made only after a consideration of the student’s overall progression
for the year and is not an automatic entitlement. For further details on mitigating
circumstances, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/administration/assessment/exams/mitigatingcircumstances
Intermediate awards can be offered by the Examinations Board when a student fails to
complete the full requirements for the degree.
Qualification
Certificate in higher
education
Diploma in higher education
Credits needed
120
240
(including 120 at level 5 or above)
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Introduction to the Department of Politics
History of the Department
Birkbeck College was founded in 1823 as the London Mechanics Institute, and was admitted
as a constituent School of the University of London in 1920. Its mission is to provide
programmes of study to meet the needs of adults who are engaged in earning their livelihood.
Nearly 18,000 students studied at Birkbeck in 2010-2011 (4,683 undergraduates, 5,075
postgraduates, and 8,064 certificate students), the overwhelming majority (roughly 90%) of
whom studied part-time.
The Department of Politics was founded in 1972. It initially offered inter-disciplinary degrees
at the postgraduate level, but now also offers undergraduate and single subject programmes
in Politics. Located at 10 Gower Street, it is one of seven departments in the School of Social
Sciences, History and Philosophy. The Department currently has approximately 20 full-time
members, several part-time lecturers, and a number of distinguished visiting Professors and
Fellows. It teaches both part-time and full-time students. Classes are taught in the evening in
fulfilment of the College’s mission.
Over the years, the Department has acquired a reputation for teaching and research of which
it is justly proud. It is unusual among UK politics departments in two respects. Firstly, it is
genuinely interdisciplinary, recognising no intellectual boundaries between politics, political
history, political theory and sociology, and its degrees transcend these distinctions. Secondly,
its primary teaching commitment remains the provision of top-quality undergraduate and
postgraduate education to part-time students in full-time employment. Teaching and learning
arrangements have been designed accordingly to meet their needs. The Department attracts a
body of students whose diverse professional experience, personal backgrounds and maturity,
mean that they bring to the classroom tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge, often in
fields relevant to the subjects under study. This enriches the intellectual life of the
Department for students and staff alike.
Full-time academic staff
Samantha Ashenden, BA (Kingston), MPhil (Cantab), PhD (Lond.)
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Edwin Bacon, BA (Sheffield), MSocSc (Birmingham), PhD (Birmingham)
Reader in Comparative Politics
Antoine Bousquet, BSc (UCL), MSc (LSE), PhD (LSE)
Lecturer in Politics & International Relations
Rosie Campbell, BA, MSc (Southampton) PhD (Lond)
Senior Lecturer in Politics
Alejandro Colás, BSc (Bristol), MSc/MRes (LSE), PhD (LSE)
Senior Lecturer in International Relations
Diana Coole, BA (Wales), MSc (London), PhD (Toronto)
Professor of Political and Social Theory
Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos BA (Athens), Lic Spec (Brussels), PhD (Hull)
Senior Lecturer in Politics
Jason Edwards, BA (Oxon), MSc (Lond.), PhD (Lond.)
Lecturer in Politics
Ali Burak Güven, BSc, MSc (Middle East Technical University), PhD (Toronto)
Lecturer in International Relations and International Political Economy
Dermot Hodson BA (TCD), MA (College of Europe) and PhD (LSE)
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Senior Lecturer in Political Economy
Eric Kaufmann, BA (U. Western Ontario), MSc/MRes (LSE), PhD (LSE)
Professor of Politics
Joni Lovenduski BSc, MA (Manchester), PhD (Loughborough)
Anniversary Professor of Politics
Deborah Mabbett, BA (Victoria University of Wellington), D.Phil (Oxon)
Professor of Politics, Head of Department
Robert Singh, BA (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon)
Professor of Politics
Jorg Spieker MA (SOAS), MRes/PhD (KCL)
Lecturer in Political Theory
David Styan, BA (SOAS), DEA (University of Bordeaux), PhD (LSE)
Lecturer in Politics
Matthijs van den Bos, MA (University of Amsterdam), MA (Utrecht University), PhD
(University of Amsterdam)
Lecturer in International Studies
Barbara Zollner, MA (Bonn), PhD (SOAS)
Lecturer in Islamic Studies
Ben Worthy BA, MA, PhD (Manchester)
Lecturer in Politics
Emeritus and visiting staff
Helen Bolderson
Hussein Kassim
Dr Sarah Childs
Peter John
Anne Showstack Sassoon
Sami Zubaida
Professorial Fellows
Tony Wright
Administrative Staff
Jane Halstead, Assistant School Manager
Irene Breckon, Team Leader
Nina Dartford, Administrator
James Harding, Administrator
For an up to date list of staff members, including sessional teaching staff, see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics/our-staff
Aims and objectives
The Department’s principal aims are:

to enable mature students in full-time employment to undertake undergraduate and
postgraduate study in Politics in fulfilment of the mission of the College;

to enable students to develop and deepen their understanding of the conceptual and
theoretical bases of the disciplines, their methods of inquiry, and their domains of
knowledge;
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
to offer students the opportunity to develop and deepen their skills of critical
evaluation and analysis;

to enable students to develop and extend their key skills as a foundation for personal
development, employment or further academic study; and

to contribute to the needs of local, national and international communities.
Against the backdrop of these objectives, all graduating students from the Department will:

be able to demonstrate the ability to apply critically the main theories, models and
concepts used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideas, institutions,
processes, practices, developments and events;

have developed an understanding and substantive knowledge of political processes
and/or social and political theory;

have extended and developed their analytical, evaluative and critical capacities;

have developed transferable skills, including the ability to take responsibility for their
own learning, learning how to learn, making oral and written presentations, planning
and producing written assignments, working independently, and using information
technology; and

have developed, where they complete a dissertation, the ability to undertake
independent research.
The Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public Life
The Department of Politics is home to the Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public
Life is based in the Department of Politics The Centre aims to engage with key issues in
British politics and public life through public debates, conferences, lectures, seminars and
seminar series, and workshops. For further details please see: http://www.csbppl.com
Location
The Department is located at 10 Gower Street, and the Department Office on the ground floor
is open for enquiries between 10:00 and 18:00 every weekday. Please press the buzzer for the
Department Office for access. Members of staff have offices in 10 Gower Street or adjacent
buildings. Much of the teaching is held in Birkbeck’s main building in Malet Street.
Access
You will need your Birkbeck ID card throughout your time at Birkbeck, since it acts as your
College ID card, library card and access card. Once you have completed your enrolment, you
will be entitled to an ID card. The simplest way to get your ID card is by ordering it via your
My Birkbeck profile. Just upload a recent image of yourself and submit your order.
Alternatively, visit the My Birkbeck Helpdesk where they can take a photo of you and
produce a card. Please note you may be required to queue during busy periods. The ID card
will remain valid for the duration of your studies, and you will not be issued with a new card
for each subsequent academic year. See the following link for further details:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/you/cards
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If you lose or damage your Birkbeck student card, a replacement can be ordered for a nonrefundable fee of £10.00. See the following link for further details:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/you/cards/replacement
Departmental website
The Department website (www.bbk.ac.uk/politics) carries information about the Department,
the staff, students and courses, and a notice board. Also available are learning resources, such
as guidelines on essay and dissertation writing, course materials (access to which may require
a password and username), and links to sites of particular interest to students in Politics.
Students are advised to familiarise themselves with the website and to visit it regularly.
Departmental blog and twitter
See the departmental blog (www.10-gower-street.com) for updates by scholars from
Birkbeck and beyond on political research in progress and commentary on current affairs.
You can also follow the Department on twitter (https://twitter.com/bbkpolitics).
Keeping in touch
Please check the Department website (www.bbk.ac.uk/politics) regularly for notices.
Email is the main method by which we will contact you, so it is important that we get your
email address right. Please check your My Birkbeck profile to ensure that we have the correct
email address for you (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck).
Change of address
You must inform the Registry if you change address at any time while studying at Birkbeck.
You can do so online by logging into your 'MyBirkbeck Profile'
(http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/).
Student Support and Disability Advice
Student support
As a Birkbeck student, you can get access to a range of support facilities including:
Accommodation services
Career services
Counselling service
Financial support
Health services
Nursery
Students' Union
For more details, please see: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities
Study support
The Centre for Learning and Professional Development (CLPD) offers a range of academic
development workshops for students. Some courses are initially only available to first year
undergraduates, but other students can join a standby list. All workshops are free of charge
unless stated otherwise. Topics covered in these modules include:
Moodle
Reading skills
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Note taking
Time Management
Essay writing
Academic English
For more details, please see the Centre for Learning and Professional Development website:
http://www.clpd.bbk.ac.uk/students/
English language support for non-native speakers
The Academic English module offered by the Centre for Learning and Professional
Development (see above) is open to native and non-native speakers. For a module aimed
specifically at non-native speakers, the College runs a range of short modules designed for
students who are about to start a university degree or are already studying at undergraduate or
postgraduate level. An additional fee is charged for attending these modules.
For further details, please see: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce2013/englishlanguagefornonnativeenglishspeakers/index.html
Disability Statement
At Birkbeck there are students with a wide range of disabilities including dyslexia, visual or
hearing impairments, mobility difficulties, mental health needs, medical conditions,
respiratory conditions. Many of them have benefited from the advice and support provided by
the College’s Disability Office.
The Disability Office
The College has a Disability Office located in room G12 on the ground floor of the Malet
Street building. We have a Disability Service Manager, Mark Pimm, a Disability
Administrator, John Muya and a Mental Health Advisor, Elizabeth Hughes. We will shortly
be appointing an SpLD Advisor.
All enquiries should come to the Disability office, who will determine the appropriate referral
to specialist staff. They can provide advice and support on travel and parking, physical
access, the Disabled Students Allowance, special equipment, personal support, examination
arrangements etc. If you have a disability or dyslexia, we recommend you come to our drop
in session where we can discuss support and make follow up appointments as necessary. The
drop-in sessions are between 4pm and 6pm Monday to Thursday.
The Disability Office can also complete an Individual Student Support Agreement form with
you, confirming your support requirements and send this to your School and relevant
Departments at the College so they are informed of your needs.
Access at Birkbeck
Birkbeck's main buildings have wheelchair access, accessible lifts and toilets, our reception
desks have induction loops for people with hearing impairments and we have large print and
tactile signage. Disabled parking, lockers, specialist seating in lectures and seminars and
portable induction loops can all be arranged by the Disability Office.
The Disabled Students Allowance
UK and most EU students with disabilities on undergraduate and postgraduate courses are
eligible to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). The DSA usually provides
thousands of pounds worth of support and all the evidence shows that students who receive it
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are more likely to complete their courses successfully. The Disability Office can provide
further information on the DSA and can assist you in applying to Student Finance England
for this support.
The Personal Assistance Scheme
Some students need a personal assistant to provide support on their course, for example a
note-taker, sign language interpreter, reader, personal assistant, disability mentor or dyslexia
support tutor. Birkbeck uses a specialist agency to recruit Personal Assistants and they can
assist you with recruiting, training and paying your personal assistant. Please contact the
Disability Office for information on this scheme.
Support in your School
The provision which can be made for students with disabilities by Schools is set out in the
Procedures for Students with Disabilities. This is available from the Disability Office and on
the disability website (see below).
As mentioned above your School will receive a copy of your Individual Student Support
Agreement from the Disability Office. This will make specific recommendations about the
support you should receive from the School.
Whilst we anticipate that this support will be provided by the Programme Director, tutors and
School Administrator in the School of Arts also has a Student Disability Liaison Officer. If
you experience any difficulties or require additional support from the School then they may
also be able to assist you. They may be contacted through the School Office or the Disability
Office.
Support in IT Services and Library Services
There is a comprehensive range of specialist equipment for students with disabilities in IT
Services. This includes software packages for dyslexic students (e.g. Claroread and
Inspiration), screen reading and character enhancing software for students with visual
impairments, specialist scanning software, large monitors, ergonomic mice and keyboards,
specialist orthopaedic chairs etc. For advice and assistance please contact Disability IT
Support. There is also a range of specialist equipment in the Library including a CCTV
reading machine for visually impaired students as well as specialist orthopaedic chairs and
writing slopes. The Disability Office refers all students with disabilities to the Library Access
Support service who provides a comprehensive range of services for students with
disabilities.
Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia)
Mature students who experienced problems at school are often unaware that these problems
may result from their being dyslexic. Whilst dyslexia cannot be cured, you can learn
strategies, which make studying significantly easier. If you think you may be dyslexic you
should contact the Disability Office who can screen you and where appropriate refer you to
an Educational Psychologist for a dyslexia assessment. These assessments cost £225. Some
students can receive assistance in meeting this cost from their employer. In exceptional cases
students may receive assistance from the Access to Learning Fund.
Examinations
Students with disabilities and dyslexia may be eligible for special arrangements for
examinations e.g. extra time, use of a word processor, amanuensis, enlarged examination
papers etc. In order to receive special arrangements a student must provide medical evidence
of their disability (or an Educational Psychologists report if you are dyslexic) to the
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Disability Office. For School examinations you should contact your Programme Director to
request special arrangements at least 2 weeks before the examination. For main College
summer examinations you are given the opportunity to declare that you require special
provision on your assessment entry form. Students who require provision should then attend
an appointment with the Disability Office to discuss and formalise the appropriate
arrangements. The closing date for making special examination arrangements in College
examinations is the 15th March and beyond this date consideration will only be given to
emergency cases.
Further information
Full information on disability support can be found at:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities/disability
For further information or to make an appointment to see the Disability office, please call the
Student Centre on 020 7631 6316 or email disability@bbk.ac.uk.
Alternatively you can go to the Disability Office in room G12 between 4pm and 6pm
Monday – Thursday for during their drop-in hours.
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Annex: Disclaimer and Useful links
Regulations, procedures and codes of practice:
Ever effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this programme
handbook is accurate at the time of going to press. For full, up-to-date information about
College regulations, please see:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs
Other useful links
Department of Politics
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/politics
Moodle:
http://www.ble.ac.uk
Regulations, procedures and codes of practice:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs
Regulations for Taught Programmes of Study:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/casregs.pdf
Mitigating Circumstances Policy, Procedure and Guidance:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/mitcircspol.pdf
Break-in-Study Policy:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/bis.doc
College Policy on Plagiarism and other Assessment Offences
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/assmtoff.pdf
Disability and dyslexia support
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities/disability
Birkbeck data protection policy
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/policies_services/policies_az/data_protection_policy
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Annex: Useful contacts
Academic staff
Samantha Ashenden
Edwin Bacon
Antoine Bousquet
Rosie Campbell
Alejandro Colás
Diana Coole
Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos
Jason Edwards
Ali Burak Güven
Dermot Hodson
Eric Kaufmann
Joni Lovenduski
Deborah Mabbett
Rob Singh
Jorg Spieker
David Styan
Matthijs van den Bos
Ben Worthy
Sami Zubaida
Barbara Zollner
Administrative staff
Irene Breckon
020 7079 0755
Nina Dartford
020 7631 6780
James Harding
020 7631 6789
Politics Office
0 20 7631 6780
s.ashenden@bbk.ac.uk
e.bacon@bbk.ac.uk
a.bousquet@bbk.ac.uk
r.campbell@bbk.ac.uk
a.colás@bbk.ac.uk
d.coole@bbk.ac.uk
d.dimitrakopoulos@bbk.ac.uk
j.edwards@bbk.ac.uk
a.guven@bbk.ac.uk
d.hodson@bbk.ac.uk
e.kaufmann@bbk.ac.uk
j.lovenduski@bbk.ac.uk
d.mabbett@bbk.ac.uk
r.singh@bbk.ac.uk
j.spieker@bbk.ac.uk
d.styan@bbk.ac.uk
m.van-den-bos@bbk.ac.uk
b.worthy@bbk.ac.uk
s.zubaida@bbk.ac.uk
b.zollner@bbk.ac.uk
i.breckon@bbk.ac.uk
n.dartford@bbk.ac.uk
js.harding@bbk.ac.uk
politics@bbk.ac.uk
Other useful numbers
College
020 7631 6000
Switchboard
Registry
020 7631 6390/6309
College Library
020 7631 6239
Students Union
Student Financial
Support
Disability Office
ITS Reception
020 7631 6335
020 7631 6362
020 7631 6336
020 7631 6543
Telephone numbers are liable to change from time to time – please phone the Department
Office (020 7631 6780/6789) or the Birkbeck Switchboard (020 7631 6000) in case of
difficulties.
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Annex: Criteria for the Award of Honours
1. In order to obtain an Honours Degree in Politics and Government, students must accumulate a
total of 360 credits, where each module is worth 30 credits. Students must therefore normally pass
12 modules in order to be awarded the degree, except in cases where credit for prior study has
been approved.
2. Students take 120 credits at level 4, a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 120 credits at level 5,
and a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 180 credits at level 6.
3. The Study of Politics, Comparative Government, Modern Political Analysis, The Practice of
Politics, Contemporary British Politics, Democracy and Authoritarianism and Social and Politics
Theory are all designated as compulsory modules. Students must attend and take all assessment
for these modules. If any of these modules are failed in the first instance, students must retake or
be reassessed for the module (up to a total of three failed attempts).
4. A passing grade for a module is recorded when a student achieves an overall module result of
40% or above.
5. If a student achieves an overall module result of between 30-39%, their grade is recorded as a
fail. Students may be reassessed for the failed elements of their assessment on the module, up to a
total of three failed attempts.
6. A student failing a module by a narrow margin may be awarded a Compensated Fail. No more
than two 30 credit modules designated as Compensated Fails may contribute towards the 360
credits required to obtain a degree. No more than 30 credits Compensated Fail (i.e. one module)
contributing towards the final credit total can be at Level 6.
7. A student achieving a module result of less than 29% will be deemed to have failed the module
with an unsatisfactory performance. No credit will be awarded for the module and students cannot
be reassessed. Students may only retake the entire module, which requires that they attend all
scheduled contact sessions and complete all assessment on the module on the next occasion that it
runs.
8. The Exam Board determines whether a student failing with an overall module result between
30-39% is to be reassessed for the failed elements of assessment, or is required to retake the entire
module.
9. When calculating final degree classification, only Level 5 and Level 6 modules contribute. The
final classification is a weighted average of Level 5 and Level 6 modules; Level 5 weighted at 1,
and Level 6 at 2.
9.1 The College sets the class of Degree that may be awarded as follows:
First:
70% or above for the average weighted module results
Upper Second:
60% or above for the average weighted module results
Lower Second:
50% or above for the average weighted module results
Third:
40% or above for the average weighted module results
9.2 Where a student’s average result is within 2% of the next (higher) degree classification the Exam
Board should consider the number of modules and credit for which the assessment falls within a
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particular class. If a candidate has preponderance of module results in a higher class than that
determined by the aggregate result, the higher degree may be awarded.
9.3 A student may obtain a Pass classification if they have accumulated 300 credits, with at least
120 credits at Level 6, and no more than 60 credits as Compensated Fail (of which no more than
30 can be at Level 6).
9.4 A student may NOT attempt further modules above a total of 360 credits in order to improve
his/ her average result.
9.5. The Exam Board may take into account such additional factors as may have affected candidates’
performance and any special difficulties the candidate may have experienced, such as illness.
Discretion will be used to the benefit of the candidate and not otherwise.
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