The MA in Politics is a full-time programme running for 12 months or a part-time programme running for 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

In order to be permitted to proceed to this programme, a candidate must normally hold a primary degree with a Second Class Honours Grade I (or equivalent) in one of the following areas: Arts, Humanities, Social Science or Law. Candidates who hold a primary degree with a Second Class Honours Grade II will also be considered subject to a written expression of interest and/or interview acceptable to the Director of the programme.

In Part I students take modules to the value of 60 credits. Students may not take more than 40 credits in a single semester and they must take at least 10 credits from each participating Department/School (i.e. Government, History, Philosophy). In Part II students complete a dissertation (PO6001) to the value of 30 credits.

Students take 90 credits as follows:

Part I

Department of Government
GV6103 Re-imagining Democratic Politics in a Changing World (10 credits)
GV6104 Political Participation and Mobilisation (10 credits)
GV6113 Governance and policy processes in the European Union (10 credits)
GV6114 Changing Dynamics of Governance (10 credits)
GV6115 European Security (10 credits)

School of History
HI6055 Understanding International Conflict (10 credits)
HI6060 The Politics of Terrorism (10 credits)
HI6063 Work Placement and Portfolio (10 credits)

Department of Philosophy
PH6012 Human Rights 1 (10 credits)
PH6016 Territorial Rights (10 credits)
PH6051 Advanced Metaethics (10 credits)
PH6052 Advanced Moral Psychology (10 credits)

Part II
PO6001 Dissertation in Politics (30 credits)

Part-time option
Students taking the programme part-time take 40 credits of taught modules in Year 1 and 20 credits of taught modules in Year 2. Students also take the Disseratation module (PO6001) in Year 2.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2016 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules 2015/2016.

Postgraduate Diploma in Politics (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
Students passing the taught modules in Part 1 (60 credits) may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Politics.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Politics (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Foster advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of political issues, methodologies, and theory;
• Foster the ability to critically analyse a range of sources and the intellectual debates within a given topic;
• Prepare for further research degrees.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Politics (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme,

• Foster advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of political issues, methodologies, and theory;
• Foster the ability to critically analyse a range of sources and the intellectual debates within a given topic;
• Develop research practice leading to the ability to construct and write a dissertation;
• Prepare for further research degrees.