• Offered by School of Politics and International Relations
  • ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Course subject Political Science
  • Areas of interest Political Sciences
  • Academic career UGRD
  • Course convener
    • Dr Andrew Banfield
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in Second Semester 2014
    See Future Offerings

This course asks students a basic question: how do you know what you know?  Contemporary Political Analysis is a third-year course that is the final course of the Politics major.  It will draw together all the knowledge of politcs and political analysis gained thus far in the major and propel students beyond what they know to an understanding of how they know it.  To do this it is divided into two sections: Theory and Methods.  The Theory section will pull together conceptual tools that students may have already encountered in the Politics major, but analyse and critique them as means of understanding the political world.  The Methods section will make explicit the methodologies underpinning the political analyses presented to students in earlier courses.  With these conceptual and methodological tools at their disposal, students will design their own research project will will test and analyse issues in contemporary politics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

On completeing this course students will be able to:

  1. Explain the complexity in issues of contemporary politics;
  2. Apply a range of methodological approaches by which to analyse such issues;
  3. Design a research project based on one particular methodological approach and apply this to a specific issue in contemporary politics;
  4. Apply the conceptual and analytical tools with which to approach political issues at higer levels of study or in the work place.

Indicative Assessment

Research Essay of 2500 words allowing for an in-depth knowledge of one particular methodological approach applied to a specific issue in contemporary politics (60%); (LO 3 and 4)

Summative assessment in the form of an essay or an exam of 2000 words applied to a wider range of methodological approaches than in the Research Essay by which students can analyse and critique complex issues in contemporary politics and produce potential solutions(40%). (LO 1,2,3 and 4)

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

The course will run over 13 weeks.

Each week will consist of approximately nine hours per week consisting of:

2 hours of lectures;

1 hour of tutorials;

6 hours of independent tutorial preparation, research and writing.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must have completed POLS1002

Prescribed Texts

Readings available via Wattle


Preliminary Reading

N/A

Majors

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Student Contribution Band:
1
Unit value:
6 units

If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.  Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee Description
1994-2003 $1164
2014 $2478
2013 $2472
2012 $2472
2011 $2424
2010 $2358
2009 $2286
2008 $2286
2007 $2286
2006 $2286
2005 $2286
2004 $1926
International fee paying students
Year Fee
1994-2003 $2574
2014 $3246
2013 $3240
2012 $3240
2011 $3240
2010 $3240
2009 $3240
2008 $3240
2007 $3132
2006 $3132
2005 $3132
2004 $2916
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
8474 21 Jul 2014 01 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 30 Oct 2014 In Person N/A

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