NOTES: ** The Department of Economics will be the "home" Department for students registered for degrees which are annotated **
The Department has in recent years developed its degree courses to reflect current changes and developments in the social sciences as well as the career needs of social science students. Indeed, it is in the nature of social science that change is continuous because society and the economy are constantly changing. The content of the degrees will continue to reflect such change.
The programmes of courses are designed, therefore, to provide students with a firm grounding in social policy, sociology and political theory as these relate to the economic, social and public policies that determine the kind of society we live in.
Teaching is based on a course unit system in which students are expected to study twelve course units over three years. University of London Regulations require graduates to have passed in a minimum of nine course units and passes in at least ten or eleven units, depending on field of study, are expected for an honours degree.
The advantage of the course unit system is that it combines thorough coverage of all essential subjects with flexibility that allows students to choose to study topics of particular interest to them from a wide range of specialist option courses, many of which are based on current research in the Department. The Department is now a member of one of the Erasmus schemes - Health Policy - giving both undergraduate and postgraduate students an opportunity to spend up to one year in another university, for example, in Spain, France, Germany or Holland.
The courses are arranged over three years in such a way as to enable students to gain a firm grounding in the main disciplines and then to specialise to a greater extent as they proceed through their chosen degree courses. The structure of all the degrees is similar: each consists of a core of compulsory courses each year (which must be passed if a student is to proceed to the next year of that degree) and additional courses which may be chosen from a range of options.
The first year courses provide the basis for a thorough coverage of a range of social science subjects. The aim of this broad approach is to show students how social issues can be analysed in a variety of ways incorporating the perspectives of economics, social history, social policy, sociology, research methods and political science.
The second year consists of the main core courses in each field of study (such as social policy or sociology) and is designed to provide the main body of knowledge on a given topic.
In their third year students take three advanced specialist taught courses and also - as the fourth unit - they present a dissertation (extended essay) of 7,000-10,000 words on a topic which particularly interests them within one of their fields of study (see p31 for details).
The degrees are listed in this handbook with their component courses in each year and an indication of which courses are "compulsory core" and which are optional. Please note that courses available can change at short notice, and the Department reserves the right to alter course pathways in accordance with College rules and procedures.
Teaching is carried out principally by means of lectures and seminars. On average, each course (or unit) consists of one lecture and one parallel seminar per week (though some courses have more lectures). This means that the average teaching time for four course units is eight hours per week. Seminars are compulsory and seminar groups will usually consist of between ten to twelve students. The seminar may consist of a presentation on a prepared topic by a student followed by a general discussion guided by the seminar teacher. All students are expected to come to seminars having prepared for a discussion of the topic. There are no formally timetabled tutorials but the Department has an "open-door" policy that any student can see any member of staff to discuss their work. Students wishing to see members of academic staff should try, whenever possible, to see them in their office hours, which are posted on staff members' doors. Your academic year will be divided into two twelve-week teaching terms followed by a six- week examination term. Examinations will therefore commence immediately following your return from the Easter vacation. The dates of terms for the academic year 1995-96 can be found on p43 of this handbook.
You take four course units in each year (i.e. normally 12 are taken over 3 years) and you must pass at least nine, and in practice probably more, to obtain an honours degree. When assessing honours, there is a weighting towards second and third year work.
Course units in the first and second years are assessed by unseen written examinations. In the final year, some course units will be assessed solely by examinations and other units will be assessed by a mixture of coursework and examinations. The compulsory Dissertation course unit is an extended essay and is written independently, with guidance from a supervisor (see Extended Essay pp 31-33).
Examinations take place each year so that students are examined in the four course units they study in their first year at the end of that year. Normally students must pass at least two and a half of the four units to be able to proceed to the second year, but they may not be allowed to proceed in their chosen field of study if they fail one of the compulsory core courses.
Second year courses likewise are examined at the end of the second year and the same general rules hold for progression to the third year. One major advantage of this system is that when students enter their final year they will already have taken and passed the bulk of their examinations. This leaves the final year free to pursue advanced studies instead of swotting for "finals".
The award of a degree in a particular main field of study (for example Sociology and Social Policy) will depend upon students taking and passing a minimum number of course units in each of those fields of study.
Each student is required to submit three essays over two terms for each full course unit, and at least one essay in the first term. Half unit courses require the completion of two pieces of coursework each. Essays are marked and commented on. They do not contribute directly to assessment in examination-assessed course units but they may be used when examination results are borderline and in certain other circumstances. In addition, failure to complete satisfactorily any essays required for any course may result in a student being barred from the examinations.
When students come to a University it is expected and assumed that they will diligently pursue their studies. It is further assumed that they will consider that the full teaching programme laid down in their timetable, plus the written work in the form of essays and tests required for each course, represent the MINIMUM that the University expects from them. The Department, for its part, is required by the College, the University, and, where a grant is involved, the local authority or funding body, to certify each term that each student is making `satisfactory progress'. Normally, `satisfactory progress' means the minimum academic activity as defined above. However, it is recognised that a few students may not reach this minimum for a variety of reasons including illness and social causes as well as academic problems.
The Department is given some discretion in considering and reviewing student progress but it is essential that difficulties of any kind are reported to either the Academic Co- ordinator, or the Departmental Administrator or the Head of Department IMMEDIATELY they arise. Students are reminded that they must seek permission to absent themselves during term time, and that medical certificates will be required if periods of absence due to ill health are prolonged.
Each student is considered individually, and all factors relevant to the student are taken into account when progress is reviewed. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a definition of discretionary limits that would apply to all students. If the Department becomes concerned about any student's progress the procedure is to write asking the student to come to discuss the situation.
If a student continues to make unsatisfactory progress, a formal warning letter is sent and ultimately, it may be decided to bar them from taking the examination and thus also from completing the course unit in the relevant subject. This action could affect the field of study as well as the overall class of degree.
It must be stressed that the primary aim of the Department, the College and the University is to help each student to enjoy their undergraduate years and to obtain the best degree of which they are capable. Only the minimum level of disciplinary processes conducive to the fulfilment of the responsibilities laid upon the Department are used.
Last modified: pm Tue 21 Nov 1995