MRes Politics and International Studies

Programme

Qualifications and durations

• Full-time MRes (90 credits - 1 year)
• Part-time MRes (90 credits - 2 to 3 years)

Overview

The Masters of Research (MRes) programme provides students with the required research skills and methodologies to allow them to successfully undertake a doctoral degree. The breadth and depth of the skills provided also enables students to pursue a wide range of careers in European politics.

The programme consists of two semesters of taught courses and a dissertation module during which students write a 15,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice and under the supervision of an experienced member of staff.

Our MRes programmes are fully recognised by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC).

South West Doctoral Training Centre

This MRes is accredited by the Economics & Social Research Council (ESRC), specifically, as part of the larger South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC). It forms part of the Political Science & International Studies Discipline-specific Pathway.

The MRes can be taken as a course in its own right, or as part of the 1 + 3 (MRes + PhD) pathway, where successful graduates could proceed onto an MPhil or PhD in the Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies.

If applying for an MRes + PhD (the 1 + 3 programme) you should indicate on the Application Form, your preferred PhD route.

Progression from the MRes to the MPhil or PhD stage is dependent on achieving an acceptable level of achievement (typically an overall average of 60% on at least the taught component of the MRes).

Programme structure

Students will study a range of core units in qualitative and quantitative methods whilst also developing skills in social research.

Programme specific units:

• The politics of sustainability: environmental security and international relations
• The European Union's common foreign and security and defence policy
• Europe in global politics
• Concepts and theories in the study of contemporary European politics

View programme catalogue for further information.

Please note that:

• The programme catalogue and units listed above are applicable for the 2012/13 academic year only and should be treated as an example of the programme content. Students beginning or continuing their studies in 2013/14 and beyond should not assume that later years of a programme will be in the format displayed here for 2012/13.
• Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
• Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.

Learning and teaching

Our programmes are modular, consisting of self-contained units, taught and assessed on a semester basis. As you progress through each semester and successfully pass the examinations, you will receive credit for the units, thus providing you with a clear indication of your academic progress.

Teaching takes the form of lectures, classes and seminars. Lectures are quite formal, whereas classes and seminars involve interaction between the lecturer and a small number of students for study skills and discussion.

Methods of assessment

Assessment consists of a combination of assignments, class exercises, projects, oral presentations and examinations.

We also place strong emphasis on developing presentation and discussion/communication skills, which in many units is part of the assessed work.

Careers

Graduates from the MRes Politics and International Studies will be able to pursue a wide range of careers or progress to a research degree.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• A good undergraduate degree (first or 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent) in an appropriate subject, from a recognised university.
• In addition, we will also take the following into account: extended and responsible experience in a relevant field in commerce, or industry, or in teaching, or in a government establishment, together with authorship of papers or other work of an acceptable academic standard, e.g. published translation.

English Language requirements

Certificates must be dated to within two years of the start of the programme of study.

• IELTS 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components)
• TOEFL 580 (paper-based test) or 237 (computer-based test) with a score of not less than 4 in TWE or 92 (internet-based test) not less than 21 Writing, Listening 21, Reading 22 and Speaking 23.

If you wish to improve your English proficiency before commencing your studies, pre-sessional language training can be arranged through the English Language Centre.

References

• Two references are required. At least one of these must be an academic reference.

Read details for how to apply to study.

Financial information

Costs

• Deposit of £250 payable upon receipt of an offer of a place to study.
• Tuition Fees

Potential sources of funding

• ESRC funding will not be available for 2013/14 - details for 2014/15 will follow.
• Studentships and Scholarships
• This programme is recognised as being part of the Political Science & International Studies Discipline Pathway, in the ESRC-funded South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC). Applicants to this programme are therefore able to apply for ESRC-funded 1+3 studentships.

Deadlines

We suggest you apply before the following dates if you wish to study this programme:

• 30 June 2013 for International Students (who need to apply for a UK Visa).
• 31 August 2013 for Home/EU students.
• Funding deadlines for Studentships and Scholarships

Contact

Admissions Officer:
Email: polis-pgt-admissions@bath.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1225 38 3037

Related links

• Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies
• Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Graduate School

Our Research

Experts from our department are publishing regularly in the most highly ranked international journals and we have consistently achieved top results in official Research Assessment Exercises (RAE).

Our academic expertise and research activities are organised into three broad Research Clusters:

• Conflict, Security & International Order
• Governance, Citizenship & Policy
• Memory, History & Identity

International collaboration

Many staff are internationally leading scholars in their field. We are involved in a wide range of research activities, including collaborative projects at both national and international levels.

Projects are funded by a variety of bodies such as:

• Economics & Social Research Council (ESRC)
• European Commission Framework Programme
• Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Stimulating cutting edge research

Our diversity and the disciplinary mix of political science, political theory, policy analysis, social anthropology, political sociology and others make for a very stimulating environment for students to develop their own research projects.

The integration of our research community is further enhanced through the International Relations & European Politics (IREP) postgraduate group.

Keywords: Europe, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Translation, Conference, Liaison, Interpreting, Conference Interpreting, public service interpreting, Chinese, Liaison Interpreting, public speaking, CI, SI, LI, PSI, 通訳、翻訳、会議通訳、逐次　

About the Department

The Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies (PoLIS) is one of the largest departments in the University.

Many staff are leading scholars in their field and are involved in a wide range of research activities, including collaborative projects at both national and international levels.

International and industrial links

• Our department has links with 22 Erasmus partner institutions, as well as universities in Russia and Mexico.
• Research students regularly engage in fieldwork abroad, especially in the countries of the European Union, but also in Russia, Latin America and the United States.
• Students on the Euromasters programme study at two or three different sites in either Europe or the USA.
• In the case of the MA Interpreting & Translating and the MA Translation & Professional Language Skills, a number of work placements in Western Europe are made available to students in the language services of international organisations, government departments and commercial enterprises.

Careers

Our graduate prospects have been consistently ranked among the best in the UK.

Our wide-range of programmes enables graduates to find employment in many different fields. Some examples include:

• Diplomatic service
• Media
• Academia
• International organisations
• Multinational corporations
• Policy-forming institutes
• The language services of the United Nations and European Union

Many of our undergraduate programmes include a year abroad or placement year. These are highly valued by employers and will give you an edge in the competitive job market when you graduate.

Faculties

• Specialist interpreting laboratories
• Language laboratories
• Online international TV streaming service
• Self Access Language Centre (SALC)
• European Community and European Union publications
• Extensive local archive collections relating to research programmes in French and German politics
• Departmental film library

Centres

Our Foreign Languages Centre offers a wide range of language courses at different level that students can also choose to follow.

The English Language Centre provides Academic English classes and support for international students.