Moderation means that a second marker with appropriate subject knowledge reads a representative sample of marked work from across the marking range to ensure the marking is fair, consistent and accurate. The moderator may recommend some rescaling of marks (raising or lowering all the marks across the board or within a specific range) to ensure fairness and consistency.

Double marking means that a second marker reads and marks all the work for an assessment. In the case of any difference the two markers meet to agree marks.

Which of these two methods is used depends on the type of assessment and the number of students on a module. The final year dissertation is always double marked.

In addition to our internal procedures for ensuring fairness and consistency in marking, we also use external examiners. External examiners are experts from another UK university whose role includes reviewing a sample of assessed work (both coursework and exams) from each module. This normally takes place at the end of the academic year.

Please note that, to be placed in a given class or range of marks, the work need not have all the required characteristics, AND work with some of the characteristics of a given class will not necessarily be located in that class.

Our full marking criteria is attached below.

To view your marks for assessment, log-in to MySIS (your personal area of SIS) with your usual computer log-in, where they will be listed. These are marks are provisional and subject to change until they are agreed by the appropriate subject examination board. MySIS will indicate whether the results are provisional or confirmed. Guides on checking your results on MySis are available on the Student Enquiry website (http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/mysis-record/provisional-results/index.html).

Additionally, provisional marks for assignments with feedback (see below) are available via the relevant assignment link on the QMPlus module page. Please note that any mark shown on QMPlus is subject to change and also does not include any late penalty deductions.  Late penalty deductions are only made after marks are loaded into MySIS and are identified by a code of 'PL' - pass late or 'FL' - fail late.

Feedback

Feedback is fundamentally important to improving your academic skills and the quality of your work. Feedback is much more than written feedback on your essays, and, depending on the module, you will get different forms of feedback:

1. Individual comments on your coursework coversheet and in the text of your coursework available via the relevant assignment link on the QMPlus module page.  Please read these comments. Once you have read them, do discuss the comments and feedback with your seminar tutor, the module convenor and/or your personal advisor if you are unsure.
2. Seminar feedback -Feedback on the coursework during the seminar in which it is returned. This feedback will highlight common good practice and poor mistakes. It is important that you note this feedback and take it on board for your future assessment. Time will be allocated for you to ask further questions about the coursework in the seminar if anything is unclear.
3. One-to-one feedback -Each of your seminar tutors, module convenors and personal advisors has two weekly drop-in hours during term time. Use these hours to get feedback on your work and on how you are doing!
4. Exam feedback -You can request feedback on your exams. You must complete a form (see below) and the Politics Office will then find the exam papers and pass them on to the module convenor who will give feedback during drop-in hours.

Help is very much available to you. You are also very welcome to come and see us after the module has completed to discuss your work as a way to continue to improve in your other modules.

When you enrol at Queen Mary you will be enrolled on to a programme of study. You will then need to register for modules associated with that programme.

Important things to note;

• Full year Modules are 30 credits.
• Single semester modules are 15 credits
• You must ensure you have a balanced teaching load in each semester.
• You must take 120 credits in each academic year of study.
• Your final classification mark and overall classification is calculated on all 360 credits taken as part of your degree programme.
  

The module system offers you freedom to shape your own programme of study, while providing a sound grounding in the core concepts and methods of the discipline(s) you are studying.

To ensure grounding in your subject, all Politics and International Relations students, whether single or joint honours, take some compulsory modules in their first and second years (see individual programmes for full details.)  Joint honours students may find that all their first year modules are compulsory.

In general, as you progress through the degree, the element of choice increases. It is, of course, desirable that your choice of modules makes academic and intellectual sense. You should discuss your plans with your Personal Adviser each year before finalising your module choices. You may also want to discuss module options with existing students. 

To ensure academic progress, many second and final year modules have pre-requisites, ie. modules that you must have already taken.

By choosing particular modules that complement each other, you will build upon what you have studied in each academic year, and make your own “pathway” through the degree.

The attached module directory details all of our module descriptors and programme structures,  In addition module descriptors are available on-line:

http://www.qmul.ac.uk/modules/

To register for your modules you will log-in to MySIS (your personal area of SIS) with your usual computer log-in, and make preliminary choices from a list using the descriptions to tell you what the modules are about. Any core or compulsory modules will be preselected and you cannot change these.

Once you are happy with your choices, these will automatically be sent to your school for approval (e.g. they will make sure there aren’t any timetable clashes and you have a balance of modules in each semester) – you can send comments to them with the selection if you wish. All of your selections must be confirmed and approved by the specified deadline. The final outcome of your choices will be confirmed to you by email. Module registration has to be completed by the specified deadline (normally mid October within the first two weeks of teaching).

All modules have a limited number of places, and priority is given to students who are required to take them for their programmes. Therefore it is important that you choose your electives and complete module registration as soon as possible.

Please note, new students register for modules in September whereas continuing students will register for modules before they come back to university in September i.e. continuing students will register in March 2020 for modules for the academic year beginning September 2020.