SPIR handbook
Dear Student,
Welcome to the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary, University of London.
Whether you are studying a single honours programme of Politics or International Relations, taking the Politics and International Relations joint degree, or taking Politics modules as part of a joint degree with another subject, you are an integral part of our School during your undergraduate studies at Queen Mary.
In terms of the quality of our teaching, we have been officially recognised as delivering 'excellent' teaching in a friendly and supportive environment. Our modules cover a broad range of topics in politics and international relations: political theory, government, public policy, processes of democratisation, global development, globalisation, international security, US foreign policy and conflict management. We hope that you will find them informative, stimulating and enjoyable.
In the School of Politics and International Relations you will be part of a multicultural group of students, working alongside academic staff who are enthusiastic and innovative teachers, as well as active researchers. We will do our best to give you appropriate support and guidance throughout your undergraduate degree; it is also up to you to work hard to secure the maximum benefit from your time in the School.
Please take time to read through this Handbook which provides information relevant to your studies.
We hope that you will enjoy your time studying Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary.
Professor David Williams
Head of School
This handbook should be used together with the Academic Regulations. It provides information specific to the School of Politics and International Relations, while http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/ gives information common to all students at Queen Mary. The Academic Regulations provide detailed information on progression, award and classification requirements.
Nothing in this handbook overrides the Academic Regulations, which always take precedence.
You need to refer to the relevant Academic Regulations which are applicable to the year you started your undergraduate studies at Queen Mary. Additionally, the Assessment Handbook also provides important information on Queen Mary's assessment regulations.
The relevant Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook can be assessed via the following link:
http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/policy/
The information in this SPIR Student Handbook is correct as of September 2020. In the unlikely event of substantial amendments to the material, the School will inform you of the changes.
QM cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of information given in third party publications or websites referred to in this handbook.
SOME SECTIONS OF THIS HANDBOOK ARE SUBJECT TO FINAL REVISIONS, WHERE THIS IS THE CASE, IT IS INDICATED.
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Dates and DeadlinesDates to remember: 2021/22
Key QMUL dates are available on the ARCS homepage (www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk) and here: http://www.qmul.ac.uk/about/calendar/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Degree classificationDegree Progression and Classification Requirements* *Special provisions apply for the 2019-20 academic year due to COVID19, see information at bottom of this page* Progression and award of degrees are in accordance with QM academic regulations. This summary information is for guidance only and applies if you started your undergraduate studies in September 2015 or later. If you started your studies before this time, or you require further guidance, please contact spir-assessments@qmul.ac.uk and consult the relevant regulations applicable to the year you started your undergraduate studies. Requirements to progress from year 1 to year 2 Take 120 credits and pass modules to the
value of at least 90 credits. Maintain an average of 40.0 or
higher. Fail (after resit) no more than 30 credits. Requirements
to progress from year 2 to year 3 Take
120 credits and pass modules to the value of at least 195 credits.
Maintain an average of 40.0 or higher. Fail (after resit) no more than 30
credits. Requirements to progress from year 3 to year 4 (only applicable for students who spend year 3 studying abroad) Take the equivalent of 120 QM credits and
pass a minimum of 105 with an average of 40.0 or higher. Please note, if
you fail your year abroad you will be change to the three year programme on
your return to Queen Mary. The results from the year abroad do not
contribute to the final degree classification. Award Requirements - 3 year degree programmes Take 360 credits, equivalent to 120 per
year, pass modules to a minimum value of 315 credits including 90 at
level 6 or
higher. * This means that if you take POL318, Dissertation, worth 45
credits, you must pass this module. Achieve a College Mark of 40.0 or
higher. *If a student fails up to 30 credits at level 6 and still meets
the requirements for award, they will graduate and not be offered the
opportunity of resit/s as per QMUL academic regulations. Award Requirements - 4 year degree programmes Take 480 credits, equivalent to 120 per
year, pass modules to a minimum value of 420 credits including 90 at level 6 or
higher. * This means that if you take POL318, Dissertation, worth 45
credits, you must pass this module. Achieve a College Mark of 40.0 or
higher. *If a student fails up to 30
credits at level 6 and still meets the requirements for award, they will
graduate and not be offered the opportunity of resit/s as per QMUL
academic regulations. Calculation of Classification Mark This is calculated by taking the weighted average from each year as follows: Year 1 - 10%* Year 2 - 30% Year 3 - 60% *For students with advanced entry to year 2, year 1 does not count. Calculation of Yearly weighted average Each year you take 120 credits, these are in 'blocks' of 15 credits, so 8 x 15 credits = 120 credit for the year. You take the mark for each module then multiple it by the credit value, which is 1 if is 15 credits, 2 if it 30 credits, 3 if it is 45 credits (such as POL199, POL299 and the POL318 dissertation). To work out the yearly average you take each module x the credit weighting then divide by 8. (Note, special provisions are in place for final year students who have approved extenuating circumstances, contact spir-assessments@qmul.ac.uk for further details). During the 2019-20 academic year, the lowest 30 credits were discounted, so you take each module x the credit weighting and then divide by 6. An example of calculating the Classification Mark Year 1 average 60 = 60/100*10 = 6 Year 2 average 63 = 63/100*30 = 18.9 Year 3 average 70 = 70/100*60 = 42 6 + 18.9 + 42 = Classification Mark of 67 and student graduates with Second Class Honours, Upper Division. Classification of honours is made according to the following Mark scale70.0 - 100. 0 - First Class Honours 60.0 - 69.9 - Second Class Honours, Upper
Divison (2.1) 50.0 - 59.9 - Second Class Honours, Lower
Division (2.2) 40.0 - 49.9 - Third Class Honours 0.0 - 39.9 - Fail (no award) Please note,
the Classification Mark is used for classification purposes but the mark does
not appear on QMUL transcripts, only the degree classification appears. In certain circumstances if you fail to progress or meet award requirements you may eligible for the award of a Certificate or Diploma in Higher Education. Examination boards use a borderline policy when making recommendations for final degree classifications. The following criteria are used:
The following page links to the award regulations for QMUL degree http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/policy/ COVID19 Provisions: See attached document. These provisions impact on results from the 2019-20 academic year only. The requirements to graduate except for the cohort completing their degree in 2019-20 are unchanged. | ||
DeregistrationAttendance All undergraduate students are expected to attend scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, seminars, field work, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, lab sessions, project meetings, and other events which are associated with the modules for which they are registered as part of their programme of study. Registers
are
taken for each seminar, and
persistent non-attendance at seminars and failure to submit coursework
may lead to de-registration from your programme and termination of your
enrolment with Queen Mary. You are expected to be available to attend classes 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday. It is a College requirement that you must supply a medical certificate for illness that lasts longer than five days. It is your responsibility to regularly check your email and QMPlus announcements for notifications concerning changes to the timetable, so that you are always aware of when and where your seminars are scheduled. Persistent non-attendance – whether for good reason or not – may affect your ability to pass a module successfully. If you do not pass sufficient modules to progress you will be required to take late summer resits and should you still not pass sufficient modules after these resits and if you have further attempts remaining, you will be registered to resit ‘out of attendance’ the following academic year. This means that you do not return to full time study until you have re-sat and passed sufficient modules to progress. If the School notes that you are achieving low marks on your modules you may be asked to meet with your adviser to discuss your studies. However, you are always welcome to discuss all aspects of you studies with your adviser. If you have any concerns it is better to seek advice from your adviser sooner than later. Deregistration may occur for:
If you miss 3 seminars in the same semester on a single module, you will be sent a warning email and asked to meet with your Personal Adviser to explain the reason for your absences. It is essential that you do so, as we will only be able to support/advise you when we know more about any problems you are experiencing which may be affecting your attendance and engagement. We can only help if you are forthcoming and willing to put in the effort to improve your engagement. We recommend all students take advantage of the support and services available to them within the School and the College. If your absences persist and you miss 5 seminars in one semester, on a single module you will be sent a final warning and given one last chance to make a case to your Personal Adviser before being deregistered from that module. You may be required to submit evidence of your circumstances in order to support your claim. De-registration may lead to termination of your enrolment with Queen Mary. NOTE While absence from one or two seminars or lectures owing to illness or family emergency is understandable, you must have attended seminars in order to achieve the learning outcomes of a module – regardless of the circumstances If you are unable to attend a seminar for a good reason, such as illness, you should let your seminar tutor and the School Office (politics@qmul.ac.uk) know in advance, so that the absence can be noted as authorised. When you return, you should see your seminar tutor to discuss how to catch up with missed work. If you have had a series of absences, you may be required to produce a medical certificate to confirm that your absences have been due to medical problems. If such medical issues persist indefinitely you may be required to submit a medical note to confirm you are fit enough to attend university. If ongoing circumstances are affecting your ability to attend seminars and you are therefore unable to successfully complete a module, you should contact either your Personal Adviser, Senior Tutor or Student Support officers. Tuition Fee deregistration When you enrol or re-enrol at the start of each academic year you agree to QMUL’s Tuition Fee Regulations, https://www.qmul.ac.uk/tuition-fee-regulations/, which set the deadlines for paying tuition fees. Failure to pay your tuition fees by these deadlines may lead to your deregistration from your programme of study, under College Ordinance C3 http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/governance/council/charter/ | ||
Disability and Dyslexia ServiceThe university’s Disability and Dyslexia Service (DDS) offers advice, guidance and support for students with disabilities, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and dyspraxia, from application through to graduation. The range of support that the DDS is able to provide includes:
Contact Telephone: 020 7882 2756 Web: www.dds.qmul.ac.uk/ Email: dds@qmul.ac.uk | ||