OK. So you've decided to study Politics. Your second wise choice is to select the University of Lincoln as the place to study. As well as being studied as a single subject, Politics can also be combined with a number of other disciplines. The most popular combinations include studying Politics with Social Policy, Law, Journalism, Criminology and International Relations.
Politics is an area that we are all well aware of. Political parties, elections, pressure groups, the media and government are part of our daily lives. We are all affected by politics in one way or another because politics is the way in which we understand and order our social affairs. Politics has been described as concerned with people's social and material relationships which are continually changing through time. The process was neatly described in the succinct phrase: 'who gets what, when and how'. In examining these questions, politics is clearly related to many other academic fields of study, such as economics, history and sociology, and of course, social policy and international relations.
Whilst they are of great importance, there is also more to the study of politics than the apparent face presented by parties, elections and different forms of government. Important areas examined in the study of Politics at Lincoln, include political analysis, policymaking and implementation, political thought, and other areas such as human rights. The study of politics is also an essential part of the University's degree level provision in journalism.
A distinctive feature of the politics programme at Lincoln is our combined focus which encompasses a detailed and critical analysis of established political institutions such as parliament and government, the devolved assemblies and the European Union, alongside the study of alternative modes of political participation and engagement which focuses on politics at the level of the street and the community, body politics and the anti-politics movement. Another strong and innovative strand which runs through all three years of the programme is our emphasis on research methods. The politics degree is designed to enable you to generate knowledge and to develop transferable skills. You will be given the skills to carry out your own research with training in, amongst other things, conducting interviews, carrying out documentary analysis, collecting data using surveys, and statistical analysis. Moreover, from level 1 you will be given the opportunity to carry out your own research culminating at level 3 with the completion of your own substantial piece of independent research.
The Politics subject lecturers are a highly qualified team with varied research interests. Staff publications (including many books, chapters and articles), staff television and radio broadcasts and other research related activity mean that you will be able to benefit from their expertise. The School of Social Sciences views research, along with teaching, as one of its core activities. An active research base ensures that staff are involving in current debates, contributing to knowledge, and that new developments and issues become integrated into the curriculum to the benefit of the students. The School has a significant research profile, with most staff being active researchers, and a strong record of publications. Current and recent research projects have been funded by a wide variety of bodies including the Economic and Social Research Council, the Nuffield Foundation and many other public and voluntary sector organisations. Staff also work very closely with the Policy Studies Research Centre, established by the University in 1995 largely on the basis of research undertaken in the School. The PSRC provides an additional focus for research in the subjects covered by the School an further facilitates and encourages, research, publication and visits from staff of other UK and foreign universities.
The degrees involving Politics use a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures and seminars, group projects and workshops. In an average week you will probably find yourself having to attend a lecture in each of your core units, with a follow-up seminar. Seminars are usually more informal, to enable students to discuss the topic with their tutor in a smaller group, and they sometimes involve students working in groups to prepare presentations or reports. Other methods such as videos, decision-making problems and questionnaires are also used in seminar settings. There is an emphasis on the development of skills, both to assist in your work at University and for future employment. We also assume that students will want to see tutors individually from time to time, to discuss assessment work, for example.
Tutors use a variety of methods of assessment in order to develop your skills and check your understanding of the content of the courses, but also to ensure that you can gain due credit for the style of work that suits you best. Some people are good at exams but less able to express themselves orally and vice versa. So to some extent a varied menu of types of assessment helps you to compensate for the style of work you are least comfortable with. The units you are doing may therefore be assessed by a variety of techniques including essays, individual and group reports and presentations, or examinations. You have to pass your first year but only your second and third year marks count towards the classification of your degree.
The School of Social Sciences has links with a number of other Higher Educational establishments on overseas countries. Student and staff exchanges, the cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences, is positively encouraged. Study visits of either a semester of a year's duration provide an opportunity for students to add to their 'marketability'. We currently have links with Holland, Sweden, Latvia, France, Sweden, Belgium and the USA. We are keen to expand our links in these areas.
The range of transferable skills which students
acquire, such as competence in information technology,
group working and presentation skills, combined with the
development of academic skills, provide a sound basis
for a variety of careers. Politics graduates have had
successful careers in, inter alia, the financial sector,
management, teaching, the media, journalism, local
government and the civil service. In addition, some of
the School's graduates go on to further study prior
to joining the job market.