Studying politics at Chester is more than just media headlines. It is about how politics is a part of everything. For this reason politics is an outstanding discipline to combine with. It has a natural connection with a number of other programmes, particularly International Relations. There are also obvious links with Criminological and Sociological perspectives; History and Law have proved very popular combinations; the combination with International Development Studies or foreign languages offers an excellent graduate degree. The aim of the programme is to uncover underlying political issues; a Combined Honours Politics degree offers a unique perspective on many of the pressing political questions. Moving beyond the headlines in this fashion enables our students to develop, explore and form sophisticated opinions on a range of issues including: * The fair distribution of resources - and how this informs political cleavages * The role of elections and how they differ from country to country * The underlying causes of the 2011 London riots (and other social upheavals) * The impact of (and fascination with) political scandal Above all, the teaching team is fascinated by politics and we seek to encourage this fascination and passion among our students. Consequently, we often find ourselves in lively discussions and debates with our students. It is worth noting that the teaching team brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the subject. Guest lecturers, from within the University and from the political arena, provide specialist sessions. We also offer visits to events, talks and political institutions. In previous years we have offered visits to Parliament and to the local Council chambers to take part in mock debates. Getting ready for the real world: The Chester Politics Team is also acutely aware that the current economic climate demands transferable skills that students can utilise out in the ‘real’ world once they have graduated. With this in mind we place a strong emphasis on developing employability skills, such as critical thinking, refined researching skills, the confident presentation of findings, debating and respectful argumentation, and the encouragement to undertake relevant volunteering and work-placements. Our approach blends into our wider Departmental philosophy of enriching and enhancing the student experience. As a team of dedicated researchers and educational practitioners we are committed to: * Helping students to become confident independent learners. * Creating the best university experience by offering personalised support. * Encouraging a vibrant and engaged student community * Challenging students through innovative and inclusive assessments * Working in close concert with library and online services * Clearly stating expectations of staff through a Partnership Agreement We also offer a rich diet of teaching delivery. Chester Politics students receive a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, guest and specialist contributors, independent learning and research, practical work-based projects, group work, and via e-learning on our intranet. We make our teaching as interactive and as fun as possible, while always emphasising the learning process. The teaching team is very accessible and we know all our students. In addition, all students have a Personal Academic Tutor who provides advice and guidance across the whole programme of study for the entirety of their degree.

* Why study Politics at Chester? Studying politics at Chester is more than just media headlines. It is about how politics is a part of everything. For this reason politics is an outstanding discipline to combine with. It has a natural connection with a number of other programmes, particularly International Relations. There are also obvious links with Criminological and Sociological perspectives; History and Law have proved very popular combinations; the combination with International Development Studies or foreign languages offers an excellent graduate degree. The aim of the programme is to uncover underlying political issues; a Combined Honours Politics degree offers a unique perspective on many of the pressing political questions. Moving beyond the headlines in this fashion enables our students to develop, explore and form sophisticated opinions on a range of issues including: * The fair distribution of resources - and how this informs political cleavages * The role of elections and how they differ from country to country * The underlying causes of the 2011 London riots (and other social upheavals) * The impact of (and fascination with) political scandal Above all, the teaching team is fascinated by politics and we seek to encourage this fascination and passion among our students. Consequently, we often find ourselves in lively discussions and debates with our students. It is worth noting that the teaching team brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the subject. Guest lecturers, from within the University and from the political arena, provide specialist sessions. We also offer visits to events, talks and political institutions. In previous years we have offered visits to Parliament and to the local Council chambers to take part in mock debates. Getting ready for the real world: The Chester Politics Team is also acutely aware that the current economic climate demands transferable skills that students can utilise out in the ‘real’ world once they have graduated. With this in mind we place a strong emphasis on developing employability skills, such as critical thinking, refined researching skills, the confident presentation of findings, debating and respectful argumentation, and the encouragement to undertake relevant volunteering and work-placements. Our approach blends into our wider Departmental philosophy of enriching and enhancing the student experience. As a team of dedicated researchers and educational practitioners we are committed to: * Helping students to become confident independent learners. * Creating the best university experience by offering personalised support. * Encouraging a vibrant and engaged student community * Challenging students through innovative and inclusive assessments * Working in close concert with library and online services * Clearly stating expectations of staff through a Partnership Agreement We also offer a rich diet of teaching delivery. Chester Politics students receive a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, guest and specialist contributors, independent learning and research, practical work-based projects, group work, and via e-learning on our intranet. We make our teaching as interactive and as fun as possible, while always emphasising the learning process. The teaching team is very accessible and we know all our students. In addition, all students have a Personal Academic Tutor who provides advice and guidance across the whole programme of study for the entirety of their degree. Follow us on twitter for the latest news and events: Follow @politicschester "The Politics programme at the University of Chester allows you to analyse more than what happens in Westminster. It questions the very idea of society, looking at power struggles between each and every part of the political infrastructure. There are no right or wrong answers, providing a wealth of opinions and views from all members of the programme, making for an exciting and very unique course to study. An ability to question the things that take place around you, puts you in an outstanding position to be successful following your graduation from the course." Sam Mercer, Final Year Politics Student, 2012/13 ‘Everyone has been really nice and friendly and helpful'’. Stacey Rigby, Year 3, Combined Law and Politics ‘Politics is the bee’s knees'. Nick Byard, Year 2, Combined History and Politics ‘Very interesting and thought-provoking’. Beckie Hopper, Year 2, Combined History with Politics Find out more about Single Honours Politics Modules Modules are subject to change. Year 1 (Level 4) The following core modules will form the foundations of the degree: * Thinking about Politics and International Relations * Introduction to British Politics * Welfare Politics Your first year modules will provide you with a broad understanding of the UK political system and its processes. Moreover, they will introduce you to different ways of thinking about politics and they will help you explore the differences and similarities between political systems at the international level. (Remaining modules from the programme you are combining with). Year 2 (Level 5) In the second year the focus shifts to developing your knowledge and understanding of politics. The core modules are: * Politics and Policies * The Individual and the State If you wish to weight your degree more towards politics you can also select: * Global Politics and International Relations You can also undertake ONE of the following experiential modules: * Work Based Learning * Researching Politics The second year develops on the foundations. For instance, you will have the opportunity to investigate policy-making from an initial idea through to legislation and you will develop your understanding of cooperation and conflict in the international realm. You can also opt to evaluate and engage with major theoretical debates that underpin the study of politics. In addition, there a significant focus on employability skills (including experience in the workplace). Year 3 (Level 6) In your final year you will take more specialist topics. Depending on your weighting (major, minor, or equal) you will select between one and three of the following modules: * Security and Insecurity in World Affairs * Politics of Sustainability * Political Communication In this final year you will hone your analytical and communication skills. This can include undertaking a critical investigation into threat and international order; investigating the issues that underlie sustainability and green agendas; through to considering the implications and approaches to political marketing, branding and representation. Depending on how you choose to weight your degree combination you can also complete your dissertation (a double module) within the programme. This is an individual piece of research where you can choose your own topic of interest (guided by a member of staff throughout). If you are interested in undertaking a Single Honours Politics degree click here *modules subject to change Next: Assessment Assessment is varied, and includes essays, exams, multiples choice, media briefings, reports, presentations, and independent research projects (among many other methods). We reshape the teaching and learning on the programme as part of our dialogue with our students. The programme is not just about the formalised teaching and assessments. All tutors either have office hours or an open door policy. They will all be happy to respond to emails in order to arrange one to one meetings. There are also extra-curricular activities including a lecture series and opportunities for formal debating. We have an annual departmental conference, which gives you the opportunity to listen to top academics talking about their research. The Politics programme also has a close working relationship with our subject librarian and with colleagues in study skills, as well as with Careers and Employability. This means that you get support tailored to the needs of Politics students. We take pride in the support which we provide and in the variety of activities on offer. Next: Careers The course will prepare you for a wide range of jobs including: Jobs directly related to your degree: * Public affairs consultant * Politician’s assistant * Government social research officer * Social researcher * Civil Service fast streamer Jobs where your degree would be useful: * Diplomatic Services operational officer * Local government officer * Charity officer * Market researcher * Newspaper journalist You will be equipped with transferable skills which are valued by employers such as: * ability to research, source and examine information thoroughly; * critically analyse evidence and construct coherent arguments in order to present your own; strong and cohesive point of view * written communication and oratory skills. If you are studying this course on a combined basis you should look at options with both subjects. For further information please visit: www.chester.ac.uk/careers