MSc Comparative Politics

Full-year programme. Students must take papers to the value of four full units as shown. All students are required to write a 10,000-word dissertation. Note that some of the courses must be taken together. Part-time students may take up to four courses in their first year. All students, except those opting for No Specialism, must choose one of the following streams: Democracy and Democratization, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Comparative Political Economy, Popular Politics, Comparative Political Institutions, Politics of the Developing World, and take a minimum of one full unit from within that stream. 

Core Elements

Paper

Course number and title

1

GV467 

Introduction to Comparative Politics (H) (M)

2

GV499

Dissertation

 

Specialisms

Democracy and Democratization

Paper

Course number and title

3

GV4E1

Comparative Democratization in a Global Age (H) (M)

4

One half-unit from the following:

 

GV427

Democracy in East and South Asia (H) (M) (n/a 13/14)

GV442

Globalisation and Democracy (H)

GV444

Democracy and Development in Latin America (H) (L)

GV4C9

Democratization and its Discontents in Southeast Asia (H) (M)

GV4E3

Democratisation, Conflict and State-Building (H)

GV4E2

Capitalism and Democracy (H) (L)

5

Courses to the value of 1.5 units, either from paper 4 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

Nationalism and Ethnic Politics

Paper

Course number and title

3

GV479

Nationalism

4

One half-unit from the following:

 

EU457

Ethnic Diversity and International Society (H)

GV436

National and Ethnic Conflict Regulation (H) (M) (n/a 13/14)

GV465

War, Peace and the Politics of National Self-Determination (H) (L)

GV4C7

Warfare and National Identity (H) (M)

GV4G6

Nationalism and Global Politics (H) (M)

SO464

Ethnic and Religious Violence in Post-Colonial Societies (H) (n/a 13/14)

5

Courses to the value of 1 unit, either from paper 4 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

Comparative Political Economy

Paper

Course number and title

3

GV441

States and Markets (H) (M)

4

One half-unit from the following:

 

GV4D4

The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (H) (L)

GV4E2

Capitalism and Democracy (H) (L)

GV4F8

Institutions in the Global Economy (H) (L)

SA4M1

Politics of Social Policy: Welfare and Work in Comparative Perspective (H)

5

Courses to the value of 1.5 units, either from paper 4 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

Popular Politics

Paper

Course number and title

3

Courses to the value of 1 unit from the following:

 

GV4A2

Citizens' Political Behaviour in Europe: Elections Public Opinion and Identities (H) (L)

GV4C9

Democratization and its Discontents in Southeast Asia (H) (M)

GV4D3

Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization and Decentralization (H) (L)

GV4F2

Popular Politics in the Middle East (H) (L)

EU462

Partisanship in Europe (H)

4

Courses to the value of 1.5 units, either from paper 3 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

Comparative Political Institutions

Paper

Course number and title

3

Courses to the value of 1 unit from the following:

 

GV443

The State and Political Institutions in Latin America (H) (M)

GV4C4

Legislative Politics: US (H) (L)

GV4C6

Legislative Politics: European Parliament (H) (L)

GV4E8

Conflict and Institutional Design in Divided Societies (H) (L)

GV4F8

Institutions in the Global Economy (H) (L)

4

Courses to the value of 1.5 units, either from paper 3 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

Politics of the Developing World

Paper

Course number and title

3

Courses to the value of 1 unit from the following:

 

GV427

Democracy in East and South Asia (H) (L) (n/a 13/14)

GV432

Government and Politics in China (H) (M)

GV443

The State and Political Institutions in Latin America (H) (M)

GV444

Democracy and Development in Latin America (H) (L)

GV4F2

Popular Politics in the Middle East (H) (L)

GV4F9

African Politics, Wars and Violence (H)

GV4G5

The History and Politics of the Modern Middle East

4

Courses to the value of 1.5 units, either from paper 3 above, or from the approved paper option list.

 

No specialism

Paper

Course number and title

3

Courses to the value of 2.5 units from any of the specialisms or from the approved paper option list.

 

Approved Paper Option List (for all Comparative Politics streams)
Any course listed under a specialism that has not already been taken †

AN436

The Anthropology of Development (H) *

AN451

Anthropology of Politics (H) *

EU457

Ethnic Diversity and International Society (H) *

EU462

Partisanship in Europe (H) *

GV439

Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (H)

GV4A5

International Migration and Immigration Management (H)

GV4A8

Nationalist Conflict, Political Violence and Terrorism (H) (M)

GV4B8

The Politics of Civil Wars (H) (L)

GV4B9

The Second Europe (H)

GV4C2

Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Totalitarianism (H) (L)

GV4H2

Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (H)

GI413

Gender and Militarisation (H) *

HY411

European Integration in the Twentieth Century (n/a/ 13/14) *

MY421

Qualitative Research Methods (H) (M)

MY426

Doing Ethnography (H) (L)

MY451

Introduction to Quantitative Analysis (H) (M)

MY452

Applied Regression Analysis (H) (M or L)

IR411

Foreign Policy Analysis III *

SA4M1

Politics of Social Policy: Welfare and Work in Comparative Perspective (H) *

SO464

Ethnic and Religious Violence in Post-Colonial Societies (H) (n/a 13/14)

A course from the Government Department or another department, with the consent of the convener of MSc Comparative Politics and the teacher of the course.

Notes

 † Students on a particular specialism will have automatic right of entry to the courses listed under the specialism. Other students will have access subject to availability.
 * Approval from the teacher of the course is required.