MSc in Comparative Politics
Programme Code: TMCP
Department: Government
For students starting this programme of study in 2020/21
Guidelines for interpreting programme regulations
Classification scheme for the award of a taught master's degree (four units)
Exam sub-board local rules
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. Students can either opt for No Specialism or choose one of the following streams: Democracy and Democratization, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Comparative Political Economy, Popular Politics, or Politics of the Developing World.
The core elements for all specialisms on this programme are: GV467 and GV499.
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.
Please note that places are limited on some optional courses. Admission onto any particular course is not guaranteed and may be subject to timetabling constraints and/or students meeting specific prerequisite requirements.
Democracy and Democratization | ||
|---|---|---|
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
GV4E1 Comparative Democratization in a Global Age (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
Paper 4 |
Courses to the value of 0.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
GV427 Democracy in East and South Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
|
GV442 Globalisation and Democracy (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
|
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
|
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
|
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
|
GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
|
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) | |
Paper 5 |
Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
| ||
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5) | |
|
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5) | |
|
GV465 War, Peace and the Politics of National Self-Determination (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
|
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5) | |
|
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) | |
|
GV4J9 Populism (0.5) | |
Paper 4 |
Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
| ||
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5) | |
|
GV441 States and Markets (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
|
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
Paper 4 |
Courses to the value of 0.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
|
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5) | |
|
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
|
GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5) | |
|
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5) | |
Paper 5 |
Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: | |
| ||
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) # | |
|
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
|
GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5) | |
|
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) | |
|
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) | |
Paper 4 |
Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
| ||
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: | |
|
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
|
GV427 Democracy in East and South Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
|
GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
|
GV443 The State and Political Institutions in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
|
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
|
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) | |
|
GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5) | |
|
GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
|
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) | |
Paper 4 |
Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
| ||
Paper |
Course number, title (unit value) | |
Paper 1 |
GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
Paper 2 |
GV499 Dissertation (1.0) | |
Paper 3 |
Courses to the value of 2.5 unit(s) from the following: | |
Approved paper options list
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
DV460 Bayesian Reasoning for Qualitative Social Science: A modern approach to case study inference (0.5) # (not available 2024/25) | |
EU475 Europe and the Politics of Secularism (0.5) | |
EU481 The Future: Political Responses to a Challenge (0.5) | |
EU4A2 Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (0.5) | |
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5) | |
GV4A5 International Migration and Immigration Management (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV4B8 Civil Wars: Concepts and Cases (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5) | |
GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
GV4J3 Public Opinion, Political Psychology and Citizenship (0.5) # (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV4J9 Populism (0.5) | |
HY411 European Integration in the Twentieth Century (1.0) # * (not available 2024/25) | |
MY421 Qualitative Research Methods (0.5) (withdrawn 2021/22) | |
MY425 Case Studies and Comparative Methods for Qualitative Research (0.5) # | |
MY451 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis (0.5) (withdrawn 2021/22) | |
MY452 Applied Regression Analysis (0.5) # (withdrawn 2021/22) | |
A course from the Government Department or another department, with the consent of the convener of MSc in Comparative Politics and the teacher of the course. | |
Paper 4 options list (Democracy and Democratization)
GV427 Democracy in East and South Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV442 Globalisation and Democracy (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) | |
Paper 3 options list (Nationalism and Ethnic Politics)
EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5) | |
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5) | |
GV465 War, Peace and the Politics of National Self-Determination (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5) | |
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) | |
GV4J9 Populism (0.5) | |
Paper 4 options list (Comparative Political Economy)
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5) | |
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5) | |
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5) | |
Paper 3 options list (Popular Politics)
GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) # | |
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5) | |
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) | |
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) | |
Paper 3 options list (Politics of the Developing World)
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV427 Democracy in East and South Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV443 The State and Political Institutions in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) | |
GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5) | |
GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) | |
Options list (No Specialism)
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5) | |
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5) | |
GV427 Democracy in East and South Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5) | |
GV441 States and Markets (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV442 Globalisation and Democracy (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV443 The State and Political Institutions in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2020/21) | |
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24) | |
GV465 War, Peace and the Politics of National Self-Determination (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23) | |
GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) # | |
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5) | |
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5) | |
GV4E1 Comparative Democratization in a Global Age (0.5) (not available 2024/25) | |
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5) | |
GV4E8 Power Sharing and Institutional Design in Divided Societies (0.5) | |
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) | |
GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5) | |
GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5) | |
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) | |
GV4J9 Populism (0.5) | |
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5) | |
Prerequisite Requirements and Mutually Exclusive Options
* means available with permission
# means there may be prerequisites for this course. Please view the course guide for more information.
Note for prospective students:
For changes to graduate course and programme information for the next academic session, please see the graduate summary page for prospective students. Changes to course and programme information for future academic sessions can be found on the graduate summary page for future students.