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PAIS is 6th in the 2010 Guardian University Guide's rankings of Politics departments, and was placed 7th among UK Politics departments for its research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The department is known as a centre of excellence in a number of research areas. Student profile
'In my three years at PAIS, I have observed continuous self-improvement in the department, especially in terms of faculty expansion and the introduction of new courses.' |
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About us
PAIS is one of the largest teaching departments in the country, with nearly forty full-time faculty members plus a number of part-time teachers. This allows us to offer a wide range of modules, including a good choice of options in each year of the degree programme. Our students also offered a range of module options from other social studies and humanities departments at Warwick.
The department currently teaches around 600 undergraduates. Its global reputation as a centre of teaching excellence attracts students from all over the world.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching follows a pattern of weekly lectures and seminars supplemented by a range of innovative teaching and learning techniques including group work, screening of relevant documentaries and films, and the use of Web-based projects. Outside speakers are invited to bring their experiences to the lecture rooms at PAIS. Every student is usually given the opportunity to present at least one seminar paper each term on the topic of his/her choice in every module, around which discussion is then encouraged.
The department's comprehensive personal tutor system aids student welfare during their stay in the department. The University’s Centre for English Language Teacher Education provides assistance to international students in order to develop their English language skills so that they can study more effectively.
Assessment is mainly through extended essays and examinations at the end of each year. Second and third year students in almost all modules are given the option to submit 5000 word essays as part of the examination programme. Students therefore may choose to sit a full three hour examination, or submit one long essay and sit an hour and a half exam, or in the third year modules, to do two long essays that constitute the entire assessment. Students can also opt for a dissertation on the core degree programmes.
Opportunities to study abroad
Students can apply to participate in the department's US exchange programme. This competitive exchange enables students to spend the second year of their degree at Georgetown University in Washington DC or the University of California (including Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego) while still completing their degree in three years.
The department is also involved in EU exchange programmes in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. There is also a half-year exchange programme with City University in Hong Kong.
What can you do when you leave PAIS?
A degree in Politics of International Studies can lead to a wide variety of careers. Students who take one of the degrees which is combined with the study of a language, or make use of the opportunities to study a language as an optional subject, may be interested in a career in an international organisation. Many students have followed careers in the media, including broadcasting, journalism and publishing. Others have chosen careers in business and industry, the legal profession, and the civil service. In recent years the European Union has become an alternative source of employment. A high proportion of PAIS students also go on to do graduate degrees and some even become academics!
Opportunities exist at PAIS to study for higher degrees in Politics, and the department has a well-developed graduate programme. Further details can be found here.
Need more information?
Further information about studying at Warwick can be found on the University Admissions Office website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/academicoffice/recruitment/undergraduates/.
For further information about undergraduate degree courses at PAIS, please contact:
Charlotte Lewis (Undergraduate Studies)
Department of Politics and International Studies
University of Warwick
Coventry
CV4 7AL
Telephone: +44 24 765 23302 or +44 24 765 28464
Fax: +44 24 76 52422
