PAIS > Globally-oriented curriculum

How do departments claim to convey global knowledge?

Student Body

Prospective Students: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/

Claim to attract the best students from around 40 countries giving PAIS an essential mix of diversity, vitality, a broad range of opinion and valuable international expertise.

Student Profiles:

Profiles of Current Undergraduate Students: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/student_profiles/

Designed to give an idea to prosepctive students, of life at Warwick as a PAIS student.

Some extracts from each student profile in order displayed on website:

I left my hometown, Izmir, in order to study at one of the most international and dynamic institutions in Europe. When choosing where to study, the academic excellence, research expertise and international reputation of Warwick influenced me to apply.

PaIS also gave me the opportunity to travel and put my studies into context. In my second year I studied in Hong Kong through a departmental exchange programme, a place I do not think I would have otherwise been able to visit. Apart from linking into your home studies, there you can be overwhelmed by the cultural experience, the way of living, the style of teaching – and of course the political system. International exchanges not only enhance your studies, but are a wonderful way of developing yourself as an individual.

Another great thing about the department is that it is genuinely international, which makes for some fascinating exchanges in and outside the seminar room.

As an Italian citizen who has spent the majority of his life living in East Africa, I have enjoyed interacting with Warwick’s large and diverse international community

I am currently studying for a year at the University of California, Los Angeles. As I write, the sun is streaming in – just another typical day of glorious Californian weather – and I’m about to go to my class on next week’s American presidential election.

I will spend my second year at University studying at the University of
California, Berkeley. Every year the department sends a small number of
students to study in the U.S.; such an opportunity was one of the main
reasons for me applying to the University.

I chose the Department of Politics and International Studies at Warwick for my undergraduate studies mainly because of its reputation both in the UK and abroad.

Curriculum

Politics

First year Core Module

World Politics: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/wp

To provide students of an overview of politics at an international level.
Examines the role of nation states
Looks at political systems, issues, concepts at an international level.
This module aims to discuss contemporary issues that affect world politics and be familiar with contemporary literature on world politics.

Note there are no Politics option modules for First year Students in the Politics department.

Second and Third Year Modules

Second Year Core Module

Political Theory From Hobbes: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/pth

Students study a wide range of European Literature.

Third Year Core Module

Issues in Political Theory: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/ipt

Students study a variety of literature from global authors.

There are many option modules from Second and Third years that have international elements, including:

Politics of Developing Areas: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/pda/

Politics of the USA: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/pusa

French Politics and Institutions: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/fpi

Theories of International Relations: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/tir

Middle East Regional Relations: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/tir

Politics of Globalisation http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/prospectivestudents/abstracts/pg

Politics and International Studies:

Politics with International Studies:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/depta2z/pais/

Another degree programme for PAIS, aimed at students with a focused global interest.
Option modules provided, are PAIS modules that have international elements, as exemplified above.
Students also take a core module in their second year, Theories of International relations, whilst Politics students are taking Politics in the UK.
Students in their first year are also encouraged to study a foreign language.
Claimed to be good for students seeking a career with an international organistion.

Politics with French

Politics with French:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/depta2z/pais/l2r1/

Students, who already have French language skills, are able to develop and enhance those skills, alongside Politics modules. Students are also allowed to take French historical/cultural modules.
Claims to be good preparation for students contemplating a career in an international organisation.

Foreign Study

3 routes

PAIS US-Exchange:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/staff/mccrisken/georgetown

PAIS department send at least one student every year to study in America at either Georgetown University or the University of California.
This exchange is open to first year students studying Politics; Politics with International Studies; History and Politics; Economics and PAIS; Politics and Sociology; or Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE).

The Hong Kong Exchange:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/currentstudents/cityu/

Students on the Politics and Politics and International Studies degree programmes can apply to spend terms 2 and 3 of the second year in the Department of Public and Social Administration at City University in Hong Kong.

There is also evidence of the experiences of students studying on the exchange.
The Hong Kong Experience:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/currentstudents/cityu/experience
This page has a picture of HK city, its taken at night and looks very exciting and would certainly appeal to some students.
There are then three accoounts from students in word documents. An extract from one of them is below:
The first thing one experiences in visiting Asia’s world city is the vastness of it. The

buzzing metropolis is a stark contrast to the small, quintessentially English town of

Leamington Spa, filled with students and older people. Coming to Hong Kong from

the University of Warwick enabled an appreciation of a different way of life.

Study in Europe:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/currentstudents/erasmus

Politics and Politics with International Studies students may change to a degree with an Intercalated Year and study in Europe through the ERASMUS scheme.
Countries available to study in are France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
This opportunity is only available to those students who are competent in the appropriate language.