Course coordinator
Dr DB Subedi
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course aims to provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to the study of politics across the areas of Governance and Public Policy, Peace and Conflict Studies and International Relations. Before one can write well in politics, one must be able to read well. Thus, the course begins with consideration of the importance of critically reading texts in order to recognize both argument and underlying assumptions. Doing so requires acknowledgment of the open-ended or essentially contested nature of many of the concepts that are used in political discourse and analysis. Such recognition equips us to be informed readers and therefore more skilful analysts and writers in our chosen field. Through close reading of texts, interactive class exercises and a number of written assignments students will have the opportunity to build their analytical and writing skills in this field.
We begin the course by exploring the meaning and various approaches to politics and its analysis across cultures and societies. We then investigate and critique fundamental concepts such as power, authority and legitimacy, ideas and institutions, decolonisation and sovereignty andﾠstate, globalisation and global governance, using examples from a variety of social, political and cultural contexts. Recognizing that these concepts are pivotal in defining and shaping polity and political ordering within a society, their comprehensive understanding will enable students to analyze politics and political discourses and the mechanisms and institutions through which political life is constructed andﾠenacted from local to international levels.
Finally, we will join in conversation withﾠscholars who are working within three broad subfields of politics, namely Public Policy, International Relations, and Peace and Conflict Studies. This will allow students to gain a strong sense of the way in which scholars working in each of these fields understand 'politics', their own particular sub-field, and how their own research and writing fits into each of these.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr DB Subedi
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course comprises 11 seminars, and one essay writing workshop, starting in Week 1.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to the study of politics across the areas of Governance and Public Policy, Peace and Conflict Studies, and International Relations. It also aims to buildﾠstudents' analytical and writing skills through close reading of texts, interactive class exercises and a number of written assignments.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate a broad understanding of the field of politics, including the essentially contested nature of many fundamental concepts.
LO2.
Demonstrate an understanding of norms and institutions and the role they play in political life
LO3.
Demonstrate the capacity to identify and analyse competing arguments
LO4.
Demonstrate the capacity to write clearly and effectively
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Reflective learning summary | 15% |
7/03/2025 - 23/05/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Case Study Analysis | 15% |
1/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Articles Review | 25% |
1/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique, Presentation |
Research Essay
|
45% |
30/05/2025 4:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Reflective learning summary
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
7/03/2025 - 23/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment requires students to write reflective summary of their learning focusing on one reading assigned to the week on which the task is due.
You must submit five learning summaries due in week 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10.
As a guide, you should write maximum 300 words per learning reflection, summarising what you have learned from the reading and how it helped you to develop critical thinking and analytical skill in writing politics.
Overall, the learning reflection must demonstrate that you have sufficently engaged with the reading and learned new ideas, concepts or perspectives in politics. Each submission will receive a maximum mark of 3 (total 15 mark for 5 pieces of tasks). No written feedback will be provided for every submission, but it will be checked to ensure you have completed the task and are eligible to receive the mark.
Learning summaries will be due by Fridy 4 pm. Student must submit this assessment via Turnitin in Blackboard.
Check the Blackboard site for detail submission deadlines and other useful information.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Contact the course coordinator if you need an extension
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Case Study Analysis
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
1/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
By the end of week 3, select a case of your choice and use it to develop a critical analysis of how power is exercised and played out in your case study. The case study analysis can focus on the interplay of power and politics either at international, national, sub-national or local level. The analysis must apply at least one conception of power discussed in the class and the reading materials.
The case study must be analytical, not just descriptive; that is do not undertake a general descriptive writing. The introduction to your case study should briefly summarise your case, justify your chosen focus, and explain how you structure the remainder of your paper. The body of the paper should engage with relevant academic literature on different concepts of power and then apply them to illustrate what mechanisms, policies, decision or actions were used to exercise power, by whom and what effects it has had on social and political life in your case study. Overall, you should demonstrate that you have developed a good understanding of different concepts of power and are able to apply them to investigate how power works in politics.
This assessment should be 1200 words in length (10% leeway is accepted). References will not be counted within the word limit.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Articles Review
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
1/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
You should write a review of four peer-reviewed academic articles or book chapters that contain relevant literature in relation to the topic of your final research essay. You should choose the essay topic from a given list which will be available in the course Blackboard site earlier in the semester.
The review must summarise key points and arguments from the article, engage with it critically, analysing and commenting on the article’s strengths, weaknesses, clarity, evidence and biases, if any. It should also offer your critical assessment, highlighting what you found compelling or lacking in the article and its contribution, if any, in relation to your research topic.
This assessment forms the first stage of your final assessment. This means you must integrate/adopt the review into the literature review section in your next final research essay.
This assessment should be 1600 words in length, that is 400 words for each review (10% leeway is accepted). References will not be counted within the word limit.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Research Essay
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Presentation
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
30/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Write a 2500-word essay in which you must address one of the essay questions which will be published one Blackboard early in the semester. Students are also welcome to devise their own research question, but this must be done in consultation with the course coordinator at least one month before the essay is due. The word length does not include
Your essay must integrate/adopt the review of articles from previous assessment into the literature review section of your research essay. This can be a concise and lightly paraphrased version of the review but failing to integrate/adopt the writing from the previous assessment will not meet the basic criteria of the research essay.
This assessment has a hurdle. This requires students to meet with the lecturer/tutor and respond to a question prompt in relation to the essay that is not known in advance, followed by 1-2 follow-up questions.
Students must pass this oral test to pass the course.
Students who do not receive a pass in the oral test can only receive an overall grade of 3 or less for the course. Students who receive an overall score of 3 in the Course are eligible to apply for a supplementary assessment (my.uq Supplementary Assessment) . See more information in the hurdle section below.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
The hurdle includes an oral response to the questions regarding the essay, followed by 1-2 follow-up questions. If the marker is satisfied that the essay demonstrates the skills and learning outcomes linked to the essay to a tolerable standard, students will pass the test and the original essay grade stands. If the marker is not satisfied, then the student receives a fail for the task and an overall 3 (marginal fail or ‘S’ = Supplementary) for the course. The student can apply for a supplementary assessment (see Assessment Procedure – Section 3 Part J). Dates and times of presentation will be published in Blackboard in the beginning of the semester.Submission guidelines
Assignments (writing part) for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not address the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal or no comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student addresses the question poorly and shows very little evidence of reading with minimal understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student does not succeed in making a coherent argument for the essay or has not addressed the essay question. Student's comprehension and useﾠof sourcesﾠis not of the required standard to pass.ﾠGrammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as referencingﾠmay be poor. The essay falls short of meeting the basic requirements for a pass. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument and employs an adequate range of research to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standardﾠof grammar, spelling and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow is sustained throughout the essay. The student attempts to answer the question and shows a degree of understanding of the issues. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides suitable evidence to support an argument and employs a solid research base that relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves a reasonable level of competence in grammar, spelling,ﾠpunctuation and narrative flow. Shows a good understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a very good grasp of the topic and provides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs a reasonably extensive and well-organized research base to present evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion and displays a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and succeeds in addressing the questionﾠby providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs an extensive and well-organized range of research to support any claims they makeﾠand achieves very high levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct and elegant fashion and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
1. Fail 0-19%
2. Fail 20-44%
3. Fail 45-49%
4. Pass 50-64%
5. Credit 65-74%
6. Distinction 75-84%
7. High Distinction 85-100%
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
- The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
- References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Seminar |
Introduction: What is politics and why do we study it? Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Seminar |
Political Analysis Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Seminar |
Power and Politics Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Workshop |
Essay Writing Workshop Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
Authority and Legitimacy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
Critical Reading and Thinking in Politics Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Seminar |
Institutions and Ideas in Politics Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
Is Democracy Threatended in the 21st Century? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
Sovereignty, Decolonisation and Indigenous Rights Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Nations and Nationalism (No seminar - Public Holiday) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Seminar |
The State Amidst Globalisation and Global Governance Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Seminar |
Approaches to writing in IR, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Public Policy and Governance Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Seminar |
Reflection and Conclusion Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Additional learning activity information
Seminars and workshops will be held every Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. For further details, check course timetable.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.