Postgraduate - UnitAPG5897 - Researching the European Union from a global perspective

Students who successfully complete this unit will be expected to demonstrate:

1. an in-depth appreciation of the EU's functions and powers and decision-making;
2. in-depth knowledge of some key areas of EU policy in their field of specialization;
3. awareness of the key debates and internal as well as external challenges facing the EU;
4. a developed understanding of the major theories and methods that shape EU studies, their key assumptions, hypotheses and limitations;
5. an informed appreciation of the similarities and differences between them, of the extent to which they are complementary or competing;
6. familiarity with different analytical methods;
7. a capacity to construct a coherent and feasible research design from the initial research idea to the self-assessment of research findings;
8. presentational (clarity and concision) and analytical skills when presenting key readings, their own research or discussing their colleagues' research;
9. an ability to think critically but constructively;
10. strong skills in the critical reading of a variety of texts and the academic scholarship based upon those texts;
11. strong skills in oral and written assessment of the academic scholarship, including methods, assumptions and uses of evidence, and in organising and defending a verbal and written argument based upon those assessments;
12. a capacity to devise, plan and successfully complete a research essay;
13. a capacity to reflect upon and make critical use of a range of resources including, where relevant, on-line materials, including those produced by the European Union itself.