units

APR6023

Faculty of Arts

18 September 2017 22 December 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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0 points, SCA Band 1, 0.000 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Arts
Organisational UnitMonash European and EU Centre
OfferedNot offered in 2014
Coordinator(s)Professor Pascaline Winand

Synopsis

This interdisciplinary seminar will explore innovative ways of studying the European Union aiming to build on students existing research, methodological and critical analysis skills. Students will pursue research on policy, economic, legal, historical, political or cultural aspects of the EU. They will gain insights into the key methodological and theoretical approaches in European and EU studies. Prestigious guest lecturers from a variety of disciplines will be invited to present their research emphasizing the challenges they encountered in their research design. Students will likewise present their research work, which will be critically discussed by the unit coordinator, other students, and guest speakers. External experts will intervene live in some seminars by video conference.

Outcomes

  1. An in-depth appreciation of the EU's function and powers and of some of its key institutions (such as the European Council, the Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, the European Central Bank, the Committee of the Regions, the European Environment Agency); MGA 1a, 1b
  2. In-depth knowledge3 of some key areas of EU policy in their field of specialization (Completion Policy, Common Commercial Policy, Common Agricultural Policy, Economic and Monetary Union, Environmental Policy, Social Policy, Common Foreign and Security Policy/European Security...); MGA1a, MGA1b
  3. Awareness of the key debates and internal as well as external challenges facing the EU; MGA1a, 1b, 2b
  4. A developed understanding of the major theories of European integration, their key assumptions, hypotheses and limitations; MGA2a
  5. An informed appreciation of the similarities and differences between these theories, of the extent to which they are complementary or competing; MGA2b
  6. Familiarity with different analitycal methods, both qualitative and quantitave, MGA2b
  7. A capacity to construct a coherent and feasible research design from the initial research idea to the self-assessment of research findings. (Students must show awareness of the benefits and pitfalls linked to conceptualisation, hypothesis generation, variable operationalisation, choice of measurement indicators, as well as the choice of method to test for association); MGA2c
  8. Presentational (clarity and concision) and analytical skills when presenting key readings, their own research or discussing their colleagues' research; MGA2a, 2b
  9. An ability to think critically but constructively; MGA1c, 2a, 2c
  10. Strong skills in the critical reading of a variety of texts and the academic scholarship based upon those texts; MGA2a, 2b, 2c
  11. Strong skills in oral and written assessment of the academic scholarship, including methods, assumptions and uses of evidence, and defending a verbal and written argument based upon those assessments; MGA2a, 2b, 2c
  12. A capacity to devise, plan and successfully complete a research essay; MGA2a, 2b, 2c
  13. A capacity to reflect upon and make critical use of a range of resources including, where relevant, on-line materials, especially those produced by the European Union itself; MGA1a, 1b
  14. At 6th year level, students are expected to demonstrate the acquisition of higher level of analytical skills and a greater understanding of the key conceptual and methodological issues involved in studying the European Union. MGA2a, 2b

Assessment

Class participation: 30%
Take home examination: 20%
Research paper: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Pascaline Winand

Workload requirements

One 3-hour seminar per week for 11 weeks + 33 hours private study.
In addition, students are required to attend the public lectures, seminars and research conferences organized by the centre and to make a presentation at its Young Researchers Conference.

Prohibitions

APG5897