Unit Outline

This unit is concerned with the study of security in all the breadth that this notion has gained over the past decades. Starting from an analysis of the classical understanding of security which links state sovereignty with warfare we will investigate new security challenges. This unit retraces common understandings of international security as being the security of states. Through a careful history of the European state and its conception of territorial sovereignty, the unit will investigate how state security has been and still is a source of insecurity for many. This way we will widen the understanding of security and be able to think about the ways we can or cannot provide security for all.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Use key concepts of security studies and situate security studies debates in the larger framework of international and domestic politics.
2	Analyse situations of violent conflict and develop a critical understanding of security.
3	Summarise and present publicly various types of sources.
4	Present case studies on international security to a larger audience.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Assessment tasks have been updated.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Reflection note	Week 5	20 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:	Final essay	Week 14	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Poster presentation	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Reflection note

Task Description:

The reflection note is a personalised discussion of the student’s understanding of the core concepts of this class which are discussed in the first four weeks. It is mandatory that AT1 is based on the first four weeks’ essential readings and reflects class discussions.

Task Length:

500 words

Due Date:

Week 5 (23/Aug/2024)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Use the information, concepts and argument of the essential reading accurately	LO1
2	Show knowledge of the concept discussed	LO2
3	Demonstrate deep reflection on the concept discussed.	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 2: Final essay

Task Description:

The final essay elaborates your poster theme into an essay discussion.

The final essay presents an original argument and is based on readings of scholarly quality and own research. The aim of the essay is to communicate the knowledge and ideas that students have learnt in the course of this unit.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 14 (31/Oct/2024)

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Articulate precisely and cogently the topic of the essay.	LO1
2	Analyse situations of violent conflict to develop your understanding of security.	LO2
3	Document the essay with reference to high-quality sources.	LO3
4	Present case studies on international security to an academic audience in an essay format.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Poster presentation

Task Description:

You will present a poster on one topic from sessions 8-12 (Geopolitics, Interventions, War Crimes, Peacebuilding, Non-Military Threats). The posters present an in-depth discussion of an important aspect or of a case of the week’s topic. The posters contribute to a group discussion of the topic and, if several students work on the same topic, need to refer to each other.

Task Length:

AO poster and 10-min oral presentation, which is summarised in a written brief

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Articulate clearly and precisely the topic of the poster	LO1
2	Analyse a relevant situation of violent conflict.	LO2
3	Document the argument with high-quality sources.	LO3
4	Present case studies on international security to a larger audience.	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.