School of Politics and International Studies

MA Politics and Parliamentary critically engages with the nature of British politics. The course will furnish you with an historically informed and theoretically aware academic understanding of the dynamics of parliamentary processes and the work of parliamentarians in the British system.

The programme will enable you to develop your academic research and analytical skills, as applied to the understanding of British government and politics. You will develop and apply theoretical arguments, make independent critical assessments of the key issues and debates raised in your academic studies, and deepen the written and communication skills you acquired at undergraduate level.

The course includes a semester-long internship in a Member of Parliament's office. During the placement, you will engage with the full range of office-support and research work undertaken in an MP's office. In addition, you will complete a logbook and a portfolio of work to facilitate systematic political and practical reflection on, and assessment of, the placement experience.

Compulsory Modules

Advanced Political Analysis introduces you to the dominant paradigms in political science and is designed to equip you with the tools to study the key ways in which analysts construct understandings and explanations of political phenomena.

Parliamentary Studies One looks at how Parliament works. You examine the role of MPs in the British Parliament and their relationship with the parliamentary party, national party, constituency and related interest groups. You also investigate policy issues relevant to parliamentarians.

Parliamentary Studies Two involves a placement in a parliamentary-related office. Normally you take a placement in an MP's Westminster office, but you can arrange to work in other departments, such as a parliamentary consultancy or a political party headquarters.

Parliamentary Dissertation leads you through the process of developing a deeper understanding of a particular topic in in the parliamentary area through independent research and the preparation of an extended piece of writing. You agree a research topic with your supervisor and write a 12,000 word dissertation that demonstrates your research skills, your ability to assess information, and appraise relevant concepts and theories.

Placement

During your placement, you work on tasks that help you understand how parliament and parliamentary offices work, and the range of pressures and interests that face MPs. You may deal with constituency problems, attend meetings with interest groups, search for information on policies and write reports, briefing notes or press releases. You will also observe the operation of parliament in parliamentary debates and Select Committees.