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Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
83
Course content
See the individual course descriptions for History and political
science; Philosophy, political science, economics and sociology;
Law and political science; Political science and geography; and
BESS.
Assessment
Courses are examined by a combination of assessed essays
and formal examination. In the Senior Sophister (fourth) year you
will have the opportunity to research and write up a dissertation
on a topic of your choice.
Normally, each course has two hours of lectures and one
tutorial per week. Fewer lecture hours are required in the Senior
Sophister year to allow time for more independent work.
Study abroad
The Department of Political Science is a partner in Erasmus
exchanges with universities in France, Poland and Spain.
Students have the option to go abroad for all or part of their
Junior Sophister (third) year.
Career opportunities
There are careers for which a demonstrated interest in politics
is a definite plus and gives you a real head start. Journalism,
other kinds of media work, the civil service, public relations,
anything in business that requires knowing how government
works, work in international organisations such as the EU
or a not-for-profit organisation, all come into this category. A
demonstrated knowledge of how the world works is obviously
an asset for many types of career. An increasing number of
graduates go on to do further study by means of postgraduate
work. And, with a politics degree, you could even get elected
as a TD!
Did you know?
n
The Political science department in Trinity College
is one of the most highly rated in Europe. This
means that students are taught by some of the top
researchers in Europe, enthusiasts for their subject
who bring to their students not only the accumulated
wisdom of the wider political-science community but
also the fruits of their own cutting-edge research.
Further information
www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/undergraduate/index.php
Tel: +353 1 896 1651
Tel: +353 1 896 1840 or +353 1 896 2367
Political science and
geography
COURSE CODE:
PLACES 2011:
POINTS 2010:
DEGREE AWARDED:
TR029
20
430*
B.A.
TSM points:
See note on page 28
See also:
TR001: TSM, page 92
TR012: History and political science, page 63
TR015: Philosophy, political science, economics and
sociology, page 80
TR020: Law and political science, page 74
TR071: Science, page 139
TR081: BESS, page 37
Course overview
In a rapidly changing international economic, political, security
and environmental context the tools of political science and
geography are becoming increasingly important to analyse
global problems and provide policy solutions. This course
combines analytical rigour with an understanding of real-world
variations and complexities. The two disciplines have been
associated through the sub-fields of political geography, which
covers geographical differences in voting patterns, for example,
and through geo-politics, which examines how the great powers
influence other parts of the planet. However, in a context
of globalisation, interdisciplinary understandings of socio-
environmental issues are becoming increasingly key in solving
the problems of the future, such as political instability in parts
of the developing world as a result of climate change.
Is this the right course for you?
Yes, if you are interested in the disciplines of political science
and geography and you hope to develop a critical understanding
of the relationship between the Earth’s natural and human
phenomena and its political institutions and systems.
Course content
In the first three years you will take twelve courses that will each
require attendance, on average, of two hours of lectures and one
tutorial per week. In the Senior Sophister (fourth) year there is
a reduction in the number of courses required to allow greater
depth of study and more independent work.