Basic HTML Version
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
102
Course content
See the individual course descriptions for History and political
science; Philosophy, political science, economics and sociology
(PPES); Law and political science; Political science and
geography; and Business, economic and social studies (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 and Switzerland. 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
Trinity College Dublin is ranked 45th in the world in
Politics & International Studies (by the QS World
University Rankings 2011).
Further information
Tel: +353 1 896 1651
Political science and
geography
COURSE CODES:
PLACES 2012:
POINTS 2011:
DEGREE AWARDED:
TR029
20
475
B.A.
TSM points:
See page 27
See also:
TR001: TSM, page 36
TR012: History and political science, page 75
TR015: Philosophy, political science, economics and
sociology, page 99
TR020: Law and political science, page 94
TR071: Science, page 140
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.
