Contents. I. Joint regulations 1 Applicability 2 Academic degrees; orientation 3 Standard term and scope of study 4 Board of examiners

Transcription

1 Examination Rules and Regulations for the Consecutive Master s Degree Program in Global Political Economy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kassel, 10th February 2010 Contents I. Joint regulations 1 Applicability 2 Academic degrees; orientation 3 Standard term and scope of study 4 Board of examiners III. Master s degree 5 Admission requirements for the Master s degree program 6 Examinations and courses 7 Master s thesis and Master s Colloquium 8 Grading Procedure III. Final regulation 9 Validity Appendices

2 I. Joint regulations 1 Applicability These Examination Rules and Regulations for the consecutive English-language Master s degree program in Global Political Economy serve as a supplement to the in force and currently applicable General Examination Rules and Regulations for Bachelor s and Master s degree programs (AB Bachelor/Master) of the University of Kassel. 2 Academic degrees; orientation and profile (1) The Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Kassel confers the academic degree "Master of Arts" upon successful completion of the Master's examination. (2) The Master s program in Global Political Economy is a research-oriented curriculum. See the Diploma Supplement for more information. 3 Standard term and scope of study (1) The standard term of study for the Master s program is a period of four semesters including the Master's thesis. (2) 120 credits are required to complete the Master s program, 27 of which are awarded for the Master s thesis. (3) The Master s program only starts in winter semester of each year (October). 4 Board of Examiners (1) The Board of Examiners for Global Political Economy is responsible for all examinationrelated issues. (2) The Board of Examiners is composed of: a) three professors from the faculty b) one research associate c) one student from the Master s program

3 II. Master s degree 5 Admission requirements for the Master s program (1) Candidates eligible for admission to the Master s degree program in Global Political Economy are those who meet the following requirements: 1. have completed a first professional degree program of at least six semesters in duration, in sociology, political science, economics or law at the University of Kassel or at another university or university of applied sciences, and achieved the grade of good (2.5) or 2. have completed an equivalent degree program of at least six semesters in duration at a foreign university in one of the disciplines mentioned under para. 1 and 3. have at least one year of voluntary or paid practical social-political experience (for example, in politics, in university politics, or in policy oriented civil society organizations) and satisfy the requirements under para. 2. (2) The degree profile of the academic disciplines mentioned above in section (1), para. 1 or 2 must meet the prerequisite requirements of the Master s program in Global Political Economy. These stipulate that the candidate s undergraduate degree evidences knowledge of, and the ability to apply in practice the following competencies: - good knowledge of political science or economics - basic knowledge of sociology, political science, and economics - proficiency in English, equivalent to level C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages. (3) The required knowledge has to be documented by a transcript of the first degree program. The social-political experience shall be described in the letter of motivation. *) ( 4) Satisfaction of the requirements mentioned in section (2) is in most cases determined through a 30 minute interview with two professors elected by the Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners may decide to waive the interview if the candidate s written application contains sufficient evidence that the requirements under section (2) are fulfilled. 6 Examinations and courses (1) The Master s degree in Global Political Economy comprises: Nine module examinations composed of: six compulsory classes chosen from the offered core courses, three elective courses chosen from the offered "special option courses : Compulsory courses (50 credits in total): Introduction to Globalization International Economics Governance of the World Market: Institutions, Instruments, and Experiences Theories of International Political Economy GPE Issues: Theories and Evidence Advanced Writing Skills and Research Methods Special Option courses (at least 18 credits): Advanced Theories of International Political Economy 8 credits 3

4 Advanced International Economics The Impact of Globalization on National and Local Governments European Integration Global Environmental Politics Migration and Global Labor Markets The Politics of Development and North-South Relations Gender and Globalization Issues of Global Governance Cultural Aspects of Globalization Electives according to 6 section (2), (3), (4) Internship (min. 8 weeks) Master s Thesis (27 credits) and Colloquium (3 credits) with presentation Total 12 credits 10 credits 30 credits 120 credits (2) A total number of 78 credits must be earned between the compulsory Core courses, Special Option courses and the internship. An additional 12 credits must be accumulated through successful participation in courses from either the special option offerings or elective categories. Elective courses are defined as any courses offered by one of the other Master s programs that the University of Kassel offers (as long as they allow participation by MA GPE students) and/or courses offered by the Language Center (up to ). The grades from these courses do not affect the overall grade point average; however, they will be included on the official transcripts. Further credits may be earned through the extension of the internship to a maximum period of 3 months (totalling 16 credits). (3) In place of one of the Special Option courses students in their 3 rd semester and higher may complete an Independent Study. In order to be accepted in to the Independent Studies program the student must submit an application defining her or his motivation for undertaking independent research. This application must provide an explanation of the topic of study as well as a preliminary list of relevant literature. The professor or instructor responsible for the chosen area of study may deny the application when the student s grade point average from the previous 2 semesters is higher than 2,0. Required for the completion of the Independent Study is the submission of a paper, a minimum of 25 pages in length, on the topic researched. can be awarded for the module Independent Studies. (4) In place of one of the elective modules students in their 3 rd semester and higher can choose to plan and teach a Student Self-Organized Seminar. Requirements are the submission of a proposal by 2 students. The proposal should include a plan for the seminar, a reading/literature list, and a set of course requirements. The seminar must have a minimum of three additional student participants. The professor or instructor responsible for the subject matter may reject the proposal in cases where either of the submitting students has a grade point average to date that is higher than 2,0. The successful completion of the course (including on the part of the student organizers/teachers) will be determined by the supervising instructor with a grade of either pass or no pass. The participating students with a grade of pass will receive 6 credits; the student teachers will receive an extra 2 credits. 7 Master s thesis, Master s Colloquium (1) The subject of the Master s thesis will be chosen in the third semester at the earliest or at the latest during the fourth semester. Exceptions may be granted by the Board of Examiners. 4

5 (2) The time span between choosing the thesis topic to submission of the Master s thesis is five months. The subject must be chosen carefully such that it can be treated within the time limit prescribed. (3) If the first submission deadline cannot be met for reasons beyond the candidate s control, the Board of Examiners shall extend the deadline by two months provided that the candidate applies for the extension before the first deadline has passed and that the thesis supervisor agrees to the extension. If the impediment lingers, the candidate may withdraw from the examination. (4) The Master s thesis may be written in English or German. The Master s thesis is to be presented during a colloquium in the form of a presentation and an oral defense. The duration of the oral defense is usually 45 minutes. The colloquium generally takes place within 6 weeks of the submission of the finished Master s thesis. In case the student fails the oral defense it can be repeated once. 8 Grading procedure The overall grade for the Master s examination is calculated from the average of the module examination grades and is weighted as follows: Module exams incl. Core (6) and Special options (3) up to 80 credits 60% Master s thesis 30% Master s Colloquium 10%. 5

6 III. Final regulation 9 Validity These Examination Rules and Regulations take effect the day after their publication in the official gazette of the State of Hesse. Kassel, The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences 6