Master 2021/2022

Mentor's Seminar "International Politics of Eurasia"

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Compulsory course (Comparative Politics of Eurasia)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences

When: 1 year, 1-4 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Oleg Korneev

Master’s programme: Comparative Politics of Eurasia

Language: English

ECTS credits: 2

Contact hours: 16

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This mentor’s seminar will help students of the educational trajectory “International Politics of Eurasia” to design and follow their individual curricula. It will provide organizational space and individualized support for formulating key learning outcomes in accordance with the trajectory’s focus and individual learning outcomes in order to better reflect career-related needs of each student. The mentor will be guiding students through the selection of courses and helping them in identifying potential research topics and suitable supervisors for term paper and MA thesis.

Learning Objectives

• To help students of the educational trajectory “International Politics of Eurasia” to design and follow their individual curricula.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• formulates individual learning outcomes
• builds a career-related educational trajectory
• identifies steps necessary to achieve key learning outcomes
• identifies appropriate topics for individual research work, formulates research goals and tasks, produces suitable research planning
• evaluates progress in achievement of individual learning outcomes
• evaluates progress in achievement of key learning outcomes

Course Contents

• Introduction. Trajectory Overview. Key Learning Outcomes. Individual Learning Outcomes.
• Research work. Term paper and MA thesis. Advice on research supervision.
• Monitoring of progress. Adjustments and further planning.
• Individual feedback and evaluation.

Assessment Elements

• List of individual learning outcomes
  Each student will prepare - in consultation with the mentor - a list of individual learning outcomes to be achieved as a result of studies within the given trajectory. Submission deadline: October 21.
• Interim reporting 1
  Each student will report to the mentor - both orally and in writing (500-1000 words) on their interim achievements in the trajectory. Submission deadline: October 21.
• Term paper planning
  Each student will submit to the mentor their term paper planning report (containing topic, aim(s), tasks, annotated bibliography). The report should be submitted to the mentor via email by March 31.
• Interim reporting 2
  Each student will report to the mentor - both orally and in writing (500-1000 words) on their interim achievements in the trajectory. Submission deadline: May 31.
• Interim report 3
  Each student will report to the mentor - both orally and in writing (500-1000 words) - on their interim achievements in the trajectory. Submission date: December 15.
• MA thesis draft 1
  Each student sends to the mentor a draft of her MA thesis focusing on the research question, its relevance, methodology and research design. Deadline: December 15.
• MA thesis draft 2
  Each student sends to the mentor a draft of her MA thesis prepared for pre-defence. Submission deadline: March 15.
• Final report
  Each student will report to the mentor - both orally and in writing (500-1000 words) - on their overall achievements in the trajectory. Submission deadline: March 15.

Interim Assessment

• 2021/2022 2nd module
  0.5 * List of individual learning outcomes + 0.5 * Interim reporting 1
• 2021/2022 4th module
  0.25 * Interim reporting 2 + 0.5 * 2021/2022 2nd module + 0.25 * Term paper planning
• 2022/2023 3rd module
  0.25 * MA thesis draft 2 + 0.25 * Interim report 3 + 0.25 * Final report + 0.25 * MA thesis draft 1

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Broms, R., & de Fine Licht, J. (2019). Preparing political science students for a non-academic career: Experiences from a novel course module. Politics, 39(4), 514–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395719828651
• Eco, U., Farina, G., & Mongiat Farina, C. (2015). How to Write a Thesis. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=963778
• Luigi Curini, & Robert Franzese. (2020). The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods in Political Science and International Relations. SAGE Publications Ltd.
• Ostergard, R. L., & Gordon Fisher, S. B. (2017). Kickstarting Your Academic Career : Skills to Succeed in the Social Sciences. University of Toronto Press, Higher Education Division.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Ahram, A. I., Köllner, P., & Sil, R. (2018). Comparative Area Studies : Methodological Rationales and Cross-Regional Applications. New York, NY, United States of America: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1666244
• Christian Reus-Smit, & Duncan Snidal. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of International Relations: Vol. [Paperback edition.]. OUP Oxford.
• Ştefuriuc, I. (2009). Introduction: Building an Academic Profile – Considerations for Graduate Students Embarking on an Academic Career in Political Science in Europe. European Political Science, 8(2), 138–142. https://doi.org/10.1057/eps.2009.6
• Stenken, J. A., & Zajicek, A. M. (2010). The importance of asking, mentoring and building networks for academic career success - a personal and social science perspective. Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry, 396(2), 541–546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3275-x

Authors

• KORNEEV OLEG VLADIMIROVICH