Policy and Politics: Theory and Practice - POLS3045
 
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
 
 
School:  School of Social Sciences and International Studies
 
 
Course Outline: http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/politics/
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 12
 
 
EFTSL: 0.250 (more info)
 
 
Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: 12 units of credit at the POLS2000 level, including POLS2008
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description


A policy oriented course based on a two day per week research internship attachment, usually with a member of parliament, a government department or unit or an NGO. Students must be able to demonstrate familiarity with the Australian parliamentary and political system. Students are required to produce a research report and a weekly journal and attend a weekly debriefing session as part of their assessment.

Note: Enrolments are limited to the number of available internships, which may vary from year to year. Available spaces are allocated by interview in order to match qualifications of individuals with the requirements of available internships.

Learning Outcomes


On completion of the course students should have:
  • Successfully negotiated a contract for a workplace project with a workplace supervisor
  • Improved professional skills by fulfilling the obligations of the negotiated contract - ie. by (a) partipating in the workplace and (b) completing an organisationally-supervised applied research project
  • Learnt about the application of relevant theory in a professional/community setting
  • Engaged in critical reflection by acquiring the skills of a reflective practitioner - this will be demonstrated via ongoing performance reviews, a final oral presentation to a panel of peers and professionals and a reflexive written report
  • Gained an enhanced understanding of public policy that will be evident in a completed research project
  • Increased personal exposure to professional networks and heightened understanding of career options
  • Demonstrated good communication skills in the workplace, amongst peers and via an oral presentation.

Assessment


  • Assignment 1 - negotiaton of the learning contract
  • Assignment 2 - workplace project report
  • Assignment 3 - reflexive report
  • Assignment 4 - oral presentation
Note: Weighting of each of these assessment tasks will be determined by the group in the first meeting. Students must pass Assignments 2, 3 and 4 and must satisfactorily complete the workplace project in order to pass the course.