MSc in Comparative Politics

Page contents > Approved paper options list | Paper 4 options list (Democracy and Democratization) | Paper 3 options list (Nationalism and Ethnic Politics) | Paper 4 options list (Comparative Political Economy) | Paper 3 options list (Popular Politics) | Paper 3 options list (Politics of the Developing World) | Options list (No Specialism) | Footnotes

Programme Code: TMCP

Department: Government

For students starting this programme of study in 2021/22

Guidelines for interpreting programme regulations

Classification scheme for the award of a taught master's degree (four units)
Exam sub-board local rules

Full-year programme. Students must take papers to the value of four full units as shown. All students are required to write a 10,000-word dissertation. Note that some of the courses must be taken together. Part-time students may take up to four courses in their first year. Students can either opt for No Specialism or choose one of the following specialisms: Democracy and Democratization, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Comparative Political Economy, Popular Politics, or Politics of the Developing World.

The core elements for all specialisms on this programme are: GV467 and GV499.

Students on a particular specialism will have automatic right of entry to the courses listed under the specialism. Other students will have access subject to availability.

Please note that places are limited on some optional courses. Admission onto any particular course is not guaranteed and may be subject to timetabling constraints and/or students meeting specific prerequisite requirements.
Paper	Course number, title (unit value)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3	GV4E1 Comparative Democratization in a Global Age (0.5)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 0.5 unit(s) from the following: GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
	GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
	GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)
	GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23)
	GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Paper 5
	Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Paper 4 options list (Democracy and Democratization)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following: EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5)
	GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5)
	GV465 War, Peace and the Politics of National Self-Determination (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23)
	GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5)
	GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
	GV4J9 Populism (0.5)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Paper 3 options list (Nationalism and Ethnic Politics)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following: EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5)
	GV441 States and Markets (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)
	GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 0.5 unit(s) from the following: DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
	EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5)
	GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)
	GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5)
	SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5)

Paper 5
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Paper 4 options list (Comparative Political Economy)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following: GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) #
	GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
	GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5)
	GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
	GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Paper 3 options list (Popular Politics)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3
	Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
	GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
	GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
	GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
	GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5)
	GV4H2 Contemporary India: The World's Largest Democracy in the Early 21st Century (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23)
	GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 1.5 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Paper 3 options list (Politics of the Developing World)


Paper 1	GV467 Introduction to Comparative Politics (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)

Paper 2	GV499 Dissertation (1.0)

Paper 3
	Courses to the value of 2.5 unit(s) from the following:
	Approved paper options list
	Options list (No Specialism)

Approved paper options list



AN436 The Anthropology of Development (0.5)
AN451 Politics and Power: Debates in Anthropology (0.5)
DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
DV460 Bayesian Reasoning for Qualitative Social Science: A modern approach to case study inference (0.5) # (withdrawn 2025/26)
EU447 Democracy, Ideology and the European State (0.5)
EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5)
EU475 Europe and the Politics of Secularism (0.5)
EU481 The Future: 24-hour Society and its Discontents (0.5)
EU4A2 Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (0.5)
GI413 Gender, Race and Militarisation (0.5)
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5)
GV4A5 International Migration and Immigration Management (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV4B8 Civil Wars: Concepts and Cases (0.5)
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5)
GV4G1 Applied Quantitative Methods for Public Policy and Political Science (0.5) # (suspended 2025/26)
GV4J9 Populism (0.5)
GV4K1 Participatory Governance (0.5)
GV4K7 Conflict and Cooperation: Key Debates (0.5)
GV4L2 The Politics and Policy of Climate Change and Sustainability (0.5) #
GV4L5 Politics, Gender, and Development (0.5) #
GV4L7 Political Participation and Representation in Latin America (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
HY411 European Integration in the Twentieth Century (1.0) #
IR411 Foreign Policy Analysis III (1.0) #
MY421L Qualitative Research Methods (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
MY421M Qualitative Research Methods (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
MY425 Case Studies and Comparative Methods for Qualitative Research (0.5) # (suspended 2025/26)
MY426 Doing Ethnography (0.5) #
MY451L Introduction to Quantitative Analysis (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
MY451M Introduction to Quantitative Analysis (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
MY452L Applied Regression Analysis (0.5) # (withdrawn 2023/24)
MY452M Applied Regression Analysis (0.5) # (withdrawn 2023/24)
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5)

Footnote for Approved paper options list

A: A course from the Government Department or another department, with the consent of the convener of MSc in Comparative Politics and the teacher of the course.

Paper 4 options list (Democracy and Democratization)



GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4L7 Political Participation and Representation in Latin America (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Paper 3 options list (Nationalism and Ethnic Politics)



EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5)
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5)
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5)
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4J9 Populism (0.5)

Paper 4 options list (Comparative Political Economy)



DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5)
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)
GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5)
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5)

Paper 3 options list (Popular Politics)



GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) #
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5)
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4L7 Political Participation and Representation in Latin America (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Paper 3 options list (Politics of the Developing World)



DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5)
GV4J8 Middle East Politics in Transnational Perspective (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4L7 Political Participation and Representation in Latin America (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Options list (No Specialism)



DV435 African Political Economy (0.5)
EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5)
EU4A4 The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution (0.5)
GV432 Government and Politics in China (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV439 Government and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe (0.5)
GV441 States and Markets (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)
GV444 Democracy and Development in Latin America (0.5) (withdrawn 2023/24)
GV4A2 Citizens' Political Behaviour: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities (0.5) #
GV4B9 The Second Europe (0.5)
GV4C9 Globalization and Democratization in Southeast Asia (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4D3 Local Power in an Era of Globalization, Democratization, and Decentralization (0.5)
GV4E1 Comparative Democratization in a Global Age (0.5)
GV4E2 Capitalism and Democracy (0.5)
GV4E8 Power Sharing and Institutional Design in Divided Societies (0.5)
GV4F2 Popular Politics in the Middle East (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4F8 Institutions and Global Trade (0.5)
GV4F9 The Challenges of Governance in sub-Saharan Africa (0.5)
GV4J4 Citizen Representation and Democracy in the European Union (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
GV4J9 Populism (0.5)
GV4L7 Political Participation and Representation in Latin America (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)
SP441 Politics of Social Policy (0.5)

Footnotes

# means there may be prerequisites for this course. Please view the course guide for more information.

Note for prospective students:
For changes to graduate course and programme information for the next academic session, please see the graduate summary page for prospective students. Changes to course and programme information for future academic sessions can be found on the graduate summary page for future students.