Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Politics and International Studies

Module Choices

*This page is in the process of being updated for the coming academic year *

Some of the content of this page is for the attention of students taking BA Politics, BA Politics and International Studies and BA Global Politics.

There are no (PAIS) optional modules if you are on our BA Politics and Sociology programme. At this link is the structure of the PAIS and Modern Languages programme (please scroll down the page to find the particular language you are studying). Here is the structure of the Politics and International Studies with Chinese programme. Again, for these programmes there are no optional PAIS modules. Here is the Global Politics course structure where there is also some optionality.

Please note that module websites are on Moodle for the 2023-24 academic year and may not, as yet, be fully updated.

Signing Up Outside Options

PAIS Modules

  • In your first year your CORE modules will be Introduction to Politics, World Politics and Political Research in the 21st Century.
  • You are able to choose as your optional fourth module either a 30 CAT module from outside PAIS, or 2 x 15 CAT modules within PAIS, or a 15 CAT module in PAIS and a 15 CAT module in another department, or 2 x 15 CAT modules outside PAIS.
  • The Department of Politics 15 CAT politics modules include Nine Ideas in International Security (Term 1), Foundations of Political Economy (Term 1).Justice, Democracy and Citizenship (Term 2) .Contemporary Themes in Comparative Politics (Term 2),
  • Also open to you are our quantitative methods modules. There are two 15 CAT modules in Introduction to Quantitative Political Analysis 1 (PO11Q, Term 1) and Introduction to Quantitative Political Analysis 2 (PO12Q, Term 2). Please note that PO11Q is a required pre-requisite for PO12Q, but you are welcome to select PO11Q on its own.
  • If you choose to take your optional 15 CAT modules within PAIS we highly recommend you take one in each term so as to balance your workload. Alternatively you could achieve balance by taking an 'outside' 15 CAT module in a different term to your PAIS 15 CAT module. We only allow you to take both PAIS 15 CAT modules in the same term if you are confident you can manage the workload and there are no clashes in your timetable.
  • Alternatively, you may choose one 30 CAT module or two 15 CAT modules from another department to make up your 120 CATS of study for your first year.
  • Module places are not guaranteed and we recommend you make your choices as soon as you can.
  • For administrative advice (e.g. which modules you are entitled to do and how to go about this) on your optional modules, please contact the PAIS Course Support Team (paisug at warwick dot ac dot uk). For academic advice please contact your personal tutor or the Director of Student Experience and Progression (DSEP).

Selecting Your PAIS Modules

You will register your module choices via the form to be found HERE. The form will open 1pm Wednesday (25th September) following the PAIS modules fair.

You will need to confirm any non PAIS modules with the relevant department and then add them to your form. If you have not been able to confirm your outside module by the time that you complete the module registration form then you should choose an alternative second-choice module for the purposes of registration (just in case you do not get on to your outside module choice) and then – if your outside module is confirmed – contact the PAIS Course Support Team (paisug@warwick.ac.uk) and ask them to replace the appropriate PAIS module with your outside module choice.

The form is set up so it can omly be submitted once. If you subsequently wish to change your choices please do speak directly to the PAIS Course Support Team (D0.27, ground floor of the PAIS end of the Social Sciences building). Location on the campus map here.

Please select your modules as soon as possible so that lectures will appear on your timetable for week 1. We recommend selecting your modules by the end of Thursday 26th.

Outside Options

  • Departments where you can take your outside option all have different ways of applying and different deadlines for you to register for their modules.

  • Please check with the individual departments for availability and pre-requisites before registering for the module.

  • Here in PAIS we would prefer that you have found, and registered for, your outside module by the end of week 1 as, generally, lectures start in week 1 for all departments and seminars start in week 2 – the sooner you are registered the sooner you can settle into your class and get the most out of your module.
  • If you choose 15 CAT modules outside PAIS we recommend an even load (e.g. one in each term).
  • If you need any advice on outside modules please speak to the PAIS Course Support Team as they can advise and help you.
The Language Centre
  • Many of our first year students choose to learn a language while they are here at Warwick and in your first year you are able to take a beginners language class and then carry this on throughout your degree.
  • The Language Centre offers academic modules in 10 languages – Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish – from beginners to advanced levels, depending on the language. Taking a language will help you if you choose to spend some time studying abroad and will also increase your chances of being able to get a job internationally after completing your degree.
  • The enrolment process is outlined on the Language Centre website and takes place online. The links on this page will take you to the pre-enrolment form to complete; the details then go to a tutor in your chosen language to arrange a Teams call with you to assess your level and complete your enrolment onto a module. Once you have enrolled with the Language Centre, you will need to ensure that your registration is updated with the relevant module.
  • Enrolment opens at 12:00 midday on Friday 20 September 2024 and will close at 12:00 midday on Monday 14 October 2024.
  • The Language Centre can be found on the fourth floor of the Faculty of Arts building.
  • If you have already selected all of your credit modules for the year, there are two options to study a language not for credit alongside your degree:
Economics

We have been informed there are not curently any restrictions on taking Economics modules for students who are taking PAIS. However, if there are any changes, Economics will let us know.

Students must have A-Level Maths to take an Economics module, and they must meet our pre-requisites which can be found on their modules page - UG Modules (warwick.ac.uk)

Students interested in Political Economy may wish to consider our own 15 CAT module, Foundations of Political Economy.

Sociology

Sociology operates a module pre-registration system and where spaces are available, they are happy for you to be registered on some of their modules. You are able to view available modules and the terms they run in here.

Sociology aims to accommodate all students who wish to take a module, however, in the event that a module is oversubscribed, places will be allocated in the following priority order:
· Students enrolled on the BA Sociology and BA Sociology and Criminology programmes
· Joint Honours Students (with Sociology as one of their subjects)
· Centre for Lifelong Learning 2+2 Students
· Any other students not in any of the above categories

Please contact the Sociology Administrative team first to confirm availability on the modules you wish to take. If you receive permission to take their modules, it can be registered on your e:vision portal.

Warwick Business School

For WBS modules, students must register via https://my.wbs.ac.uk/ (logging in using ITS username and password). You then follow my.wbs>user profile> module application. If you click on the module titles it will open the module overview, the modules you see listed on the module application page are the modules offered to external department students. For further details of the module registration process please see the Non-WBS module registration page on my.wbs.

The most popular WBS modules for external students are the Gateway to Business modules.

The WBS module registration process can all be done through my.wbs, and the my.wbs system is independent of e:Vision/tabula. Therefore, you need to apply for WBS modules in BOTH registration systems (my.wbs and e:Vision) and keep both up to date with any changes.

Please note: If the module is listed in the application system as full then you will not be able to select it and WBS does not have waiting lists for its full modules.

The WBS module application portal will reopen on the 24th September 2024 until the 11th of October 2024.

There will be another change to apply for semester 2 modules in December/January.

Philosophy

Students who wish to take any Philosophy modules should first check whether there are still spaces available on the module(s) via their webpage. If in doubt, please contact the Philosophy Programmes team (philosophyoffice@warwick.ac.uk). If there are still spaces available, then sign-up for the module on EMR as soon as possible. If there are no spaces, please make sure to sign-up on the waiting list, also on the page linked above.

The Philosophy modules and their availability can be found here.

There are instructions on how to sign up for Philosophy modules in their FAQs