School of Social and Political Science

Choosing courses on your exchange

Whatever your degree, there are three main issues that you need to consider when choosing Politics courses:

  1. the level they are taught at
  2. the content of the course
  3. the credits you receive

We are here to help, but the responsibility is on you to ensure you have met your degree requirements and course requirements while on your overseas exchange. With respect to your degree requirements, all students - but in particular students on joint degrees - should consult their Degree Programme Table (DPT). DPTs are published online within the Degree Regulations & Programmes of Study (DRPS) website. 

Information for all Politics and International Relations students

Level

Courses should generally be at third-year or fourth-year (i.e., equivalent to honours at Edinburgh), though there is leeway here depending on local circumstances.

For example, if you are studying in a foreign language some of your credits may be at a lower level. We try to look at each case on its merits.

Content

To receive credit for a politics or international relations course, the courses you choose should be substantially politics or international relations in content, though close cognate areas are often acceptable.

Again, local circumstances are important. Studying the culture and history of the country you are in, even if these courses are broader than politics, is often acceptable.

Credits

You need to take a normal full load of credits at your overseas institution. At almost all European universities, you should have 60 ECTS for the entire year. Outside Europe, you should check how many courses and credits you should study at your host institution on the SWAY website.

There is no longer a possibility of making up credits in Year 4 at Edinburgh. That means if you return without sufficient credits you may need to stay beyond Year 4 to gain the missing credits.

Note that it is up to you to make sure that sufficient Politics or International Relations courses are available at the right level at your destination university to meet our requirements, before you start your exchange.

Note also that full-year credit requirements must be met: semester-only exchanges are not permissible for Politics and International Relations students.

Course choices

In terms of course choice, you will make a preliminary selection using the information on this page along with information from your destination university.

You should check this with the Politics and International Relations International Exchange Coordinator, Dr Patrick Theiner (PIR-Int-Exchange@ed.ac.uk) before starting your echange.

Sometimes this preliminary selection turns out to be inappropriate or unfeasible or unavailable when you start at your destination university. In such circumstances, you will have the opportunity to amend your course choices and Learning Agreement.

If this happens, it is important to find alternatives. Normally, course selection can only be finalised when the student arrives at the beginning of the semester.

Requirements for single honours Politics students

All your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics and International Relations subjects (though there is some leeway here as per above).

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Language courses

You are permitted to take some credits in a language course for the language of the country you are studying in.

However, this must not be more than 10% of your total credits for the year.

Requirements for single honours International Relations students

All your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects, although there is some leeway here.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Language courses

You are permitted to take some credits in a language course for the language of the country you are studying in.

However, this must not be more than 10% of your total credits for the year. 

Requirements for International Relations and International Law students

Half your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects. The other half must be in Law subjects in accordance with your Degree Programme Table (DPT). However, Politics and International Relations cannot guarantee that you will be granted access to Law courses at your chosen destination. International Relations and International Law students planning to choose one of the Politics and International Relations Subject-specific exchange destinations are strongly recommended to choose from the following two: Sciences Po Paris and Copenhagen. These two institutions generally permit students to take Law courses together with Politics and International Relations one.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Requirements for joint honours Politics or International Relations students (not doing MEL)

Half your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106). However if the course is a requirement within your Degree Programme Table or you are planning to write a Politics and International Relations Dissertation, you will need to take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Requirements for Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) students

Due to the structure of the PPE degree (the courses students are required to take in the 3rd year - please check the Degree Programme Table), PPE students should only apply for University-wide exchanges approved by the School of Economics, and where they have access to Philosophy department courses. 

Among PIR subject-specific exchange destinations, PPE students can apply to LUISS, Rome or Sciences Po, Paris. 2 out of 4 places at LUISS are reserved for PPE students but there are no specific places reserved for PPE students at Sciences Po, Paris. PPE students will not be considered for any other Subject-specific exchange as we cannot guarantee that they will have access to Economics courses at those host institutions.

Politics or International Relations courses

One-third of your course credits must be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects.

Research Design in Politics and International Relation - Students planning to write a Politics and International Relations Dissertation in Year 4 should take Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) or take it upon their return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Economics courses

Please consult the Degree Programme Table for courses in Economics. 

During their year abroad, students are required to find an equivalent for the following pairs of courses:

  • Topics in Macroeconomics (ECNM10069) and Topics in Microeconomics (ECNM10070)
  • Essentials of Econometrics (ECNM10052) and Topics in Microeconomics (ECNM10070)
  • Essentials of Econometrics (ECNM10052) and Applications of Econometrics (ECNM10056)
  • Essentials of Econometrics (ECNM10052) and Topics in Macroeconomics (ECNM10069) 

 

Philosophy courses

One-third of your course credits must be chosen in Philosophy subjects. At LUISS, PPE students have been able to take the following courses to meet their Philosophy requirements: History of Political Thought, Political Philosophy, Bioethics, History of Political Institutions.

Students planning to write a Philosophy Dissertation in Year 4 are required to take the online PHIL10151 Philosophy Dissertation Preparation Course (0 credits) remotely during their year abroad.

Requirements for Sustainable Development students, Politics pathway

One-third of your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects.

One-third of your course credits must normally be courses addressing sustainability and environment-related social science.

Responding to Sustainability Challenges: Critical Debates and Cases in Sustainable Development

If you wish to you can apply to take Responding to Sustainability Challenges: Critical Debates and Cases in Sustainable Development on your return in Year 4.

You will need to ask the course organisers because there is a cap on numbers.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Requirements for Sustainable Development students, IR pathway

One-third of your course credits must normally be chosen in Politics or International Relations subjects.

One-third of your course credits must normally be courses addressing sustainability and environment-related social science.

Responding to Sustainability Challenges: Critical Debates and Cases in Sustainable Development

If you wish to you can apply to take Responding to Sustainability Challenges: Critical Debates and Cases in Sustainable Development on your return in Year 4.

You will need to ask the course organisers because there is a cap on numbers.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Requirements for joint honours with Modern European Languages (MEL)

You must attend a university where there is a Politics or International Relations department.

If you are a Modern European Language and Politics joint honours student, we recommend that you study at a university rather than going on a work placement or working at a language school. If you study at a university, you must take Politics or International Relations courses for credit.

If you are going on exchange inside Europe, you will need to obtain a minimum of 50 ECTS credits during your exchange, of which at least 20 ECTS credits must come from Politics or International Relations courses.

If you are going on exchange outside Europe, the number of credits that you need to obtain at your institution can be found on the SWAY website. Of those credits, at least one third must come from Politics or International Relations courses.

If you will not be studying courses for credit, for instance if you are going on a work placement or working at a language school, your Politics credits will come from the Politics Year Abroad Assessment (PYAA) essays at Edinburgh.

Requirements for Politics with Quantitative Methods students

At least 1/6 of your course credits must normally be chosen in Quantitative Methods, and the remainder in Politics or International Relations subjects.

You will take Statistical Modelling (SSPS10027) on your return in Year 4.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Requirements for International Relations with Quantitative Methods students

At least 1/6 of your course credits must normally be chosen in Quantitative Methods, and the remainder in Politics or International Relations subjects.

You will take Statistical Modelling (SSPS10027) on your return in Year 4.

Research Design in Politics and International Relations

You do not need to find a replacement for Research Design in Politics and International Relations (PLIT10106) and should take the course on your return to Edinburgh in Year 4.

Transferring overseas marks into Edinburgh marks

Transferring overseas marks into Edinburgh marks only happens with language-based degree students. 

Non-language students will receive Edinburgh credits for their exchange year on a pass or fail basis, and your Honours degree will be classified solely on the basis of your performance in your fourth and final year.

Satisfactory completion

However, your year abroad performance is still important. You need to obtain all of your exchange year credits by gaining pass marks on the courses that you study before being permitted to proceed to Year 4.

Final Year Exam Boards can take into account exceptional performance, either good or bad, during the exchange year if your degree classification is borderline.

Contact

Politics & IR International Exchange Coordinator, Dr Patrick Theiner: