ES100L: European Studies I (30 credits), ES200L: European Studies II (15 credits) and ES260L: European Studies II (30 credits)

The course is part of the main field European Studies on Bachelor level (61-90 credits)

The course addresses important theoretical, philosophical and methodological problems and perspectives that are connected to European studies, knowledge that the students then apply to their own essays.

During the first half of the course, the focus is on how ontological and epistemological perspectives and choices are connected with different problems, methods and theories.

The second part of the course is mainly structured around the individual student’s own work in formulating a relevant and defined problem that is investigated analytically in a bachelor thesis, using relevant choices of theory, method and source material. There is also a requirement that the thesis demonstrates knowledge of previous research in the chosen subject.

The course ends with an examination seminar in which the student acts as an opponent to another thesis from the course, and defends his or her own thesis.

After completing the course, the student must:

1. Show an in-depth knowledge and understanding of epistemological problems and perspectives and how the research question, method and empirical data affect the research results.
2. Show a developed ability to assimilate and critically evaluate methodological aspects in academic texts.
3. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge in a self-selected scientific problem area relevant to European studies.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of, and skills in, established research practices in terms of scientific documentation and presentation.
5. Demonstrate the ability to independently plan and implement a scientific research project.
6. Demonstrate the ability to critically and constructively review other scientific work as an opponent.
7. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on strengths and limitations in one's own work.
8. Show insight into the role of knowledge in society and about people's responsibility for how it is used.

Self-study, lectures, seminars, ongoing supervision

Active seminar participation 4 credits

Individual written assignments 5 credits

Critical review of a scientific work 5 credits

Bachelor thesis (15 credits) and essay seminar (1 credit), including the ability to be an opponent as well as to reflectively defend one's own work

• Booth, Wayne, Gregory Colomb and Williams, Joseph (latest edition) The Craft of Research, Chicago University Press.
• Bryman, Alan (latest edition), Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press.
• Delanty, Gerary & Strydom, Piet (2003), Philosophies of social science: the classic and contemporary readings. Open University
• Lynggaard, Kennet, Ian Manners and Karl Löfgren (2015), Research Methods in European Union Studies, Palgrave Macmillan

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

This syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.