Semesters
IPA213 The European Union and Regional development: theories and practice
International students must have completed at least 60 ETCS credits.
Bachelor students must have completed 60 ETCS credits of electible courses.
At the start of the course basic information, which is crucial for the understanding of European Union policies, is presented. This includes the motivation for the creation of the European Union, the organizational structure and institutions, and the distribution of competencies between the European Union and member states, among others. The understanding is deepened through discussions on up-do-date topics (e.g. the refugee crisis and Brexit) and exercises.
After that, the course focuses on regional development. Indicators on how to measure regional disparities and major theories on regional development serve as a theoretical basis. The focus of the course then moves on to the regional development policies of the European Union, as well as to facts about regional disparities in the EU – both in general and in a number of selected regions, which serve as case studies. The regional policies of the EU are then compared to regional policies in Norway. This part of the course includes also a day trip to the Maritime Cluster in Sunnmøre, to illustrate the practical side of regional policies in Norway, as well as challenges for the public sector in fostering development.
An excursion to a member country of the European Union (in fall of 2018 we will visit Rome and other places in Italy) towards the end of the course helps to illustrate the practice of EU policies and their impact on a member country. The policy areas, which this course focuses on in theory, are reviewed from the practical viewpoint of a member state of the EU.
In accordance with the National Qualifications Framework the student will achieve the following learning outcomes after completing the course:
The student will have knowledge and understanding of
- the motivation behind the creation of the European Union
- how the most important institutions of the European Union work
- important EU policies, especially in the field of regional development; regional development in Norway
- theories on regional development
The student will have developed skills in writing university college papers and holding oral presentations.
The student should be able to
- reflect on important theories and tools in the field of regional development, and their application to reduce regional disparities in the EU and in Norway
- critically reflect on both the advantages and the challenges of the cooperation of countries within the European Union, and on the implications of Norway's position outside the European Union.
The course is held in Volda from August to November. In October there will be a study trip to a member country of the European Union (in fall 2018: to Italy), where we will look at how EU policies work in practice and what impact they have on the region we will visit. The course in Volda will be a mix of lectures, discussions, group exercises and presentations of papers by students. All classes will be in English.
The requirements for the course are:
Written paper (can be written in English or in Norwegian). The paper must be handed in and accepted before the exam.
Oral presentation of the paper.
Participation in the excursion is obligatory. If a student is unable to participate, he or she will have to write a second paper (2000-3000 words) instead.
Attendance in class is not obligatory, but for those students who are present less than 80% of the time, there will be a multiple choice test to ensure that these students have followed the progress of the class.
Grading will be done in accordance with the Regulations governing admission, studies and examinations at Volda University College.
- History - bachelor
- Planning and administration - bachelor
| Assessment Form | Grouping | Duration | Grading scale | Proportion | Comment | Support Materials | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Exam | Individual | 4 Hours | A-F, A is the best grade and E is the lowest passing grade | 50 | Digital exam. | The final evaluation is based on a 4 hour individual written exam and a paper (4000-5000 words). The written exam and the paper each account for 50 % of the final grade. | |
Oppgave | Individual | 1 Semester | A-F, A is the best grade and E is the lowest passing grade | 50 |