GV385-6-SP-CO:
Parliamentary Studies
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
08 August 2025
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
Entry By Application ONLY.
Students who are interested in studying this module will be required to submit an application which will be reviewed by the module leader. Applicants will then be expected to meet with the module leader to discuss their application.
Details of the requirements and the application process will be shared with students over the summer.
This module aims to provide students with a detailed knowledge of how the UK Parliament works (in both theory and practice) and with the capacity to situate this knowledge within an understanding of similar institutions and a set of broader themes and issues.
To this end it considers: the evolution of the Parliamentary state; how the relationship with the executive has changed over time; the structure of Parliament; the on-going reform debate regarding the House of Lords; the legislative process and how to influence bills; the role and future of Select Committees; what life is like as an MP; and how the UK Parliament interacts with other parliaments and legislatures.
This module is co-taught by staff at the Houses of Parliament and has the support of The Speaker and the Clerk of the House in the House of Commons, and the Lord Speaker and the Clerk of the Parliaments in the House of Lords. The module content is delivered collaboratively by the Houses of Parliament and the University of Essex, with the University providing academic and theoretical content and Parliament providing practical and vocational teaching about the work, processes and business of Parliament.
The aims of this module are:
- To study the structure, procedures and officers of the UK Parliament
- To critically appraise empirical studies of legislative behaviour
- To conduct research on specific elements of Parliamentary activity
By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure, procedures and officers of the UK Parliament.
- Critically appraise empirical studies of legislative behaviour, including those that use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
- Conduct research on specific elements of Parliamentary activity.
Students should choose this module via EnROL, the department will then contact students to advise of the application process.
Enrolments are not confirmed until your application to study the module has been approved by the Module Supervisor.
This module will be delivered via:
- a weekly pre-recorded lecture.
- a weekly interactive lecture.
The pre-recorded lecture will consist of one or more items of prepared content that students can access electronically and must study before the interactive lecture.
The interactive lecture will consist of one 50-minute lecture in which students can ask questions about, and discuss various aspects of, the prepared content with the module supervisor.
The module is co-taught with staff from Parliament, including a visit to Parliament*.
The sessions taught by staff from Parliament will be 2-hour seminars.
*The visit may be a virtual tour.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Research Paper |
15/04/2026 |
100% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof John Bartle, email: jbartl@essex.ac.uk.
Professor John Bartle
Module Supervisor: Professor John Bartle, jbartl@essex.ac.uk / Student Administrator: govquery@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Travel costs for UK - based unpaid, approved work placements and live projects which are an integral part of a module may be covered by your department. (NB this will usually exclude field trips and site visits). Please check with your module supervisor to ensure that the activity is eligible.
Dr Elena Simona Davidescu
UNIVERSITY OF YORK
SENIOR LECTURER
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Government
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