COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: POLITICAL INTEGRATION AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 419	B	1	3	0	0	3	7.5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Islam Jusufi , . Please request appointment by email: ijusufi@epoka.edu.al (Room: E-101)
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:	E 311
Course Description:	This course is on nature of political integration in Europe, i.e. EU. The topic is presented from historical, theoretical and institutional perspectives. The first part is an attempt to conceptualize and provide historical background to EU. The second part offers the theoretical background. The third part focuses on EU’s enlargement and international agenda.
Course Objectives:	The aims of the course is to provide overview of history of EU, integration theories and their intellectual history, the EU’s political and institutional system, and current public and scholarly debates about EU and its enlargement and international agenda. At no other time the EU has so fundamentally affected the direction of the political integration processes in Europe. The goal is that students come out of the course with a detailed understanding of what is the EU, how it emerged, and how it works. Its objective is to challenge students to critically think about the EU.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Course introduction, overview of texts, and expectations b. Conceptualizing Europe; Must readings: Pagden, pages: 33-54.
2	Conceptualizing EU; Must readings: O’Neill, pages: 3-15. Wallace, pages: 3-10. Cini, pages: 1-10.
3	History of European integration; Must readings: Majone, pages: 1-18. Weidenfeld, pages: 6-19. Cini, pages: 15-66
4	Theorizing “European Integration”; Must readings: Jones, pages: 12-23; 39-52. Wallace, pages: 13-46.
5	Functionalism and Supranational paradigm; Must readings: Cini, pages: 71-84. O’Neill: Pages: 19-50.
6	Intergovernmentalism and State centric paradigm; Must readings: Cini, pages: 86-102. O’Neill: 51-75.
7	New theories of European integration and Syncretic paradigm; Must readings: Cini, pages: 104-121. O’Neill: 76-133.
8	Midterm exam
9	Democracy, integration and governance; Must readings: Majone, pages: 23-41. Cini, pages: 377-388. Wallace, pages: 483-503.
10	Widening or Enlargement agenda; Must readings: Weidenfeld, pages: 90-96. Wallace, pages: 402-426. Cini, pages: 418-434. Schimmelfennig, pages: 3-25.
11	Rationalist and Marxist views of Enlargement; Must readings: Schimmelfennig, pages: 75-91; 198-209; 213-231.
12	Constructivist views of Enlargement; Must readings: Schimmelfennig, pages: 99-115; 120-137; 143-166; 172-195.
13	Europeanization; Must readings: Cini, pages: 405-416. Featherstone, page: 3-20; 57-75.
14	EU as international actor; Must readings: Wallace, pages: 429-455. Cini, pages: 225-256.

Prerequisite(s):	Papers, oral presentations, and active participation in class.
Textbook:	Cini, M. & Borragan, N.P. (2009). European Union Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Available online) Featherstone, K. & Radaelli, C.M. (2003). The Politics of Europeanization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Available online) Jones, E & Verdun, A. (2005). The Political Economy of European Integration: Theory and analysis. London: Routledge. (Available online) Majone, G. (2005). Dilemmas of European integration: The ambiguities and pitfalls of integration by stealth. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Available online) O’Neill, M. (1996). The Politics of European Integration: a reader. London: Routledge. (Available online) Pagden, A. (2002). The Idea of Europe: From Antiquity to the European Union. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Available online) Schimmelfennig, F. & Sedelmeier, U. (2005). The Politics of European Union Enlargement: Theoretical approaches. London: Routledge. (Available online) Wallace, H., Wallace, W., & Pollack, M.A. (2005). Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Available online) Weidenfeld, W. & Wessels, W. Europe from A to Z. Institut für Europäische Politik. (Available online).
Other References:	Optional readings: Other chapters of above mentioned books can be read as optional materials.
Laboratory Work:	N/A
Computer Usage:	N/A
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Demonstrate a basic understanding of the and evolution of European political integration.
2	Identify the actors in European political integration
3	Understand the challenges in political integration.
4	Assess the future of Europe and EU as political unity

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Professional Master in Political Science and International Relations Program
1	Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources.	5
2	Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches.	5
3	Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects.	5
4	Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions.	4
5	Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations.	1
6	Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently.	3
7	Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena.	5
8	Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones.	5
9	Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles.	5
10	Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge.	5
11	Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments.	5
12	Having consciousness about human rights and environment.	3
13	Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning.	3

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Homework	1	10
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Presentation	1	5
Quiz	1	5
Final Exam	1	40
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	2	32
Mid-terms	1	15	15
Assignments	1	15	15
Final examination	1	40	40
Other	1	37.5	37.5
Total Work Load:			187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):			7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			7.5