COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: POLITICAL INTEGRATION AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 419	C	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
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Dr. Avdi Smajljaj asmajljaj@epoka.edu.al , Tuesday: 15.30 - 18.00 and by appointment, asmajljaj@epoka.edu.al
Second Course 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
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations
Classroom and Meeting Time:	D 102
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:
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.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	Integration
2	Differentiation
3	EU enlargement
4	EU governance

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	EU’s Institutional Dynamics; Must readings: Bickerton, Ch.J., Hodson, D., Puetter, U., pages: 90 - 111; 165 - 263.
5	Theorizing European Integration; Must readings: Jones, pages: 12-23; 39-52. Wallace, pages: 13-46.
6	Theorizing European Integration; Must readings: Jones, pages: 12-23; 39-52. Wallace, pages: 13-46. Cini, pages: 104-121. O’Neill: 76-133.
7	Models of European Integration: Federalism and Confederalism; Must readings; Diedrich, U., Reiners, W., Wessels, W. pages: 1-21, 210-239.
8	Midterm exam
9	Models of European Integration: Governance Model and Differentiated Integration; Must read: Dirk, L., Rittberger, B., Schimmelfenig, F., pages: 21 - 48; 377 - 407.
10	Europeanization; Must readings: Cini, pages: 405-416. Featherstone, page: 3-20; 57-75; Weidenfeld, pages: 90-96. Wallace, pages: 402-426. Cini, pages: 418-434. Schimmelfennig, pages: 3-25.
11	European Integration and National Politics; Must readings: Carbone, M., pages: 1- 34;
12	Democracy, integration and governance; Must readings: Majone, pages: 23-41. Cini, pages: 377-388. Wallace, pages: 483-503.
13	EU in comparative perspective; Must readings: Engelbrekt, ‎pages: 1-21;
14	Future of EU enlargement (new); Must readings: Schimmelfenig, pages: 1- 33, 277 - 295; Ker-Lindsay: Introduction., pages 1 - 42.

Prerequisite(s):	No prerequisites.
Textbook(s):	Cini, M. & Borragan, N.P. (2019). 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. (2009). The Politics of European Union Enlargement: Theoretical approaches. London: Routledge. (Available online) Wallace, H., Wallace, W., & Pollack, M.A. (2021). 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). Wunsch, N. (2018). EU Enlargement and Civil Society in the Western Balkans From Mobilisation to Empowerment. Palgrave. Ker-Lindsay, J. et.al. (ed.). (2019). The National Politics of EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans. Routledge. Diedrich, U., Reiners, W., Wessels, W. (2011). The Dynamics of Change in EU Governance. Edward Elgar. Dirk, L., Rittberger, B., Schimmelfenig, F. (2020). Integration and Differentiation in the European Union: Theory and Policies. Palgrave. Bickerton, Ch.J., Hodson, D., Puetter, U. (2015). The New Intergovernmentalism: States and Supranational Actors in the Post-Mastricht Era. Oxford University Press. Carbone, M. (ed.). (2010). National Politics and European Integration. Edward Elgar. Engelbrekt, A. B., ‎Bremberg, N., ‎Michalski, A. (2020). The European Union in the Changing World. Palgrave.
Additional Literature:	Additional handouts will be distributed on weekly basis.
Laboratory Work:	N/A
Computer Usage:	N/A
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Explain the evolution and dynamics of European political integration.
2	Discuss theories of integration.
3	Differentiate models of governance.
4	Assess the future prospects of the EU enlargement.
5	Asses the Europeanisation process.

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

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Master of Science 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.
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.
3	Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects.
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.
5	Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations.
6	Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently.
7	Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena.
8	Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones.
9	Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles.
10	Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge.
11	Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments.
12	Having consciousness about human rights and environment.
13	Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning.

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	30
Presentation	1	10
Term Paper	1	20
Final Exam	1	30
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

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER

An invited representative from an EU institution, body, agency, civil society, etc. through electronic platforms during the class would enrich the classes.