Skip to main content

POL 621 - European Union's Expansion Policy

Graduate Education Institute · Political Science and International Relations · Doctorate

ECTS: 7.5 T+P+L: 3+0+0 Departmental Elective
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Erhan İÇENER

Course Objective

The aim of this course is to give students an insight into history and the changing dynamics of EU enlargement and the factors influencing the EU’s decisions on enlargement.

Course Content

This course examines the history, content and changing dynamics of European Union enlargement. It focuses on why and how the EU expands its membership, the reasons behind applications for membership from non-member states and the EU’s approach to the membership aspirations of current candidates and applicants. It also evaluates the prospects for the accession of these countries as well as for the future of enlargement more generally.

Required Resources

There is no single textbook of the course. The readings will be available for download from the course material sharing page on IZU Campus Information System (IZU CIS).

Course Learning Outcomes

  1. To critically analyse the factors influencing the dynamics behind the evolution of these relations.
  2. To explain how and why the European Union has enlarged and continues to enlarge.
  3. To identify knowledge, sources and data on EU enlargement and the EU’s relations in its neighbourhood; and to manage such information in an independent manner.
  4. To interpret and evaluate arguments made by others on EU enlargement and the EU’s relations in its neighbourhood.
  5. Communicate ideas to others in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
  6. To elaborate on the European Union's past and current relations with European non-member states.

Core Area Distribution

(22) Humanities%100

Teaching Methods

ExpressionQuestion-AnswerDiscussionBrain StormingSelf study

Assessment & Evaluation

HomeworkPerformance Assignment ( Lab / Workshop / Field Work / Seminar / Presentation / Completion Study / ThesisTesting (Essay / Tests: True-Falls, multiple-choice, short answer, matching)

ECTS / Workload

ActivityQuantityDuration (h)Total Workload
Course Duration (Including Exam Week)14342
Out of Class Study Period14798
Midterm000
Quiz000
Assignment21020
Practice11010
Final12020

Course Schedule

WeekSubjectPreparation
1IntroductionSee syllabus uploaded to IZU Campus Information System.
2What is EU Enlargement?.
3Explaining EU Enlargement: Why and How?.
4From 6 to 15: Why Enlarge?.
5Norway and Switzerland.
6From 15 to 27: An Overiew of Eastern Enlargement.
7Eastern Enlargement: Reasons and Dynamics.
8Mid-term Exam.
9Turkey and the European Union - I.
10Turkey and the European Union - II.
11Shifting Enlargement Dynamics: Change and Continuity.
12Western Balkans - I.
13Western Balkans - II.
14Future of EU Enlargement.