Politics, International Relations, and History

This module teaches you how to conduct social research, from designing studies to analysing data. You will explore the research process's theoretical, ethical, and practical sides, learning both qualitative and quantitative methods, including using software like SPSS, to make you proficient in social science research methods and investigations.

This module introduces you to comparative politics, helping you systematically examine political systems around the world. You'll explore the diverse structures of governments, how states are organized, and different party systems. By comparing diverse political systems worldwide, you'll gain crucial insights into their commonalities and differences, enabling you to apply comparative methods and critically analyse political institutions and processes globally. 

In this transformations module you will follow the road to Indian independence and the establishment of the world’s largest democracy. You will consider how social and religious divisions have pulled against and supported  democracy, and the debates over the legacies of the British empire, together with the role of key flashpoints before and after independence. 

In this Britain/society module, you will examine the origins of contentious political, religious, and ethnic divides in Ireland and the Middle East which continue to shape world affairs. You will compare these regions through the lens of Britain’s changing role, and develop an understanding of how conflict overseas impacted British politics and culture domestically

This module puts you in charge! You design an independent project on a subject of your choice, mastering planning, organization, and applying social science theories to analyse complexity. From collecting original data to producing a report for real-world organisations, you will see how your research can help stakeholders and communities.

This module explores the relationship between geography, politics, and power, examining how power is asserted and contested across different spaces in both the Global North and Global South. You engage in debates on contemporary geopolitical issues to understand how power manifests itself and is contested in real-world scenarios.

This transformations module identifies crises and conflicts when the Cold War risked boiling over into direct warfare. It offers students a deeper understanding of the nuances of the political climate in the late twentieth-century, as well as an opportunity to consider how legacies of the Cold War linger today. 

This Global Connections module questions how we remember and represent the Holocaust. We explore the history of the Nazi genocide and its depiction within contemporary culture (including films, video games and art), and consider how the Holocaust continues to provoke emotive debates regarding memorialisation, educational policies and modern-day ‘dark tourism’. 

30 credits

You will develop your core academic and integrated English language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will become familiar with key academic skills and concepts, such as referencing methods and awareness of academic integrity and tone. You will apply these skills and knowledge to both broad topics and also your chosen subject pathway.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs.

30 credits

You will develop your core academic and integrated English language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will become familiar with key academic skills and concepts, such as referencing methods and awareness of academic integrity and tone. You will apply these skills and knowledge to both broad topics and also your chosen subject pathway.

Teaching and Learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs. 

30 credits

You will develop your research, numeracy and information technology skills. You will investigate the difference between primary and secondary research, conduct your own research project and demonstrate your findings through data analysis. You will also develop your awareness of equality, diversion and inclusion in the UK, through a real-world issue; discrimination in the workplace.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs. 

30 credits

This module supports a broad exploration of crime and law and its integration within society across various sources, which includes diverse cultural, social, and political representations. By analysing a wide range of topics, you are encouraged to critically engage with how disability, gender and race are represented and viewed in relation to crime and law.

This course integrates sustainability by looking at the sustainability of social interactions and your results and consequences in relation to crime and law. Social responsibility, legal injustice across the globe and inequality are all featured. Social Responsibility is embedded through topics such as social identity, prejudice and exclusion. Social Cognitive Theory and Rational Choice Theory helps you understand challenges and question accountability for individuals and communities.

This course fosters global engagement by examining the inequalities experienced in other cultures, particularly in relation to race, gender and exclusion. Global challenges are addressed at every step equipping you with the skills to navigate a globalised world in a variety of ways. By analysing data and text concerning diverse cultures and contexts, you will develop an understanding of how individuals and cultures operate amongst injustices in a globalised world, preparing you to engage thoughtfully with diverse audiences.

Teaching and learning

Through lectures, workshops, group work, and structured academic writing, you will have the opportunity to practice the core academic skills needed for your future studies. Critical thinking will be developed through tasks such as text analysis, group discussions, and the ability to create well-structured academic assignments, including essays and presentations.

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour workshop per week. You will get a diverse learning experience through case studies and active learning workshops and microteaches.

You will also have an additional 30 minutes of online support each week, consisting of activities to develop your presentation skills and to provide you with opportunities to explore wider policy implementation in diverse/comparative transnational examples.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using a video presentation and summative essay.

30% - video presentation, working in groups, you will produce a video on a topic taught on the curriculum and explain its impact on UK society, using a real-world example.

70% - summative essay, you will identify an issue, either historical or contemporary, that has had an impact on UK society and connect it to at least one of the key topics covered in the course.

30 credits

This module supports a broad exploration of social understanding across various sources, which includes diverse cultural, social, and political representations. By analysing a wide range of topics, you are encouraged to critically engage with how disability, gender and race are represented and viewed. This ensures that your projects and research can reflect a variation of perspectives, fostering a more inclusive and holistic learning environment.

This course integrates sustainability by looking at the sustainability of social interactions and your results and consequences. Social responsibility, globalisation and inequality are all featured. Social Responsibility is embedded through topics such as social identity, prejudice and exclusion. Social Cognitive Theory and Rational Choice Theory help you understand challenges and question accountability for individuals and communities.

This course fosters global engagement by examining the inequalities experienced in other cultures, particularly in relation to race, gender and class. Global challenges are addressed at every step, equipping you to navigate a globalised world in a variety of ways. By analysing data and text concerning diverse cultures and contexts, you develop an understanding of how individuals and cultures operate in a globalised world, preparing you to engage thoughtfully with diverse audiences.

Teaching and learning

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour seminar per week. Lecturers will cover core indicative content, while seminars will consist of research workshops, as well as forming small groups and learning on relevant case studies.

You will also have an additional 30 minutes of online support each week, consisting of activities to develop your presentation skills and to provide you with opportunities to explore wider policy implementation in diverse/comparative transnational examples.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using an academic poster and a summative essay.

40% - academic poster, you will design a poster that provides key information and sociological analysis of your selected story or issue chosen from key weekly topics.

60% - summative essay, you will conduct a sociological analysis of a story or issue you have encountered in the media.