‘Earth and Environment’ introduces a range of key processes occurring within the natural environment, using an Earth systems approach. You will explore how these systems are influenced by natural- and human- induced environmental changes, and linkages between major components of the Earth System are examined in the context of contemporary climate change.

‘People and Places’ introduces you to critical concepts and issues of interest to human geographers and explores different ways people’s relationships to places can be understood. Throughout the module, you will use various evidence forms to consider multi-scalar relationships, including local examples of global phenomena, through issues such as social exclusion, urbanisation, nationalism, and globalisation.

This module is designed to introduce students to both the theory and practice of economic thought from a global perspective. In the first half of the module students will examine the history of economic thought through tracing the progress of economic ideas over time and learn about the work of some of the most influential economists that have shaped global affairs. In the second half of the module students will apply these economic ideas and thinkers to specific country case studies and compare the economic systems and approaches in different regions of the world. Indicative content will include:

• Mercantilism, Physiocracy, Classical Economics, Marxist Economics, Neoclassical Economics, Keynesian Economics, The Austrian School
• Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mills, Jeremy Bentham, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Alfred Marshall, Joseph Schumpeter, Milton Freedman, Joseph Stiglitz
• Market Capitalism, Communism, Transitional Economies, Developing Economies, New Traditional Economies
• USA, Japan, France, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungry, Yugoslavia, Slovenia, China, India, Mexico, Iran

In this module you will examine political ideas such as freedom, equality, justice and democracy that have shaped today’s world. You will develop knowledge of the major concepts and ideas underlying political thought which primarily emerged out of and are associated with western political traditions. These ideas will be unpacked and explored through key thinkers and case studies in this module from classical to contemporary political thought. Indicative ideas may include power and freedom, democracy and rights, equality and justice, individual and state, security and militarism, gender, sexuality and queerness, race and nation, and class and capitalism. Students will learn to critically analyse and apply these ideas in both institutional and organisational analyses and through case study scenarios.

Indicative case studies rooted in the European context may include movements such as Just Stop Oil, Black Lives Matter, and the #MeToo Movement. Global Surrogacy; security approaches such as UK Immigration policy; UK National Security policy; Global tobacco control; environmental justice such as UK Climate Coalition; Just Stop Oil; or Fracking.

Indicative institutions within the European context include government and political institutions and European institutions, elections, political parties and interest groups, constitutionalism, bureaucracy and public service, policy-making, civil society and social movements.

You now have the opportunity to pick an optional module to learn a new language or build on your existing language skills as part of your degree. You can choose:

• Subsidiary Language for Beginners (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)
• French: Intermediate Language Development
• Spanish: Intermediate Language Development
• Chinese: Intermediate Language Development
• German: Communication in Practice
• French: Communication in Practice
• Spanish: Communication in Practice