Modules

This module allows students to build a more in-depth understanding of the complexities of social life, by learning a range of social theories, and building the capacity to critically approach social issues and their theorisations.

Within the module, students learn about the fundaments of sociological theories and the main schools of thought within Sociology, as well as how social theory applies to different social domains, such as class, gender and power. Further, students learn about social theory as a practice. This includes developing a critical capacity to examine the advantages and disadvantages of different social theories, and how they can help us to understand the real world. It also includes approaching theories not for their own sake, but as tools that can be used to understand social situations, from establishing formal sociological research projects, to translating social theory to approach practical issues. In particular, attention is given to how social theory can aid an understanding of how social issues can affect people differently according to their social position, background and needs.

Over the course of the module, students will both work on specific academic readings, and learn to develop theoretical frameworks to inform research projects.

This module offers students an understanding of the interactions between race, ethnicity and migration in the contemporary governance of global injustice, inequality, and in the structuring of society. It introduces students to race and ethnicity as fluid and contradictory categories, and as social constructions with real social and legal consequences. It further discusses migration, both as a range of practices and relations that people enact, and as a system of governance that manages inequality in the freedom to move, and in life opportunities.

The module approaches race and ethnicity to show the global variation of the concepts, going beyond the criteria used in the Global North and in anglophone contexts. It further discusses migration, both in terms of different practices of global mobility and participation and society, and in terms of specific aspects of governance, from border controls and migrant detention, to the attribution of citizenship rights. It also explores how systemic inequities in race and ethnicity intersect with criminal justice practices, influencing outcomes such as policing, sentencing, and incarceration.

The module introduces students to how race, ethnicity, and migratory experience and background can lead to diversity in the impact of social issues. It encourages students to critically examine the ways in which race, ethnicity, and migration inform societal responses to crime, law enforcement, and broader patterns of injustice. The module further guides students to consider life histories and the mutual relation between social concepts and individual biographical experiences.

This experiential module is designed to provide students with hands-on learning experiences that complement their academic studies. This module aims to bridge the gap between personal social missions, theory and practice, equipping students with critical awareness, essential skills and experiences for their future plans, including employment, further study and other ventures. The module is enriched through partnership working between academics and others working in a range of organisations promoting social impact. Students will have opportunities to foster their own social missions, develop and apply academic understanding and key skills through working on real-world projects. Key components of teaching and learning include:

  1. Real-World Projects: Students engage in projects that address actual challenges faced by organisations, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge and key skills in practical settings. 

  2. Service Learning: Initiatives that combine community service with learning objectives, promoting social responsibility and civic engagement.

  3. Reflective Practices: Encouraging students to reflect on their experiences through journals, discussions, and skills analyses to enhance critical thinking and personal growth.

  4. Networking Opportunities: A range of networking opportunities will be shared that students can engage in during independent study to build sector insights and develop their networks. 

  5. Skills workshops: Experts will deliver Social Impact Leadership workshops giving insight into personal success and challenges in their paths and teaching key skills towards success.
  6. Career Guidance workshops: Knowledge from Career Experts will underpin career guidance to support students to develop personalised plans for actioning towards aspirations, including employment, further study and other aspirations. 

This module aims to empower students with the tools and resources necessary to secure meaningful employment and embark on successful careers.

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

  • Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
  • Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 4, 5 or 7 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement
  • Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.
  • All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

This module introduces students to the field of peace and conflict studies, violence and non-violence in international relations through the study of critical approaches to the study of violence, war, conflict, security and peace. It traces the evolution of the field from orthodox approaches originally rooted in Western political analysis; those developed and practised through international organisations and institutions in international relations; to critical questions about war, violence, conflict and peace; to alternative and indigenous approaches concerned with peace-building, sustainable peace, structural transformation and restorative and reconciliatory justice. In-depth case studies are woven through the module drawn upon from various international relations contexts including the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa and East Asia in order to apply concepts, approaches and theory to practice. 

Indicative content includes:

  • Key concepts and theories of violence, war, conflict, diplomacy and peace.
  • Critical approaches to understand security, violence, conflict and peace.
  • the origins of peace-building as a synergetic process: diplomacy, peace-making, peace-keeping and peace-building
  • the seven pillars through the institutional remit of the UN, UNDP, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNHCR, and an exploration of conflict from the perspective of professional practitioners inside international institutions, including international law and conventions on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  • key theoretical approaches of conflict management, conflict resolution and conflict transformation and their application.
  • concepts and theories of negative, positive and sustainable peace-building
  • structural transformation; reconciliation; restorative justice; inclusivity; rights
  • indigenous approaches to conflict transformation

In addition to learning conceptual and theoretical innovations in the field, students will learn and practice a range of professional skills-sets invaluable to those wishing to work in the field of diplomacy, peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

In this module, students will:

  • Explore contested conceptualisations of, and approaches to, Global Development and concepts of sustainability within these.
  • Examine the most critical challenges to Global development, the risks associated with these challenges, how and why these arise and who is affected by them in the North and the South.
  • Understand the professional instruments for Global development (Regulations, standards and agreements; institutions; policies and instruments)
  • Explore the ways in which Global development is measured and modelled in practise, and critiques of these.
  • Learn the skills and use the tools for professional work in Global development as well as explore examples of good practise.

The aims of this module are:

  • To introduce the key foundations, and develop an understanding of the importance and value, of Sustainable Development including its environmental, social, political and economic dimensions, its inherent tensions, and its position in relation to global challenges.
  • To introduce key information sources and examples relating to articulating, driving, measuring, modelling and evidencing Sustainable Development.
  • To enable understanding of the interconnected nature of global Sustainable Development challenges across Global South and Global North contexts, and at a range of connected scales.
  • To develop transferable skills in critical reading; data collection; analysis and interpretation; communication and presentation.
  • To equip students with the tools and knowledge to comprehensively examine the most critical challenges to Global Development, including understanding the associated risks, root causes, and their impact on diverse regions, both in the Global North and South.
  • To develop students' professional competence in the realm of Global Development by providing insights into the regulatory, institutional, and policy instruments that drive global development efforts. Students will gain familiarity with the professional tools and skills required for impactful work in this field.