Customise your course
Having the opportunity to personalise your course enriches your learning experience. We call this Sussex Choice. As part of this, you can customise most of our single-honours degrees and enhance your main subject by exploring other disciplines.
Electives
Electives are modules from a subject area that’s different to your core course. As a first- and/or second-year student on most of our single-honours undergraduate courses, you take electives from an exciting range of subjects, which is updated each year. Each elective lasts for one term.
The range of electives is one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Sussex. It gives you opportunities to broaden your studies.” Emily Jane
Politics BA
Discover electives
- Arts and Humanities
- Advertising (E)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll critically explore advertising as a cultural practice and economic tool, focusing on its historical, theoretical and social dimensions. You'll examine:
- the definition, purpose, and evolution of advertising
- its relationship with media and contributions to culture and society
- the role of advertising in social change and its implications for societies
- the shift towards branding strategies and promotional culture
- the impact of online technologies on advertising practices
- recent issues such as brand activism, brand safety, and data-driven targeting in commercial and political contexts
You'll also develop skills in textual analysis and apply concepts to reflect critically on advertising and its broader societal impacts.
- American Cities
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2American Cities explores the history, culture and significance of a particular US city, examined in detail throughout the term. From foundation to its current manifestation, the module will contextualise the city in terms of the development of the United States and its colonial and expansionist histories, the urban economy, and its relationship to changing American populations. The myths of the city will be compared to the realities, and a truly interdisciplinary approach will be taken throughout. History, film, literature, and music will be studied alongside one another to firmly locate the city in its relationship to the national story. Possible cities include New York, New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, depending on which of these is taught in any given academic year.
- American Political Culture
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1American political culture is rooted in a shared set of ideals, including liberty, equality, social justice, democracy, and individualism. These are not always realised in practice.
You will explore how electoral politics and the democratic process have been promoted and challenged in American culture. Drawing on a wide range of American Studies methodologies and theories, and taking a cultural-historical approach, you will focus on the subjective side of American politics.
You will examine debates around memory, militarism, race, gender, religion, nativism, populism and identity, and how they have been expressed in beliefs, attitudes and cultural practice from the 1750s to the age of Trump.
- American Popular Music
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2You’ll explore some of the repertoires that are at the heart of post-war American pop music, including mainstream pop, the blues, hip-hop, funk, country and rock.
You'll consider the extent to which American popular music has influenced other pop music cultures, and how a sense of American identity is both fostered and communicated in its music. You’ll connect specific kinds of repertoire to major events in American history, such as the Civil Rights Movement.
The module is organised according to topics such as:
- the music industry
- the blues continuum
- identity in country music
- urban music
- Afrofuturism.
By the end, you'll be able to identify and describe a range of American popular music genres, and position them in their socio-historical context. You'll also apply the main analytic techniques that scholars use to explore American popular music.
In groups, you will offer an interpretive analysis of a popular song, and connect it explicitly to theoretical work on issues of American identity. You’ll develop skills in writing, research and oral presentation.
- Analysing Film (E)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module draws upon both 20th-century and contemporary film texts to explore the diverse uses filmmakers have made of such key techniques of cinematic expression as narrative, cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound, and special effects. We consider not simply how such techniques are accomplished (ie the creative choices available to filmmakers) but also the potential they have for generating meaning and pleasure when combined together to produce filmic texts. The module also examines links between technological change and film aesthetics.
- Art and Artists
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2Art and Artists will introduce you to the work and career of numerous artists, by focusing on how artists gain (or lose) their reputation.
Considering the cultural functions served by the figure of the ‘artist’ across a range of historical periods, you’ll explore how and why reputations change along with attempts to control the appreciation and understanding of an artist’s work.
The module takes ‘artist’ in its broadest sense to include not only visual artists but musicians, singers, composers, film directors, performance artists and actors, architects, writers, dramatists, poets and dancers. You will also consider the representation of artists in film, literature, the media etc.
- Black British History
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this module, you'll explore Black British history from Roman conquest to the present, emphasizing its importance to British history. Topics include:
- Black presence in the Roman Empire
- Black Tudor histories
- histories of transatlantic slavery and emancipation
- racial formations and the British Empire
- Windrush generation and citizenship
- radical Black resistance movements
- Black intellectual and popular cultures
- Black histories of Brighton and Sussex
- histories of people of both African and Asian descent.
You'll examine the rich primary source materials in Sussex library’s Black Studies archive. You'll gain public history experience by developing descriptions to help present these materials to the public.
- Careers in the Cultural & Creative Industries
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Through a range of engagements with Alumni industry professionals, group activities and individual research, you will acquire the skills and knowledge to develop and manage your career interests and progression, now and throughout your life.
You will be supported to reflect on your current skills, values, and priorities, and analyse how these relate to your individual portfolio project. You will hear from speakers about a range of different careers and entrepreneurship opportunities developed and enjoyed by our global network of Alumni. Your independent work will culminate in a one-to-one conversation with a self-selected Alumni industry professional. These discussion will take place online, helping you to consider both national and international employment markets and opportunities.
By acquiring a knowledge of employability and entrepreneurship in your chosen sector, you learn how to identify and reflect on- career options - both those you aspire to and some that you haven't considered before
- career options that are emerging through developments in technologies and cultural changes
- career options that question and challenge the status quo.
You will consider how to best position yourself during and after your degree, and into possible career pathways, while staying in touch with the constantly expanding and evolving network of Sussex Alumni at the forefront of industry and social change.
- China's Encounter with Europe: History Lessons for Business
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll analyse the fundamental philosophical values, cultural tenets, and socio-economic systems that have shaped the historical relationship between China and Europe. You'll explore these elements in a historical context to understand their impact on globalised business, with a focus on etiquette, behavioural patterns and international business norms past and present.
The module is divided into two parts:
- the connection between philosophy and business ethics
- lessons learned from key events in history.
You'll critically analyse both philosophy and key events in thie history of China-Europe encounters. This will allow you to understand the dynamics of contemporary global business.
- Creative Coding
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2The Creative Audiovisual Coding module prepares you for work in interactive media, such as game development, virtual reality, augmented reality, the web, mobile apps and other interactive platforms. The module introduces key techniques and technologies for creative audiovisual coding, ranging from sound synthesis to interface design and visual animation. The programme of learning is designed for students from arts and humanities backgrounds with no coding experience, and is delivered in practical workshops. The module is also a good preparation for the third year Sound for Interactive Media and Generative Arts and Musical Machine modules.
Over the course of this module, you will learn how to produce creative applications using JavaScript for coding sound, music, video, the internet and interactive systems. You will learn creative coding, through grounded teaching aimed at students from arts and humanities backgrounds, delivered in practical workshops. The module will provide you with knowledge of the history and aesthetics of computational arts, including cybernetics, computer music, artificial life, computer art, live coding, gaming, audiovisual art and machine intelligence.
- Creative Production in the Arts
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you’ll be introduced to technical production skills in the arts. You’ll learn to start applying these skills through your own creative ideas. You’ll explore the basics of a range of technical production modes across the arts such as:
- lighting and sound for theatre
- scenographic and costume design
- film editing
- media content creation
- stage/project management.
The module offers tasters in a crossdisciplinary range of production practices relevant to the contemporary arts. It is suitable if you’re brand new to technical production, or if you’re seeking to develop your skill sets. You’ll produce a portfolio in which you devise a design concept or technical plan for an arts project.
- Creative Writing in a Changing World
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1 - Decoding Cultures of Technology and Social Change
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1 - Feminist Philosophy
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1In this module, you'll look at:
- the sex/gender distinction
- reproductive issues and the family
- sexual objectification
- intersectionality
- epistemic injustice
- feminist interpretations of the history of philosophy.
You'll examine and develop your own positions on these issues.
Philosophers whose work you'll discuss include:
- Judith Butler
- Luce Irigaray
- Sally Haslanger
- Robin Dembroff.
- From Opera to Film (E)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module, split into two five-week units, examines the history of musical narrative from classical opera through to film music.
You'll focus on the audio-visual study of musical 'texts,' exploring how music creates metaphors of linear plot and development. While the emphasis is on opera and film, some 'abstract' instrumental music, such as the symphonic poem, are also considered.
Key figures and topics covered include:
- Richard Strauss, who bridges late romantic opera and 20th-century film music
- Eric Korngold, whose operas influenced his film scores of the 1930s and 1940s
- post-war film scores where music plays a more complex role than simply mirroring visual action
- the psychological motifs in Bernard Herrmann's scores for Hitchcock’s Psycho and Vertigo
- connections between Herrmann’s music and the irrational music of Schoenberg’s Erwartung and Berg’s Lulu.
Essay work is complemented by regular aural analysis of opera and film music. No previous technical knowledge or ability to read music is required. The focus is on audio-visual content rather than written scores.
- Global Cinema E
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This module looks at international film of the last five decades. A range of films will be studied in order to explore: genre and art cinema; post-colonialism and political cinema; gender and feminist cinema; and globalisation and popular cinema.
We will study important movements in post-war film culture, including Third Cinema from Brazil and political cinema from Senegal. We will address the relationship between gender, history, allegory and national cinema (examples may include films from Tunisia, Iran and Argentina). We will also examine the aesthetics and economics of the blockbuster in a global film culture (case studies may include contemporary films from South Korea, China, India and Australia).
- Horror Films: Fears, Phobias and Fantasies
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll examine the history and theory of the horror genre, focusing on influential films that have shaped its evolution and exploring key critical debates in the academic study of horror. You'll investigate the emergence of specific subgenres such as satanic horror and the slasher film, and the popularity of iconic 'monsters' like vampires, psychos, animals and aliens.
Topics include:
- the uncanny and the abject
- otherness and monstrosity
- gender and sexuality
- terror and pleasure.
- Language and Power
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module examines the ways in which attitudes to language are underpinned by (socio)political values, and how power is exerted through language.
Topics include the relationship between language and national identity and attitudes to foreign languages and multilingual practices. For instance, why do some states spend large amounts of money in an attempt to eradicate particular languages, while other spend equal amounts on trying to revitalise certain languages?
We will look at attitudes to language at both the level of the individual and state legislation, using case-studies from a range of countries. We also examine instances of coercive and persuasive language.
- Language, Mind and Brain
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module focuses on linguistic ability as a unique quality of humans. How does human language differ from animal communication systems? How is the human body, particularly the brain, adapted for language? Is language a special kind of cognition, or the product of general higher cognitive abilities?
We further investigate how humans understand and produce speech in such a speedy and efficient way, using a variety of evidence to evaluate theories of how the mind is structured for speech. We'll ask questions like: How are words stored in the mind so that we can find them? Why are grammatical sentences like 'The horse raced past the barn fell' actually very difficult to comprehend? Why are words sometimes 'on the tip of the tongue'?
- Leading Social Change: Communication and Activism
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Working with the local community, this module builds on the communication and leadership skills necessary to lead action for social change.
This practical work is facilitated by the charity Citizens UK, who match students with local campaigns or voluntary organisations. Exploring issues that impact various communities, you will find links between your discipline and ways in which ‘community work’ can be undertaken.
In workshops, you will:
- engage critically with current debates about social justice
- analyse historical and contemporary campaigns (looking at forms of direct action and activist writing)
- build practical skills (storytelling, negotiation, and delivering leadership speeches) to make positive social change.
- Leading Social Change: Taking Action
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2Working with the local community, this module builds on the practical skills necessary to lead action for social change.
The project you will undertake is facilitated by the charity Citizens UK, who match students with local campaigns or voluntary organisations. Exploring issues that impact various communities, you will find links between your discipline and ways in which ‘community work’ can be undertaken.
In workshops, you will:
- engage critically with current debates about social justice
- develop leadership skills (such as organising action)
- create strategies to improve collaborative approaches to challenging oppression and promoting social justice.
- Music and Society
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2Music does not exist in isolation from society. Many cultures in the world have no word for music conceived as an entity distinct from the contexts in which it takes place – contexts such as social or religious ritual, dance or performance. Only in modern western culture has the idea of art music as something autonomous and removed from the everyday world evolved.
Why is music meaningful to us, and how can we understand how music has meaning at all? What is the function of art music in cultures dominated by commercial values? How can we grasp the relationships between the multiplicity of musical forms that are available in a modern globalised culture? How can we evaluate the impact of the different media and technologies by which music is disseminated and consumed? These are some of the questions that this module seeks to address.
The module also aims to introduce you to different intellectual approaches to these questions, and to broaden your engagement with the issues through independent research. The module charts recent musical history both in terms of technical innovation, and social and aesthetic concerns of the composers involved. The aim of the module is to stimulate awareness of recent musical thinking and also to use that awareness to re-examine more conventional musical views and habits. - Paying for the Past (E)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1Can historical wrongs be made right? How to address past injustices is one of the key questions of the day and it is one that resonates across the globe.
Slavery, colonialism and genocide might be most immediately associated with recent claims for compensation, but the question of righting historical wrongs has a wider reach and is also central for apartheid victims in South Africa, ‘the disappeared’ in Argentina, indigenous people in Canada and Australia and wartime victims of sexual violence in Japan.
On this module, you'll explore both the history of different cases of past wrongs and the present day political debates.
- Philosophy of Race
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2What can philosophy contribute to our understanding of race, of racism, and to the pursuit of justice and equality in the context of race?
On this module you'll consider, and try to answer, a series of questions:
- are there such things as races? If so, what sort of things are they?
- are races biological categories, or are they socially constructed?
- should we retain our concepts of race, or should we attempt to modify or even stop using them altogether?
- what does it mean to describe something or someone as 'racist'?
- what sort of action should we take to address contemporary and contemporary racial injustices?
- what roles have race and racism played in the history of philosophy, and what roles do they play in our understanding of philosophy today?
- Public Speaking: Communication Skills in Theory and Practice
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2 - Race and Ethnicity in US History
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module examines the history of African-American political, cultural, and social developments from 1863 to the present. Its principal goal is to familiarise you with the debates that African Americans have had among themselves between emancipation and the present day, thus establishing a deep historical understanding of the ongoing freedom struggle in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
It assesses intraracial arguments over the relationship of blacks to the US government in war and peace, over racial and class identities, and over diverse tactics and strategies for the advancement of the race. Although particular attention is given to the long running campaign to destroy de jure segregation in the southern states (culminating in the successful nonviolent direct action campaigns of the 1960s), the course is predicated on the demonstrable fact that racial prejudice was a national not a regional phenomenon.
Lectures and seminars interrogate the connections between African American history and culture. Emphasis is given to well-known black leaders like Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and Martin Luther King, but female activists and the unsung black masses themselves also receive close attention.
- Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll explore themes in race, ethnicity, and nationalism from an interdisciplinary perspective. You'll examine:
- the interaction between power and culture and its role in constructing differences between social groups
- the historical and contemporary contexts of race, ethnicity, and nationalism in Britain and former British empire regions
- ethnic and religious mobilisation in South and Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the Middle East
- the challenges faced by developing states in the global South as they navigate colonial legacies and contemporary geopolitics.
- Society, State and Humanity
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll:
- focus on the relationships between people, society and the state
- explore what makes a ‘good’ society rather than a ‘bad’ one
- explore social theory and criticism to understand the problems within society.
Famous figures you'll look at include:
- Aristotle
- Hobbes
- Rousseau
- Hegel
- Marx
- Durkheim
- Freud
- Marcuse
- Adorno.
You'll also develop your ability to engage with and evaluate the work of important social and political philosophers, and critically evaluate their ideas.
- Sustainability and Climate Justice
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1Sustainability seems to be everywhere: sustainable products, sustainable businesses, sustainable cities. Yet the concept also has critics. Is sustainability too vague? Does it really serve the needs of climate justice?
In this module, you will dive into the big sustainability controversies, such as climate reparations, degrowth, post-development, and rights of nature.
By using exciting interdisciplinary approach, rooted in the arts and humanities, you will:- use climate psychology and ecocriticism for insights into eco-anxiety and environmental activism
- bridge gaps between popular perceptions of climate change and the latest scientific evidence
- explore how art, culture, history, and games can contribute to creating just climate futures.
- The Age of Adolescence: Reading 20th Century Youth Culture
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module will explore representations of adolescence from the early 20th through to the early 21st century in theory, literature, film and popular culture. You’ll look at the ways in which the adolescent morphs into the teenage consumer in the 1950s in novels such as Colin MacInnes’s Absolute Beginners.
You’ll also consider the adolescent as a site of cultural fantasy and cultural fears in relation to class, race, gender and sexuality. You’ll look at the adolescent’s relationship to radical politics, subculture, utopia, nostalgia. You will use representations of the adolescent as a modern constructed identity to teach the skill of close reading, and historical contextualisation in texts that range from Willa Cather to Spring Breakers.
- The Look of America
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This module takes as its premise the notion that ever since the explosion of mass media and mass society in the industrial age, the United States has taken an increasingly dominant place in the global visual imagination. This process reached its peak at the beginning of the 20th century, America henceforth generating for the world innumerable iconic and hegemonic visual representations of its own cultural narratives.
The task of the module will be to investigate and deconstruct some of the products of this visual field, along with the ideologies and narratives that sustain and refract them. Hence we begin by introducting you to visual theory, especially as it applies to the American context, and provide you with the critical tools necessary for the module. We then locate the period under scrutiny (1860-2001) within a broader visual and cultural prehistory, illuminating the roots of the modern world and its visual scene. After this, the module concentrates more particularly on the culture of the late-19th and 20th centuries.
Following a more or less thematic pattern, the module examines the issues that emerge over the course of the 20th century, referring forwards and backwards in order to generate connections where appropriate (for example, linking the Farm Security Administration projects to Matthew Brady's Civil War photographs). The intention here is to introduce you to aspects of visual culture and its criticism, as well as to defamiliarise and explore some of the more familiar American iconography surrounding us.
- Truth and Morality: The Meaning of Life
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1In this module, you study the central issues of morality, examining both the kinds of considerations that might be appealed to in moral arguments, and the status of moral arguments themselves.
What should we bear in mind when deciding whether to eat meat, or whether to help someone, or whether to fight a war? In what sense are the decisions we make right? How can a moral argument be a good argument? Are some people wiser than others? Is there any truth in moral relativism?You tackle these and related issues from a range of theoretical positions.
- Video Games: Creative & Critical Writing
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1Video and computer game design involves sophisticated and imaginative construction across hardware, software and aesthetics. Games are intersections between creative culture in arts and design, storytelling, music, and technology. As with all cultural works, they should be subject to thoughtful critique.
The module introduces seminal examples, key texts of game theory and relevant critical theory. Students will consider the creative aspects of writing for games including:
- narrative and storyboards
- world building
- shooting/scripts
- characters and avatars
- players
- virtuality and corporeality
- queer feminist game play
- play
- addiction
- algorithms and chance.
- Advertising (E)
- Business, Finance and Economics
- Corporate and International Finance (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2In this module, we’ll help you to foster critical understanding of the important ideas and analytical tools used in corporate financial decision making.
You’ll develop an appreciation of the challenges to implementing these ideas and tools through debate in the corporate finance literature and events reported in the financial press.
Lectures will cover topics such as:
- the corporation
- the nature of financial decision making
- interest rates
- valuing bonds
- investment decision rules
- capital budgeting
- valuing stocks
- capital markets and the pricing of risk
- portfolio choice and the capital asset pricing model
- the cost of capital
- investor behaviour and capital market efficiency
- capital structure in a perfect market
- debt and taxes
- financial distress
- managerial incentives and information
- payout policy
- mergers and acquisitions.
- Financial Institutions and Markets (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2 - International Business Environment
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll gain an in-depth analysis of the modern operating environment in international business, evaluating leading trends and the evolving nature of international business activities and multinational enterprises.
You’ll explore the significance of various factors in international business, including:
- formal and informal institutions
- host and home country perspectives
- ethical considerations
- corporate social responsibility (CSR)
- sustainability issues.
You'll also focus on understanding the business environment across key global regions, including:
- the European Union
- North America
- East and Southeast Asia
- the transition economies of Eastern and Central Europe.
- International Business Strategy (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This elective module is not suitable for students of BSc International Business. Do not choose this module if you are on BSc International Business. International business is concerned with how firms engage in transactions and value-adding activities outside of their national boundaries. The module examines the various elements of international business strategy (e.g. entry mode, partner selection in joint ventures, location) and how the organisational structure of the firm is best configured to its strategy. Consideration will also be given to the impact of foreign direct investment on host and home economies. Additionally, you will be able articulate and explain different approaches to international human resource management and knowledge governance after completing this module.
- International Human Resource Management (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you’ll examine the core concepts in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) and how they apply in an international context.
This will involve an examination of issues around international staffing challenges, such as:
- recruitment and development
- HRM strategy
- cross-cultural management
- diversity
- sustainability
- corporate social responsibility
- ethics.
- International Marketing (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module represents an introduction to international marketing and aims to develop knowledge of the international environment and international marketing. The increased scope, risk and complexity faced by the international marketer is due to the increased level of uncertainty from operating in diverse and less understood environments.
Emphasis is placed on the identification of challenges presented by international marketing to equip students to deal with differences, opportunities and threats emerging from diverse economic, demographic, political/legal, cultural, technical and competitive environments.
The impact of international issues is related during the course to the marketing decision-making task at three levels; the macro level at which country selection decisions are made; national level at which market entry decisions are made; and market level where marketing mix decisions are made.
- Introduction to Accounting (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This module is designed as an introduction to accounting and financial management for managers.
The module introduces accounting and financial management topics gradually, examining basic principles and underlying concepts before demonstrating how accounting statements and financial information can be used to improve business decision-making.
The module focus is for students of business and management as decision-makers and users of financial information.
- Introduction to Business and Management (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Introduction to Business and Management is an introductory study of contemporary organisations and their management. It explores the types of purposes of organisations, their stakeholders (CSR) and changing environments together with their key managerial processes – entrepreneurship, organisational structure, leading, strategic planning and change.
The focus throughout is on helping you achieve a critical and reflective approach, and learning to apply relevant concepts, tools and models.
The coursework component of assessment requires you to choose an organisation that is of interest to you and to explore, critically, the way in which it handles a process of your choice. You are supported in this by the submission of a structured proposal on which formative feedback is given.
Seminar activities are participative and require preparatory work which is signposted though downloads and links on Study Direct well in advance.
Lectures are interactive, employing the use of quizzes and featuring clips from YouTube, such as Dragons' Den excerpts.
An unseen examination completes the assessment profile and you tackle a case study (which revisits keys concepts) in the final seminar as a formative exercise.
The module provides a platform for later study by encouraging skills in critical thinking, academic writing, concept acquisition and research. Introduction to Business and Management aims to facilitate the transition to university-level learning smoothly, meaningfully and enjoyably.
- Introduction to Economics (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of economics. The first half of the module deals with micro-economic issues including the behaviour of individuals and firms, their interaction in markets and the role of government.
The second half of the module focuses on macroeconomics and examines the determinants of aggregate economic variables, such as national income, inflation, and the balance of payments and the relationships between them.
- Introduction to Energy Transitions
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2Nothing works without energy, but our current energy systems face mounting economic, social and environmental pressures and must change radically and quickly if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change. This module introduces students to the rationales, challenges, pathways, and policies relevant for such a transition to a low-carbon, sustainable energy system.
It will raise questions such as: How come politicians have talked about climate change for 20 years but global emissions are still rising? Why is the EU emissions trading system hardly encouraging low-carbon innovation? Can a low-carbon energy system be based on 100% renewables, or are we better off exploring shale gas and building new nuclear power plants? How come so many people agree with the idea of renewables but don't want to live next to a wind farm? Who is shaping the UK¿s energy and climate policy? Will Germany be able to continue pursuing its Energiewende despite ever rising costs? What can local community groups or citizens like yourself do to change our current energy systems?
In discussing these questions this module builds upon the world leading research base at SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), including the exciting and forward-looking work of the Sussex Energy Group.
- Introduction to Sustainability
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module aims to provide an understanding of the principles of sustainability and, in particular, an introduction to the role of science and technology in contributing to key sustainable development challenges. We explore the origins of the concept of sustainable development and the core ideas that underpin it. We examine the politics and economics of sustainability, the ways in which sustainable development is interpreted by different interest groups, the assumptions made and the contradictions that arise.
These ideas are illustrated through a series of contemporary case studies, which highlight efforts to address sustainable development challenges from the local to international, and we examine the role of science and technology within these contexts. The case studies include, amongst others: the depletion of oil resources; international negotiations on climate change; biodiversity and conservation; and agricultural biotechnology.
- Microeconomics 1 (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you’ll dive into consumer and producer theory, covering topics like:
- consumer surplus
- labour supply
- production and costs of the firm
- alternative market structures
- factor markets.
You’ll explore how these concepts apply to public policy, using real-world examples to highlight the practical value of the theory.
- Microeconomics 2 (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll build on the economic principles learned in your first year. You'll study alternative market structures, such as oligopoly and monopolistic competition, and compare them with perfect competition and monopoly.
You'll also explore decision-making under uncertainty and across multiple time periods, moving beyond some of the restrictive assumptions made in the first year module.
The knowledge gained will be applied to topics such as:
- investment in human capital (e.g. education)
- saving and investment decisions
- insurance
- criminal deterrence.
- Operations Management (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module provides you with an understanding of how the fundamental principles of operations management can support the improvement of management performance in both public and private organisations.
During the module, you will apply these principles to both manufacturing and service operations, and gain an understanding of the systemic and interactive nature of operations management problems and their relationship to the external environment. You will develop quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, through guided problem-based activities and case study analysis.
The content of the module covers:
- Operations strategy
- Designing operations
- Organisation design
- Planning and control
- Lean operations
- Project management
- Managing quality and continous process/product improvement
- Managing the supply chain and future direction of travel for operations management.
- Principles of Finance (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module provides an introduction to financial markets, instruments and concepts, and is designed for students with no previous knowledge of finance.
It begins with an overview of different financial institutions, and the products that they commonly provide and trade. Major historical events in the financial markets are also discussed, illustrating their importance in the wider economy. Reference will also be made, where appropriate, to skills and products contributing to personal financial literacy.
Topics include:
- concepts relating to equity
- loan and bond markets
- beginning with interest rates
- returns
- time value of money
- discounting
- present value.
- Theory of Investments (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1Learn about the common types of investments and gain a thorough grounding in the analysis of investment portfolios.
You cover:
- traditional asset classes and the investment environment (including the investment process and a discussion of mutual funds and other investment companies)
- standard risk-return-based asset allocation methods
- popular index models
- theoretical and empirical asset pricing models and their applications to investment analysis
- security analysis and performance measurement.
This module is not suitable if you are studying a single-honours Finance BSc degree.
- Corporate and International Finance (Elective)
- Education and Social Work
- Access, Equity and Gender
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1Access to education is at the heart of development and is central to the Millennium Development Goals. A lack of education reflects and reinforces poverty and access to quality education is a means for poverty reduction. This module will discuss the global agenda of Education for All, access to education, gender's role and relationship with access to education, at all levels including primary, secondary and higher, and the concept of equity.
The module has three overlapping themes – Access, Equity, and Gender – which reveal the policy challenges of delivering education for all. The three themes build upon one another sequentially and the module moves through levels of education from pre school to university. Access to education has increased during the 15 years of the millenium development goals, but the 'For All' aspect has not been met. There are still millions of children who do not complete basic education, and higher education is still dominated by the socially privileged in many low, middle and high-income countries.
Lectures could include:
- The Education For All agenda and the Millenium Development Goals
- conceptualising access to primary school
- in school but not learning
- policies for expanding access to quality education
- non-state providers - reaching out to the excluded?
- understanding equity - horizontal and vertical
- inequality and social exclusion
- gender and education
- girls excluded?
- transitions and access to secondary education
- school, a safe space for girls?
- higher education in developing countries: challenges and successes.
- Autism and Education
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, we will:
- identify the key features of autism including the ‘triad of impairments’ (social interaction, communication and flexibility of thought)
- examine the range of ways in which symptoms are manifested across the spectrum.
Different theories will be explored to understand psychological, biological and sociological approaches to this condition. You will be introduced to a range of case studies that take into account educational environments, interventions, behaviours and supports. The module is for you if you seek to further your understanding of this complex condition and, in particular, if you are interested in educational strategies used to support autistic pupils.
- Contemporary Social Policy: Theory and Practice
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll critically examine how social policy shapes and is shaped by society, exploring contemporary issues such as mental health, disability, parenting, education, employment, poverty, youth justice and ageing. While focusing on UK social policy, international comparisons will provide context for discussion and debate.
Key topics include:
- struggles over equality and social inclusion
- concepts of social justice, need, fairness and well-being
- the evolution of policies and their impact on social well-being
- perspectives from individuals affected by social policy.
Learning takes place through lectures, online activities and student-led seminars, with case studies used to encourage problem-based engagement. Online learning includes forums, self-assessment quizzes and discussion groups.
Assessment is through an essay incorporating research, theory and policy-in-practice.
- Creating a Forest Food garden
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2In this module, you’ll collaborate on various practical group activities related to the forest food garden, including designing and implementing aspects of the planting and infrastructure.
As it takes several years from design to fruition in the garden, you will pass on your achievements and challenges for the next year’s cohort to develop. It places a focus on the political in relation to food growing and land use. The elective explores how to engage wider communities about sustainability issues, using creative, playful and practical approaches. There is a particular emphasis on the complexities, nuances and uncertainties of food systems, climate change and biodiversity loss.
It is not mandatory to have completed Understanding Forest Food Gardens to join this second module. - Decolonising Education: Knowledge, Power and Society
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2Decolonising education is critical for social justice in the Global North and South. This raises important questions about the relationships between knowledge, power and society in the past and present. This module addresses these issues. It engages with the politics and history of education in both UK and international contexts. It critiques how the curriculum has privileged particular knowledges and identities in ways that are racialised, gendered and classed. Throughout the module, we relate these issues to students’ own experiences of education and what decolonising education means for them.
- Discovering Role Models: Peer-Led Mentoring in Schools
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1Discovering Role Models trains you to create and facilitate workshops for local secondary school pupils. The module provides theoretical grounding and practical training to work collaboratively with your peers, developing skills and confidence in participatory facilitation and working with young people.
The module’s focus draws across substantive issues including:
- mental health
- racism
- sex and relationships
- expert safeguarding training
- critically rethinking traditional models of education.
- Education for Development: Aid, Policy and the Global Agenda
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1In this module, we'll examine:
- why education is seen as important for development, drawing upon economic, rights based and socio cultural perspectives
- the way education is measured and targets are set for development
- explores the global organisations and economic factors involved in implementing the Education for All agenda.
The module provides grounding in education and international development, with a particular focus on the challenges facing resource-constrained and rapidly expanding educational systems. This will equip you with an understanding of the role of education in international development and develop critical, political and methodological perspectives.
You'll be introduced to international education and development through three lenses.
Education and development
- introduction to the field: the education and development relationship
- education for economic growth
- education, development and social equity
- gender and education for development
- citizenship, curriculum and identity.
Measuring Education For All
- changing patterns of educational access
- globalisation and educational reforms: educational quality
- education and social inclusion
- education and health in the global south.
Architecture of Education For All
- educational aid and the global agenda: international actors in the field
- teachers and teacher training in the Global South
- non-state providers of education.
- Education, Peacebuilding and Conflict
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2In recent years, the nature of the relationship between education, conflict and peacebuilding has risen up the international development agenda.
In this module, you critically explore the relationship between education and conflict in low income countries. You problematise the complex and multidirectional ways that education and conflict affect each other, and the role that education can potentially play in both the production and prevention of violent armed conflict.
You cover the delivery of education in conflict and post-conflict settings, thematic issues related to, for example, education for refugees, child soldiers and other marginalised groups - and critically analyse the policies, politics and practices of international organisations operating in these contexts.
Your studies in this module are grounded both in theory and empirical evidence on the complex issues involved in the delivery of education in conflict-affected contexts, and involve a combination of lectures, participatory group work and presentations.
Your lectures for this module may be structured as follows:
- Education, conflict and peacebuilding
This lecture focuses on the multiple ways that education and conflict intersect and relate to each other. The lecture will highlight the way education can be both a catalyst for war and peace and provide illustrative examples of the different ways that education as a practice, as an institution, as a basic social service can strengthen sustainable peacebuilding processes as well as undermine them. In seminars, you also discuss and examine key readings.
- The multiple faces of education and conflict
In this lecture, you focus on the multiple ways that education and conflict intersect and relate to each other. Your studies highlight the way education can be both a catalyst for war and peace. You explore illustrative examples of the different ways that education - as a practice, as an institution, and as a basic social service - can strengthen sustainable peacebuilding processes, as well as undermine them. In seminars, you also discuss and examine key readings.
- The global governance of education in conflict contexts
In this lecture, you explore the different agencies and actors involved in the global governance and delivery of education in conflict-affected contexts - from major UN organisations, such as UNICEF, to bi-lateral agencies, such as DFID, international NGOs like Save the Children, nation and regional governments and grassroots social movements. Your studies highlight the different logics and drivers for engagement, the differing priorities and the tensions and contradictions therein. In seminars, you also discuss and examine key readings.
Other seminar topics in this module may include:
- the role of teachers in conflict and peacebuilding
- the delivery of education in times of war
- refugee education
- youth, education and conflict
- education and post-conflict reconstruction
- education and reconciliation in post-conflict contexts
- gender, education and peacebuilding
- attacks on education - motivations and mechanisms of protection
- education as counterinsurgency - the use of education as a weapon of war
- conclusions and course wrap-up.
- Education, conflict and peacebuilding
- Everyday Digital: Generation, Life-Course and Expertise
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2You will examine new thinking on how digital technologies have become part of everyday lives in ways that both create and solve everyday problems.
This module is interdisciplinary in scope and draws on cutting edge research from across digital sociology and the digital humanities.
In the first part of the module you will be introduced to key concepts for understanding social and technical change, digital culture and the history of technology in the everyday.
In the second part you will examine how digital technologies have shaped different stages of the lifecourse – from reproduction and childhood, to adulthood and elderly care.
The final part will reflect on areas where technology has significantly re-configured everyday, living including romantic relationships, health care and political engagement.
- Exploring a Forest Food Garden
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module explores the campus ‘Forest Food Garden’.
The practice of harvesting food, medicine and other practical needs from a woodland ecosystem is re-gaining attention as a response to climate change and loss of biodiversity. In this module, global issues are related to local lives, and abstract theories to concrete practices, which can include you preparing/planting the garden, preserving harvested foods, or communications about the forest food garden across the university and beyond.
The module also examines how forest food gardens sit within wider food systems, including interconnections with economic, environmental, health, political and social factors. There is a strong emphasis on collaborative thinking, drawing on the expertise that you bring from your degree courses, and an exploration of the value of interdependency within and between human communities, as well as their connections with other species.
- Exploring Death and Dying; Cultural, Theoretical and Practice Perspectives
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module explores diverse aspects of death and dying. It encompasses history, the arts, the impact of technology, anthropological perspectives, social policy and key theories.
Underpinning the module is the permission to discuss a subject normally viewed as ‘depressing’ or even ‘contagious’ in an open – and even fun – way. This challenges taboos and creates space to explore a wide range of aspects, from the mundane to the bizarre.
The module focuses on the UK but we also cover perspectives from South East Asia, Africa, Latin America and other cultures. You will explore:
- the dominant theories around death and bereavement
- past and contemporary language about and constructions of death
- the role of ritual and emotion
- sociocultural debates around assisted dying and good deaths
- the impact of digital technologies in transforming the experience of death.
You’ll learn though a variety of methods, including lectures, group work, course work, external visits and talks by visiting practitioners. Assessment is via a portfolio of work, including contributions to an online group blog, a reflective personal journal and a short term-paper.
You'll attend lectures and group work, as well as participating in online activities. We'll use blended learning so you'll benefit from online tasks outside of the formal study environment. The module will be assessed via a portfolio to include a pdf version of the student’s contribution to an online group blog; a personal journal to include regular entries reflecting on the learning undertaken in the module and a short term paper discussing one or two key aspects from the term of your choice, demonstrating how these will be utilised in the student’s personal. professional or academic development.
- Exploring Teaching in Schools
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2Are you interested in becoming a teacher? Have you ever wondered whether you have the potential to work with young people in a school context? If so, this module will provide a structured and supportive introduction.
This module will introduce you to working in schools, including policy, theory and practice. It will enable you to understand the role of the teacher within a school setting, working to a set of professional standards required for Qualified Teacher Status. It will enable you to engage with issues around child wellbeing, safeguarding, professional values and teaching and learning as well as the opportunity to participate in observing and working with teachers and other school professionals.It will help you to understand the challenges and rewards of working in school sand will introduce you to a range of professional pathways, such as the University of Sussex’s PGCE programme. It will also develop a wide range of personal and transferable skills attractive to any graduate employer.
- Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Education
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module provides an opportunity to explore what is meant by inclusion and exclusion and the implications of these concepts for education policies, systems and practices in England and internationally.
The module will include an in-depth focus on how constructions of gender, race, social class, poverty, disability sexuality and behavioural norms contribute to the inclusion and/or exclusion of particular groups of young people. Each session will adopt a case study approach and provide an overview of the key issues involved in ensuring equality of access, provision and learning. There will be a strong focus on the evidence relating to each case and approaches at practice level.
The module will be assessed by a case study, providing an opportunity for you to apply your understanding of issues relating to the inclusion and/or exclusion to a group and context which they consider to be of particular interest. The case study will include a discussion of strategies used to promote inclusion and evidence of their effectiveness drawn from a range of secondary sources and conclude with recommendations for policy and practice drawn from the evidence presented.
The structure of this module will be as follows:
- Week 1: Introduction to the course and to key concepts: inclusion, diversity and equity
- Week 2: The power of 'the norm'
- Week 3: Who is vulnerable - and to what?
- Week 4: Including girls - excluding boys?
- Week 5; Ethnicity and exclusion
- Week 6: Sexuality
- Week 7: Barriers to the inclusion of parents and carers
- Week 8: SEND
- Week 9: Maximising the impact of teaching assistants
- Week 10: Learning outside mainstream contexts: models of inclusion?
- Week 11: Global perspectives on inclusion: overcoming barriers in context
- Week 12: Developing inclusive educational systems: implications for future policy and practice.
- Mental Health and Madness: exploring socio-cultural approaches
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2The ways we understand emotional distress, wellbeing, normality and insanity shape our attitudes and practices in relation to people diagnosed with a mental health difficulty. This can happen whether its framed as difference, problems of thought, a product of society and culture, or a biological mishap. This module explores the social influences that make up our understandings of madness – using this term to situate the module within social-cultural contexts.
The module will:
- discuss the history of mental health practices
- explore the emergence of user-led, alternative and radical movements seeking to transform conceptions of madness, wellbeing and care
- consider the roles of media and art in constructing images of madness deconstruct notions of diagnosis
- deconstruct notions of diagnosis
You learn about the effect of gender, ethnicity, culture and class on mental health and its governance within society. You also reflect on the dynamic interactions between identity, wellbeing and ill-being. Teaching draws on examples from literature, film, the press, autobiography and scholarship to relate theory to lived experiences.
- Migrant and Refugee Well-Being: Theory and Practice
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll explore the well-being of migrants and refugees, examining how political, economic, health, environmental and social factors shape their experiences. You'll analyse historical and political contexts, including the distinct challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees.
Key topics include:
- the impact of migration status on health and social care access
- welfare provision for migrants across different societies
- the role of central government, local authorities and NGOs in supporting migrants
- models of good practice in health and social care
- the potential for transferring good practice across countries.
- Spirituality, Wellbeing, and Health: understanding practices and connections.
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Wellbeing studies focus on what makes a ‘good life’. It takes in areas such as happiness, physical and mental health, economics, environment and spirituality. By linking theories of wellbeing to spiritual practices, this module provides a space to consider how we envisage and experience spirituality in a society often described as secular.
You’ll consider how spirituality is associated with health and wellbeing in contemporary societies. For example, in the growth of mindfulness practices in a range of health, social care and educational settings.
We discuss ‘belief’ in wellbeing (and ‘non-belief’ as part of this), considering differences between a religious and spiritual perspective, while treating people’s beliefs with care and respect. You examine evidence for the effectiveness of spiritual practices, such as meditation and prayer, for wellbeing.
We reflect on the ways individuals and communities use practices that have emerged from a spiritual foundation, such as:
- mindfulness
- martial arts
- chanting
- yoga
- shamanic work.
You'll examine concepts such as ‘flow’ and ‘self-compassion’, and discuss how and why they help describe spiritual practices and experiences in wellbeing. You also consider whether other practices, such as engaging in music and dance, can result in a spiritual experience.
The aim of this module is to:
• consider the construction of spirituality within contemporary society
• introduce theories of wellbeing that relate to spiritual approaches
• explore a range of spirituality-based wellbeing practices and consider their links with theory.
The module is structured to help consider the influence of spirituality within wellbeing practices of movement, stillness, sound and imagery. Teaching will encourage discussion and engagement, and includes optional experiential elements which will help promote an active engagement in module content.
- Access, Equity and Gender
- Global Studies
- Anthropology through films: Ethnographic Films and Beyond
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1In this module, you'll begin to study anthropology through the medium of film, from the early twentieth century to the present-day.
You gain an overview of the discipline and its history through film, and addresses some of the central concerns of social and cultural anthropology, including:
- fieldwork and ethnography
- sameness and difference
- religion and ritual
- kinship
- gender
- race/ethnicity
- migration
- globalisation.
You'll learn about different regional contexts and central theoretical debates in the discipline, through a selection of ethnographic films - produced in countries such as Senegal, Kenya, Canada, Bali, Papua New Guinea, India, Britain, France and along the migratory routes from Afghanistan to Turkey.
You'll also produce a short film as part of group work, as well as undertaking a written assignment.
- Black Lives Matter: Postcolonial and Decolonial Representations
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll use postcolonial and decolonial theory to explore visual and material cultures in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Inspired by the legacy of Stuart Hall, the module investigates how Black Lives Matter and examines how the value of black lives and culture has been undermined by prevailing race and racism over time.
You’ll engage with ‘Black Theory,’ a set of authors who address postcolonial and decolonial politics and highlight the costs of imperial and colonial values on black lives. Each lecture will use cultural texts to critically analyse eurocentric perspectives of other worlds, people and places.
The module focuses on visual, material, and narrative cultures through which race and ethnicity are negotiated in everyday spaces, their historical roots, and how these continue to shape everyday encounters and discourses.
By exploring specific historical and contemporary examples, you'll see how representations of race and racism change over time and in different places.
- Business in World Politics
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1Are companies political actors? If so, how do they shape world politics? And what should be their role in shaping how political rules are made and societies are governed?
In this module, you will look at these questions from the perspectives of both International Relations and Management Studies. You will explore:- why companies engage in politics
- how they exert political influence, including as lobbyists, partners in governance and agents of implementation
- what some of the implications are for governance and democracy.
You will work with case studies from various sectors, including big tech, energy, food and pharmaceuticals. And you will learn how theories on non-market strategy, global governance and power can help us analyse the role of companies in world politics.
- Climate Change: An Introduction
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Climate change is a defining issue of our time. But despite clear evidence, climate action continues to be contested.
On this module, designed for students from all backgrounds, you’ll learn the fundamental facts of climate change from Sussex researchers at the forefront of international climate science. You’ll cover climate change’s causes, impacts and potential responses.
When you complete this module, you’ll:
- be equipped with the latest climate change knowledge, delivered in an accessible way
- have the appropriate tools to understand the basics of climate science
- see the intersections of climate change with your main subject
- be able to challenge climate denial wherever you encounter it.
- Climate Justice: Policy & Activism in a Time of Global Crisis
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you'll explore climate justice, examining how the causes and impacts of climate change intersect with social and historical inequities. You’ll learn how climate change disproportionately affects the poor and those least responsible for causing it, while deepening your understanding of its connections to existing racial, gendered, and other inequalities.
You’ll investigate the colonial roots of the climate and ecological crises and how these histories shape the solutions proposed today. Topics include carbon budgets, the relationship between fossil fuels and economic power and calls for just recoveries and reparations. You'll design campaigns advocating for alternatives to climate injustice.
- Culture and Representation (Elective pathway)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll explore the concept of ‘culture’ and the political dimensions of representing other cultures. You'll consider:
- how anthropological understandings of ‘culture’ evolved in the 20th century
- the role of anthropology in analysing and representing culture in ethnographic research
- how ‘culture’ is used in public debates by politicians, activists and curators to address issues of identity and distinction.
Key topics include structure and agency, embodiment, art and aesthetics, power and protest.
This module is suitable for anthropology students and non-specialists, helping you:
- deepen your understanding of anthropological concepts
- develop critical reading and analytical skills
- reflect on personal experiences to inform your engagement with culture
- prepare for extended writing projects like dissertations
- improve academic writing through tailored assessments.
- Environmental Risks and Hazards (Elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this interdisciplinary module, you’ll be introduced to the risks, hazards and disasters associated with the Earth’s natural environments and the growing impacts of human activity on them.
You’ll consider the nature of hazards, disasters, risks, and how their impacts can be reduced through mitigation, protection and adaptation. You’ll discuss the hazards including:
- the ‘big four’ historical hazards: floods, droughts, earthquakes, tropical cyclones
- significant hazards: volcanoes, mass movement, biophysical and technological
- 20th- and 21st-century environmental hazards: sea-level change, climate change causes and consequences, informed by the recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
You’ll follow this exploration with a case study focusing on the sensitive cryosphere in which you’ll consider how the Earth’s polar and alpine regions are changing rapidly and generating hazards and risks of global significance.
- Foundations of International Relations (pathway elective)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you're introduced to some of the main theories and conceptual frameworks for understanding International Relations (IR). We will consider how IR has been constituted as a distinct scholarly discipline. We'll also think about who and what is served by the different lenses through which scholars analyse international relations.
You'll explore questions such as:
- what role have colonialism and race played in the making of the modern international order, as well as in shaping received ideas about world politics?
- how are global patterns of inequality and violence related to the dynamics of global capitalism?
- why – when the first departments of International Relations were set up – did they not asks these questions, but instead focused on relations between states?
- what is the significance of international institutions like the UN? To what extent do they help make the world more peaceful and cooperative?
- what about the role of identities and how we see the relations between self and other? How do gender relations affect all of this?
- how and why do all these theories matter in the ‘real world’?
- From the Sahara to the Silk Roads: diverse societies, connected cultures'
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module introduces you to societies and cultures of North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia through immersive, fieldwork-based ethnographic studies.
Drawing on feminist and decolonial perspectives, we interrogate the idea of the ‘Middle East’, and ask: how do people across these regions shape their lifeworlds
as local and global events transform their lives?We engage with anthropology’s invitation to try to understand – from the perspective of others – everyday dilemmas and exceptional events, from how people build families, manage mobility and migration, and pursue a good life, to questions of political and economic organisation, geopolitics and climate crisis.
- Gender Across Cultures
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you'll focus on the centrality of gender as a factor that structures all social relations.
You’ll explore topics including:
- personal and sexual relationships within the household, the labour market and from the state
- how different cultures perform gender relations and practices
- the role of gender in the processes of social transformation
- the impact of industrialisation and migration on gender relations.
- Global Cultures, Local Lives
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Anthropology is:
- alive to the concerns of different communities and populations living across the globe
- cutting edge in terms of the research conducted by anthropologists at Sussex; we actively engage with issues of social, cultural and global transformation.
On this module, you'll work around five core themes considered central to the subject, capturing anthropological thinking on:
- culture, identity and representation
- kinship, self and body
- economy as culture
- religion and politics
- work on the global-local interface.
- Global Environmental Politics
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2In the face of the climate and environmental crisis, it’s easy to slip into pessimism and political passivity. However, in confronting humanity’s biggest challenge – while avoiding despair and naïve optimism – lies the potential for political and economic transformation that paves the way for a fairer and more sustainable world.
We’ll delve into the dynamics of global environmental politics, exploring the key actors and power structures. By surveying today’s most pressing environmental issues, you’ll identify areas for meaningful change and consider strategies for effective action.
- Global Issues
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1A major newspaper once claimed that 'nation-states are too small to fix global problems'. What are these global issues? Can they be fixed? What role do nation-states play in creating and solving these issues?
These are some of the questions that we address in this module by introducing you to a variety of contemporary issues that inform politics globally. These include:
- climate change
- health
- migration
- populism
- poverty.
Each year, the issues discussed are adapted to reflect latest developments in world politics. You'll also explore different ways of communicating your analytical insights by creating documentaries.
- Health, Poverty and Inequality (Pathway elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll explore issues of culture, power, and knowledge in the study of health and development.
You'll examine the relationship between poverty, social marginality, and illness in various historical and contemporary contexts, drawing on perspectives from:
- medical anthropology
- medical sociology
- public health
- cultural psychology
- feminist and activist politics
- development studies.
Key topics include:
- emerging infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS
- homelessness and its impact on health
- mental health
- organ donation.
You'll also scrutinise health policies, particularly in maternal and child health, and explore how the increasing use of medical technologies affects healthcare delivery.
- Introduction to Human Rights
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this module, you'll look at the study of human rights, human rights issues and various approaches that different disciplines take in this field.
You'll develop a basic understanding of the international human rights system. You'll be introduced to some of the long-lasting debates surrounding human rights: their origin, history, nature, universality, how they ‘work’, and how they are ‘made real’.
You'll also explore:
- the practice of human rights in relation to specific rights (for example women’s rights, children’s rights, rights of asylum seekers and refugees)
- institutions (for example the United Nations, the European Court of Human Rights)
- laws and contexts.
You'll focus on the complex and contingent ways that human rights are practiced (defined, claimed, interpreted, challenged, implemented and monitored), as well as the possibilities and limitations of human rights in making the world a better place.
- People, Culture and the Global Economy
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you will learn how social anthropologists have conceptualised, researched, and generated new understandings of the human activities that
comprise economic life.Studying economic life anthropologically requires us to rethink such concepts as work and leisure, poverty and wealth, gifts and commodities, money and markets, and the term 'economy' itself. Economic anthropology enables us to critique the universalism of mainstream economics through which capitalism has become naturalised.
Using in-depth case studies, we reflect upon humans' material needs on finite planet, considering environments, non-human beings, and care for others as integral parts of economic life.
- Postcolonial Africa
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module explores key debates surrounding postcolonial political, economic, and socio-cultural dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa. You'll critically examine dominant Western representations of the subcontinent and engage with different, often conflicting, perspectives on postcolonial continuities and transformations.
Topics covered include:
- the character of the postcolonial state and governance
- nationalism and ethnicity
- borders
- the politics of land and natural resources
- urbanization processes
- mobility and new transnational connections between Africa, Europe, and China.
- Religion and Ritual (Pathway elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll explore explanations for religious and ritual phenomena, examining key issues through ethnographic studies of topics like initiation, myth, witchcraft, symbolism and religious experience. You'll also address 'secular' rituals, including events like carnival and Christmas.
Focus areas include:
- how people believe, as much as what they believe
- why rituals are performed, including what they look like.
You'll engage with both classic texts and recent accounts, developing your understanding of the origins and evolution of key arguments in the study of religion and ritual.
- The Liberal World Order - in Crisis
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you'll explore how the initial optimism around peace, prosperity, democracy, and human rights has evolved into the current crisis. You'll examine questions such as:
- what is the nature of the current crisis?
- since when has the liberal world order been in crisis, and for whom?
- can a liberal vision of a US-led ‘rules-based order’ re-emerge from the conflicts in places like Gaza?
- how do we reconcile liberal states acting benignly at home but seemingly illiberal abroad?
You’ll approach these issues through various perspectives, focusing on two key relationships:
- liberalism, capitalism, and democracy
- liberalism and war.
The module also addresses the paradox of liberal thinkers and political actors who promote individual freedom while supporting (settler) colonialism, chattel slavery, and patriarchy. You'll discuss whether the continuation of liberal capitalism today still involves violence, coercion, and constraint.
- Anthropology through films: Ethnographic Films and Beyond
- Languages and English Language Teaching
Some of our modules are based on proficiency levels set out in the Common European Framework of Reference to Languages (CEFR). Find out about the CEFR for Languages.
If your single-honours course offers four electives, you have the opportunity to follow a language pathway. This would be reflected in your degree title. Find out more in the Modules tab on your course page.
Find out more about studying a language alongside your degree.
- Adapting Literature
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this interdisciplinary module, you'll explore cultural and social themes through cinematic adaptations of world literature. You'll examine:
- the art of adaptation as interpretation and remediation
- translation strategies used to shape literary storytelling for international audiences
- questions around freedom of expression for literary authors versus film directors
- concepts of story ownership and shared authorship in adapted works.
Teaching content includes selected literary works and their movie adaptations from Europe and around the world.
- Arabic Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This stage 5 advanced course is for you if you have already acquired the capacity to function with some autonomy in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of target language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Arabic Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This moule is for you if you can already communicate with some independence in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex target language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Arabic Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is designed for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. You'll:
- begin your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study
- learn to communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop valuable cultural and intercultural skills.
This module is equivalent to level A1 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Arabic Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is designed for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. You'll:
- begin your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study
- learn to communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop valuable cultural and intercultural skills.
This module is equivalent to level A1 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Arabic Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This stage 3 module is for students with some basic knowledge and experience of the target language (TL). Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable students to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, eg text, audio, audio-visual, digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Arabic Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This stage 4 intermediate module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of target language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the CEFR for Languages.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 1A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This first-stage module introduces British Sign Language (BSL) and deaf culture for students with little or no prior knowledge of the target language. You'll:
- learn to use hands and eyes to form and understand basic signs and sentences in everyday situations
- identify what constitutes a sign and what doesn't
- use common phrases, questions, and imperatives in conversations on topics such as weather, holidays, and shopping
- explore cultural rules for interacting with deaf people
- gain an introduction to perspectives on BSL as a language.
Classes include practice in producing and understanding signs, simulations, practical exercises, and conversations, focusing on themes, grammar and language skills. Activities are complemented by independent and group study, supported by Canvas and other technologies.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 1B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This second-stage module builds on foundational skills, enhancing your conversational abilities and deepening your understanding of deaf culture. You'll:
- hold conversations in everyday contexts
- learn to sign grammatically correct sentences
- create your own sentences about topics such as food, hobbies, and travel
- explore the lives of Deaf people in the UK and abroad
- develop study skills to access academic resources on Deaf people and related issues
- begin examining Deaf culture topics relevant to your discipline.
Classes include practice in producing and understanding signs, simulations, practical exercises, and conversations, focusing on themes, grammar and language skills. Activities are complemented by independent and group study, supported by Canvas and other technologies.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 2A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This third-stage module of the 60-credit pathway in British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Culture will continue to develop your range and conversational technique in BSL in familiar and everyday contexts, and to broaden your knowledge and awareness of Deaf culture.
Additionally, the module offers you the opportunity to discuss in BSL a specific chosen topic of interest relating to BSL and/or Deaf culture.
The module aims to enable you to:
- start and hold a conversation
- demonstrate confident use of sign language grammar at a basic level and explore more complex structures
- develop study skills to observe, record and evaluate your own use/understanding of BSL, using video technology
- work in groups to explore new topics and develop conversations in discursive topics (e.g. types of education, examples of Deaf culture, media, where Deaf spaces form)
- develop an understanding of Deaf lives and how Deaf cultural identity is encouraged and discouraged across times and places.
Classes will consist of a variety of activities, including regular practice in pronunciation (production of signs) and listening (understanding signs), simulations, practical exercises and conversation etc., based around themes, grammatical structures and language skills.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 2B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This fourth and final stage module of the 60-credit pathway in British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Culture will further develop and consolidate your range and conversational technique in BSL to routine contexts, and broaden your knowledge and awareness of Deaf culture.
Additionally, the module offers you the opportunity to present and discuss in BSL an agreed topic of interest which relates to your main discipline of study. This may take the form of a community engagement project.
The module aims to enable you to:
- use BSL in a range of routine settings, and converse on a topic of their interest
- demonstrate clear use of sign language grammar at an intermediate level and use of some complex structures
- present and lead a discussion in areas of interest (e.g. descriptions on types of education, how Deaf culture is manifested, role of the media, how Deaf spaces are formed)
- complete a project on a topic of interest related to your own studies, as agreed with the tutor
- develop study skills to create a project report in BSL, supported with references and quotes in English.
Classes will consist of a variety of activities, including regular practice in pronunciation (production of signs) and listening (understanding signs), simulations, practical exercises and conversation etc., based around themes, grammatical structures and language skills, to encourage autonomous use of the target language.
This module is at B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Equivalent Signature Level 202 part B; 203.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 3A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This is a post-beginner stage for if you have basic prior knowledge of the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, you can:
- develop practical applied competence in the four target language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing
- consolidate and develop a range of standard lexical, phonetic and grammatical principles to allow rapid progression in the target language
- encourage autonomous use of the target language
- develop contextualised cultural knowledge and awareness through study of authentic target language materials in a range of text, digital and audio-visual media.
This module is at B1 – B2 on the CEFR for Languages.
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 3B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This final stage of the 90-credit pathway in British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Culture allows you to improve fluency in conversational technique in BSL, to add specialised vocabulary to your repertoire and develop your knowledge of approaches to professional and academic engagement with deaf people.
You'll aim to:
- demonstrate, with fluency, clear use of sign language grammar and some complex structures, at an upper-intermediate level
- analyse your own production, using TL linguistic reference tools
- take opportunities to use BSL in a professional setting
- explore opportunities to engage with deaf people on a topic of specific interest
- develop knowledge of deaf culture and sign language in specific areas of interest (e.g. discourses in teaching and deaf children, development of oralism in 19th century onwards, the evolution of video-telephony technology, implementing human rights in developing countries)
- translate (e.g. from English to BSL) specific professional and/or academic information in a semi-public arena using commonly available technology (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, vlogs)
- develop study skills to create an evaluation report in BSL, supported with references and quotes in English.
This module is at B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Chinese Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This stage 5 advanced course is for you if you have already acquired the capacity to function with some autonomy in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of target language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression in the target language
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Chinese Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for you if you can already communicate with some independence in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex target language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Chinese Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Chinese Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Chinese Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This stage 3 module is for students with some basic knowledge and experience of the target language (TL). Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages the module aims to:
- enable students to understand basic information and to communicate effectively in the TL, in everyday situations at an elementary level
- provide opportunities across a variety of general topics for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an elementary level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, eg text, audio, audio-visual, digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Chinese Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This stage 4 intermediate module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable students to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of target language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Communication in the Workplace (Intermediate)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this module, you’ll develop the communication skills needed for academic, business, and professional settings.
The module focuses on enhancing your reading and writing skills for essays, reports, assignments, and general business communication. You’ll also build your listening and speaking skills to help you engage in seminars, tutorials, and lectures on business topics, while preparing you for effective oral communication in professional environments.
- Communication in the Workplace (Post-Intermediate)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you’ll develop the communication skills needed for academic, business, and professional settings.
The module focuses on enhancing your reading and writing skills for essays, reports, assignments, and general business communication. You’ll also build your listening and speaking skills to help you engage in seminars, tutorials, and lectures on business topics, while preparing you for effective oral communication in professional environments.
- English in Academic Contexts (Intermediate) (Spring)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2 - French Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module is for you if you have completed both intermediate A and B modules.
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression in the target language
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- French Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for you if you can communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1-B1+ of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to help you:
- learn how to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- to practise your understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through contextualised activities and materials, in media such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- French Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- French Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- French For Professional Purposes 1A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is designed for advanced learners who have a good A-level pass, or equivalent.
The module aims to:- enable students to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the TL, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, including common professional themes, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of TL language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression in the TL
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, professional, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Your classes will consist of a variety of activities to develop your practical skill in all four communicative competencies (SLRW), and to encourage autonomous use of the TL. These will include presentations and discussion, text handling and writing activities such as summarising and reporting etc., based on themes, grammatical structures and language skills.
Working individually and in groups, you will have opportunities to develop your knowledge and understanding of TL countries, society, and community through both authentic and specially prepared textual and audio-visual materials. Seminar activities are complemented by guided independent study, and will make use of Study Direct and other technologies.
This module is at level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- French For Professional Purposes 1B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is designed for advanced learners who have completed French for Professional Purposes 1A.
Building on existing levels of proficiency, the module aims to:- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in French with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, including common professional themes, for practice of understanding and communication in French, using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary in French to allow further accuracy and control in use
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, professional, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, eg text, audio, audio,visual, digital.
This module is at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- French for Professional Purposes 2A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1You can study this module if you are an advanced learner and you have completed Advanced for Professional Purposes 1B. This module is at level B2 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
Building on your existing proficiency level, you will:
- learn how to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively in the target language, with fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- provide opportunities, across a range of topics, to practise understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a proficient level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow consistent accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse important aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language in a professional context, through contextualised activities and materials in media such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital.
Your classes includes activities to develop your practical skill in all four communicative competencies (SLRW), and to encourage autonomous use of the target language.
These will include subject-specific presentations and discussion, text handling and analysis, writing activities such as letter-writing, summarising and reporting.
You'll work in groups and on your own, and develop your knowledge and understanding of target language countries, society, and community through authentic and specially prepared textual and audio-visual materials.
You'll also focus on your employment profile and/or workplace simulation activities.
- French for Professional Purposes 2B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in the target language at level B2/+ of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR]. Building on existing levels of proficiency the module aims to:
- enable students to understand the main ideas and detail within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target langauge, with fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a range of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a proficient level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex target language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow consistent accuracy and control in use of the target langauge
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language in a professional context, through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
This module is at level B2-C1 of the CEFR for Languages. - French Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is designed for:
- lower intermediate learners who have a recent grade A/B at GCSE, or a D/E pass at AS level, or equivalent
- intermediate learners who have a good AS grade, or perhaps a low D/E pass at A level, or equivalent.
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- French Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is designed for intermediate learners who have completed an intermediate A module.
The module aims to:
- enable students to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text; audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- German Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This stage 5 advanced course is for you if you have already acquired the capacity to function with some autonomy in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression in the target language
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- German Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for you if you can communicate with some independence in the target language.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, e.g. text; audio; audio-visual; digital.
Successful completion of the course is equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR for Languages.
- German Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- German Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- German Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This stage 3 module is for students with some basic knowledge and experience of the target language (TL). Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- German Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This stage 4 intermediate module is for students who can communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Inter-cultural Encounters
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module seeks to promote cultural awareness and inter-cultural comprehension. You will be concerned to define what is meant by "culture" and to analyse your own cultural backgrounds and attitudes. You will consider how and why cultural characteristics arise and whether generalisations (such as national or cultural stereotypes) are ever valid.
In particular you will reflect upon the ways in which culture and language are linked, and on how cultural values and attitudes are encoded in language. You will sample various theoretical approaches to these issues by way of original lectures, prepared seminar questions, academic essays, and a range of audio-visual sources.
- Introduction to TESOL - Theory and Methodology 1
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module will provide students with an introduction to the social, political, linguistic and pedagogic issues involved in the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages and the principles and practice of a range of methods and approaches.
- Italian Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This stage 5 advanced module is for students who have already acquired the capacity to function with some autonomy in the target language. You’ll build on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities across a variety of topics for practice of understanding and communication, using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of language structures, syntax and vocabulary to allow continued progression
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital).
This module is at B1-B1+ on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- Italian Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who communicate with some independence in Italian. You’ll build on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities for practice of understanding and communication, using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control
- analyse aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital).
This module is at B1+ on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- Italian Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Italian Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Italian Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This stage 3 module is for students with some basic knowledge and experience of the target language (TL). Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable students to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Italian Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This stage 4 intermediate module is for students who have already have the ability to communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of target language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text; audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Japanese Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This stage 5 advanced module is for you if you have already acquired the capacity to function with some autonomy in the target language. You’ll build on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities across a variety of topics for practice of understanding and communication, using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital).
This module is at B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- Japanese Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR], you will:
- understand the main ideas within extended conversation and communicate effectively in Japanese, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- practise your understanding and communication using your advanced listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in Japanese
- consolidate and develop the range of complex Japanese language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of Japanese
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language through activities and materials in a range of media
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Japanese Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Japanese Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Japanese Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This stage 3 module is for students with some basic knowledge and experience of the target language (TL). Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, eg text, audio, audio-visual, digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Japanese Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the target language, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of target language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow continued progression in the target language
- present the background culture and society of the target language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Landscapes of Resistance and Social Justice
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module examines concepts and strategies of resistance and social justice. It embraces interdisciplinary perspectives and a global outlook.
You’ll explore historical and cultural cases where ideas and practices have challenged:
- ideologies and/or political powers
- patriarchal society
- racism
- religious intolerance
- abuse of human rights.
In all these cases, resistance has often resulted in social, political and cultural revolution.
- Language, Identity and Nation
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2Following a short introduction, the module falls into two parts. The first looks at how we discover the links between Language, Thought and Nation, and try to identify and analyse covert as well as overt associations between these. Who are the guardians and gatekeepers of our 'native' languages, and what are the pressures to have English in England, French in France but Castillian in Spain and Post-Florentine in Italy? Are some languages more equal than others, conferring more status to their users? And why do languages still change despite 'Academies'? The second part looks at instances of how expressions of the relationship between a nation and its language emerge as various literary and other genres (with particular reference to the novel), and how these feed back into the collective identity (with particular reference to representations in the cinema of various countries).
- Spanish Advanced A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1You can study this module if you havw completed both intermediate A and B modules.
You will:
- understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively in Spanish, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- practise your understanding and communication using your advanced listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in Spanish
- consolidate and develop the range of complex Spanish language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of Spanish
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language through activities and materials in a range of media
You'll develop your:
- practical skills in all four communicative competencies and use Spanish independently
- knowledge and understanding of Spanish-speaking countries, society, and community through texts and audio-visual materials.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Spanish Advanced B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can communicate with some independence in the target language. Building on existing levels of proficiency at level B1-B1+ of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the course, you will:
- understand the main ideas within extended conversation and communicate effectively in Spanish, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- practise your understanding and communication using your advanced listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in Spanish
- consolidate and develop the range of complex Spanish language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of Spanish
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language through activities and materials in a range of media
This module is at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Spanish Beginners A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Spanish Beginners B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for those with little or no prior knowledge of the language. It provides the foundation for your language learning journey, with the opportunity to add the language to your degree title after two or three years of study. You'll learn to:
- communicate effectively in everyday situations at a basic level
- develop cultural and intercultural skills.
- Spanish for Professional Purposes 1A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is designed for advanced learners who have a good A-level pass, or equivalent.
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the TL, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, including common professional themes, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at an advanced level
- introduce and develop the range of complex elements of TL language structures, syntax, and vocabulary to allow continued progression in the TL
- facilitate the analysis of some aspects of the general social, professional, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (e.g. text, audio, audio-visual, digital).
Your classes will consist of a variety of activities to develop your practical skill in all four communicative competencies (SLRW), and to encourage autonomous use of the TL. These will include presentations and discussion, text handling and writing activities such as summarising and reporting etc., based on themes, grammatical structures and language skills. Working individually and in groups, you will have opportunities to develop your knowledge and understanding of TL countries, society, and community through both authentic and specially prepared textual and audio-visual materials.
Seminar activities are complemented by guided independent study, and will make use of Study Direct and other technologies.This module is at level B1-B2 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Spanish for Professional Purposes 1B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in the target language at level B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR].
Building on existing levels of proficiency, the module aims to:
- enable you to understand the main ideas within extended discourse and to communicate effectively in the target language, with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in a variety of contexts
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics such as common professional themes, for practice of understanding and communication in the target language. You will use the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing at an advanced level
- consolidate and develop the range of complex target language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow further accuracy and control in use of the target language
- analyse some aspects of the general social, professional, political and/or cultural background of the language through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media (such as text, audio, audio-visual and digital).
This module is at level B2 of the CEFR for Languages.
- Spanish for Professional Purposes 2A
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1You can study this module if you are an advanced learner who has completed the Advanced for Professional Purposes 1B module.
You will:
- understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively in Spanish, with fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- practise your understanding and communication using your proficient listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in Spanish
- consolidate and develop the range of complex Spanish language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow consistent accuracy and control in use of Spanish
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language in a professional context, through activities and materials in a range of media
You'll develop your:
- practical skills in all four communicative competencies and use Spanish independently
- knowledge and understanding of Spanish-speaking countries, society, and community through texts and audio-visual materials.
This module is at level B2 (Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Spanish for Professional Purposes 2B
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2You can study this module if you're an advanced learner who has completed the Advanced for Professional Purposes 2A module.
You will:
- understand the main ideas within extended discourse and communicate effectively in Spanish, with fluency, confidence and spontaneity, in different contexts
- practise your understanding and communication using your proficient listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in Spanish
- consolidate and develop the range of complex Spanish language structures, syntax, and specialised vocabulary to allow consistent accuracy and control in use of Spanish
- analyse aspects of the general social and cultural background of the language in a professional context, through activities and materials in a range of media.
This module is at level B2-C1 (Independent User) of the CEFR for Languages.
- Spanish Intermediate A
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1; Year 2, Term 1This module is designed for:
- lower intermediate learners who have a recent grade A/B at GCSE, or a D/E pass at AS level, or equivalent
- intermediate learners who have a good AS grade, or perhaps a low D/E pass at A level, or equivalent.
The module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in the TL, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations, at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in the TL using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of TL language structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation, to allow progression in the TL
- present the background culture and society of the TL through a variety of contextualised activities and materials, in a range of media, eg text, audio, audio-visual, digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level A2-B1 (Basic-Independent User) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- Spanish Intermediate B
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This module is for students who can already communicate with some independence in Spanish.
Building on existing levels of proficiency at level A2+-B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR] the module aims to:
- enable you to understand key information and to communicate effectively in Spanish, sometimes spontaneously, in less routine situations at a standard level
- provide opportunities, across a variety of topics, for practice of understanding and communication in Spanish using the four language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, at a standard level
- consolidate and develop the range of key elements of the structures, vocabulary, syntax and pronunciation of Spanish, to allow continued progression
- present the background culture and society of the Spanish-speaking world through a variety of contextualised activities and materials in a range of media, eg text, audio, audiovisual, and digital.
Successful completion of the module is equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages.
- TESOL Teaching Practice 1
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2; Year 2, Term 2This course will focus primarily on supervised lesson planning and teaching practice. A small number of plenary sessions will further address the evaluation and selection of teaching materials and the principles of lesson planning, as well as generally exploring issues arising out of the teaching practice classes. You will be invited to reflect on and evaluate your own classroom practice and that of your peers.
- TESOL Teaching Practice 2
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module will introduce you to the social, political, linguistic and pedagogic issues involved in the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages, and the principles and practice of a range of methods and approaches. Topics covered will include:
- the role of English and English teaching in the world
- social and contextual dimensions of natural language use
- introduction to the pedagogic grammar of English
- introduction to basic concepts of semantics and lexis
- introduction to illocutionary force and functions and notions of language
- introduction to some basics of language teaching methodology.
- TESOL Theory and Methodology 2
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module will build on and further develop knowledge and awareness of lexical, grammatical, functional and phonological issues in the teaching and learning of English, and will explore the formal and informal assessment of language knowledge and language skills. The module will also review and further explore principles and best practice in lesson and module planning and delivery in a variety of teaching contexts.
- Adapting Literature
- Law, Sociology, Criminology and Politics
- 21st Century Sociology
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1A Sociology of 21st Century Britain will use Britain today as an empirical base for exploring wider sociological perspectives and the insights that social science can bring into key problems and debates about contemporary life.
During the module you will explore the relationship between empirical research and theory using examples from recent sociological work, drawing from studies no older than 5 years, to look at a range of issues in 21st century Britain, including work and employment, family, sport, intimacy, life online, nationalism, death and wealth.
The module is designed to demonstrate the capacity of sociology to explore the social world in interesting, challenging and critical ways, but will be relevant to anyone who wishes to learn more about contemporary Britain, from the perspective of insider or outsider.
- British Political History
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this module, you’ll explore the key questions, concepts, and controversies in modern British political history, with a focus on the period since 1945. You’ll examine the historical context in which our politics takes place and how interpretations of the past shape political identities, divisions, and alliances in the present.
Key topics include:
- the powerful myths and memories that have influenced British politics
- how the political nation is defined, including which voices are heard and which are excluded, and how this has evolved over time
You’ll study these subjects not only through academic analysis but also in the context of ongoing political debates. Throughout the module, you’ll trace the impact of these historical interpretations on later political discussions and examine how politicians have shaped their own versions of British political history.
- Contemporary Issues in Law
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you’ll explore contemporary issues in law, focusing on legal areas undergoing transformation or in need of reform.
Key topics include:
- media law and practice, such as privacy and internet regulation
- medical law and ethics, including euthanasia and abortion
- environmental protection, such as responses to climate change
- human rights, focusing on marginalised rights.
You’ll develop analytical skills by examining how law responds to current controversies. The module also enhances your research and writing abilities through the creation of a research plan and a substantive piece of writing on a legal area requiring reform.
- Crime and Criminal Justice
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module encompasses an introduction to criminal law and notions of criminal responsibility. It examines two specialised substantive areas of criminal law covering, for example:
- homicide
- non-fatal offences against the person
- sexual offences
- hate crime.
It will then turn to examine aspects of international criminal law including its institutional framework and an in-depth analysis of one of the core international crimes, such as:
- genocide
- crimes against humanity
- war crimes.
Some aspects of criminal law theory such as theories of punishment, why conduct should be criminalised, and issues of procedure and evidence that are relevant to the substantive law are covered.
- Gender Equality
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1On this module, you'll understand the relationship between law and gender.
You'll explore different areas where law interacts with, and regulates, gender relations. It will also provide a basic introduction to feminist legal theory. Areas of study will include issues such as:
- reproductive rights (abortion, surrogacy, new reproductive technologies)
- sexual violence
- body image and pornography
- prostitution
- parity democracy
- maternity rights.
- Gendering the Life Course
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2Students taking this elective will learn to think critically about inequalities in our societies as they emerge across the life course, especially those relating to gender.
You'll learn about key topics in the life course including:
- birth and the ascription of gender identity
- childhood and education; sexual reproduction
- parenting and families
- paid and unpaid work
- illness and health
- old age
You'll build on your own experiences and observations to develop new perspectives and insights on these key issues in contemporary society.
Throughout the module, we will explore key theoretical frameworks as well as a series of concrete cases and problems in which researchers apply such theories to gender issues in social policy, health, education and psychology.
By the end of the module you should have gained an understanding of gender and the concept of inequality and be able to provide critical accounts of the links between gendered social relations, cultural settings and individual behaviour and experiences.
- Introduction to the European Union
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you’ll gain a broad interdisciplinary understanding of the European Union (EU). You’ll explore key questions, including:
- what the EU is and how it came to be what it is today
- how the EU works and what it does
- what people think of the EU and why
- how its membership has grown through successive enlargements
- why the EU is said to be in a state of crisis
- how the EU might evolve in the future.
While the module provides a general overview of these topics, it offers a strong foundation for you to independently explore specific questions in greater detail.
- Law, Justice and Inequality
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you’ll focus on justice, equality and rights.
You’ll study key theories and apply them to case studies, with a particular focus on the development of non-discrimination and equality law in English law. The module encourages you to examine contemporary issues through these perspectives.
- Police and Policing (Elective)
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module examines policing in contemporary British society through looking at:
- how policing has evolved since the start of the Metropolitan Police in 1829
- modern-day policing through the analysis of relevant theories, practices and policy considerations.
We focus on different types of approaches, contexts and situations, such as those relating to counter-terrorism, community, political protest, gender and hate crime.
The police are often thought of as a monolithic institution. We will explore this by looking at how different policing practices shape media and public perceptions, and how they affect political response.
- Political and Social Change in Contemporary Europe
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module analyses the broad social changes which have occurred in Western Europe since 1945, and in postcommunist European countries since the collapse of communism. It does this by using the social scientist's notion of 'cleavages', to explore divisions in society derived from factors such as religion, class, gender and ethnicity, and their impact on political behaviour. It also looks at the role played by nationalism, populism, regionalism and postmaterialism in driving social change and political affiliation. We also consider recent demographic trends such as declining birth rates and ageing populations, and the impact of these trends on social and political behaviour.
While the module has a theoretical underpinning in social science, it is taught in a way which is accessible to students from any discipline. It is particularly enriched by the participation of students from a wide range of nationalities and cultures.
- Punishment and Penology
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you’ll critically examine the theory and practice of punishment, with a primary focus on England and Wales and relevant comparisons to other countries, including Europe, North America, and Australasia.
You'll examine different theories about the justifications and purposes of punishment. You’ll then explore a variety of real-world examples, mostly from contemporary times, with some historical cases included
Key topics include:
- justifications for punishment
- different penologies
- contemporary imprisonment
- women in prison
- immigration detention centres
- alternatives to imprisonment
- radical critiques, such as abolitionism.
You’ll explore a range of theoretical approaches to punishment alongside contemporary and historical empirical examples.
- The Far Right and the Politics of Immigration
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2On this module, you’ll explore the far right and the contested politics of immigration in liberal democracies. You’ll examine the rise of far-right political parties in contemporary Europe and their relationships with public opinion, mainstream parties and immigration policies.
Key topics include:
- the causes and consequences of the rise of far-right parties
- comparative case studies of countries where the far right has been more or less successful
- the impact of far-right movements on immigration politics and policies.
- Thinking Like a Criminologist
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This modules aims to introduce students to the key skills involved in thinking like a criminologist. It places a joint emphasis on gaining both a theoretical and practical understanding of criminology as a discipline.
You will develop skills in interpreting crime statistics, critically assessing definitions of crime and engaging with media debates about crime and justice. These will be informed by introductory criminological theory to provide a foundation, including positivism and classicism, Durkheim and the Chicago School.
Key topics will include:
- What is crime?
- Who is a criminal?
- How can we use crime statistics?
- The history of crime
- Media representations of crime
- The use of official reports and policy documents.
- Understanding the Criminal Justice System
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2Gain an introduction to the criminal justice system by focusing on key debates around social control and the historic development of institutions.
You'll study the development of key components of the justice system, including:
- prisons
- the police
- probation
- the courts and community justice.
You'll also examine contemporary debates, including:
- race and crime
- gender
- power and punishment
- issues of overpolicing and criminalisation
- youth justice and crime prevention.
You’ll also study the British justice system in an international context for comparison.
- 21st Century Sociology
- Sciences
- Applying Psychology to Everyday Problems
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module introduces you to a variety of ways where psychological knowledge is applied to everyday problems.
Topics covered include:
- understanding mental health problems and how they can be treated
- how psychology can be used to influence health and well-being
- the role of psychology in the workplace
- the relevance of psychology to educational practice, including understanding why ‘bullying’ occurs and how we can prevent it.
You'll learn about the research and theories that support these applications of psychology to everyday problems, and be introduced to the areas of professional applied psychology that underpin them.
- Biological Psychology
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1This module introduces students to Biological Psychology, the scientific study of the brain and how it shapes behaviour. The lectures will explore the basic structure and function of the brain and its cells, and allow students to become familiar with the methodological approaches used in this field of study. A variety of behaviours will be discussed from a biological perspective, such as Motivation, Reproductive Behaviour, Sleep and Psychological Disorders. The material will be based on the latest research evidence.
BSc Psychology students are not permitted to take this module. Visiting and Exchange students are permitted to take this module but cannot take it in combination with Psychobiology or Brain and Behaviour.
- Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2With the help of a team of scientists and clinical practitioners, you'll consider theory, research and treatment of a range of psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and psychosis.
You'll learn about:
- psychological perspectives on areas of mental health difficulty
- research to better understand these problems
- treatment and support.
- From Quarks to the Cosmos
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This elective provides an overview of state-of-the-art research in fundamental physics for non-physicists, covering:
- physics of the quantum world
- particle physics and the search for the fundamental constituents of matter
- cosmology and the large-scale structure of our world
- the quest for the fundamental forces of nature.
The elective is non-mathematical. It's suitable for non-scientists as well as scientists from other disciplines.
- Introduction to Cognitive Science: Minds, Machines and Consciousness
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1You will examine what it means to be an intelligent being and explore how we view ourselves.
You will look at a number of physicalist theories, including the view that cognition is computation.
In doing so, you will examine some of the basic issues underlying cognitive science as an interdisciplinary study of the mind, taking in topics from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, evolutionary theory, biology and philosophy.
- Our Place in the Universe(s)
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1Astronomy, the study of space and its contents beyond the earth, is both the oldest science, and one in which new discoveries are being made on a daily basis. It is used to explain such familiar phenomena as the tides, eclipses and meteor showers, as well as much more exotic objects such as black holes and exoplanets. The observable universe also provides a laboratory for testing physical theories at extreme energies that are unachievable on earth.
This elective will provide non-science students with a broad, non-mathematical understanding of astronomy from our solar system, via stars and galaxies, to the universe as a whole, all to appreciate our place in the universe(s). - Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1In this module, you examine various philosophical foundational issues in cognitive science by focusing on the nature and role of computation and representation in cognitive scientific explanations.
In particular, you will answer the question: can our everyday way of understanding the mind, in terms of beliefs, desires and intentions, serve as a foundation for a scientific understanding of mind? You then analyse answers that have been given to this question.
- Principles of Cognitive Science
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2How do our minds work?
In this module, you answer this question from the perspective of classical cognitive science, which treats the mind as a processor of information.
Over the last 50 years, cognitive scientists have gained deep insights into how we think and what makes us intelligent.
We will investigate how the mind receives, transforms, stores, retrieves and transmits information in order to understand how we comprehend the world, reason, solve problems, remember, develop skills and learn.
In addition to studying the variety, power and limitations of our cognitive capabilities, you analyse and explain the nature of exceptional cognitive abilities, such as creativity and expertise, but we will also see that even seemingly simple everyday tasks involves a surprising richness and complexity of cognition.
A key part of the module will be a case study on a task of your own choosing, which you investigate using the core concepts and models presented in the seminars.
- Psychology Now: Contemporary Approaches to Understanding Behaviour
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This module introduces you to a wide range of research themes in contemporary psychology. Internationally recognised researchers will teach you about this dynamically changing discipline, covering topics such as:
- the psychology of gender differences
- the effects of drugs on our thinking and behaviour
- the mechanisms involved in hypnosis
- the role of psychology in environmental issues.
You'll evaluate diverse approaches to understanding human behaviour, from comparative perspectives that help us revisit assumptions about the human-animal divide, through to social psychological explanations of why we interact with other people in the ways that we do.
This module is only available to Psychology students. - Psychology of Child Development
15 credits
Year 1, Term 1This module introduces you to Developmental Psychology: the scientific study of how children develop. Over the course of the module we will evaluate theories and empirical evidence across a wide range of core areas within Developmental Psychology such as language, attachment, emotion, gender, adolescence and cognitive development. We will cover both classic studies and contemporary research in these areas.
BSc Psychology students are not permitted to take this module. Visiting and Exchange students are permitted to take this module but cannot take it in combination with Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence or Developmental Psychology.
- Psychology of Cognitive Processes
15 credits
Year 2, Term 2This module introduces students to Cognitive Psychology, the scientific study of how the mind works. The lectures will allow students to become familiar with the field of Cognitive Psychology and its research approaches, and to appreciate its relevance to everyday functioning. A variety of relevant topics will be discussed, such as Perception, Attention, Memory, Language and Decision-Making, both in terms of the prevalent theoretical models, as well as empirical evidence.
BSc Psychology students are not permitted to take this module. Visiting and Exchange students are permitted to take this module but cannot take it in combination with Cognition and Clinical Contexts or Cognitive Psychology
- Sleep and Mental Health
15 credits
Year 2, Term 1On this module, you'll explore the complex relationship between sleep and mental health, examining how persistent sleep disruption impacts well-being over time. You'll investigate how sleep disturbances contribute to the development and maintenance of various psychopathologies.
Key topics include:
- the effects of acute and chronic sleep loss
- sleep disturbances in mental health disorders
- innovations for improving sleep
- sleep problems in under-researched conditions such as ADHD, depersonalisation and OCD.
- Social Psychology and Individual Differences
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2This module introduces you to Social Psychology and the scientific study of individuals and groups. We will explore the key approaches and methodologies in Social Psychology, evaluating different perspectives on studying individual differences. The module may draw from areas such as motivation, emotion, health and well-being, personality, and intergroup behaviour.
BSc Psychology students are not permitted to take this module. Visiting and Exchange students are permitted to take this module but cannot take it in combination with Individuals and Groups or with Social Psychology.
- Sustainable Energy Science
15 credits
Year 1, Term 2On this module, you'll:
- be introduced to the latest energy technologies
- understand the physical principles underlying technology
- discuss the technologies’ environmental, economic, and social impacts.
Covering fossil fuels, renewable and nuclear energy, you'll evaluate the key sources of energy available. You'll also look at potential solutions to the energy problems facing us today.
- Applying Psychology to Everyday Problems
We’re planning to run these electives in the academic year 2025/26. The electives shown give an indication of the breadth of study possible at Sussex. They are updated annually and may vary due to student demand or feedback, changes to staff expertise or updates to our curriculum. The electives available will be confirmed at the start of each academic year. Eligibility for electives depends on your course and may vary from time to time. If you’re eligible, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to choose an elective from the selection available for that academic year once you’ve registered, subject to timetabling constraints.
How do I apply for an elective?
As a student on most of our single-honours courses, you start choosing your electives just before you start your degree at Sussex.
For more information, contact us by email at aqpcurriculum@sussex.ac.uk.