Component

MA Public Opinion and Political Behaviour
BA European Studies with Spanish options

Year 2, Component 03

EU option(s): Discipline B
AR216-5-AU
After Impressionism: European Art From Van Gogh to Klimt
(15 CREDITS)

How did artists working at the turn of the twentieth century respond to the legacy of Impressionism as the quintessential art of modern life? We will attempt to discover what it really meant to be 'modern' in turn-of-the century Europe and how artists responded to the dramatic political, social and technological changes that we call modernisation.

BE413-5-AU
International Business Environment
(15 CREDITS)

Gain a more advanced understanding of the international context which helps to shape the strategies and operations of organisations, and explore some of the current issues and challenges facing organisations within the international business environment. In particular, you focus on international political economy, covering the major economic systems in the world, and tracing the historical evolution of the global order.

CS201-5-FY
The World in Question: The Social, Cultural, Political & Environmental Legacies of the Enlightenment
(30 CREDITS)

How have contemporary societies been shaped by the legacies of the Enlightenment, colonialism, and the different phases of capitalism? This interdisciplinary module helps you to critically understand some of the key forces and processes that have shaped the challenges we face in the 20th and 21st century. It is divided into three broad themes; Empire, The Self, and Nature. We’ll be examining processes of ‘othering’ that were intrinsic to colonialism; changing conceptions of the self; as well as both the causes of and potential solutions to the ecological crisis we are confronting today. The module is co-taught by academics from Art History, ISC, LiFTs, Philosophy, Psychoanalytic Studies and Sociology.

CS241-5-SP
Doing Interdisciplinary Research for a BA Dissertation: Approaches, Methods, Practice
(15 CREDITS)

Thinking of doing a dissertation in your final year or research in your future career? Do you have a great idea for a topic that you wish to study in depth? This module will introduce you to qualitative research methods and will help you grasp the logic of research design. The short lectures, practical research exercises, and discussion will help you develop your own coherent research project. CS241 is a pre-requisite for the final year dissertation.

EC120-5-FY
The World Economy in Historical Perspective
(30 CREDITS)

Why did industrialisation first occur in Europe, not China or India? How did economic growth lead to the Industrial Revolution? What impact did two world wars have on the global economy? Explore the process of economic change and development from the sixteenth-century to the present day.

EC201-5-FY
Macroeconomics (Intermediate)
(30 CREDITS)

What tools can you use for macroeconomic analysis? And how can these then be applied to macro-policy issues? Learn how to build alternative macroeconomic models and apply analytical reasoning. Examine real-life macroeconomic questions, on topics such as government budgets or wage-price flexibility, and critically evaluate macroeconomic policies.

EC202-5-FY
Microeconomics (Intermediate)
(30 CREDITS)

How do consumers behave in a competitive market? And what about producers? How do various imperfections affect the outcome of decentralised markets? Study the fundamental concepts and methods in microeconomics. Understand the tools and methods of analysis for economic reasoning, and develop your critical approach to economic issues and policies.

EC245-5-SP
International Financial Institutions and Policy
(15 CREDITS)

Want to know more about the IMF or the Federal Reserve? Interested in the European Central Bank and the European Stability Mechanism? Examine these international financial institutions to evaluate their existence, policies and effects on the international monetary system. Understand the institutional framework within which international financial relations are organised.

EC246-5-AU
International Trade Institutions and Policy
(15 CREDITS)

Which institutions control international trade? How are they organised? What are their objectives? And why are some of their activities deemed controversial? Study the world trading system since World War Two, learning about the most important issues in international trade policy and deepening your knowledge of the global economy.

EC252-5-AU
Introduction to Econometric Methods
(15 CREDITS)

Which econometric methods can analyse economic data? How do you critically assess applied economic literature? Learn how to carry out statistical and econometric calculations, plus gain experience of using the Stata software package. Demonstrate your subsequent understanding of the linear regression model with your own investigation on an empirical issue.

GV121-5-SP
Institutions of Democracy
(15 CREDITS)

What rules affect political action? You explore how institutions and the rules they enforce, for example voting under a specific electoral system, affect political and economic outcomes, and whether these are ultimately only second-best solutions to collective action.

GV214-5-AU
International Relations: Theories and Approaches
(15 CREDITS)

How should we approach relationships between different countries? Explore different theoretical lenses through which the world can be viewed, including bargaining theory, liberal institutional approaches, and emotion-based, psychological models of the behavior of international political actions.

GV271-5-AU
The European Union: Institutions and Policies
(15 CREDITS)

How are decisions made in the EU? What impact do states and government have on European policy, and vice versa? Gain an understanding of the relationship between the EU and its members through studying the origins of European Integration and the institutional systems of the EU.

HR251-5-AU
Life in the Three Kingdoms: Societies and cultures in early modern Britain and Ireland
(15 CREDITS)

The early modern British Isles were home to four, or even five, nations, six languages, and peoples with vastly differing cultures. You examine the clashes between these different cultures and their hostile perceptions of each other, the different languages and why some survived whilst others disappeared, the conceptions of honour and status, the different ways of maintaining law and order, and the basic social unit of the early modern British Isles: the family.

HR270-5-AU
Sex, War and Class at the Movies: 1930-1960
(15 CREDITS)

You explore the relationship between cinema and society in Britain from the interwar depression, through the Second World War and the onset of affluence and mass-consumerism in the 1950s and 60s, to the rise of Thatcherism and the collapse of the 'post-war settlement'. You examine classes and cultures in relation to the lived history of the period, in order to track what they both reveal and conceal about the historical processes which transformed Britain during the 20th century.

HR296-5-SP
Between Protection and Control: Policing Europe in the 20th Century
(15 CREDITS)

Policing activities are essential for any state and offer an insight into the relationship between state and society. This module explores police activities between state protection and social control in 20th century-Europe. You’ll examine the relations between the state, the police and the public tracing continuities and differences in policing dictatorships and democracies.

LA121-5-AU
Intensive Beginners French I
(15 CREDITS)

This module is for students with little or no knowledge of French. It is an interactive and intensive language module which uses various strategies for fast paced progress through the French language. It explores both the communicative and the structural aspects of the French language.

LA122-5-SP
Intensive Beginners French II
(15 CREDITS)

Continuing on from French Intensive Initial 1, this is an interactive and intensive language module for those who have little or no knowledge of French. It explores both the communicative and the structural aspects of the French language.

LA130-5-AU
Intermediate French I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to develop your French comprehension? Improve your spoken and written language skills? Sharpen your grammatical accuracy? Make use of a range of materials to further advance your language abilities, building coherent and cohesive skills for both speaking and writing in French.

LA131-5-SP
Intermediate French II
(15 CREDITS)
LA140-5-AU
Post A-Level French I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to build your confidence when both speaking and writing in French? Develop your university-level French language skills, improving your aural comprehension while boosting your grammar knowledge and vocabulary. Learn to appreciate, summarise and evaluate a piece of text. Expand your understanding of French culture and society.

LA142-5-SP
Post A-Level French II
(15 CREDITS)
LA217-5-AU
German and Professional Skills I
(15 CREDITS)

This module is intended for students of all departments with an outside option in their course structure, leading from no knowledge in German to a level equivalent to CEFR A1. You will acquire fundamental language skills in German alongside a specific focus on professional skills such as summarising and reporting, filtering written and spoken material for essentials, business communication, giving simple professional oral presentations in German. You will develop an understanding of the working environment and cultural background in German speaking countries. You will obtain the tools to enhance your employability via transferable skills, work on sample cover letters for applications and your CV in German and your German LinkedIn profile. You will have the opportunity (optional) to plan, report and reflect on work related experience, as part of your portfolio assessment. This will be in collaboration with the Placement Team.

LA218-5-SP
German and Professional Skills II
(15 CREDITS)
LA221-5-AU
Intensive Beginners German I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn German from scratch? Study the German language from basic to advanced level, so that you can communicate in complex situations and read extended texts, like newspaper articles. Learn how to give short talks or presentations in German and be able to write German coherently.

LA222-5-SP
Intensive Beginners German II
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn German from scratch? Study the German language from basic to advanced level, so that you can communicate in complex situations and read extended texts, like newspaper articles. Learn how to give short talks or presentations in German and be able to write German coherently.

LA230-5-AU
Intermediate German I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to develop your German comprehension? Improve your spoken and written language skills? Sharpen your grammatical accuracy? Learn to master complex situations in German and how to deal with extended texts, like newspaper articles. Advance your language abilities, building coherent and cohesive skills for both speaking and writing in German.

LA231-5-SP
Intermediate German II
(15 CREDITS)
LA240-5-AU
Post A-Level German I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to build your confidence when both speaking and writing in German? Develop your university-level German language skills so that you are fairly fluent with the ability understand spoken and written work. Be able to express yourself orally and in writing on demanding topics that face modern Germany.

LA242-5-SP
Post A-Level German II
(15 CREDITS)
LA333-5-AU
Portuguese Conversion I
(15 CREDITS)

Have you knowledge of French, Spanish, Italian or Romanian? Do you want to speak Portuguese too? Develop advanced written, aural/oral and reading skills, as well as build your knowledge of Brazilian/Portuguese culture and society. Learn to understand short texts, be able to write letters and interact in everyday situations in Portuguese.

LA334-5-SP
Portuguese Conversion II
(15 CREDITS)
LA340-5-AU
Post A-Level Portuguese I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to build your confidence when both speaking and writing in Portuguese? Develop your language abilities, expanding your vocabulary and improving your listening and oral skills. Expand your understanding of the Portuguese-speaking culture and history through the use of texts, films and online resources.

LA342-5-SP
Post A-Level Portuguese II
(15 CREDITS)
LA410-5-AU
Beginners Spanish I
(15 CREDITS)

To whom do you say “¿Cómo estás?” And to whom do you say “¿Cómo están?” Gain the basic linguistic skills to enjoy a visit to Spain. Learn the dialogue, structures and tenses needed for everyday situations, and develop the writing skills required for short messages.

LA415-5-SP
Beginners Spanish II
(15 CREDITS)
LA420-5-AU
Post Beginners Spanish I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to improve your Spanish? Need a chance to focus on difficult areas of Spanish for English speakers? Further your language abilities by undertaking practice of oral skills. Learn to produce written work in Spanish. Expand your Spanish so that you can incorporate more sophisticated structure in your communication.

LA421-5-AU
Intensive Beginners Spanish I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn Spanish from scratch? And spend four weeks abroad during the summer? Build your language abilities, so you can read short stories or novels in Spanish, as well as articulate your ideas verbally or in writing. Undertake a research project, in Spanish, on a topic of your choosing.

LA422-5-SP
Intensive Beginners Spanish II
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn Spanish from scratch? And spend four weeks abroad during the summer? Build your language abilities, so you can read short stories or novels in Spanish, as well as articulate your ideas verbally or in writing. Undertake a research project, in Spanish, on a topic of your choosing.

LA425-5-SP
Post Beginners Spanish II
(15 CREDITS)
LA430-5-AU
Intermediate Spanish I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to develop your Spanish comprehension? Improve your spoken and written language skills? Sharpen your grammatical accuracy? Study topics related to Hispanic culture, starting with text to improve vocabulary and grammar, then undertaking related listening and speaking activities. Build coherent and cohesive skills for both speaking and writing in Spanish.

LA431-5-SP
Intermediate Spanish II
(15 CREDITS)
LA440-5-AU
Post A-Level Spanish I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to build your confidence when both speaking and writing in Spanish? Develop your language abilities, expanding your vocabulary and improving your listening and oral skills. Expand your understanding of Spanish and Latin American culture and history through the use of texts, films and conversations with native speakers.

LA442-5-SP
Post A-Level Spanish II
(15 CREDITS)
LA621-5-AU
Intensive Beginners Italian I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn Italian from scratch? Reach A-level Italian standard, gaining understanding of Italian language structure and functions. Take part in a variety of class activities, including individual and group work, to build your Italian communication skills.

LA622-5-SP
Intensive Beginners Italian II
(15 CREDITS)

Want to learn Italian from scratch? Reach A-level Italian standard, gaining understanding of Italian language structure and functions. Take part in a variety of class activities, including individual and group work, to build your Italian communication skills.

LA630-5-AU
Intermediate Italian I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to develop your Italian comprehension? Improve your spoken and listening language skills? Be able to communicate effectively with native speakers? Study a range of topics and a variety of texts to build your spoken Italian and reading abilities.

LA631-5-SP
Intermediate Italian II
(15 CREDITS)
LA640-5-AU
Post A-Level Italian I
(15 CREDITS)

Want to build your confidence when both speaking and writing in Italian? Develop your language abilities, expanding your vocabulary and improving your listening and oral skills. Improve your Italian understanding through reading, analysing and discussing topics in class. Build your awareness of spoken Italian through activities in our multimedia lab.

LA642-5-SP
Post A-Level Italian II
(15 CREDITS)
LW218-5-AU
Public International Law
(15 CREDITS)

What are the rules governing state responsibility? Or the acquisition of statehood? How do you apply international law to notions of jurisdiction? Study the theories and concepts behind public international law, plus new developments in the field. Learn to apply relevant principles to specific case studies.

PA208-5-AU
Freud: Mind, Culture and Society
(15 CREDITS)

What do you know about depth psychology? How do psychoanalysis and analytical psychology provide new understanding of society, culture and politics? Build your knowledge about depth psychology - psychological thinking that introduces the concept of a deep unconscious. Understand Freud’s theories and their significance in social and cultural analysis.

PA209-5-SP
The Unconscious: Analytical Psychology, Culture and Society - Jung
(15 CREDITS)

What do you know about depth psychology? How do psychoanalysis and analytical psychology provide new understanding of society, culture and politics? Build your knowledge about depth psychology - psychological thinking that introduces the concept of a deep unconscious. Understand Jung’s theories and their significance in social and cultural analysis.

PY407-5-AU
Philosophy and Religion
(15 CREDITS)

This module explores the relationship between religion and existentialism. For some key figures, existentialism takes “the death of God"" as its point of departure and never looks back. For these authors, existentialism represents an intrinsically atheistic philosophical outlook. Others, however, argue that the problems of existence that existentialism lays bare can only be overcome by a religious approach to life. We will explore this issue through a close reading of key texts in the tradition, which we will supplement by viewing and discussing two films inspired by the existentialist tradition.

PY408-5-AU
Ethics
(15 CREDITS)

This is a module in ethical theory rather than applied ethics – that is, it takes up theoretical questions about the status and justification of morality rather than addressing directly practical moral problems. The exact focus will vary from year-to-year. This year, we will investigate one of the most influential modern theories of ethics, Kant’s moral philosophy. While you might have had a chance to study some aspects of Kant’s view before, this term will be devoted to a focused critical reading of Kant’s ethical theory. We will investigate Kant’s conception of morality and his attempt to derive morality from his conception of freedom. Our texts will be Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and occasional selections from Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals.

PY429-5-SP
Capitalism and its Critics
(15 CREDITS)

Since the financial crisis of 2008, the social consequences, moral status, and even long-term viability of capitalism have come under renewed scrutiny. Does it foster economic growth and protect individual freedom, as its proponents claim? Or is it a destructive system out of control, as its detractors argue? Should the market be given even freer rein? Or should capitalism be reformed and restricted? Or should it be abolished and replaced altogether? And, if so, what would replace it?

PY431-5-SP
Ancient Philosophy
(15 CREDITS)

Discover Ancient Greek philosophy and read some of the most influential works in the history of Western Philosophy. In this module we focus on Plato and Aristotle, exploring how ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics and psychology are all intertwined. The course begins with an overview of philosophy before Socrates and ends with a short exploration of the philosophical schools that flourished in the Roman empire.

SC224-5-FY
Digital Society
(30 CREDITS)

Does technology determine history? Can games teach us about power? Does software shape society? Develop a critical understanding of the role played by human-machine relationships in contemporary cultural change. Evaluate recent developments in media technologies from a sociological perspective. Develop your own blog as part of your final assessment.

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