BA Politics and Social Policy Course Content
Year One
Compulsory modules
Freedom, Power and Democracy: an introduction to political ideas asks you to consider and then reconsider whether you believe in democracy, freedom, equality and rights, what these ideas mean, whether they are realised in practice and how power really operates in our society.
Central Debates in Welfare introduces you to two prominent themes within welfare theory: dependency and citizenship. In this module, we explore how issues such as social exclusion, race, demographic change, globalisation and the so-called 'underclass' challenge perceptions and policy directions about who deserves what and why.
Social Welfare and Social Change investigates the social, political, economic and cultural influences that shaped the post-war welfare state. In this module, we examine how the classic 1940s welfare state rested on false assumptions about the family, work and nationhood.
Introduction to IT for Humanities Students will teach you the appropriate way to access, process and present scholarly sources and related information.
Optional modules
You then choose one of the following modules
- British Politics
- European Politics
- International Politics
- Globalisation
You can then choose further modules, either in the named subjects or in another subject, to complete your programme.
Year Two
There are no compulsory modules in year two.
Optional modules
You choose one of the following modules.
- The Age of Ideology
- Theories of Democracy
- Theories of Justice
- Theories of Political Morality
You choose another of the following modules.
- British Central Government
- Governing the European Union
- Making the European Union
- Politics and International Relations of Pacific Asia
- Politics in Russia
- United States Politics
You then choose a module from this list.
- Globalization: Equality and Diversity
- Disability Studies: An Introduction
- New Labour, Crime and Welfare
- Urban Disorders, Social Divisions and Social Control
You also study one of the following modules.
- Sociology and Social Policy Research Methods
- Globalization: Equality and Diversity
- Crime, Law and Regulation
- Race and Hollywood Cinema
- Drugs: Society, Politics and Policy
- Disability Studies: An Introduction
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Racism and Ethnicity Studies: A Global Approach
- New Labour, Crime and Welfare
- Urban Disorders, Social Divisions and Social Control
You also choose modules from the following list to complete your programme, or you can choose elective modules from other disciplines.
- British Central Government
- The Conservative Party from Churchill to Cameron
- The Labour Party from Attlee to Brown
- Development and Social Change
- North-South Linkages
- Governing the European Union
- Making the European Union
- Politics and International Relations of Pacific Asia
- Politics in Russia
- United States Politics
- Foreign Policy Analysis
- International Organisations and World Order
- Security Studies
- The Age of Ideology
- Nationalism in the Modern World
- Theories of Democracy
- Theories of Justice
- Theories of Political Morality
- Parliamentary Studies
- Approaches to Political Science
Year Three
There are no compulsory modules in year three.
Optional modules
You choose two of the following modules.
- British Political Parties
- Prime Ministers and British Politics
- The End of British Politics?
- Rural Development: Theoretical and Policy Issues
- Gender and Development
- Approaches to HIV/AIDS in the Developing World
- Violence and Reconciliation in Eastern Africa
- Contemporary West European Socialist Parties
- Environmental Politics and Policy in the EU
- Europe in the World
- Extreme Right Parties in Contemporary Western Europe
- American Foreign Policy
- Israel: Politics and Society
- Political Corruption
- Political Leadership in the Contemporary West
- Crisis Diplomacy: Coercion, Sanctions and the Use of Force in International Relations
- Dirty War: Insurgency, the State and Cities
- Global Political Theory and the Environment
- Terrorism and Security
- Critical Theory
- Gramsci and the Theory of Modern Politics
- Dissertation
- Video Games: Politics, Society and Culture
You choose one of the following modules.
- Approaches to Social Exclusion in Later Life
- Housing in Urban Society
- The Family, Work and Welfare in Britain and the United States
You then choose one or more of the following module to complete your programme, and you can also opt to take elective modules from other subjects.
- Approaches to Social Exclusion in Later Life
- Social Policy Dissertation
- Governing Cultures, Identities and Emotions
- Citizenship, Identity and Social Change
- Disability Rights and the International Policy Context
- Education, Culture and Society
- Housing in Urban Society
- Discipline and Punish
- The Family, Work and Welfare in Britain and the United States
Key Information
UCAS code:LL42
Duration
3 years full-time.
6 years part-time.
Entry Requirements:
AAB at A level, plus C in GCSE Mathematics
Full entry requirements
UK/EU student fees
£9,000 per year full-time.
International student fees
£12,500 per year full-time.
Full finance information
Admissions Contact
Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law
Tel: 0113 343 5049
Tel: 0113 343 5020
Fax: 0113 343 5019