Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in International Relations

at Leeds Beckett University - City Campus United Kingdom

Urban design recognises architecture and the city as a collective form of knowledge. It brings together professionals from a range of backgrounds who share a passion for improving the design of our urban environments.

Whether you have studied urban design, architecture, interdisciplinary design or planning, this course will enable you to network with practitioners, planners, architects and landscape architects to explore the role of urban design in the city.

This course will employ a research-by-design approach to understanding national and international cities. You will study governance as a spatial design concern and will gain a deep understanding of the formation of the city within diverse political, economic, social and cultural contexts. By developing your ability to apply theory to practice, you will appreciate the complexity of creating spaces across different structural layers.

You will study the latest methods and design theories relating to urban environments, exploring the development and resolution of projects and focusing on achieving environmental sustainability. Working with landscape architecture and town planning students, you will also address briefs provided by external clients, developing your ability to work as part of a team and making a significant contribution to innovative designs.

As part of this course you’ll:

• Experiment with painting, performance, installation, photography, drawing, printmaking, animation, digital processes and other media
• Taught by nationally and internationally recognised artists and practitioners, who will help you to develop your artistic identity
• Participate in seminars, collaborative on and off-site activities and live curatorial projects
• Exhibit your projects to the public and impress industry by exhibiting your work at the end of your final year
• Be encouraged to take a proactive approach and make your own opportunities, as you will after graduating

Add a social psychological insight to questions traditionally associated with sociology.

As part of this course you’ll:

• Discover how we develop as individuals and learn how institutions and social structures influence how we act
• Explore a wide range of sociological themes, touching on the theories of classical and contemporary sociologists
• Study psychological topics, including how different environments shape human behaviour, the inter-relationship between the individual and broader social and cultural phenomena
• Understand how psychology can be used for the benefit of society
• Shape your course to the career you want by selecting from a range of option modules in the final year

As part of your studies you’ll undertake a wide variety of assessments. In your second year you could participate in a day-long conference where you’ll have the opportunity to present your own research findings. You could also publish your essay in our university's highly regarded sociology journal.

Your studies will start with a clear focus on local contexts. As you progress, you’ll learn the skills to address national and global issues and discover how complex contemporary society is and the impact it has on us all.

As part of your course, you'll:

• Undertake role-play with trained actors as part of your training. They’ll take on the role of vulnerable people and you'll be able to learn from their video diaries and blogs.
• Practice your skills in a safe, controlled environment and reflect on your learning
• Gain real life, practical skills and have access to a rewarding career.

The social care sector is growing. It gives you employment opportunities working with children, young people and families.

You’ll be given the chance to undertake an international volunteering placement in your second and third years. Previous students have volunteered in India, South Africa, Finland and the US, working with people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

You'll share modules with students from related courses. This helps you to learn about the different areas of social science. It also teaches you how specific environments and situations are handled.

As the UK's cities and towns continue to expand, there is an increased demand for experts in property and real estate management.

This RICS accredited course reflects the real-world workings of the property and construction industries, preparing you for a career in property investment and development, property management or real estate management.

As part of your course, you’ll:

• Develop a combination of technical knowledge and professional skills
• Study the planning, building, maintenance and day-to-day management of properties from domestic dwellings to full-scale industrial and commercial units
• Cover key topics including estate and property management; portfolio management; valuation for mortgages; negotiation for sale, purchase, leasing or auction; and the financial aspects of real estate, including the financing of real estate projects
• Explore the impact of urban and regional planning policies on property management
• Gain the skills to work with planners to enhance commercial development proposals within a given timescale and budget

Working closely with other built environment students, you’ll take part in projects that mirror the professional relationships you’ll experience in industry. This will develop your sense of identity as a property manager and provide you with an understanding of the role played by bankers, accountants, developers, surveyors and investors in the real estate industry.

Nutrition plays a key part in the promotion of good health and the primary prevention of diet-related illness in communities and populations.

As part of this course, you’ll:

• Become a critically reflective practitioner and gain practical experience in our health science and catering laboratories
• Gain an understanding of the relationship between food, nutrition and health
• Manage, analyse, interpret and communicate information and statistics about nutrition related health and disease states
• Undertake work-based placements to apply your expertise and refine your practical skills
• Have the option of undertaking a sandwich placement in year three

 You’ll undertake an extended placement in an area such as the food industry, for producers of specialist nutrition products, health promotion or research. You’ll also develop group skills by delivering your own nutrition awareness event. Throughout the course, you’ll learn skills which are appealing and desirable to employers.

Designed in consultation with statutory, charitable and voluntary crime-related agencies in the region, this course will allow you to explore current issues in criminology and criminal justice and reflect upon the related themes of race, ethnicity, gender, state power, and war.

As part of your course, you'll:

• Study theoretical approaches in criminology and their methods of criminological research
• Develop an advanced understanding of the dimensions of social divisions and social diversity
• Understand local, national, and international contexts of crime, victimisation and punishment, and responses to crime and deviance
• Apply your knowledge in a dissertation aligned to your personal interests or career ambitions

Gain an international perspective by exploring how nations interact on the global stage.

As part of your course, you’ll:

• Critically explore global issues such as security, poverty, debt and famine
• Understand how we can address the challenges faced by humanity from an international relations perspective
• Examine global inequalities, the rise of the superpower nations and what power looks like at a global level
• Understand how major developments, including the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, globalisation, changing global power relations and the emergence of new terror threats and social movements have shaped the world
• Evaluate theories of international relations and diplomacy and analyse the ideas, ideologies, policies and institutions that form the foundations of global politics
• Analyse what happens during conflict, and the challenges faced by states and world organisations trying to preserve peace and security
• Undertake a volunteering placement giving you work experience in the field
• Blend critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills

This course is driven by the increasingly global nature of the financial services industry and the continued expansion of international trade.

You could be a management professional involved in exporting, importing and other commercial activities overseas. You might want to extend your knowledge of international trade agreements, or you could be looking to secure employment for a company with a global reach. Whatever your aspirations, this course will give you the expertise needed to unlock management opportunities with international organisations across a range of sectors.

To meet international demand for this course, we have a collaborative arrangement for delivery at a university in Hangzhou, China. If you are studying in China, you will have the option to study one semester in Leeds as part of your course.

The world of cinema increasingly offers opportunities for study outside of filmmaking itself. This innovative programme offers the opportunity to gain both the vital skills and critical awareness necessary to pursue a career in the diverse areas of contemporary film curation and exhibition, whether within the industry or within the field of research. This could include curation within a museum or arts centre; festival management; exhibition and distribution both theatrical and online; or cinema programming.

A range of placements with industry partners including The Tetley, a leading centre for contemporary art housed in the former Tetley brewery, and Leeds International Film Festival, will allow you to see this in action, providing you with the practical skills you need to successfully curate and exhibit films.

Classroom-based modules will explain the theory behind programming, archiving and film exhibition using case studies including cinemas, art galleries and festivals amongst others.