Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Language and Journalism

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Our BA Politics & International Relations and Philosophy degree allows you to explore the ethical and philosophical questions that help to shape and challenge national and international politics and political agendas.

Here at Hertfordshire, as well as learning about philosophical and political theory, you’ll be doing rigorous and creative thinking of your own. Our internationally regarded academics will help you learn to address the arguments of others, to understand and engage with them so that you can arrive at your own conclusions and create your own original work.

You will also explore topical practical questions. Issues that arise as a result of increasing political focus on different dimensions of security, for example, are raised in the modules ‘Terrorism and Security’ and ‘The State in the 21st Century’. Philosophy will help you to understand the ethical implications and social situatedness of security politics through modules such as ‘Social and Political Philosophy’, ‘Contemporary Moral Philosophy” and ‘Nietzsche, Genealogy and Morality’.

Key social issues, such as, gender equality will be addressed from the perspective of both disciplines in ‘The Politics of Gender’ and in ‘Feminist Philosophy’. Modules will also debate the ways in which religious belief is a driving force behind social and political events in today’s globalised world.

You will be taught by experts who work at the cutting edge of their research disciplines and will share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings.

You will be able to undertake a placement or study abroad year to gain professional experience or increase global awareness to build skills relevant to your studies in Politics and International Relations and Philosophy.

Do you have a story to tell, or have you always wanted to be a writer? Perhaps you want to learn how to be a critical reader or gain a greater understanding of the craft of writing.
Studying English Literature and Creative Writing with us will help you find your voice, whether as a poet, playwright, novelist or scholar of literature.
This joint course combines the study of literature with the practice of creative writing. Studying literature will give you a greater understanding of how literary texts work, while this improved critical insight will help you put principles into practice in your own creative writing.

We offer a stimulating and supportive place in which to explore your ideas, hone your craft and understand literary texts. Our creative writing modules are taught by lecturers who are themselves award-winning practitioners and who bridge the gap between creative and academic approaches to literature. They include our poetry lecturer Wayne Holloway-Smith, winner of the Poetry Society’s Geoffrey Dearmer Prize and Seamus Heaney Prize nominee.

Over the three years you can choose specialist creative writing modules in poetry, creative non-fiction, drama, short story writing and prose fiction. Those specialisms are reflected in our English Literature modules, which range from children’s and young adult literature to film adaptations and work written in English from all over the world.

By the time you graduate, you will have a polished piece of work which has the potential for publication. Recent successes for our students include short stories published in Bandit and AnotherLenz magazines and poetry published in Rising and international magazine Poetry London.
In your first year, an underpinning core module, Becoming a Writer, will introduce you to genres and forms and examine the universalities of dialogue, plot and language. A second core module, Identity and Contemporary Writing, introduces you to some of the most exciting new writing as a model for your own work, while an optional module enables you to specialise in writing for the screen.
The practicalities of getting published or working in literary publishing are explored in a creative writing module in your second year taught by a former editor of Granta, the renowned magazine of new writing. For your final year your particular creative interest can be channelled into a long piece of writing, which can be poetry, prose or drama.

Study our MA in International Relations to gain an understanding of the forces that shape global politics in the 21st Century. A postgraduate degree in International Relations provides a pathway to a range of careers from policy-related roles in NGOs and government to vocational positions in the media and the private sector.

Whether your background is in Politics and International Relations, or another discipline, our MA equips you with the knowledge, skills and tools to critically analyse and tackle global society’s most pressing issues. Our innovative teaching methods, including simulations and panel-style debates, help establish a thorough grasp of the theoretical approaches and empirical methods used to study International Relations. Specialist modules allow you to study and analyse a range of topics, from traditional issues like war, peace and security to more contemporary debates on the international economy, global ethics, energy scarcity, and ecological changes. Our lecturers are active researchers who will give insight into current debates, developments and perspectives within the discipline of International Relations. You will undertake a dissertation, on a topic of your choice, and will be supervised through this task by one, or more, of the department’s dedicated research staff.

The MA is delivered with flexibility in mind, combining in-class activities with online learning provisions to ensure that studies can be balanced with other commitments, including work and family life. There are a number of different pathways on offer to fit with your individual needs and professional aims. The standard route MA is offered full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). Alternatively, you may wish to take a Sandwich option (two years full-time), which combines a year of university study with a year-long work placement, or the with Advanced Research route (two years full-time), where you will complete an extended, year-long research project in addition to one year of university study.

Advanced Research Pathway
The Advanced Research pathway strengthens the research dimension of your studies. You will be provided with more extensive research training and required to conduct an in-depth, independent piece of research, which will provide you with the skills and experience required for research-related work in either the public or private sectors.

Please contact Dr Benjamin Nutt for more information on the MA International Relations.

Why choose this course?

• Personal learning experience:You will be part of a closely connected community of students. Small class sizes and a large range of modules means you will benefit from extensive, personalised support that fits your individual study needs and development goals. 
• Research-led teaching: You’ll be taught by a team of researchers working at the forefront of the discipline of International Relations. Build your experience and put your knowledge into action by getting involved in our research group events, such as workshops with experts in political research and practice.
• Topical focus:You will study modules on topics that sit at the forefront of contemporary debates within International Relations, including energy scarcity, ecological changes, and ideas pertaining to global justice. Expert staff will encourage you to explore how the traditional aspects of International Relations are being challenged by current events and changes.
• Flexibility: You will have the opportunity to engage with course material in a manner that blends in class and online learning and suits your individual needs. Learning materials will be provided in a way that makes them accessible whatever your personal circumstances. 
• Join us in exploring how the world you live in operates and learn skills for life: Alongside your subject-based knowledge, we will help you develop a set of professional and interchangeable soft skills that will improve your overall employability. A postgraduate degree in International Relations will hone and improve your communication, organisational, and critical analysis skills, providing you with tools that are appealing to future employers.

Data is the currency of all but the most theoretically-based scientific research, and it also underpins our modern world, from the flow of data across international banking networks and the spread of memes across social networks, to the complex models of weather forecasting. The constant generation of data from our digital society feeds into our everyday lives, affecting how we receive healthcare to influencing our shopping habits. In order to handle, make sense of, and exploit large volumes of available data requires highly skilled human insight, analysis and visualisation. The professionals working in this field are called ‘data scientists’, who blend advanced mathematical and statistical skills with programming, database design, machine learning, modelling, simulation and innovative data visualisation. These professionals are in high demand in both public and private sectors in the UK and worldwide. This programme aims and learning outcomes are built around two guiding principles:

• To provide comprehensive understanding of the fundamental mathematical and statistical concepts underlying data science, and how they are implemented in algorithms and machine learning techniques to solve a variety of data processing and analysis problems.
• To provide training in the practical skills relevant to data science, central of which is the ability to write clean and efficient code in industry-recognised languages (in particular, Python and R), but also includes data handling, manipulation, mining and visualisation techniques.

This course is designed to position motivated undergraduates and ambitious future business leaders for a successful marketing career.  Whether you want to develop a career in the commercial or voluntary sectors or have ambitions to work in a large organisation or family business our MSc Marketing programme is designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to move you into your chosen specialism. 

Our dynamic and research active faculty will support you throughout your learning journey to ensure that you graduate with confidence and expertise, ready to face complex and dynamic work environments.  And our team of academics, visiting practitioners, career support professionals and alumni will also ensure that you are well connected for the best start on your professional journey.

The MPhys allows you to study astrophysics to a greater depth and breadth than the BSc. It’s particularly recommended if you’re interested in pursuing research in industry, government or academia, or if you want to go on to further postgraduate study. During the course you’ll study more advanced topics such as galaxy formation and evolution, high-energy astrophysics and atmospheric physics. You’ll also undertake a large research project within our Centre for Astrophysics Research. We have an innovative strand of industrial projects, supported by the Institute of Physics, that gives you direct experience of working in industrial research. You’ll also have the exciting opportunity to spend a year at a major astronomical research centre or an international observatory.

• The MPhys programme allows students to study astrophysics to a greater depth and breadth than our BSc programme. An MPhys is particularly recommended for those students interested in pursuing research in the industrial, government and academic sectors, and who are likely to consider undertaking further postgraduate study (MSc and/or PhD degrees).

• The MPhys programme allows students to study astrophysics to a greater depth and breadth than our BSc programme.
• In the MPhys year you will study more advanced courses in a range of Astrophysics and Physics specialisms (including Galaxy Formation & Evolution, High Energy Astrophysics, and Atmospheric Physics), plus undertake a large research project within the Centre for Astrophysics Research.
• Your research project will form a third of your final year and you will be closely supervised and guided by one of our experienced researchers while you work on a cutting-edge problem in modern Astrophysics. Previous projects include developing Lucky Imaging cameras at our observatory, studying extreme variable stars in the Milky Way, studying observations of powerful Active Galactic Nuclei, and designing new space telescopes to study extrasolar planet atmospheres. We have an innovative strand of industrial projects supported by the Institute of Physics that give you direct experience of working in industrial research.

The MSc Sustainable Planning programme for 2019/2020 consists of three courses in MSc Sustainable Planning, MSc Sustainable Planning and Environmental Management and MSc Sustainable Planning and Transport. The programme provides students with the skills and expertise they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning, allowing them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area. 

The Royal Town Planning Institute has formally granted accreditation to the University of Hertfordshire for its Master’s degrees in Sustainable Planning.

The breadth of material covered in our MSc in Sustainable Planning gives students the skills they need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning. Planning has a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems. Equally, implementing sustainability principles within urban and rural areas is essential for the well-being of the local residents and improvement of the local environment. Creating more sustainable towns and cities will be central to the future of society and the planet. The planning system is so important because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. Recent policy changes have made planning in neighbourhoods and in communities even more important.

Increasingly planners are being required to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban environments. This requires expertise and skills in a diverse range of disciplines and nationally there is a shortage of relevant skills. This course offers both personal opportunities for students to gain valuable skills that make them highly employable, and allows them to contribute to a much needed and fast changing professional area.

Why choose this course?

This exciting new course is specifically aimed at people wishing to gain expertise in contemporary sustainability issues. It provides graduates with excellent career opportunities in planning, environmental management, urban design, community development, regeneration, transport management, climate change mitigation and other planning related careers.

The course is Suitable for

• Students who have work experience in planning or related discipline and require a postgraduate qualification and subsequent professional accreditation to develop their career further.
• New graduates starting their career in planning with a first degree in geography, environmental science, conservation, sociology, architecture and urban studies.
• Students from other disciplines who have developed an interest in planning from voluntary work, work experience or project work.

Key Features

• A combination of stimulating academic study and strong career orientation
• Focus on the role of planning in addressing key sustainability concerns: climate change; urban sprawl; social cohesion; and demands for personal mobility
• Using the latest techniques including GIS; urban design tools and community design engagement techniques such as charettes
• Practical problem based approach to learning that uses real planning issues and case studies
• Flexibility of study based on a programme of short courses scheduled over two or three days at weekends
• UK field trips including visits to the start of town planning nearby at Letchworth and the first New Towns
• International study visit to look at European best practice in France and Germany.
• It is structured around a modular short course structure to enable flexibility whilst working. This allows part-time student to not have to take more than 12 days off a year (if studying over 2/3 years).
• Networking opportunities per module with lunch and refreshments provided within your fees.

This course is available both full and part-time. Full time study in Semester A takes 1 year. Full time study beginning in Semester B will take 15 months. Part time study options typically take two years but students are given a maximum of five years to complete..

Fashion impacts upon all aspects of our lives and shapes our appreciation and understanding of the world around us. This course offers a commercially informed, creative and innovative design experience for tomorrow’s generation of fashion professionals. You’ll learn vital pattern-cutting skills in 2D and 3D as well as core manufacturing abilities. You’ll also enhance your freehand and technical drawing and illustration skills using traditional and computer-aided design methods.

As well as technical skills, you’ll explore the history of fashion and exciting innovations in contemporary design. Optional study trips, fashion shows, exhibitions and competitions will enrich your educational experience, while live industry projects could lead to your designs going into production and open up employment opportunities.

If you've already completed an Undergraduate degree, why not take a look at our Postgraduate degree and specialise in MA Fashion?

• We support freedom of expression and individuality and help our students to be industry informed, socially responsible and creatively prepared
• Our Fashion Design award offers an exciting balance of creativity, innovation and technical design helping to develop the next generation of fashion professionals in a rapidly changing industry
• Strong industry relationships with a number of leading brands and designers collaborating through live projects, work placements, competition sponsorship and graduate employment opportunities
• A great spacious contemporary environment including industry standard resources for you to thrive in
• A highly experienced and dedicated academic and technical team putting your learning at the centre of the programme

Study with a top History department and be taught from the cutting edge of historical research. Explore the English language, its uses and development.

Through our diverse and inclusive History curriculum you will learn about an array of cultures and identities. What links our work is our focus on people’s history and everyday lives. This is represented strongly in our first year programme, which will give you an insight into the making of the modern world through exploration of faith, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

The mix of modules in English Language focuses on the language itself; its sounds, words and structure; the development of the language; and how it is used to communicate.

Throughout your degree, the common link between the two disciplines will be effective communication. As historians you will learn to analyse historical documents and debates among historians and unpack their meaning, while in English Language you’ll learn about communicating in different scenarios – to explain, inspire, persuade and effect change.

Written communication is particularly important for history students, and, over the skills that you develop over the course of your studies will benefit you in the final year of History if you choose to write a dissertation. This extended piece of work will grow out of a topic that interests you. Previous students have been inspired by their year of study abroad, while others have worked on the history of jiu jitsu, women code breakers at Bletchley Park, the Notting Hill riots, and vice and sexuality in 17th -century London. You could also choose to blend your programme of study, writing for example, on an aspect of propaganda as a form of communication.

We give you: 

• An exceptional History team, conducting world-leading research (REF 2014),
• Stimulating, innovative courses - our History students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting and the scope to write a History dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• The option to study abroad after your second year
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

The MSc Sustainable Planning is delivered in the Ebenezer Howard School of Planning, reflecting our unique location in the county which houses the world’s first garden cities and our focus on exploring the contemporary planning implications of this placemaking patrimony.

Planning plays a key role to play in improving the condition of life in our towns, cities and rural areas. Towns and cities themselves impact on global sustainability and can play a very influential role in tackling global environmental, social and economic problems.

The breadth of material covered will give you the skills you need in order to meet contemporary sustainability challenges in planning cities and rural areas. The planning system provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change, global environmental, social and economic problems and implementing sustainability principles.

You’ll benefit from a wide range of modules, from Planning Law, Policy and Practice to Sustainable Energy and Urban Design and Conservation. You'll choose between three pathways: MSc Sustainable Planning, MSc Sustainable Planning and Environmental Management and MSc Sustainable Planning and Transport.

This program offers you opportunities to gain valuable skills in a much needed and fast changing professional area and makes you highly employable in a diverse range of disciplines which will allow you to contribute to the creation of more sustainable urban environments.