Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy and Creative Writing (with Sandwich Year)

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

This is a fascinating time to be a journalist, with traditional media like newspapers, magazines, television and radio, jostling for attention alongside online news, blogs, podcasts and social media. This exciting course will develop your practical, professional writing skills, shed new light on how the media works and get you some hands-on experience that employers are really looking for.

Our inspiring, industry-experienced academic team will develop your journalistic skills, introducing you to the concepts of ‘news’ and ‘features’, and teaching you how to carry out research, conduct interviews, structure your writing and get published. As the course progresses, you’ll discover how journalism varies across video, radio and the internet, hear from inspiring industry guest speakers and take placements in real newsrooms.

You’ll also delve into the history of media, its role in society, how it shapes our views and how new technologies are disrupting traditional communication channels. It’s this combination of the theoretical with the highly practical that will turn you into a skilled, well- rounded media practitioner ready to launch an exciting, rewarding career.

Bridging theory and practice — Students studying this course will gain a theoretical and critically reflective understanding of media whilst gaining practical skills as an author and designer of published material in variety of formats including print based publications to broadcast and advertising campaigns to web based publications. This means that The majority Almost all of our courses taught are assessed by 100% coursework.

Value added — Every student is allocated a personal tutor to monitor and advise on their overall academic and personal development supplemented with drop-in skills sessions and specialist tutors to refine and polish your writing. Our Media Matters series of Media Industry talks and Creative Writing talks are career-focused, delivered by industry specialist professionals.

Our BA Politics & International Relations and Journalism degree gives you the opportunity to study current challenges in national and international politics while developing a range of journalistic skills that will help you understand how key events are communicated in our so-called ‘post-truth’ era of fake news and alternative facts.

This degree focuses particularly on the interactions between media distribution and political governance while also giving students the opportunity to study both subjects in their breadth and diversity. We will ensure that your studies enhance knowledge, understanding and academic confidence and deliver strong transferrable and professional skills for a career, not limited to, but particularly in media, publishing and public relations.

During your studies you will explore topical practical and theoretical questions. You might explore issues which arise as a result of increasing political focus on different dimensions of security and its governance, for example in the modules ‘Security & Governance’, ‘Terrorism and Security’ or ‘The State in the 21st Century’. Journalism modules complement this by giving you the opportunity to consider how changing political conditions impact  in areas of media production from news to features and online journalism. A module entitled ‘Journalism, Law and Ethics’ explores why we need an understanding of the regulatory framework to work as a journalist.

You will be taught by experts who work at the cutting edge of their research disciplines. Our journalism team are highly experienced practitioners who will help you develop the skills to produce work in different styles and for diverse markets.

Your learning experience will include subject-specific methods such as producing news items and features for a target readership and a variety of transferrable skills built through both subject areas, such as, structured argumentation and strong oral and written
communication.

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 or Journalism.

This dynamic course gives you the sound knowledgeable and placement experiences to become a skilled, contemporary Physiotherapist. Covering anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, Physiotherapy practice and electrotherapy, the course hones your skills and provides opportunities for you to work with other healthcare professionals. You will carry out a two-week practice placement in Semester A and a four-week placement at the end of the first year in Semester C.  During the second year there are two, five-week practice placements and in the final year you will carry out three, five-week practice placements By adding an additional short course to your degree, you can gain level 2 and 3 qualifications with PD:Approval and gain entry to the Register of Exercise Professionals, boosting your employability.

• The BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course offers a dynamic approach to the study of Physiotherapy and provides you with the problem-solving abilities to become a competent professional Physiotherapist.
• Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
• You will gain a solid knowledge base and placement experiences appropriate to cope with contemporary Physiotherapy practice
• Excellent career prospects in the NHS, private sector, independent and charity sectors
• 100% of our Physiotherapy graduates went on to employment or further study within 6 months according to the latest national Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey.

• Each student on the programme has their own studio space within the shared MA Art studio area. You will be able to work alongside fellow students in Photography, Fine Art, Contemporary Textiles and Contemporary Crafts, as well as students across the School.
• The School has excellent facilities accessible to all students – darkrooms, print and textiles studio, 3d workshops (including glass, ceramics, jewellery, 3d printing), equipment loan store, and computer suites.
• All the teaching staff are creative practitioners/artists who have national or international standing and expertise. Invited speakers, artists/creatives, curators and theorists, also add to the creative mix. The teaching staff are passionate about the work we make and the work you make!

MA Contemporary Textiles is an award within the PG Art Programme at the School of Creative Arts. Within the postgraduate programme there is strong emphasis on professional practice and the real-world applications of art and design. You will develop key research skills and gain a good understanding of the work of other practitioners in your field.

Contemporary textiles has emerged as an innovative area of practice for artists, designers and makers, testing the boundaries of more traditional areas of art practice. This course gives you the opportunity to explore areas such as textiles and new materials, textiles and performance, and the connections between contemporary textiles, fashion and interior design. It provides students with an environment that encourages individuality and explores the breadth and diversity of contemporary textile practice. Students employ a wide range of traditional and innovative methods and techniques and through research and experimentation, build on skills already established to develop the personal identity of their practice.

The aim of the postgraduate programme is to equip you with the skills, knowledge and understanding required to practice at an advanced level, to foster your creativity and enhance your employment opportunities. You will work alongside artists and designers who are involved with a wide variety of media and forms. Induction, seminars and social events for students and staff mean that you will be part of a friendly and supportive postgraduate community, which also includes film makers, musicians and professionals working in new media. 

Recent practitioners in contemporary textiles have explored performance-based work and film and lens-based media, combined textiles with digital media, and, as one of eight MAs, this course is well placed to help you question conventions and challenge the boundaries of contemporary textile practice. Our staff are experienced in research and professional practice, and you will also benefit from contributions from visiting artists, makers, curators and involvement with our international exhibitions programme.

The course offers a coherent and intellectual learning experience, providing you with a critical understanding of the subject and enabling you to employ the tools of analysis used by a wide range of finance and investment banking professionals.

This course will Provide:

• Provide students with an intellectually challenging programme of study leading to an awareness of issues, themes and applications within the field of finance and investment banking and associated subject fields
• Provide students with an opportunity to undertake an one-year work placement of full time work experience
• Provide students with the knowledge and practical skills to identify suitable tools for the investigation of issues in areas such as investment analysis, fund/asset management, economics analysis and financial reporting;
• Provide students with the necessary IT analytical skills which reinforce the theoretical and empirical underpinning of the programme. The students will learn quantitative methodology, to carry out quantitative analyses of relevant financial and economic problems

This course specialises in the design and production of immersive, innovative and surprising interior spaces. There’s great emphasis on the understanding and use of materials as you explore surface design and detailing. Throughout the course you’ll work with existing buildings and conditions, producing refit, refurbishment, retrofit, re-use and place-making designs. As you progress you’ll develop an expertise in producing impressive drawings, images and models, as you not only design functional, contemporary and innovative interiors, but – above all else – create immersive atmospheres.

• Interior Architecture and Design students have participated in live projects with a number of commercial partners including Letchworth Garden City urban regeneration, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange, The Forum Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and St Albans Museums.
• The degree focuses on working with existing buildings and spaces and exploring different possibilities for habitation.
• The Interior Architecture and Design degree pursues a progressive and holistic teaching approach as we consider the design process as something non-linear or sequential (i.e. research first, design later).
• Graduates from the course are eligible for associate membership to professional institutions such as: The British Interior Design Association, The Society of British Interior Design and The Chartered Society of Designer.

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

The course has been developed to enable you to develop advanced knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Business Analytical Methods and Information Technology
• Business Problem Structuring and Solving
• Consultancy Skills in the Business Environment

These themes are explored through modules in Business Analytics, Computer Simulation, Creative Problem Solving, Consultancy Skills and Business Statistics. The course also includes a project based module where you will solve a problem for a client using the knowledge and skills acquired during your study. There is then a further applied consultancy project, which allows you to independently research, investigate and analyse a current business problem.

The course focuses on

• Computational, mathematical, philosophical and management science approaches to business analytics
• Developing problem solving skills
• Enhancing your ability to use business software and other information technology
• Encouraging independent and creative thinking
• Effective communication in all formats appropriate to a business environment.

The School has a strong international reputation for research in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and this expertise influences this course which explores current research and practice in artificial intelligence and robotics. This MSc can lead to a career such as a designer of intelligent systems or in research.

Why choose this course?

• Through your placement year you will gain industrial experience and be able to practice applying the skills you have learned throughout your studies.
• One of a range of advanced courses within our postgraduate Master's programme in Computer Science, this particular course provides you with a specialism in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
• Advanced topics studied include artificial life with robotics, neural computation and machine learning, theory and practice of artificial intelligence.
• Taught by a highly-regarded and long-established computer science department.
• Computer Science saw 90% of its research ranked as world-leading (Research Excellence Framework, 2022).

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.