Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics and International Relations (with Sandwich Year)

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

The University of Hertfordshire’s LLM International Commercial Law degree is the ideal course to equip you for a specialist career in the area of international commerce. The combination of compulsory and optional modules will ensure that you have a solid grounding on which you can build with your chosen specialisms.

You will study two compulsory modules: International Commercial Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution. International Commercial Law will cover such topics as the choice of law/jurisdiction clauses, different types of international contracts and their respective implications for the parties involved, the international conventions applicable to international commerce, the role of documentation, and finance and insurance.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution module will examine commercial arbitration and investment-treaty arbitration and the issues involved, mediation as a means of dispute resolution, and the skills and attributes required of a mediator.

Both modules are assessed by way of written coursework. The Alternative Dispute Resolution module also includes a practical assessment, which might take the form of an oral presentation to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of international arbitration, along with the necessary practical skills.

Why choose this course?
You can be sure that the teaching you receive at Hertfordshire Law School is regularly reviewed and updated to make certain that it continues to be relevant in today’s rapidly changing international commercial environment. Taught by specialists in their field and underpinned by cutting-edge research, it focuses on the development of the intellectual, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills you will need for your future in the world of international commerce.

The range of optional modules that are available enable you to tailor your course according to the career route that you plan to follow, so you can be sure you will leave with the skills and knowledge you need to thrive. You can combine similar pathways if you wish, and graduate with a named joint pathway as well.

In addition to the compulsory and optional modules, the University’s co-curricular programme is specially designed to enhance these skills.

The MA Journalism and Media Communications (with Advanced Research) is a two-year, full-time taught programme. This route is available to those students who would like the opportunity to have a research focus in a specialist area of media practice developing innovative solutions to ‘real world’ problems. 

Study our MA in Journalism and Media Communications and gain the skills you’ll need for a successful, dynamic career in today’s complex global media industries.

This Masters course aims to prepare you in both practice and analysis of global journalism and media. You’ll benefit from our extensive links with the media industry, including the BBC and the Sunday Times, and gain a grounding in all its aspects, from fast-changing multimedia to magazines, advertising and the excitements of sports journalism.

You may have studied humanities subjects and be looking to deepen your research interests. Or you may have been working in areas such as business or healthcare and need communications skills. Whatever your background, taking this MA will enhance your career by equipping you to operate effectively in a professional media environment. Our business-facing approach means you’ll be taught by lecturers with extensive professional experience of print, web design, journalism and PR, giving this MA its strong focus on your future employability.

During the course you’ll explore the synergies between social media, PR and journalism, focusing on current media practice and the technologies of convergence. You’ll consider how to make communication more effective in professional settings by looking at journalism and its associated business models; learn how to interview and report on events; gain expertise in internal and external corporate communications; and analyse the impact of technology on the communications industries.

Modules may change from year to year but are likely to include Corporate Communication, PR and Advertising; International Journalism Trends; Writing for Magazines; Sports Journalism; and Media Production as well as modules on research methodology. You also have a range of options for your final project. This can be a dissertation on a media subject of your choice, a short work placement, the one-year sandwich placement or a larger media research project, depending on your chosen route.

For Media Production you’ll create multimedia – podcasts, video and advertising – for online magazines, pitch and measure a campaign and use social media to promote your work.  A strong practical element in Writing for Magazines will equip you to write for social media and understand how to create content and engage audiences.

Our module International Journalism Trends explores news ownership and media production on a global scale and provides deeper insight into the theoretical and cultural framework of media and journalism. Sports Journalism will give you a grounding in the exciting practices of sports journalism, from interviewing top stars to reporting on breaking sports stories.

Two modules on research methods and critical and theoretical debates will equip you with advanced research skills and the transferable communications skills - including interviewing, identifying a story and building connections - that are vital for roles in PR and Corporate Communications.

In addition to these modules, in your second year you will also take Advanced Media Research (30 Credits) and the Media Project (60 Credits). The focus of these modules is to develop your professional practice by applying skills learnt to advance your career.

Why choose this course?
We give you:

• A broad range of media communications skills with a strong focus on digital media
• Expert lecturers widely experienced in the communications industry
• An opportunity to take a short work placement in a media-based environment
• Insights into emerging trends in the fast-changing digital media world
• Research and transferable skills valued by a range of related industries

The massive research expenditure of Britain’s pharmaceutical companies and the fierce competition in the field ensures a continual demand for well-trained pharmacology graduates. This degree covers all aspects of drugs and their uses as medicines. You’ll learn how new drugs are discovered and tested and understand the reasons for their effectiveness in treating disease. You’ll also gain an appreciation of why new drugs are needed and how they can be developed. Our links with major pharmaceutical companies will provide cutting edge insight into the drug discovery process and give you the opportunity to gain valuable experience during your placement year. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Pharmacology is the study of the action of drugs or other chemicals on living systems.
• Pharmacology studies the mechanism of action of drugs and the effects of drugs at the whole body level (therapeutic pharmacology), at the tissue level (system pharmacology) and at the level of receptor proteins (molecular pharmacology).
• The demand for new drugs continues and the University of Hertfordshire has strong links with the pharmaceutical industry which is located in this region.
• A number of the pharmacology teaching staff have extensive experience working in industry and this expertise ensures that the course provides an excellent stepping stone to a career in a range of healthcare industry roles.

This course focuses on high-end 3D games art and has been recognised as one of the best courses of its kind. It explores the digital modelling of characters and environments, shading techniques and level creation. You will explore the design side as well by using the latest software in our award-winning Film, Music and Media Building. You’ll discover how to create optimised shapes and textures and apply them to real-time 3D graphics. You’ll also explore games and gaming trends, looking at scenarios that can be applied to PCs, consoles and interactivity and VR. This course is accredited by Creative Skillset, reflecting the highest standard of teaching.

• The 3D Games Art & Design degree is the study of games art rather than games programming.
• Creative Skillset Accredited.
• The degree explores digital modelling of characters and environments, and develops animation as well as shader techniques and level creation.
• You will be taught to create optimised geometry and textures and apply them to PC game engines, gaining an understanding of the technological restrictions of real-time 3D graphics.
• The degree examines sound tracks and creating sound effects.
• You will explore games and gaming trends, looking at scenarios for PCs, consoles and interactive TV.
• Our students and graduates frequently win awards - Sam Bang recently won 2016 Search for a Star competition. Find out more about him.
• Voted School of the Year and Game of the Year in both Next Gen and Virtual Reality categories in the Rookies 2016.

How do humans learn language? We’re all experts in our native tongue, so why can it be so hard to become fluent in a language we learn later in life? By understanding how we learn language, we can understand how to teach it.

Through this BA English Language and Applied Linguistics you’ll do both: English language teaching is an integral part of your course, while you’ll also have the opportunity to learn one of five languages – French, Spanish, German, Japanese or Mandarin. All are for beginners or GCSE level (apart from Mandarin), with the exception of Spanish, which can be taken by those who already have A-level Spanish.

This combined programme of English language teaching and language learning will give you an excellent grounding if you plan to teach English as a foreign language following postgraduate teacher training. Alternatively you could be teaching children in primary or secondary schools whose second language is English.

You’ll take two English Language Teaching (ELT) modules each year. In your final year you’ll study Global Englishes and a compulsory project looking at a particular aspect of English Language teaching. This could involve field work or observing teaching and learning methods in a college setting.

Alongside your ELT studies you’ll take a semester in your chosen language, using language laboratories and practising conversation with native speakers wherever possible. You’ll also be introduced to Linguistics, the scientific study of everything to do with language, from its structure to the ways it reflects society, how it’s used, and how it changes over time.

From forensic linguistics to the study of language disorders, what links your courses is our focus on the applied use of English language.

Across all modules you’ll be taught and supported by research-active academics working in cutting-edge areas such as language and gender, formulaic language, corpus studies, bilingualism, bilingual processing and codeswitching. Their research will inform your own final year projects, which allow you to develop your research skills and learn how to collect and analyse data from vast databases of our infinitely rich and complex English language.

• A grounding in one of five languages as an integral part of your English language teaching course
• An optional year’s study abroad in the country of your chosen language
• A supportive, research-active academic team
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• Access to huge online databases to underpin your original research projects
• A guaranteed post-graduation interview with the School of Education

• 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.

This course gives in-depth knowledge of the areas of molecular biology and biotechnology for graduates in the biological and biosciences. This is an exciting and fast-moving area of bioscience that is having an enormous impact in many areas of biotechnology. Analysis and manipulation of genes and genomes has provided the basis for the development of important new diagnostic methods, biological drugs and improved enzymes and proteins. In addition, new vaccines, synthetic antibodies and improved crops have benefitted from advances in molecular biotechnology.

With a 30-year record of producing skilled engineers for all branches of the automotive industry, Hertfordshire’s a great choice if you want to work in this cutting-edge sector. How? The course focuses on vehicle design, taking into account performance, consumer demand, safety and sustainability. You’ll use all the latest industry tools and techniques, and take specialist classes in vehicle structures, engine performance, aerodynamics, materials and manufacturing strategies. This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• You will learn how to apply computer-aided engineering and industrial-standard software, recommended by the Automotive Industry Advisory Panel.
• Our BEng Automotive Engineering students have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Bentley Motors, Rolls Royce Cars, and Triumph Motorcycles.
• We have links with all the major UK automotive companies and most Formula One racing teams have one of our graduates working in their design team, so your degree will open doors for you.
• This BEng Honours degree course will give you the opportunity to design, build and race single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition from your first year onwards.
• Recent Automotive Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: JCB, Nissan, Ford Motor Company, Nissan Technical Centre Europe, Jaguar Land Rover and McLaren Automotive.

Modern media is becoming more and more influential in every aspect of our society, from politics and economics to the way we communicate with our closest friends. The way language is used varies for different media, but you can also look at how language reflects society, and how it changes over time.

Our BA English Language and Media degree introduces you to the scientific study of the English Language and allows you to examine human communication in different media contexts. You’ll explore the theory, historical contexts and modern practices that make up our global media landscape. You’ll examine the emergence of new media in an increasingly media-centric world, discovering the different ways the media communicates, how its industries are connected and how it influences us as individuals and societies.

In your first year you’ll be introduced to media communications in general as well as consider the relationship between media and society alongside core English Language modules. You’ll also explore the diversity of use of the English language including regional variants, pidgin and creole English, language and ethnicity, and slang and street English.

Core modules in your second year focus on English grammar and the sounds of English. You can explore theories of how and why language developed and study language-related real-life problems such as plagiarism and crime investigation in forensic linguistics. You’ll develop an in-depth knowledge of specialist areas such as public relations, advertising and digital media, as well as broader transferable skills like the ability to critically analyse media content.

In your final year you can follow modules in different topics, including child language and communication, clinical linguistics, gender and language, and formulaic language, informed by our academics’ own research specialisms. You’ll also have opportunities to work with fellow students to create media products, go on a work placement, hear from industry speakers and build a network of contacts.

Tourism is a career that can take you anywhere. Our course is recognised by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI) and is ranked inside the top 20 of the Guardian University League Table 2018 for tourism, hospitality and event management. It explores the latest trends and practices within the industry, examining the impact tourism has on destinations, as well as the sector’s sustainability, cultural influences and community engagement. You’ll also have the chance to take a six-month internship at Walt Disney World, Florida, and study at the University of California Riverside in an exclusive partnership with the University of Hertfordshire.

Partnerships and opportunities

As part of our enterprise and employability focus, we give you many options to gain work experience. You can undertake internships during the summer, engage in multiple work shadowing opportunities, and take on a year long placement between your second and third year. Our students have completed placements with a wide variety of businesses, such as Walt Disney, Rent-a-car Enterprise, TUI Travel, Thomson Cruises, Mundy Cruising, Wendy Wu Tour Operator, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, Hilton Worldwide, Heathrow Airport and EasyJet.

Many students also choose to broaden their horizons through our study abroad programme in second year with one of our partner universities in Europe, North America or Australia. Some combine their language study options with a half-year of study in the language home country and then a further half year work placement in the same country. Without a doubt, they come back with excellent skills in a second language in addition to fantastic memories, experiences and career skills.

Our partnership with Walt Disney World Resorts and the University of California Riverside gives our students the chance to study and work in the United States of America on this fantastic internationally renowned programme.

You may also be interested in the following courses:-

• Event Management
• International Tourism Management
• Event Management and Tourism
• Event Management and Marketing

5 Reasons to Study BA (Hons) Tourism Management:

• The course is recognised by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI) and is a key partner of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
• You will get to study real world case studies and have the opportunity to visit an overseas destination
• The course gives you the opportunities to do a work placement in small or large corporations, developing key employability skills, both domestically and internationally
• All students have the option to study abroad.
• You will develop key tourism management and business skills at a leading international business facing University on a course ranked 5th in the UK for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management.