Master of Arts in International Relations with Advanced Research

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Our Creative Writing course explores and develops your creative writing practice. We offer a stimulating and supportive place in which to explore your ideas, hone your craft and understand a wide variety of 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 writing. They include:

• Poetry lecturer Dr Wayne Holloway-Smith, winner of the Poetry Society’s Geoffrey Dearmer Prize and Seamus Heaney Prize nominee.
• Fiction and Non Fiction writer, Dr Lorna Gibb, author of five books, winner of the Granta Memoir prize and shortlisted for the Sperber Biography prize in the US.
• Dramatists Simon Vinnicombe and Drew Pautz, with writing credits that include the whole gamut of scriptwriting, from work in current production as feature films to Eastenders to the Old Vic and Royal Court. They have international reputations with performances, in original and translated versions, in Canada, Europe and the United States.
• Fiction and non-fiction writer, Helen Gordon, a former editor of Granta, with two acclaimed books and numerous short publications.

Over the three years you can choose specialist creative writing modules in poetry, creative non-fiction, drama, short story writing and prose fiction. As well as fostering your own creative writing skill, you will study a huge range of different texts, both literary and commercial, to gain understanding of what makes a piece successful as well as have an overview of the industry marketplace.

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, presents some of the most exciting new writing as a model for your own work, while optional modules enable you to specialise in writing for the screen, develop your critical skills with texts in different genres, or explore twentieth century culture and society.

Other core modules will develop your writing practice in creative non-fiction, short stories, poetry and writing for the stage, while a range of options will allow you to choose between literary analysis, 20th century English literature or writing a historical documentary.

For your final year, your particular creative interest can be channelled into a long piece of writing, which can be poetry, prose or drama. This work will be discussed and reviewed in tailored workshops that will allow you to both explore and develop your own voice. The third year also offers a wide range of core and option modules that look at different fiction genres, including fantasy, crime, horror and romance, as well as writing serial drama, late Victorian literature, and exploring the lives of women from a historical perspective.

Top reasons to study Creative Writing at the University of Hertfordshire:

• The opportunity to develop and explore your writing skill in an encouraging and supportive environment.
• A brilliant team of lecturers who are all recently published writers in their own field and can use their industry experience, as well as their academic skill and knowledge, to nurture your talent.
• A flexible course of study with a wide range of options to choose from, allowing you to focus on the topics that interest you most.
• Careers development helping you to understand the practicalities of how to get published.
• The chance to study at a University with a Gold Rating for Teaching.
• A dedicated (and free!) writing academy before the academic year starts to help with the return to learning, if you have been away from education.

Philosophy explores and confronts the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us. Creative writing offers a way for you to do this by exploring new perspectives on familiar themes, expanding your imaginative capacities, and finding ways to articulate ideas in novel and illuminating ways.

On our BA Philosophy and Creative Writing degree, you will be introduced to a range of literary texts, genres and practical approaches to writing, and you will learn how to formulate your own philosophical arguments, to arrive at your own conclusions.

In your first year, you will embark on becoming a writer, including writing for the screen, whilst exploring central philosophical questions, such as whether anything can give meaning to life, and whether our striving to achieve anything of significance is ultimately futile, even ridiculous. The philosophy of film and literature module addresses the assumption that anything is possible in fiction and considers the extent to which that is true.

All our Philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll 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.

Our Creative Writing team are published and practicing novelists, poets and dramatists and you will gain a clear, theoretical understanding of the discipline, as well as practical skills that will shape your ability to express yourself.

In your second year as a writer, you’ll turn your attention to writing for the stage and consider poetry as well as prose writing. In Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of topics, which includes a module on the nature of art, expression and representation (in literary as well as visual art), and modules on influential texts in philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic, which is written in dialogue form.

The final year allows for even more opportunity to tailor your degree to reflect your own interests. In Creative Writing, you will embark on your own project, either on poetry, prose or script writing, whilst in Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of modules, including modules on feminist philosophy, the nature of language and meaning, and a module on Nietzsche, who is well-known for his literary style.

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

MSc International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management has been designed to provide you with the enhanced skills and knowledge which are necessary to support key decision-making within the international tourism, hospitality and event industries. The programme is underpinned by a strong theoretical base across a number of contexts relevant to tourism, hospitality and event management in contemporary international environments.? A distinctive feature of this programme is that it offers you opportunities to interact with current industry practitioners and therefore enables a hands-on approach.

The programme is offered full time (1 year mode) or part time (2 year mode). A new sandwich version is also offered in full time on a 2 year mode. The sandwich programme requires you to successfully complete a minimum of 36 weeks full-time work placement. This is a very valuable experience which allows you to familiarise themselves with the day to day activities of Tourism, Hospitality and Event businesses, and to use your initiative in dealing with issues of the work environment. 

Why choose this course?

• The course offers you comprehensive knowledge of the Tourism, Hospitality and Event industries. 
• It is delivered by a very successful and internationally renowned team of experts, both in terms of their managerial experience and academic knowledge.  
• It offers a balance of practical input and academic knowledge to support graduates in their future careers within these industries. 
• It provides opportunities to interact with current industry practitioners.
• It presents flexibility to study full time, part time and it offers the possibility to undertake a work placement. 

Indicative course structure

We’ve combined this dynamic discipline with core business studies, creating a dual-focus degree that opens all sorts of high-level career opportunities. This course gives you an in-depth understanding of today’s businesses and the HR world. Students can explore organisational psychology, learn about employment law and key areas of HR including employment relations, human resource development and performance management and reward.

• Study the issues and trends in employment, both nationally and internationally.
• Prepare yourself for a career in industrial relations, training and development, within a trade union, or in the field of equal opportunities.
• Learn with staff that all have active research profiles giving this course a distinctive edge.

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

Explore the full range of modern mathematics as you gain fundamental knowledge and advanced mathematical and statistical skills. Mathematics holds the key to advances in virtually all areas of our lives, from finance to computing, logistics to medicine and travel to weather forecasting. If you’re looking for a career that involves shaping technological or scientific progress, mathematics is an ideal degree for you. What’s more, our flexible course allows you to specialise in whichever area of mathematics interests you most. You will find our friendly and personalised approach in the small group tutorial besides your day to day lectures. We have particular teaching expertise in various areas of numerical modelling, financial mathematics, algebra, statistics, optimisation and mathematical physics. You can even choose to take a year out to study abroad or undertake a placement.

Our Mathematics degree is a highly flexible course that allows you to specialise in whichever area of Mathematics interests you the most.

• All students study a common first year of the Mathematics degree, but in Years 2 and 3 there is a range of different options available for you to specialise in applied mathematics, financial mathematics, or pure mathematics.
• We take pride in our student-focused approach to teaching Mathematics. Our School is well regarded for its friendly and professional environment, which allows us to equip you with the skills and knowledge required to be a successful mathematician. We will support you throughout your degree so that you can achieve your full potential.
• Take a look at the latest exciting research we have been undertaking in the Maths department which underpins and informs your studies. 
• You can always access additional support throughout your course with regular drop-ins at the University’s own Maths Support Service located in the Library and accessing specialised career support from the Career and Employment department.

With input from professionals, you’ll investigate the tools used by some of the world’s most successful engineers and producers. Using industry-standard studios and technology, you’ll learn techniques to record, process and mix your work to the highest professional standards. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of acoustics, studio design and installation, monitoring, webcasting and advanced digital signal processing techniques.

Our programme is Industry Accredited by JAMES, who represent the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), the Music Producers Guild (MPG) and Associate Industry Bodies.

• Develop excellent technical skills over the course of your degree, and benefit from our high quality studio, listening room, venue and sound resources including those by SSL, Yamaha, Avid, Focusrite, Quested, Genelec, Neumann, TLA, Lexicon and Drawmer to name but a few.
• Excellent industry input is built into the design of the degree awards from a huge number of areas within the wider music industry.
• The degree awards within the programme are designed to expose you to areas of music, sound and audio technology that you might not even know exist yet.  "Coming to this course has really given my brain the kick-start it needed, and I'm beginning to see near endless possibilities with where I can go." - Glenn Osborn, second year student.
• We have a strong record of students from the programme securing placement years between years 2 and 3 of their studies.  Placement destinations include Focusrite, Sound Technology (a leading distributor of high profile brands for the Music Retail and Professional Audio industries), The Famous Company, and a number of recording studios.
• Every year, organisations and companies approach us to recommend our graduating students.
• Music business is woven into your degree study at every year giving you the skills to slot into the music industry (or create your own business).
• Organise and Participate ‘live’ projects, and our ‘JamJar’ showcase live events.
• Benefit from studying in creative arts school and collaborate with filmmakers and animators in realising fully featured, professional standard media projects.
• We have some of the best resources in the UK, including the 39 million pound entertainment venue – the Forum where our students perform, and engineer every month, and state-of-the art music studios and film and TV facilities in our 12 million pound building for Music, Film and media.

Our BA History and Philosophy gives you the opportunity to study two subjects that will help you to make sense of the world around you. 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 beliefs, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

In your philosophy modules, you will be introduced to a variety of philosophical issues ranging from the nature of reality, knowledge and mind, to questions about how we should live, what we should value, and what would be the best way of organizing society.

Throughout your degree, the common link between the two disciplines will be the development of analytical skills. As historians you will learn to analyse historical documents and debates among historians, while in Philosophy you’ll assess the arguments of others, arriving at your own conclusions on deep, important issues. 

These analytical skills, honed over the course of your studies, will benefit you in the final year, if you choose to write a dissertation. This extended piece of work, available either in History or in Philosophy, will grow out of a topic that interests you. Previous students have been inspired by their year of study abroad. 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.  And Philosophy students have worked on the ethical issues of playing video games, the nature of the imagination, and environmental philosophy and the obligations of the state.

We give you: 

• An exceptional History team, conducting world-leading research (REF 2014), and a Philosophy team ranked in the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide (2017 QS rankings). 
• Stimulating, innovative courses - History students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible program of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting and the scope to write a dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• The opportunity to expand your horizons by studying abroad at the end of your second year
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

MSc International Business is an innovative flagship programme designed to help you build a strong understanding of the way organisations operate globally, and help develop specialist skills that enable you to work effectively across national borders.

The programme gives you the opportunity to explore international business from a number of perspectives, including economics, finance, strategy, marketing, management, human resource, and supply chain. There will also be the opportunity to conduct an independent major research project in your area of interest.

Throughout the programme, you will gain a unique combination of skills sought after by employers all over the world. These include communication, numeracy, graphics, team-working, cross-cultural awareness, reflective learning and the ability to critically analyse complex business challenges to reach considered creative solutions.

You will also build a strong network of international contacts – some will become their close friends and a few may even become their future business partners.

Our LLM Business Law offers two compulsory modules, both of which will give you the foundation you need to specialise in business law: Company Law and Employment Law. You can then build on this foundation with two additional modules from the range of optional modules on offer, to fit your own needs and preferences. Alternatively, you can combine it with other complementary study routes, and graduate with a named joint pathway.

The Company Law module focuses on the fundamental and contemporary aspects of company law, and offers detailed analysis of the internal operations of a company. Topics range from the incorporation of a company, the rights and duties of shareholders and directors, governance, and remedies available to a company. The Employment Law module covers such topics as the concept of employment status, the explicit and implicit terms of a contract of employment, and an analysis of current Equality Law.

These compulsory modules are assessed by two pieces of coursework, and the Company Law module also includes a practical assessment which, for example, consists of a ten-minute presentation and a completed model Article of Association.