Master of Law

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

This course explores the digital domain, including multimedia platforms, mobile devices, and augmented and virtual realities, and establishes a rich, hybrid area of study for the 21st century. By using practice-based approaches and theory-led methodologies, the programme aims to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to become part of the digital revolution.

In this rapidly expanding field, you'll learn how digital media are produced and have the opportunity to explore areas such as web-based content, mobile apps, interactive advertising, responsive objects and environments, networked information and social-media systems, interactive video, live performance technology and digital art installations.

Digital Media Design is an award targeted towards students interested in experimenting with new interactive technologies (for example, augmented and virtual reality), creating web-based content (web-design, smartphone applications etc.), becoming experts in designing user experiences (interface layout, interface navigation, visual communication, branding), creating environment responsive public installations (projection mapping, multi-screen presentations) and creating augmented and virtual reality applications.

Exploring a combination of various digital mediums, platforms and skills, this degree has an emphasis on employability and strong industry links to keep the course up-to-date and relevant, build connections, and shape students into tomorrow's professionals.

A degree in English Literature and Media will help you grow from passionate reader into a critical thinker and literary scholar, while learning how to apply similar skills of analysis to other representations of the world, through cinema, television, magazines, the internet, and the ways in which people communicate with each other.

On a degree in English Literature and Media, we’ll introduce you to writers who will open doors to contemporary worlds and cultures remote from your own, and also help you explore more familiar literature in ways that challenge your preconceptions. This means you’ll study literature written in English by writers from all parts of the globe, whose voices are relevant and important in our modern world. We’ll also develop your critical awareness of the media, sharpen your practical skills and get your career off to a flying start. In a fast-paced, multifaceted media world, people with the ability to write, design and harness new technologies are in high demand.

You’ll be taught by academic staff who bring fresh thinking to our accessible, engaging courses. Some are active researchers of international standing who bring their own passion for their discipline into the classroom; others are dynamic teachers with extensive industry experience.

Whatever your taste in literature, there will be something to interest and provoke you. From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Jane Eyre, from Paradise Lost to Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, we’ll broaden your literary horizons and hone your critical thinking.

A core Literature module in your first year will equip you to read and interpret both traditional and contemporary literary texts critically as a scholar of English literature. Alongside this you can choose to revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations; or to deepen your understanding of Gothic writing by tracing its origins back to the Romantic era.

In your second year you’ll focus on period-based literature from the Renaissance onwards and gain an understanding of literary history, from Elizabethan verse and drama, via Augustan poetry and the emergence of the novel in the 18th century, to the radical transformations of the Victorian age, and the emergence of modernity in the twentieth century. You’ll also have the opportunity to consider ways of reading that go beyond textual analysis or historical context, such as understanding literature through the political or ideological lens of Marxism, feminism and post-colonial theory.

You’ll have the chance to specialise in your final year, tailoring your literary study to reflect your own interests. Themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, European crime fiction, literary adaptations and the culture of print in the 18th century.

Your study of English Literature will enhance your ability to analyse and synthesise complex ideas, and to express yourself clearly in both written and spoken English. These skills will be hugely beneficial to your study of Media, especially when coupled with practical skills which help to prepare you for your future career. Design your own app proposal, create a hard-hitting ad campaign, build a brilliant website and craft an inspiring feature article -- all supported by our industry- experienced team. Working across different platforms and for different audiences, you’ll develop a packed portfolio that will demonstrate your skills, adaptability and ambition.

But you’ll need more than practical know-how to get published. So, we’ll develop your understanding of the global media industry, its influence on society, the legal and ethical contexts of your work and the impact of emerging technologies.

The program supports you in developing your knowledge and understanding of issues and practice through enquiry and research. The program provides a range of module choices, but you are encouraged to bring your own ideas and focus on your own particular professional interests.  This award is gained through taking a SEND and inclusion focus for 50% of the study, including the Dissertation.

Why choose this course?
The MA SEND and Inclusion award is designed for professionals who wish to explore issues relating to SEND and inclusion in education policy and practice, in order to achieve better outcomes for learners in a range of educational settings. This award enables students to examine research into aspects of SEND and inclusion, and to use this to critically analyse issues of policy, practice and provision.  

Through this program you will

• Develop and deepen your knowledge and understanding of issues relating to education practice through critical reflection, analysis and enquiry
• Develop your ability to critically analyse educational theory and how it links to practice
• Become a member of a supportive learning community and learn from professionals from a range of educational settings
• Become a successful practitioner researcher

If you aspire to pursue your legal career internationally, this course is the one for you! The combination of compulsory and optional modules will ensure that you have the grounding you need, while providing you with the tools and knowledge to build upon it according to your own particular dreams and ambitions.

The Public International Law module gives you a solid understanding of public international law within its political context. The module begins by exploring the sources of international law and its key actors. You will also study areas such as dispute settlement techniques, the use of force or international criminal law, and the critical interplay between law and politics.

The Private International Law module focuses on the rules of private international law as they operate in England and Wales. You will receive a thorough grounding in the basic concepts, and then move on to consider the law on connecting factors and the rules on jurisdiction within common law and as they operate under European legislation. In addition, the module includes study of the relevant choice of law rules in contract and tort, and examination of the various legal regimes that provide for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements.

Both modules are assessed by written coursework. In addition, you will study two modules of your choice from the wide range that is available.
We also offer a range of other Master of Law pathways.

Why choose this course?
In the twenty-first century, global travel, instant communication and cutting-edge technology have made the world a much smaller place than it ever has been. In this context, a comprehensive understanding of international law is vitally important for anyone wishing to pursue a legal career.

Taught by specialists in their field, and continually reviewed to ensure it is up to date and relevant, the LLM International Law will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need for your career, whether you choose to follow a professional, commercial, business or an academic route. Successful completion will ensure you have a well-rounded knowledge of international law, whether from a state, public perspective (often political and controversial), or with an individual, private focus.

If you wish, you can combine a similar pathway, and graduate with a named joint pathway. In addition, you may wish to complement the subject areas on this course with our co-curricular programme, which will further enhance your skills.

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

In our so-called ‘post-truth’ era of fake news and alternative facts, what does it mean to communicate the truth? What are the ethical and philosophical issues journalists face in today’s globalised world?

Our BA Philosophy and Journalism degree allows you to examine our fundamental desire to communicate and discuss important shared events and experiences, through two distinct approaches. You’ll develop a range of journalistic skills while exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

In your first year you’ll be introduced to the practical craft of journalism, explore the law and ethics surrounding journalism and learn to think critically by examining reason and persuasion in the media, including the use of rhetoric and propaganda. You’ll also study social and political philosophy, covering topics such as freedom of speech and terrorism, and examine the nature of knowledge and reality.

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 journalism team are highly experienced practitioners, who’ll help you develop the skills to produce work in different styles and for diverse markets. You’ll learn how to source stories and get hands-on experience as part of a vibrant student community and through work placements. You’ll take part in News Lab workshops, conduct interviews, write features and join lively group discussions.

In your second year you’ll delve into influential works of philosophy and political theory such as the themes in Plato’s Republic. You’ll also have the opportunity to specialize in news or feature writing, radio journalism or social media.

In your final year you’ll develop your journalism skills portfolio, examine journalism, government and the people and have the opportunity to develop your interests in topics such as political or feminist philosophy, or the philosophy of language.

• 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

Pharmacists are experts in medicines and a trusted source of advice and treatment. The role of pharmacists is developing in exciting new ways to support patients through medicine management and non-medical prescribing, as well as drug development. Using state- of-the-art facilities, you’ll gain the scientific knowledge to become a skilled and confident pharmacist. You’ll develop an understanding of normal and abnormal bodily functions and be able to apply what you’ve learned to the treatment of patients. You’ll also study the role of the pharmacist in healthcare and industry, and develop vital interpersonal skills. Work placements are essential and you’ll have opportunities in every year of the course.

• Excellent facilities including a simulated pharmacy and refurbished chemistry labs
• Placement visits in all years of the programme
• Regular promotion of work experience opportunities as well as workshops preparing you for working as a pharmacist including interview techniques, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) evidence workshops, work placements, negotiating workplace politics, Q and A sessions for applying for pre-registration employment.
• Mentoring programme between students of all years
• Active Pharmacy Society
• Lecture series with bodies such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the BPSA
• Summer Scholarships/Summer Research Projects with researchers from the University.
• Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council
• We have strong links with local healthcare providers and pharmaceutical industries

This award is targeted at those who have a good Honours degree in computer science or a very closely related discipline, and who wish to extend and deepen their knowledge in two or more different sub-discipline areas. It will enhance your career prospects or preparing for a programme of research that requires knowledge of one or more of these sub-discipline areas. Those studying for this award will have a wide range of taught modules from which to choose, and will be expected to complete a major project that extends and applies what they have learnt in one or more of the taught modules they have taken.

Graduates obtaining this award will be equipped to pursue research to PhD level, or to enter specialist employment in technically advanced and unpredictable working environments requiring sound judgment and the exercise of personal responsibility and initiative.

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.

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.