Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics

at University of Warwick United Kingdom

BSc Health and Medical sciences, a course offered by Warwick, enables students to investigate current local and global problems in health from multiple perspectives.

Wherever we look in the world, health and medical services are struggling to cope with the rising demand and increasing burden of disease. Advances in the scientific understanding of health and disease, along with technological innovations offer exciting opportunities for improved health, but also present novel challenges to our health systems in terms of developing affordable and accessible treatment and health management strategies.

Multiple factors ranging from our genes to our lifestyle and interactions within society will influence our physical and mental health and wellbeing. Multidisciplinary solutions to health problems must be multi-faceted and comprehensive, requiring individuals who have the skills to work across boundaries as agents for change.

The BSc in Health and Medical Sciences will help you understand current local and global problems in health through the integrated perspectives of health science and medical science. Medical sciences, including molecular biology, genetics and epigenetics, physiology, anatomy, immunology, pharmacology, discovery science and clinical trials, aims to promote an in-depth understanding of human biology, health and disease from the level of DNA, cells, and systems in the human body up to the level of patient as a whole.

Health Sciences, including health care systems, patient safety, ethics, human behaviour, psychology of health, sociology, epidemiology and health economics aims to promote an in-depth understanding of health problems from the level of individuals, families, the workplace, up to the level of societies and populations. Therefore, this course will equip you with the essential skills to be able to make a valuable contribution to health in our society, both locally and globally.

Case-based learning, a signature educational approach for Warwick Medical School, and small group teaching is a feature of the course as is technology enhanced learning. These progressive learning methods ensure our graduates are highly competent and employable across a broad range of careers in health and medical sciences.

This innovative course in the growing area of decision science and behavioural economics combines multidisciplinary expertise from the Department of Psychology, Department of Economics and Warwick Business School (WBS). The course emphasises both theoretical foundations and real-world application of core and advanced areas of behavioural economics, and the cognitive science of judgement and decision making. The Science Track variation of the course is designed for students with a first degree in a science-based subject, such as Psychology, Maths, Biology, etc. or a subject with a strong quantitative element, such as Business, Finance, etc.

A variation of the course is offered by the Department of Economics and is available if you have a first degree in Economics.

Skills from this degree

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of how and why people make the choices they do
• Understand how influencing such choices is important across a variety of domains, from public policy (e.g. encouraging people to save for pensions), through to industry (e.g. how to place a new product in the market), and individual behaviour (e.g. why people drink and eat too much).
• Develop a theoretical understanding of key models and results in behavioural economics and judgment and decision making
• Design, conduct and analyse behavioural experiments
• Implement models of choice
• Access and analyse large-scale datasets
• Initiate economic enquiry and test economic models
• Assess and deploy potential behavioural interventions

Mechanical systems, mechanisms and machines lie at the heart of our traditional engineering industries, and the skills and techniques associated with them continue to be essential.

In recent years, these skills have extended into areas such as precision engineering, nanotechnology and mechatronics, as mechanical engineers have broadened their abilities and embraced technologies from other disciplines to solve difficult problems.

We provide opportunities to learn from world-leading researchers at the School of Engineering and WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) in areas such as precision mechanics, fluid dynamics and sustainable thermal energy technology, as well as complementary areas in other fields of engineering.

Study abroad

You may choose to take an intercalated year in industry, research or study abroad between years two and three (BEng and MEng) or between years three and four (MEng only). If you choose to take an intercalated year this will be reflected in your degree title, and add a year to your degree program.

This exciting new course is built on the strength of existing research connections between the four departments that will contribute to it: the departments of Economics, Psychology, and Philosophy, and Warwick Business School (specifically the Behavioural Science Group).

The current attention that this interdisciplinary field of research, particularly the area of Behavioural Science and Behavioural Economics, receives across academia, government and the private sector also makes this course an excellent preparation for a wide range of careers within local government, public health, media, charities and NGOs, marketing and finance.

You will have a choice of interesting potential specialisms and pathways through your course so that you can explore the issues that interest you the most, to graduate with either a BA or a BSc.

Students on all pathways take a course-specific co-taught core capstone module in the final year, which is designed to set the disciplines in interdisciplinary dialogue with each other.

Study abroad

You have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated study abroad year at one of our many partner institutions, extending your degree to four years.

As well as offering an opportunity to experience an alternative university system, studying abroad can also provide the chance to improve language skills and to gain an understanding of a country that can only be gained by living and working in it.

This course examines the political and social dimensions of history and international relations. We examine how historical events, actors and institutional legacies have influenced the world we live in today. And we discover complementary insights that can be gained from combining historical and political research. Together we will explore the theory and the reality of why people and states interact in the ways they do.

The two subjects complement each other - one exploring historical events and trends, and the other understanding how those legacies shape politics today. The two Departments in which you will learn (History and PAIS) approach shared research areas such as globalisation, conflict, democracy and human rights from different perspectives. You will explore themes in political, religious, cultural or social history, and will be able to select optional modules in both Departments to explore specialist themes and geographic areas in more detail.

Study abroad

History and Politics students have the opportunity to join history students for a term in Venice at the start of year three. You can also apply for an intercalated year at one of the partner universities offered by either the History Department or the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS).

The Student Mobility Team based in the Office for Student Opportunity offers support for these activities, and the History Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator and the PAIS Director of External Affairs can provide more specific information and assistance.

Law firms are increasingly expressing interest in graduates with a breadth of academic interest that extends beyond the law, meaning that our graduates are highly employable. Throughout the course you will also gain valuable research, writing, presentation and debating skills across legal and humanities related topics, that can be applied in many employment settings.

Alongside the study of legal judgments and statutes, you will examine the impact of economic, cultural and political change on law, and will consider how law affects life beyond the courtroom. The course makes the most of our strong research and teaching interest in the economic, social, philosophical and political links by allowing you flexibility to select optional modules from within Classics and Ancient History, English and Comparative Literary Studies, Film and Television, History (including Comparative American Studies), History of Art, Theatre and Performance, French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Italian Studies and Philosophy.

Study abroad

All students can apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities. The Study Abroad Team based in the International Office offers support for these activities, and the Department’s dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.

You will be taught by academics who are shaping the field internationally within both Psychology and Linguistics, and those working at the intersection of both subjects.

You will gain a critical awareness of psychological research and theory; the ability to analyze the structure of language and patterns of the language; plus communication, research, presentation and collaboration skills.

Study abroad

In an interconnected world, employers greatly value an international perspective. Studying abroad provides you with a first-hand opportunity to explore how culture influences psychological processes and develop a range of valuable skills that give you a competitive advantage in the graduate market.

Our Department is part of the University’s large global network of exchange partners, with long-standing agreements with prestigious universities around the world. A particularly popular Warwick option is with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, acknowledged as one of the world’s top universities.

Our students have previously undertaken study abroad opportunities in Brazil, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and the USA. Typically, when students choose to study abroad, they apply in their second year for the third year of study at a partner institution. Students then return to Warwick for their final year.

On this unique degree we will encourage you to think independently as you work with experts from across the University. You will create critical responses to both problems in the contemporary world and problems in different times and places. This course is ideal for students interested in taking charge of their own learning and becoming leaders in and outside of the classroom.

The core modules on this course are led by tutors with a passion for liberal education. Using a Problem-Based Learning approach, these modules focus on investigating issues from different disciplinary perspectives. You will learn how to analyse problems and you will investigate and evaluate evidence and interpretations. We will also encourage you to develop your own responses. The core modules will help you to build a toolkit of primary and secondary research skills. They will also prepare you to engage with confidence in different modules across the University.

At the end of the first year, you will choose a pathway. Your pathway allows you to select modules that give you the knowledge, skills, and expertise to be a leader in your area of interest. We will work with you to guide and support your decision about which pathway to follow. We understand that your interests will develop over time, so there is scope to adapt your pathway.

We believe that the skills you develop during your degree are as important as the course content. You will have the opportunity to complete co-curricular certificates and work placements. These will help you develop your professional skills, giving you the edge when it comes to your employability. You will also have the support of our dedicated Employability and Placement Manager, who will provide one-to-one careers guidance.

If you want to broaden your perspective by studying overseas, we can support you to apply for a year's study abroad. You will also have the option to complete a year-long work placement. Students are automatically enrolled on the three-year course. You will have the option to change to a four-year course with an intercalated year in the third year. The intercalated year spent studying abroad or on work placement is subject to departmental academic requirements.

Economics is at the core of Global Sustainable Development (GSD). On this degree you will critically analyse economic models and theories of sustainable development through quantitative and qualitative approaches. Economics modules will provide you with an essential background in micro and macro economics, as well as methodologies for statistical analysis.

Your studies in GSD will empower you to consider the human and environmental implications of development. You will consider challenging questions on climate change, biodiversity, gender equality, and other core components of sustainability. The combination of Economic Studies and GSD encourages you to take a new perspective on our changing global economy.

You can enhance your skills and studies through optional work placements, study abroad, and certificates.

This course will introduce you to several dimensions of social inequality. You will study key topics such as social class and social stratification, work and employment, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and disability. You will develop an in-depth understanding of key theoretical approaches and concepts for understanding inequality, and you will be introduced to key empirical studies in the area of social inequalities.

The main aim of this course is to provide you with a thorough training in sophisticated qualitative and quantitative research methods that can be used to understand social inequalities. You will have the opportunity to further specialise in research methods of your choice in your dissertation project.

By the end of this course, you will have solid skills in research design, data collection, data management, and data analysis, and a wide-ranging understanding of the methodological and analytical aspects in the study of social inequalities.

Skills from this degree

• Ability to analyse and evaluate research in the broad field of social inequality
• Ability to analyse and evaluate theories that seek to explain causes and effects of social inequality
• Ability to critically evaluate and utilise basic and advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques for the study of social inequality
• Ability to conduct independent research
• Ability to write about complex ideas in a clear way
• Ability to understand and assess claims to knowledge made by a range of relevant disciplines