Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Chinese and Linguistics with year abroad

at University of Westminster - Regent Campus United Kingdom

Psychology is the study of the human mind and our behaviour, while criminology is all about the causes of crime and ways to prevent and control it.

This is a unique degree covering both British Psychological Society accreditation and QAA standards for criminology, which will allow you to study both psychology and criminology, and will equip you to understand human motivation and behaviour and apply that insight to legal and criminal contexts, opening up an exciting range of career opportunities once you graduate.

At Westminster, we have a solid background of teaching and research in these highly desirable subjects. We take an international perspective and draw on our expertise related to human trafficking and issues connected to the Global South.

We make the most of our long-established links with key partners in the criminal justice and forensic psychology areas to enhance your student experience. This includes links with a number of local Magistrates' Courts, the Central Criminal Court, Broadmoor Hospital, victim support at the Old Bailey, HMP Whitemoor, Feltham YOI, and the Metropolitan Police, all of which offer opportunities for educational visits and/or work placements.

We make full use of our central London location, with learning taking place both inside and outside the classroom and including visits to a theatre and a museum, field walks and opportunities for work-based learning.

Top reasons to study with us

• A wide range of option modules provides a truly multidisciplinary perspective on crime and psychology
• Our experienced team draw on their research and scholarly activity to provide you with a global perspective on crime and psychology
• Our degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Gaining a BPS accredited qualification is necessary if you wish to pursue a career as a Chartered Psychologist in the areas of forensic, clinical, occupational, counselling, health, educational, and sports and exercise psychology
• Based in our Regent Campus and Cavendish Campus in central London, you'll enjoy the benefits of studying in a major global city
• A work placement module is built into the course, to help you get ahead before graduating
• Between Years 2 and 3 you'll have the option to complete an additional year on a work placement or studying abroad

Our English Language and Global Communication BA develops your understanding of the English language and the complexities of global communication in order to help you thrive in a professional global context.

You'll achieve a thorough knowledge of culture through comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches and via the analysis of the forms and practices of cultural transmission. You'll develop the linguistic resources, strategies and intercultural awareness and flexibility essential for effective communication in global professional environments.

Our combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning will ensure that you graduate with an array of important transferable skills including cultural insight, the ability to evaluate and apply theory, undertake research and utilise creative and precise analytic capabilities. Engagement in small research projects and the associated ethical issues ensures that you'll have experience of considering and complying with ethical requirements.

Top reasons to study with us

• Enhance your communication skills abroad – You'll have the option to immerse yourself in another culture by spending a full academic year abroad. You can spend one or two semesters at a partner institution in Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia
• Interdisciplinary learning – Our course enhances your written and spoken English skills while developing your knowledge of the English language and your understanding of communication within cross-cultural settings
• Become a global citizen – Studying our degree, you'll gain a high degree of linguistic and cultural autonomy, and develop the skills and international outlook to thrive in intercultural settings
• Learn transferable skills – Our degree will prepare you for a variety of careers by helping you to build your communication, research, critical and analytical skills

You'll examine how languages differ and what elements they share, as well as developing your knowledge of the historical and cultural aspects of the English language in particular.

The course provides a rare opportunity to combine in-depth formal linguistic study with a consideration of the ways in which the English language is used and how it reflects its social context. As a result, the course nurtures research and analytical skills at the same time as enhancing your own abilities with the English language.

You'll develop your knowledge and understanding of how the English language works in terms of its structure, how it has changed over time and how it's employed in different spoken and written contexts. Your knowledge of English will be informed and contextualised by your wider study of language as a human faculty. You'll examine what languages have in common and how they vary in terms of their grammatical structures and their sound systems.

The course appeals to students interested in the nature of the English language and its variants, as well as students interested in language in general and the fundamental role it plays in our understanding of the world around us. It includes practical and theoretical modules that are invaluable for students interested in teaching English, speech therapy, editing, journalism, or advertising, but also helps to prepare you for any career that requires an advanced and sophisticated use of language.

Top reasons to study this course

• Academic expertise – the teaching staff on this course are industry experts, with experience in topics ranging from creoles and pidgins, to sociolinguistics, language and gender
• A holistic approach – study the underlying structure of language and how it's used, all in one course
• Study in a true polyglot city – with over 250 languages spoken, London is one of the world's most linguistically diverse cities
• An international experience – you'll have the option to spend one or two semesters at a partner institution in Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia
• Get experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
• Personal support throughout your degree – our small group tutorials are designed to support you, your studies and your career goals

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

Our course offers you an opportunity to study the Chinese and English languages and cultures in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between them and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

This course will enable you to achieve a good or high level of linguistic competence in Chinese in all four skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking), enhance your skills in using English, and develop linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding.

Top reasons to study with us

• Integrated curriculum – develop your Chinese language skills alongside your cultural knowledge of the Chinese-speaking world
• Opportunities to undertake a year abroad in a Chinese-speaking country where you can practise your skills
• Individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules
• Opportunities to practise one-to-one conversation with a native speaker through the Languages Plus programme
• Study English language with world experts in language and gender, and the history of English

Our French and International Relations course focuses on questions of governance, democracy and human rights, while training competent French linguists ready to enter graduate employment.

This course will enable you to achieve a good or high level of linguistic competence in French in all four skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking), and a critical understanding of culture and politics from the perspective of the changing dynamics of the global political order. You will have the opportunity to study language, culture and international relations in an integrated way, exploring the connections between them and the broader geopolitical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. You will also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in French, proficiency in language transfer skills, a thorough knowledge of French culture, and the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll have the opportunity to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where French is the official language. You can also study an elective module from across the University in each year.

On our Spanish and English Literature BA, you'll develop the skills you need to become a competent linguist, ready to enter graduate employment. Our course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough knowledge of the way language is used in real-life situations.

The course will develop your Spanish reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in a culturally aware style, allowing you to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations. You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills in all areas.

In English Literature you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods, from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with a full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works. You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail.

Top reasons to study with us

• Learn real-world language skills – our authentic teaching, which focuses on language in a cultural context, equips you for real-life situations in the Spanish-speaking world
• Study literature in the heart of London – discover a historic literary city with centuries of literature to uncover and explore
• Practise your language skills abroad – spend a year abroad perfecting your language skills in a Spanish-speaking country
• Academic support – individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules ensures you'll get the most out of your course

Our Politics and International Relations BA equips you to understand the comparative dimensions of politics at the local, regional, national and global level.

ou'll study political concepts, ideas, values and institutions, and explore the relationship between political theory and practice. While international relations shares these interests, it focuses on regional and global levels of political activity.

You'll also focus on areas such as globalisation, patterns of conflict and co-operation between states, and the shift from 'anarchy' in the global sphere to co-ordination through intergovernmental organisations and non-state actors (such as corporations and groups based in civil society).

Our course enables you to develop specialist knowledge of important political actors and key trends in international politics, and your critical and analytical skills in the understanding of political problems at both the national and international levels.

Top reasons to study with us

• An enhanced learning experience – Our central London location allows us to take you out of the classroom to visit places such as the Houses of Parliament, government departments, international organisations, NGOs, exhibitions and museums
• Our truly international outlook – We have been named the most diverse university in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand (source: Hotcourses Diversity Index 2018), and have students representing 170 nationalities
• A supportive community – We provide a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic environment with high student satisfaction. There are plenty of opportunities for community engagement, not least through the student-led Democratic Education Network - a runner-up ‘Student Experience’ initiative in the Guardian University Awards 2019

The Art and Visual Culture MA is part of the Cultural and Literary Studies Suite, a cluster of four MAs that bring together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary, and experiential perspectives. You will share classes with students from the Cultural and Critical Studies MA, the English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Fictions MA, and the Museum, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA, joining a fruitful and intellectually-rigorous environment designed to facilitate the sprouting of interdisciplinary thinking. As part of our Suite, you may also choose an option module from the other three MA programmes (what is referred to as an ‘elective’ module), a fantastic opportunity to explore a facet of culture outside of your chosen MA programme.

Our Chinese and International Business BA will help you develop the skills and knowledge you'll need to succeed in the internationalised business world.

In today's global economy, language skills are of significant value to prospective employers when combined with business expertise. This combination can greatly enhance your career opportunities.

You’ll have the opportunity to study Chinese language, culture and international business in an integrated way, exploring the relationships between these elements and the broader economic, financial and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

Our comprehensive language training places strong emphasis on the use of language in a professional environment, while our business modules will allow you to gain a solid understanding of international business – a combination that will enable you to gain the real-world skills required to progress to a rewarding career.

Top reasons to study with us

• Gain practical Chinese language skills and intercultural awareness in simulated and authentic professional contexts   
• Experience a sophisticated business environment – our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Financial Markets Suite allows you to gain first-hand exposure to technology that’s widely adopted in leading global investment banks in the major financial centres of the world
• Benefit from an (optional) international experience through a placement, study abroad and/or field trips. Previous field trip destinations have included Morocco, Hong Kong, France, Cuba and Argentina
• Receive tailored academic support and career planning through our tutorials
• Enjoy opportunities to practise one-to-one conversation with a native speaker through the Languages Plus programme

Our Spanish and Linguistics BA trains you to be a competent linguist ready to enter graduate employment.

Our degree offers the exciting combination of the study of Spanish language and culture alongside the wider study of the forms, structures and varieties of language itself.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in Spanish, proficiency in language transfer skills, and a thorough knowledge of Spanish culture. On graduation, you'll be able to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas. We teach in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between language and culture and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. 

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

The linguistics component of your combined degree will develop your understanding and knowledge of language to an advanced and sophisticated level, while fostering and enhancing your skills in using English.