Semesters 1 & 2

Compulsory

Dissertation

The aim of the module is to enable students to undertake an extensive piece of research on a topic of their choice in the field of their degree title, and to further develop their skills in research techniques and methods.

Semester 1

Optional

The Asia-Pacific in Global Politics

This Module explores the various vectors of international politics in the Asia-Pacific; and locates this dynamic region within the larger framework of global politics. Students are expected to demonstrate an appreciation of the web of interactions in the Asia-Pacific at the end of the module. Topics include political geography, diplomatic relations, international political economy, and identity politics in East Asia.

Contemporary Political Philosophy

The aims of this module are to:

  • Outline and discuss important themes in contemporary political philosophy by encouraging reflection on a number of common basic assumptions and intuitions about the nature of politics, the responsibilities of social and political institutions and the principles upon which ideas about politics are founded.
  • Encourage you to tackle some of the most profound and enduring questions facing citizens and policy makers in liberal democratic states and to evaluate the various ways in which different philosophical traditions have approached these issues.

International Politics of the Middle East

This module introduces students to key political issues in Middle East politics from a local, regional, and global perspective by employing relevant conceptual tools and empirically-informed analyses. It provides a historical overview of the main political developments of the region with the objective of exploring their role in shaping the contemporary Middle East.

Emerging Threats in the 21st Century

The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of new and emerging security threats in the 21st Century. It explores some of the different ways these threats are understood, how they are being responded to and their implications for the politics of security.

Environmental Thought

This module examines the ethical (including moral, social, and political) dimensions of environmental thought, broadly construed to encompass a range of questions about human relationships with plants, animals, ecosystems, the climate, and the wider nonhuman world. Ethico-political frameworks explored might include ecologism, animal rights, biocentrism, and similar. Practical normative questions explored might include the ethics of diets and food systems; the political inclusion of animals; the question of who is responsible for putting right environmental harm; species conservation; green militarization; and green democracy.

The Politics of Terrorism

This module introduces students to the nature, causes, types, and threat of terrorism, and the ways in which this threat is countered.

Textual Editing in the Digital Age

On this module, you will have the opportunity to produce a scholarly edition of a literary work or historical text of your own choosing and to publish it in digital form. To prepare you for this task, you will develop an understanding of the theoretical and methodological concepts of scholarly editing. Through a series of weekly workshops, where you will learn some of the requisite coding, you will be supervised through the process of producing your own digital scholarly edition.

Jim Crow, Bootleggers and Okies: American Culture 1865-1940

This module offers students an opportunity to explore how American culture responded to questions raised by the modernisation of the United States between the end of the Civil War and the beginnings of World War 2.

The Soviet Security State, 1917-present

This module examines the role played by the Soviet and post-Soviet security and intelligence agencies in the history of the Soviet regime and its satellites from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the present day. The history of Communism is a key part of the history of the twentieth century; the Soviet Union's security and intelligence agencies played a key role in the history of Communism. The twentieth century was the most calamitously bloody century in mankind's history; the Soviet Union's security services, and those set up in their image, bear of a large share of the responsibility for that.

University-wide Language Programme

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.

Semester 2

Optional

Feminist Philosophy

This module aims to a) give students a sound grounding in leading strands of feminist philosophy; and b) to allow students to be able to position themselves within these debates. It will do this by focusing on texts and debates: students will read texts in preparation for the class sessions, and will be encouraged to critique, compare, contrast, engage and position themselves in relation to the writings under consideration.

No Gods! No Masters! Anarchism Past and Present

The aim of the module is to explore anarchism in the history of ideas and contemporary politics, using a student-designed open syllabus and by completing a project, tailored to individual interests.

War in the 21st Century

The aim of the module is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the nature of contemporary war. Students will understand and explain changes in the character of conflict. Issues such as technology on the conduct of war as well as climate change provide a new appreciation of how States fight.

International Conflict Management

The course aims to introduce the students to international conflict management and to foster critical thinking about international interventions aimed at stopping violent conflicts.

Special Relationship? Anglo-American Relations since 1900

This module examines the history and politics of Anglo-American relations, from c.1900 to the present.

Mobilities, transnationalism and diaspora

The aims of this module are to:

  • outline the concepts and typologies related to the study of transnational mobilities, transnationalism and diaspora;
  • analyse the nature and geographies of transnational mobilities, transnationalism and diaspora using a theoretical and a contextualised case study approach;
  • evaluate the outcomes of transnational mobilities and diasporic networks.

After Empire: South Asia since 1945

This course examines the emergence, evolution and contemporary existence of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) since 1945. It explores the moments of incorporation, trajectories of development and marginal spaces, apart from the mainstream of South Asia today.

Race and Racism in Modern Society

The aim of this module is to enable students to examine concepts of 'race' and racism from a sociological-historical perspective and to critically reflect on 'race' as a major category of social inequality and identity in our Contemporary World. The module encourages students to explore the social construction and applications of the idea of race in the development of Western society, and identify intersectionalities between race and other categories of social inclusion and exclusion in Modern Society.

Gender, Sex and Society

This module introduces students to main themes and perspectives within the sociology of gender, with an emphasis on contemporary feminist and intersectional analyses of how societies, groups and individual lived experiences are gendered within different social contexts. Students will engage with theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses.

Poverty, Pay and Living Standards

This module offers an overview of possible ways to understand poverty, pay, and living standards as well as the conceptual and empirical associations between them.

This module aims to:

  • Introduce some of the main approaches to conceptualise and measure poverty and living standards.
  • Assess the relationship between income, salary, wages, and poverty.
  • Consider the role of social policy in addressing poverty and improving living standards.

University-wide Language Programme

One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates’ previous qualifications. Languages offered are:  French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.