Skip to main content

University of Reading Cookie Policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience. Find out more about our cookie policy. By continuing to use our site you accept these terms, and are happy for us to use cookies to improve your browsing experience.

Continue using the University of Reading website

  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
Show/Hide navigation
University of Reading University of Reading
Mobile search categories
  • Study and life
  • Research
  • About us
  • View courses
  • Home
  • Study and life
    • Study
    • Student life
    • Accommodation
    • Open Days and visiting
    • International students
  • Research
    • Themes
    • Impact
    • Innovation and partnerships
    • Research environment
    • Get involved
  • About us
    • Our global community
    • Business
    • Local community
    • Visit us
    • Strategy
    • Governance
    • Contact us
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • View courses
mask
CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2022/23
2023/24
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Archaeology

Subjects C-E

  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Economics

Subjects H-M

  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Marketing
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Politics and International Relations
  • Surveying and Construction

Subjects A-B

  • Business (Post-Experience)

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician Associate

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

BA Spanish and International Development

  • UCAS code
    LR09
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

On the BA Spanish and International Development programme, you will develop your abilities in Spanish, and achieve a profound understanding of different cultures and their development needs and aspirations.

Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning which allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.

A joint honours degree that combines Spanish and International Development can give you an insight into fascinating societies, cultures and histories around the world. This programme provides an interdisciplinary grounding in development, addressing real world issues affecting people and planet, in conjunction with in-depth study of the Spanish language and its diverse cultures.

Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We provide accelerated learning in Spanish, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not done Spanish A level. Regardless of which level you join the course at, you can expect to become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish by the final year. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures [1].

A wide range of optional modules in Spanish and Latin American culture, history, literature, theatre, politics and film enhance your learning, and provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the country. This includes parts of the developing world. You will have the opportunity to study with staff who are internationally recognised experts in Spanish and Latin American literature, history and culture; including history and film, as well as translation and adaptation studies. These include comprehensive first-year modules including Icons of Spain and Latin America and Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture; second-year modules including Literature and Society in the Modern Hispanic World and Culture and Revolution in Modern Latin America; and final-year modules including Memory, Dictatorship and Cultural Resistance in the Southern Cone, Writers and Publishers in Spain and Narrating the Colombian Conflict.

An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in a Spanish-speaking country, either studying at a partner institution, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It enables you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and develop your language to a near-native level. Modules in the second year will prepare you for studying abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture.

[1] National Student Survey, 2022.

Overview

On the BA Spanish and International Development programme, you will develop your abilities in Spanish, and achieve a profound understanding of different cultures and their development needs and aspirations.

Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning which allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.

A joint honours degree that combines Spanish and International Development can give you an insight into fascinating societies, cultures and histories around the world. This programme provides an interdisciplinary grounding in development, addressing real world issues affecting people and planet, in conjunction with in-depth study of the Spanish language and its diverse cultures.

Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We provide accelerated learning in Spanish, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not done Spanish A level. Regardless of which level you join the course at, you can expect to become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish by the final year. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures [1].

A wide range of optional modules in Spanish and Latin American culture, history, literature, theatre, politics and film enhance your learning, and provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the country. This includes parts of the developing world. You will have the opportunity to study with staff who are internationally recognised experts in Spanish and Latin American literature, history and culture; including history and film, as well as translation and adaptation studies. These include comprehensive first-year modules including Icons of Spain and Latin America and Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture; second-year modules including Literature and Society in the Modern Hispanic World and Culture and Revolution in Modern Latin America; and final-year modules including Memory, Dictatorship and Cultural Resistance in the Southern Cone, Writers and Publishers in Spain and Narrating the Colombian Conflict.

An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in a Spanish-speaking country, either studying at a partner institution, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It enables you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and develop your language to a near-native level. Modules in the second year will prepare you for studying abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture.

[1] National Student Survey, 2022.

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Typical offer

BBB

Beginners' Spanish: No previous language qualifications are required.

Intermediate Spanish: GCSE Spanish at grade A (7) or AS level Spanish at grade B.

Advanced Spanish: A level Spanish at grade B.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall 

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

The Economic Environment

Code:

AP1EE4

Convenor:

DR Cherry Law

Summary:

How do we know whether an advertising campaign will make economic sense? Why do we see brand proliferation for some products and not others? Why do some countries’ economies grow faster than others? Why do governments intervene in agricultural markets? Why do we need environmental policy? These are some of the topics that we will address, whilst developing a basic understanding of key economic concepts, and their relevance to some of the key challenges facing individuals, businesses, and societies across the globe.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 40%, Project 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

International Development: Global and Local Issues

Code:

AP1ID1

Convenor:

DR Garth Holloway

Summary:

Identify the challenges currently confronting societies, governments, and households and examine how researchers seek to understand these challenges in order to enhance welfare, global sustainability, and the protection of rural livelihoods. In this module you will engage with a range of experienced practitioners and you will learn through diverse teaching methods, including assigned readings, participatory discussions, and directed exercises. These activities will help you understand the formal theories underpinning development processes and the nuances surrounding participatory governance, and will prepare you for future employment in fields of International Development.

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Study Skills for BSc International Development

Code:

AP1ID3

Convenor:

MS Rebecca Jerrome

Summary:

Through this module, designed for students on the BSc International Development programme, you’ll gain a common foundation in transferrable skills relevant to studying in an academic context. You’ll take part in guided seminars to practice key skills through worked examples.

Assessment Method:

n/a

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AP1EE4 The Economic Environment DR Cherry Law
AP1ID1 International Development: Global and Local Issues DR Garth Holloway
AP1ID3 Study Skills for BSc International Development MS Rebecca Jerrome

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects

Code:

AP1A28

Convenor:

DR Nick Bardsley

Summary:

The world faces multiple ecological crises, including climate change, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. This module examines such challenges, their drivers, their relationship to other social and economic issues, and potential responses. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

The Fundamentals of Business and Marketing

Code:

AP1EM2

Convenor:

MR Nick Walker

Summary:

Gain an introduction to management science and its relevance to businesses. Interactive in-class activities and the use of online apps will help you learn techniques for inspiring teamwork in an organisational context, discover the importance of strategic management design for achieving an organisation's goals, and understand the roles of the manager and the responsibilities this carries. You will also have a range of opportunities to gain hands-on practising decision making through case studies. Develop your leadership skills to motivate and guide a team towards the achievement of an organisation’s objectives. 

Gain fundamental knowledge of the key concepts of marketing and management, and relate these critically to contemporary practice. Examine fundamental marketing concepts such as strategic marketing, market segmentation and the marketing mix. You will also begin to explore these concepts through the lens of Digital Marketing.

You will discuss issues arising within marketing theory and practice, which bring into question some of the foundational principles of the discipline. Through lectures, readings, and the analysis of case studies, address the latest thinking within the marketing discipline.

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

What is Comparative Literature?

Code:

ML1COMP

Convenor:

DR John McKeane

Summary:

This module will introduce students to some of the major critical and theoretical issues in the study of Comparative Literature, as well as to important methodologies for studying literature in a comparative context. Approaching a cluster of texts from different cultural and historical traditions, students will be encouraged to reflect on the practices and consequences of reading transnationally. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Greats of European Cinema

Code:

ML1GEC

Convenor:

PROF Julia Waters

Summary:

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the ways in which European Cinema – and the various national cinemas that comprise it – reflects the changing political, social and cultural climate of the twentieth century. The course is designed to introduce students to key features of film analysis and to develop their ability to apply these to the films studied.

Assessment Method:

Exam 55%, Set exercise 45%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Linguistics

Code:

ML1IL

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with principles in general linguistics, and to give students an overall picture of what a language is, how it works, and what its main structures are, with a particular focus on French, German, Italian and Spanish. It will also provide useful meta-linguistic competence which can be applied to the study of any other language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Thinking Translation: History and Theory

Code:

ML1TRANS

Convenor:

DR Claire Ross

Summary:

This module introduces students to the history of translation as a literary practice, as well as to the main theoretical approaches to it and the influential concepts that have been used to reflect on translation practice.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Icons of Spain and Latin America: From conquest to independence; from revolution to globalisation

Code:

SP1I1

Convenor:

DR Cherilyn Elston

Summary:

This module introduces students of Spanish to the historical trajectory that forms the roots of modern-day Spain and Latin America, through the guided analysis of written and visual texts that span over five centuries. Through a series of lectures and seminars, in the Autumn Term, students will learn about the factors that contributed to the development of both Spain and Latin America, from Columbus’s voyage in 1492 to the decline of the Spanish Empire, and the push for independence in Latin America that characterised the nineteenth century. In the Spring Term, students will learn about the factors that contributed to the more recent development of both Spain and Latin America, from the Mexican Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, immigration, and the growing presence of the US across the continent, to contemporary debates about globalisation.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Report 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Beginners Spanish Language

Code:

SP1L1

Convenor:

DR Denisse Lazo-Gonzalez

Summary:

This module aims to introduce students with no previous knowledge of Spanish to the study of Spanish language and culture.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate Spanish Language

Code:

SP1L2

Convenor:

MR Oscar Garcia Garcia

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved AS Level in Spanish or equivalent, as well as of students with an excellent GSCE Level qualification in Spanish or equivalent.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish to Honours degree level.  Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Spanish Language 1

Code:

SP1L3

Convenor:

MS Angela Mira Conejero

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved Advanced Level or equivalent in Spanish . Students with an excellent AS Level qualification in Spanish may also be considered for this module.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish to Honours degree level, but will also be an effective study and career tool for students who are not intending to continue with Spanish after Part 1. 

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture

Code:

SP1SLAC

Convenor:

DR Maria Reyes Baztan

Summary:

The aim of this module is to introduce students to Spanish and Latin American culture through the study and analysis of key literary and visual art forms, including short stories, poetry, documentaries and feature films, fine art and popular music. Key authors may include Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, Pío Baroja, Juan Rulfo, Ariel Dorfman, Julio Medem, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, José Luis Guerín, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Iciar Bollain, Fernando Trueba, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Fernando Pérez, and others. Texts will be read in the original language if the student is taking that language to degree level, but translations will be available.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Economic Institutions and Policy

Code:

EC107

Convenor:

DR Maria Asensio

Summary:

The module provides a historical perspective of Economics as a discipline . It also analyses some contemporary economic problems  and the  different policies undertaken by  governments to help address them. Finally, the module  covers the work of the main international institutions such as the IMF and World Bank and their role in alleviating world poverty.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

The Economics of Climate Change

Code:

EC110

Convenor:

DR Stefania Lovo

Summary:

The module will offer an economic perspective on the causes and consequences of climate change. It will provide an introduction to key theoretical concepts, such as externalities and public goods, and to the policy tools available to devise adequate responses to climate change, such as command and control measures, taxation and subsidies. The module will also introduce national and international policy approaches in dealing with climate change and provide an overview of their implications for economic development.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Food Dilemmas: Production, Security and Health

Code:

FB1FD1

Convenor:

DR Emma Bennett

Summary:

This module will cover the historical, present and future aspects of food production and consumption. Topics include the impact of food on the environment, the relationship between diet and health, and the implications of future populations and climates on food production. The complex and fascinating problem of global food security, providing sufficient, safe and nutritious food for everyone will be explored within the module and the implications for societal and cultural behaviour will also be discussed

This module is NOT intended for Food and Nutritional Sciences students, but students from this department can register for attendance on a 0-credit basis to further develop their interest in the subject.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 30%, Oral 30%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Contemporary Issues in Human Geography

Code:

GV1CIG

Convenor:

PROF Avril Maddrell

Summary:

This module provides students with an appreciation of the geographical dimensions of contemporary global issues and events that are shaping the world around us. This appreciation works in two ways, by encouraging students to operationalise geographical concepts to better understand these issues, and by reflecting back on the nature of geographical research in the light of contemporary events. The module is taught by a team of active researchers in human geography, each of whom will use illustrations from their own work as the basis for the module.

Assessment Method:

Set exercise 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Theories and Debates in Human Geography

Code:

GV1HGT

Convenor:

DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako

Summary:

This module provides students with an introduction to core academic debates and theories in contemporary human geography. It introduces students to key sub-disciplines within human geography including economic, social, environmental and political geography. The module also establishes foundation knowledge for students wishing to take more advanced human geography modules in Parts 2 and 3. The module is taught by a team of human geographers, each giving an introduction to their area of particular expertise. In this way, the module also serves as an introduction to the research interests of staff in the Department. Teaching is mainly delivered through a series of lectures and student-led learning is encouraged through carefully selected further reading.

Assessment Method:

Exam 75%, Class test 25%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology

Code:

GV1SOC

Convenor:

DR Alanna Cant

Summary:

This module provides a general introduction to social anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures. It will introduce you to major themes in the discipline of anthropology through focused study on topics that may include: kinship and marriage, gender and sexuality, the roles of religion, ritual and witchcraft in modern life, the concepts of ethnicity and race, and contemporary hunting and gathering societies. The module will also consider how anthropology can help us understand key issues in today’s world, such as ethnicity, race and decolonisation, and the role that work and consumption play in forming identities. Teaching is focused on real-world case studies from different cultures and regions around the globe, including the research expertise of the lecturer(s). 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Set exercise 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Political Ideas

Code:

PO1IPI

Convenor:

DR Andrew Reid

Summary:

An introduction to political theory, covering central topics like the state and its authority, democracy, rights and liberty, equality and social justice, and war and intervention, as well as some of the basic methods for understanding them all. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies

Code:

PO1IRS

Convenor:

DR Amanda Hall

Summary:

The module introduces some of the key concepts in world politics: states, anarchy, power, and interest. This broad conceptual framework is linked to a discussion of the three main theories of international relations: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. The module also evaluates arguments about the centrality and utility of the use of force in dealing with security and strategic problems by asking: Why do states go to war? What is strategy and how does it link to warfare? Is it useful to differentiate between rebels and terrorists? Are nuclear weapons still relevant in a world facing the threats of climate change and pandemics?

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Justice

Code:

PP1GJ

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

Global traditions of philosophy  from the Buddha and Confucius to Simone Weil, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., and African and Native American thinkers advocate ideas of justice and freedom that extend far beyond contemporary conceptions. This course shows how these thinkers question our  ideas of justice, and  transform how we approach injustice and freedom in the  context of race and colonialism, nature and  indigenous communities, identity  and sexuality, family and polity, through radically different conceptions of freedom and violence,  love, equality and harmony.

Some of the claims we will examine include: Justice is freedom from suffering!  Revolutionary violence is cathartic and emancipatory! Political justice  requires mental training! Nature is alive and has rights! Gender and sexual freedom are gained by  dissolving bodily boundaries!  Truth lies in pleasure! Justice is  love! Social justice comes with harmonising differences! 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AP1A28 Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects DR Nick Bardsley
AP1EM2 The Fundamentals of Business and Marketing MR Nick Walker
ML1COMP What is Comparative Literature? DR John McKeane
ML1GEC Greats of European Cinema PROF Julia Waters
ML1IL Introduction to Linguistics MR Federico Faloppa
ML1TRANS Thinking Translation: History and Theory DR Claire Ross
SP1I1 Icons of Spain and Latin America: From conquest to independence; from revolution to globalisation DR Cherilyn Elston
SP1L1 Beginners Spanish Language DR Denisse Lazo-Gonzalez
SP1L2 Intermediate Spanish Language MR Oscar Garcia Garcia
SP1L3 Advanced Spanish Language 1 MS Angela Mira Conejero
SP1SLAC Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture DR Maria Reyes Baztan
EC107 Introduction to Economic Institutions and Policy DR Maria Asensio
EC110 The Economics of Climate Change DR Stefania Lovo
FB1FD1 Food Dilemmas: Production, Security and Health DR Emma Bennett
GV1CIG Contemporary Issues in Human Geography PROF Avril Maddrell
GV1HGT Theories and Debates in Human Geography DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako
GV1SOC Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology DR Alanna Cant
PO1IPI Introduction to Political Ideas DR Andrew Reid
PO1IRS Politics: International Relations and Strategic Studies DR Amanda Hall
PP1GJ Global Justice DR Shalini Sinha

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Research Methods for BSc International Development

Code:

AP2ID1

Convenor:

DR Jo Davies

Summary:

THIS MODULE IS FOR BSc INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS ONLY.

Understanding the lived experiences of people living in poverty is crucial when building policies and development initiatives that reflect the needs and priorities of the people they are designed to help.  You will explore the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods and why these matter in development.  You will learn how to interpret statistical data and will gain experience in using interview techniques and observation in research.

Assessment Method:

Oral 50%, Class test 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Approaches to International Development

Code:

AP2ID2

Convenor:

DR Andrew Ainslie

Summary:

How do development actors justify their role and their work? Our premise here is that all development interventions - whether policy or programmatic – ultimately rely on social and economic theory. You’ll learn where some seventy years of mainstream and more radical ideas about development spring from, how they’re connected to each other, and what authority they have in the world. Through reading, lectures, seminars and discussions, you’ll learn to recognise and debate key features of the contemporary intellectual architecture of development.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Report 25%, Class test 25%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AP2ID1 Research Methods for BSc International Development DR Jo Davies
AP2ID2 Approaches to International Development DR Andrew Ainslie

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature

Code:

ML2GF

Convenor:

DR Alice Christensen

Summary:

This module will explore a number of key literary texts that engage the Fantastic mode of literary representation. The module aims to promote critical awareness of the ways in which French, Hispanic, Italian and German literary traditions adapted and transformed the Fantastic narrative so that it spoke to a number of specific issues such as the advances in science and technology, the changing roles of women, the pressures of modernisation, the impact of psychoanalysis, and fears related to changes brought about by colonisation, the political structure of the Nation-state, and the economy. Texts will be read in the original language if the student is taking that language to degree level, and in English translation if not.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe

Code:

ML2STA

Convenor:

DR Veronica Heath

Summary:

This module aims to provide students with a systematic historical and cross-national understanding of the key ideas, institutions and symbols that have come to constitute and represent modernity, in its original cradle in Europe and the rest of the world. The module examines the birth of modern men and women in Europe in the late eighteenth century, in the fulcrum of the Enlightenment and Romanticism, and the broad intellectual, cultural, economic, political and social conditions which have been shaping and re-shaping them since. The module further shows a) the contributions of different European nations to a common European reaction to and re-evaluation of tradition and innovation and b) the diffusion of modernity (Westernisation) from Europe to Asia and Africa and its role in the creation of a global world. Finally, it shows how art has played a leading role in the transformations of modernity - not only recording it but also constituting one of its central components.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 80%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Unity, Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe

Code:

ML2UNR

Convenor:

DR Athena Leoussi

Summary:

The aim of this module is to study how two ideas became two of the most important forces which shaped modern Europe from the 18th century to the present day. These were the idea of the nation and the idea of the European community. With this aim in mind, the module is divided into two thematic sections:

The first section explores the origins of the idea of the nation as it emerged as a revolutionary idea in Enlightenment Europe, remoulding states and peoples across Europe and the rest of the world. The section gives historical depth to current debates on nations and nationalism exploring the development of ideas about the nation, national identity, nationalism and the nation-state, through the study of classic and foundational texts such as Ernest Renan’s famous lecture at the Sorbonne of 1882, ‘What is a nation?’, Woodrow Wilson’s ‘Fourteen Points’ of 1918, and close examination of a variety of national movements in Europe, from the French Revolution of 1789, through the making of the first German nation-state, to the national revolutions of 1989 in communist Eastern Europe.

The second section engages, first, with public debates about European integration and the nature of European identity as these interact with the member states of the EU and with processes of globalisation; second, with challenges to established nation-states by the nationalisms of the European regions which have persisted into the 21st century (e.g., Catalan, Flemish, Scottish); and third with the relationship between majority, ruling nations and ethnic and national minorities in the 20th and 21st centuries. This section explores relations between ethnic and national majorities and minorities by using examples from Europe and the rest of the world.  

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Culture & Revolution in Modern Latin America

Code:

SP2CR

Convenor:

DR Maria Reyes Baztan

Summary:

The revolutions of the twentieth-century in Latin America were not only political projects; they also promoted radical changes at socio-cultural levels, with new cultural forms, ideas and policies evolving in particular contexts as a part of a wider project of nation-building through revolution. Within this context of broad change, these revolutions also raised many important questions about culture: Why was culture so important to political change? How could revolutionary culture be defined and what was its role in the revolutionary project? For whom was this culture intended, and what socio-cultural policies and initiatives (in literacy, education and cultural production) were developed in order to foster the development of culture within the revolutionary context? Were these revolutionary projects inclusive or did they exclude sectors of the population from participation in culture? How have these projects been refashioned in the twenty-first century? By exploring key moments of revolution and cultural policy in practice through the revolutions of, for example, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, and the ALBA alliance, as represented in prose, poetry, documentary film from these contexts, this course unit develops an understanding of the various interactions and relationships between radical political change and culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Finally, it examines whether a coherent tradition and trajectory of culture and revolution can be discerned from these case studies, which can then be extended into the twenty-first century.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Class test 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate Spanish Language

Code:

SP2L2

Convenor:

MR Oscar Garcia Garcia

Summary:

This module is aimed at students who in Part 1 have successfully completed SP1L1 Beginners Spanish Language. The course will build on the work done in the core language module at Part 1 and provide students with the necessary linguistic competence and proficiency for the Year Abroad. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Method:

Practical 80%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Spanish Language I

Code:

SP2L3

Convenor:

MS Angela Mira Conejero

Summary:

This module is aimed at students who in Part 1 have successfully completed SP1L2 Intermediate Spanish Language and build on the work done in either of those modules. Students that achieve exceptional results in SP1L1 Beginners Spanish Language might be considered for this module.  

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 80%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Spanish Language II

Code:

SP2L4

Convenor:

MR Raúl Marchena Magadan

Summary:

This module is aimed at students who in Part 1 have successfully completed SP1L3 Advanced Spanish Language I or SP1L2 Intermediate Spanish Language. The course will build on the work done in the core language module at Part 1 and provide students with the necessary linguistic competence and proficiency for the Year Abroad. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Method:

Practical 80%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Literature and Society in the Modern Hispanic World

Code:

SP2LS

Convenor:

DR Cherilyn Elston

Summary:

During the twentieth century the societies of the Hispanic World underwent profound social, political and cultural transformations, ranging from modernisation to dictatorship, civil conflict to democracy, to changing ideas about race, gender and identity. This module examines how literature reflected and shaped these transformations. Through analysing some of the most important literary texts published in Spain and Latin America in the twentieth century and locating these texts in major literary movements, the course will explore both the evolution of literature and the key role that literary texts played in shaping Hispanic societies in the modern era.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Oral 20%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Transatlantic Exchanges: Latin America in the Global Nineteenth Century

Code:

SP2TT

Convenor:

DR Catriona McAllister

Summary:

The nineteenth century saw dramatic political change in Latin America. As the region achieved independence from the Spanish and Portuguese empires, the newly emerging nations faced questions over how to shape their political, economic and cultural futures. This module explores both the factors that led to this profound shift and the way that Latin America approached its new future throughout the century. The module views these changes through a global lens, examining the impact of influential ideas, the movement of people and international political interactions. By examining key historical and cultural texts, and important elements such as the wars of independence and the abolition of slavery, the module will explore how Latin America faced the challenges of the nineteenth century and how this period left its political and cultural mark on the region.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 20%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Analysing Social Data: Techniques and Applications

Code:

GV2ATA

Convenor:

PROF Steve Musson

Summary:

This module will explore the analysis of social data, using quantitative and qualitative. We will use social data to persuade, argue and illustrate our understanding. During the module, you will become a better informed, more confident and critical user of social data.  

The first section of the module deals with quantitative (i.e. numerical) approaches. We will develop technical analysis skills using Excel and put these into practice with a large dataset such as the UK Census. The emphasis will be on applying simple analytical techniques to secondary data sources and no great level of mathematical ability is assumed. 

The second section of the module deals with qualitative approaches. We will develop a different set of analytical techniques and better understand how we can interpret textual documents. The emphasis will again be on using secondary data and we will put these techniques into practice using a large dataset such as the Mass Observation Archive. If possible, we will visit a public record archive to better understand these data sources. 

Students have often found these techniques useful in dissertations, other research projects, and in future employment. As such, this module can be the gateway for further research and professional development. 

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancy

Code:

GV2CSR

Convenor:

MR Jim Ormond

Summary:

This module introduces students to critical analyses of corporate social responsibility and environmental governance. The module encourages students to play the role of sustainability consultants, drawing on the module convenor’s extensive experience in this area. As such, students will gain employability and professional development skills alongside the more intellectual content of the module.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Geographies of Development, Identity and Place

Code:

GV2DIP

Convenor:

DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako

Summary:

This module takes a global development approach to exploring the interplay between globalisation, socio-economic and cultural transformations across the Majority and Minority worlds. The module discusses key concepts and approaches to the study of culture, identity and place and relates these to global processes of socio-economic change and geographies of global development. It explores how people in different places and contexts are impacted by globalisation and social-cultural change and how they may contest and resist dominant representations. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Nature, Society and Imaginaries of Degrowth

Code:

GV2NS

Convenor:

PROF Hilary Geoghegan

Summary:

This module will introduce the students to a variety of geographical approaches to understanding nature-society relations. It will consider key concepts, theoretical frameworks and practices relevant to the politics of nature and economic growth to critically evaluated interrelationships between socio-economic systems, environmental values and sustainable development, with a specific focus on the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Assessment Method:

Exam 70%, Oral 15%, Report 15%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Literature, Language and Education

Code:

LS2LLE

Convenor:

MRS Suzanne Portch

Summary:

This module aims to provide students with an opportunity to apply their existing degree-based knowledge and learning and extend it within their chosen specialisation. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 45%, Oral 10%, Report 45%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Founder Dilemmas

Code:

MM2101

Convenor:

DR Norbert Morawetz

Summary:

This is a dynamic and experiential module aiming to give students a strong understanding of key dilemmas likely to be faced by first time entrepreneurs. The module develops student's entrepreneurial skill and confidence to put plans into action. Students gain understanding of the practice of entrepreneurship as informed by theory, role play and guest lectures. This will include exposure to the experience of successful entrepreneurs. Students are given a solid understanding of the realities of business start-up.

 

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Politics and History

Code:

PO2GPH

Convenor:

DR Kerry Goettlich

Summary:

From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Brexit, and from the rise of China to the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, contemporary debates in world politics, and often the practice of world politics itself, depend on particular understandings of history. Indeed, it is impossible to study politics without relying on knowledge about the past. But how accurate or convincing are the historical narratives and assumptions that underlie contemporary debates? Is it ‘natural’ for politics to be organised into nation-states? Is empire a thing of the past? Where did democracy come from? When did globalisation start? Was decolonization a success or failure? Students will come away from this module with both the historical knowledge and the analytical skills to be able to answer such questions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Modern International Relations

Code:

PO2MIR

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

This module provides an advanced analysis of some theoretical approaches to international politics, including models of interstate bargaining, international order, and collective action.  Students will also learn about some of the most important  global issues, including the causes of war, globalisation, US hegemony, international cooperation to combat climate chaos, nuclear weapons, cyberwar, and terrorism. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 45%, Set exercise 5%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Politics of the Welfare State

Code:

PO2PWS

Convenor:

DR Christoph Arndt

Summary:

The course is an introduction to the politics of welfare states in the developed economies of OECD countries with a particular focus on Western Europe. It focuses on the interaction between political and economic factors in explaining the emergence and evolution of welfare states and their various forms across countries. Students learn the major theoretical approaches in the study of the welfare state and apply them to contemporary debates about the welfare state as well as the politics of welfare state reform.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1

Code:

PP2OID1

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

In this wide-ranging module, with an emphasis on contemporary political philosophy, we will explore some of the most important concerns for society. We will ask questions such as: Do existing accounts of justice need to be amended to acknowledge, explicitly, the concerns arising from race, gender, and disability? How should political philosophy respond to intersecting oppressions? What aspects of modern life threaten democracy? What is the best method by which to develop theories of justice? Is justice a local or global concern? How should we balance loyalty to our own state with concerns for global justice?

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
ML2GF Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature DR Alice Christensen
ML2STA Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe DR Veronica Heath
ML2UNR Unity, Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe DR Athena Leoussi
SP2CR Culture & Revolution in Modern Latin America DR Maria Reyes Baztan
SP2L2 Intermediate Spanish Language MR Oscar Garcia Garcia
SP2L3 Advanced Spanish Language I MS Angela Mira Conejero
SP2L4 Advanced Spanish Language II MR Raúl Marchena Magadan
SP2LS Literature and Society in the Modern Hispanic World DR Cherilyn Elston
SP2TT Transatlantic Exchanges: Latin America in the Global Nineteenth Century DR Catriona McAllister
GV2ATA Analysing Social Data: Techniques and Applications PROF Steve Musson
GV2CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancy MR Jim Ormond
GV2DIP Geographies of Development, Identity and Place DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako
GV2NS Nature, Society and Imaginaries of Degrowth PROF Hilary Geoghegan
LS2LLE Literature, Language and Education MRS Suzanne Portch
MM2101 Founder Dilemmas DR Norbert Morawetz
PO2GPH Global Politics and History DR Kerry Goettlich
PO2MIR Modern International Relations DR Joseph O' Mahoney
PO2PWS Politics of the Welfare State DR Christoph Arndt
PP2OID1 Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 DR Charlotte Newey

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Year Abroad Language

Code:

ML2YL5

Convenor:

DR Marine Orain

Summary:

This module assesses the level in French/German/Italian/Spanish language achieved by the student as a result of one year of full immersion abroad.

Assessment Method:

Practical 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Semester 1 Study or Work Placement Abroad

Code:

ML2YS1

Convenor:

DR Ute Wolfel

Summary:

This module consists of:

  • one academic semester at a university in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country OR
  • one academic semester  in a work placement in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country OR
  • one academic semester as a British Council  English-language teaching assistant in a school in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country.

N.B. This module aims to assess the semester 1 learning outcomes BOTH of students who are on a study or work placement for semester 1 only; AND of students who are on full-year placements.

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Semester 2 Study or Work Placement Abroad

Code:

ML2YS2

Convenor:

DR Ute Wolfel

Summary:

This module consists of:

  • one academic semester at a university in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country OR
  • one academic semester in a work placement in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country OR
  • one academic semester as a British Council English-language teaching assistant in a school in a French-/German-/Italian-/Spanish-speaking country.

N.B. This module aims to assess the semester 2 learning outcomes BOTH of students who are on a study or work placement for semester 2 only; AND of students who are on full-year placements.

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
ML2YL5 Year Abroad Language DR Marine Orain
ML2YS1 Semester 1 Study or Work Placement Abroad DR Ute Wolfel
ML2YS2 Semester 2 Study or Work Placement Abroad DR Ute Wolfel

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Dissertation (BSc International Development)

Code:

AP3ID3

Convenor:

DR Henny Osbahr

Summary:

Develop your research skills, including identifying a suitable topic; developing aims and hypotheses; planning and conducting research; gathering, critically reviewing and synthesising information; analysing and discussing results. In addition, through your dissertation project you will develop a detailed understanding of a specific subject area of your choice. In the delivery and presentation of your dissertation you will have the opportunity to produce and showcase an extended piece of work covering core thinking and practice in international development, and reflecting the skills that you have learned throughout the course of your studies.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 13%, Oral 13%, Dissertation 75%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Spanish Language III

Code:

SP3L6

Convenor:

MR Oscar Garcia Garcia

Summary:

This module is aimed at students who have spent a period of residence abroad and completed the ML2YL5 Year Abroad Language. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of linguistic competence and proficiency comparable to level C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). 

Assessment Method:

Practical 80%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AP3ID3 Dissertation (BSc International Development) DR Henny Osbahr
SP3L6 Advanced Spanish Language III MR Oscar Garcia Garcia

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Global Issues in Nutrition and Health

Code:

AP3A105

Convenor:

DR Mondira Bhattacharya

Summary:

Explore major contemporary social issues related to human nutrition and health in developed and developing country contexts. Draw on examples from around the world to investigate issues such as: how and why people’s diets are changing, and what the consequences of these changes are; why obesity is rising, and what can be done to deal with this problem; and how under-nutrition manifests itself in different countries, and what the most effective interventions to address this phenomenon are.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Agricultural Systems in the Tropics

Code:

AP3A45

Convenor:

DR Andrew Daymond

Summary:

Learn about the agricultural systems of tropical and sub-tropical regions. Examine the major components of agricultural systems including crops, livestock, soils and climate, and their interactions. Discuss current issues for agriculture in developing countries such as the 'Green Revolution' and the use of pesticides.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Climate Change and Food Systems

Code:

AP3A90

Convenor:

DR Jake Bishop

Summary:

Anybody working in the food system needs to consider climate change. You will learn about the global climate system and how organisms respond to climate factors. You will apply this knowledge to understand how agriculture and the wider food system need to adapt to climate change. You will learn about a range of scientific approaches used in this area of research, how to decipher the methodology sections of scientific papers, and how to critique what you read in scientific journals and in the media. You will also develop transferable skills in literature review and information synthesis.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 80%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Environmental Management in Practice

Code:

AP3AE70

Convenor:

PROF Simon Mortimer

Summary:

Learn how the principles of environmental management are applied in professional settings. Using a series of lectures, case studies and field visits, we will examine the motivations for businesses and organisations to carry out environmental management, the ways in which environmental impacts are assessed and the systems employed to minimise environmental problems.

Assessment Method:

Report 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Principles of Communication Design for Development

Code:

AP3ID4

Convenor:

DR Sarah Cardey

Summary:

Learn how to apply key principles of development communication in practice and how to identify and address key factors that influence the design of communication interventions, through a group design project and interaction with experienced professionals.

Assessment Method:

Project 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

International Development: Histories, Institutions and Trajectories

Code:

AP3ID7

Convenor:

DR Amanda Caine

Summary:

A historically-informed understanding of international development as a field is essential to effective research, practice and policy-making for human development and wellbeing. In this module, you will learn about the history of international development as a transformational project, a discourse and a sector. It explores how key institutions in the field of international development came into being, and how their evolution impacted on,  development outcomes in the global South. This historical understanding  of international development will provide a foundation for  critical engagement with the question of decolonizing development, an important contemporary moment in the discipline and in practice.

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Identity and Conflict in Modern Europe

Code:

ML3IC

Convenor:

DR Athena Leoussi

Summary:

This module focuses on identity and conflict in modern Europe. By examining race, gender, warfare, revolution and immigration, it explores the evolution of modern conceptions of the self, of what it is to be human. The module further examines a) the ways in which  modern identities have been pursued and realised in different European contexts, for example, through social movements and national and international legislation; b) the conflicts which new and modern visions of the self have generated and in which they have been shaped; and c) cultural expressions of identity and conflict in paintings, sculptures, monuments and films.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 30%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Language and Power

Code:

ML3LP

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with the linguistic means by which a whole range of persuasive texts can be analysed. We will also be considering the use of language (and of a language in general) as a powerful tool in itself. We will investigate a range of discourse types and theoretical approaches, and we will for instance look at stylistic and rhetorical features, linguistic creativity and language “play”, techniques for revealing a text’s underlying ideological stance and bias, power relationships and their effect on language.

Assessment Method:

Oral 25%, Project 75%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Spanish Language for Management & Business

Code:

SP3LMB

Convenor:

MR Raúl Marchena Magadan

Summary:

This module aims to develop and expand on the language and knowledge which students have acquired after two years of undergraduate study. Students will expand their knowledge of Spanish business lexis and of the principles of business practice and its socioeconomic context. They will reinforce their ability to summarise documents and to write on business topics in Spanish and they will be able to present in oral and written form syntheses and analysis of different types of information.

Assessment Method:

Practical 50%, Oral 20%, Project 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Memory, Dictatorship and Cultural Resistance in the Southern Cone

Code:

SP3MDR

Convenor:

DR Catriona McAllister

Summary:

In the 1970s, authoritarian rule took hold across Latin America’s Southern Cone. Dictatorships in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay were responsible for a period of state violence and human rights abuses that reshaped these countries’ political and cultural landscapes. This module will examine the politics and aesthetics of this crucial period of Latin American history. What was the political context that led to the military dictatorships of the Southern Cone? What cultural resistance took place under dictatorial rule? How have literature and film attempted to come to terms with the trauma of the past? What is the role of ‘official spaces’ in creating and preserving collective memory? By combining historical analysis and a cultural focus, it will explore the multi-faceted attempts to create ‘memory’ in the region through both a political and cultural lens.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Narrating the Colombian Conflict

Code:

SP3NCC

Convenor:

DR Cherilyn Elston

Summary:

This module examines the history of the Colombian armed conflict from the 1940s to the present day. Through the analysis of interdisciplinary historical and cultural texts (including essays, fiction, poetry, film, testimony and new media) it explores the stories that have been told about the Western hemisphere’s longest war and asks how these narratives have shaped both national and international interpretations of the conflict. Moving from the civil conflict of the 1940s-50s, through the creation of guerrilla groups in the 1960s, to the emergence of the war on drugs and recent peace processes, the course will interrogate the role stories play in both justifying conflict and creating the possibilities for peace.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Writers and Publishers in Spain

Code:

SP3WPS

Convenor:

DR Marta Simo-Comas

Summary:

Writers and Publishers in Modern and Contemporary Spain examines how the publishing industry has been instrumental in shaping the recent cultural and intellectual history of Spain, in particular from the 1930s to the present day. In order to illustrate the interaction between politics, society, culture and the forces of the publishing world, this module focuses on critical episodes of Spanish history (such as the Republic of 1931, the Francoist regime, and the Transition to democracy), as well as on cultural constructs and processes deriving from a particular set of political and economic circumstances (such as the impact of censorship and exile on the cultural field during Francoism, the emergence of the Latin American “boom” in the 1960s, the building of a new Spanish literary canon after 1975, the development of female writing from the 1980s onwards, and the application of market theory to the dissemination of culture, among others).

This module is taught in Spanish. The assessment can be completed either in English or in Spanish.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Culture and Development in Africa

Code:

GV344

Convenor:

DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako

Summary:

This module explores the relationship between culture and development in the context of Sub- Saharan Africa from theoretical and policy perspectives. Students analyse key social, cultural and development processes and contemporary issues affecting Africa at a range of geographical scales.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Consumption, Politics and Space

Code:

GV3CPS

Convenor:

PROF Mike Goodman

Summary:

This module provides students with an appreciation of the theoretical and empirical links among consumption, globalisation and sustainability from the perspective of political ecology. It enables students to develop a critical awareness of the role of the middle-class and rich people in global patterns of consumption and enviro-social sustainability and facilitates an understanding of the moral economies of global consumption networks.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Oral 20%, Portfolio 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Justice, Labour and Development

Code:

GV3JLD

Convenor:

DR Sally Lloyd-Evans

Summary:

«p»Recent debates around sweatshops and forced labour have refocused geographical attention on the injustices brought about by globalization that have led to escalating poverty, inequalities between the 'North' and the 'South’ and a global 'cheap labour economy'. This module provides an in-depth insight into contemporary academic and policy debates around labour and livelihoods in the global South from ‘social justice’ and 'development' perspectives.   Through a critique of globalisation, migration, civil society, gender and international governance, students will explore some of the most pressing ethical and justice debates on decent work today such as child labour, the ‘DIY’ or informal economy and modern day slavery.«/p»

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Oral 10%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intercultural Communications

Code:

LS3IC

Convenor:

DR Erhan Aslan

Summary:

In this module, students will explore how people of different discourse systems or groups communicate with one another in various face-to-face and digitally-mediated contexts. Specifically, students will gain an understanding of how assumptions and values that have been constructed or adopted within a specific culture group influence the ways in which people successfully communicate with each other as well as experience miscommunication. Students will become familiar with a variety of topics in intercultural communication as they engage in hands-on analyses of intercultural encounters.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Set exercise 10%, Project 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Feminism and Political Theory

Code:

PO3FPT

Convenor:

DR Sarah Goff

Summary:

This module explores the contributions of feminism to contemporary political theory. It begins by examining theoretical controversies surrounding the definition, subject matter, and aims of feminism. It then brings these theoretical insights to bear on a range of pressing issues in feminist politics, such as abortion, surrogacy, pornography, marriage and sexist language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Gender and Politics

Code:

PO3GAP

Convenor:

DR Rose De Geus

Summary:

Why do women remain under-represented in politics? Are voters sexist? And do women make for better political leaders? These are examples of the types of questions that we will consider in this module. Over the course of ten two-hour seminars we will explore how gender shapes politics. Throughout this we will also consider how gender intersects with other identities of race, ethnicity and sexuality. In the module we will look at many real-world examples and students are encouraged to bring their own examples for discussion. The module also exposes students to a variety of different research methods that are used in the field of gender and politics. The course is taught through ten two-hour seminars which require active participation and preparatory work from students. 

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

International Political Economy

Code:

PO3IPE

Convenor:

DR Jonathan Golub

Summary:

The course is an introduction to International Political Economy (IPE), which focuses on the interaction between states and markets at the domestic and international levels. It covers the major theoretical approaches to IPE and applies them to study international trade, development, financial crises, and economic sanctions. It also considers the relationship between globalisation and the welfare state as well as the environment.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 40%, Oral 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AP3A105 Global Issues in Nutrition and Health DR Mondira Bhattacharya
AP3A45 Agricultural Systems in the Tropics DR Andrew Daymond
AP3A90 Climate Change and Food Systems DR Jake Bishop
AP3AE70 Environmental Management in Practice PROF Simon Mortimer
AP3ID4 Principles of Communication Design for Development DR Sarah Cardey
AP3ID7 International Development: Histories, Institutions and Trajectories DR Amanda Caine
ML3IC Identity and Conflict in Modern Europe DR Athena Leoussi
ML3LP Language and Power MR Federico Faloppa
SP3LMB Spanish Language for Management & Business MR Raúl Marchena Magadan
SP3MDR Memory, Dictatorship and Cultural Resistance in the Southern Cone DR Catriona McAllister
SP3NCC Narrating the Colombian Conflict DR Cherilyn Elston
SP3WPS Writers and Publishers in Spain DR Marta Simo-Comas
GV344 Culture and Development in Africa DR Yaw Adjei-Amoako
GV3CPS Consumption, Politics and Space PROF Mike Goodman
GV3JLD Global Justice, Labour and Development DR Sally Lloyd-Evans
LS3IC Intercultural Communications DR Erhan Aslan
PO3FPT Feminism and Political Theory DR Sarah Goff
PO3GAP Gender and Politics DR Rose De Geus
PO3IPE International Political Economy DR Jonathan Golub

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*

New international students: £20,300

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Year abroad fees

If you spend a full year abroad, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact studyabroad@reading.ac.uk.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak fluently in Spanish – an immensely useful skill to have given that there is currently a great shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. Outside the UK, Spanish is the main language of Latin American countries that are part of the developing world and where skills learnt on the degree can be applied. The experience of studying or working abroad also distinguishes you from non-language graduates, providing evidence of self-reliance, adaptability and enterprise. You will also develop strong transferable skills in oral communication, research and writing, together with a high level of cultural literacy and critical sophistication. In the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019-20, overall, 88% of graduates from Languages and Cultures are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation*. 

*Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes all Languages and Cultures responders.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

Take the next step


How to apply for 2023 entry

Come to an Open Day

Get a prospectus

Ask us a question

Chat to our students

Related Subjects


  • International Development
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Spanish

Ready for more?

How to apply
Visit an Open Day
Get a prospectus
View courses
  • Charitable Status
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Sitemap

© University of Reading