Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics with Placement

at Anglia Ruskin University - Cambridge Campus United Kingdom

Throughout your BA (Hons) Sociology degree, you’ll learn from sociologists who specialise in social policy and theory and undertake research into a wide range of sociological issues including 'race' and ethnicity, urban sociology, delinquency and disorder, the sociology of sport, notions of belonging, governance, moral regulation, social constructions of alcohol, gender-based violence, social justice, and social relations in marginalised communities.

You’ll also prepare for your future career, with the opportunity to conduct your own community or workplace research, gaining valuable practical experience and insight into different approaches to social issues. You’ll consider how you can apply this understanding by researching, pitching and evaluating an idea that could potentially make a positive contribution to society. You can also take an optional placement year; this might be in a governmental organisation, NGO, charity or social enterprise – wherever your own interests lead you.

On our MA History you’ll critically examine social, cultural, political and public history and conduct original research.

We’ll help you use different historical and interdisciplinary approaches to become a true historian, able to think critically and solve complex problems – identified by the World Economic Forum as the top two most required skills for the future workforce.

Study in Cambridge and you’ll be part of a dynamic academic environment, able to benefit from our many links with local organisations and archives including the Cambridgeshire Collection and Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

This Masters degree will introduce you to new research methods and the analytical questions that go with them.

This will allow you to develop an understanding of the problems inherent in the historical record – such as the many contrasting viewpoints – and give you the means to test them effectively.You’ll use digital and archival resources as well as develop the skills to critically engage with non-textual historical documents such as museum artefacts and visual sources in film or artwork.

Through workshops you’ll choose a topic for your major project that calls upon the research methods you’ve learned and your awareness of the relevant historical concepts. By the end of this postgraduate course you’ll have acquired and demonstrated the skillset of a genuine historian – not just an antiquarian.

Using real-world challenges as your starting point, our BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree will equip you with all the skills you need to dive into the world of business. Whether it’s through our Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab, out on placement or through an internship, you’ll get the chance to put what you learn to the test.

Alongside these practical opportunities, you’ll also be learning all about the ever-changing world of business – from business law to marketing concepts and beyond.

Our ACCA and CIMA accredited course could see you go on to become a practising accountant or opt for a wider range of careers in business – it’s up to you where your journey takes you.

At ARU, we’re helping to develop the next generation of business practitioners and thinkers.

Our Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab in Chelmsford can give you the chance to enhance your professional development and employability, through virtual trading and live financial information on global stock exchanges. Cambridge students can visit the Lab in their free time too alongside any-time access to data through Canvas, our learning management system.

With us, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the knowledge and tools you need to launch your career. Because there’s having access to facilities and software, and there’s having the support to experiment with them. We believe the sooner you start, the more you’ll get out of it; that’s why our students can access Bloomberg from Year 1.

We know that your future career is important and you want to build your CV. So we’ll encourage you to grab every opportunity for real-world experience. This could mean a placement year in industry, studying abroad for a semester, or a short study visit in Europe, Canada, the USA or Malaysia.

Our Accounting and Finance degree course will set you up with all the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to work in finance or as an accountant once you graduate from ARU.

Take your career to the next level. On our MBA course you’ll develop your leadership style with hands-on, real-world assignments and a global outlook.

You’re serious about your career, and so are we. Our comprehensive Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme is designed to help you develop as an innovative and entrepreneurial leader and graduate ready to make waves in the world of business.

You’ve already immersed yourself in industry, and want a postgraduate degree that reflects your experience. That’s why we favour active learning over exams and theoretical assignments. We’ll put your communication, critical analysis and decision-making skills to the test by presenting you with real-life scenarios that expose you to alternative business practices.

Our MBA programme at ARU attracts students from around the world, so you’ll broaden your horizons and learn about a variety of approaches to business and leadership.

Location is everything, and in Cambridge you’ll find rapid growth, a thriving economy, and a culture of innovation in tech and biotech – the perfect environment to sharpen your business skills. Our extensive links with industry will give you ample opportunity to cultivate relationships with local businesses and find a work placement, should you choose to take one, with the right organisation for you.

Accredited by TIGA, our Computer Games Art degree will allow you to develop art skills relevant to the fast-moving computer games industry. You’ll gain 3D computer games skills including modelling, texturing and animation, enabling you to create characters, environments and more.

During your studies, you’ll discover how you can use your visual research, creative experimentation and technical development to forge a career as a computer games artist. You’ll learn how to plan your designs by creating concept art before bringing them to life using interactive software such as Unity 3D.

ARU is the place to be for studying Computer Games Art. The East of England has 135 active games companies, with Cambridge home to developers including Jagex, Frontier Developments and Ninja Theory, who are currently building a new base on Newmarket Road complete with a gaming pub.

Our Computer Games Art course scored 92% for ‘The Teaching on my Course’ in the National Student Survey 2019.

By studying Computer Games Art at ARU, you’ll get the chance to improve your prospects with live briefs and guest speakers from tech giants like Sony, Jagex and Frontier.

Our flexible modules allow you to explore different aspects of digital art, helping you specialise and future-proof your career. And with TIGA accreditation, this course gives you a badge of excellence to show future employers too.

We're also partners with the Global Science & Technology Forum, giving you access to cutting-edge research materials.

During your time at ARU, you’ll receive ongoing support to find placements and work experience relevant to your Computer Games Art and you can take an optional placement year. In recent times, ARM, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Frontier and Just Flight have all offered internships and work opportunities to ARU students.

Our Masters degree is the longest established MA Music Therapy course in the UK, and is taught at the internationally renowned Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research. We earned the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2021 for our music therapy research, receiving particular recognition for our focus on the wellbeing of people living with dementia.

We welcome applications from practising with appropriate clinical experience, who would like to use music to support the health and wellbeing of patients and clients.Supported by experts, you’ll gain a strong foundation in the principles and practice of music therapy, underpinned by the latest research and evidence base.

Our MA Music Therapy is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council, so when you graduate you’ll be eligible to register with the HCPC – a legal requirement for your future career as a practising music therapist in the UK.Studying our full-time two-year Masters in Music Therapy will show you how you can use your music to support the health and well-being of patients and clients.

We’ll introduce you to the most recent, effective music therapy approaches, which you can try out in clinical placements in locations such as schools, hospitals and other community settings.You’ll be supervised by qualified music therapists, gaining invaluable experience of working in a multidisciplinary team and preparation for your future career.

At ARU, you’ll be taught in our purpose-designed music therapy centre and have access to a wide range of musical instruments, recording equipment and suite of computer music studios.Our experiential teaching includes developing your improvisation skills, focused work on your first instrument, and using keyboard, single line instrument and voice. You’ll also study music therapy theory and links to practice.

Psychology affects everything we do. You’re curious about people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour – and that’s what sits at the heart of our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree course.

We’ll encourage you to keep asking questions, to develop the scientific, analytical and research skills you need to become a psychologist. Together, we’ll explore the different facets of psychology including applied, social and clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience and biological psychology.

By studying BSc (Hons) Psychology at ARU, you’ll immerse yourself in the science of mind and behaviour – and take the first step towards a career as a chartered psychologist.

Psychology is a broad field and there are many areas you could specialise in.

Our BSc (Hons) Psychology degree will give you a sound understanding of the main principles of psychology. But we know you’ll find particular areas that you’re fascinated by. All psychologists do. So, right from Year 1, our optional modules give you the freedom to explore your own interests in more depth.

You’ll learn from expert tutors who are actively engaged in research work. And you can take advantage of our specialist facilities too, including laboratories for measuring electrical activity in the brain, eye movement, psychoneuroimmunology, emotions and communication, psychometrics, and much more.

Outside of the lab, there’s the chance to join weekly seminars from guest speakers and take an optional placement year.

After graduation, you can continue your professional training and find a career that’s perfect for you. You might choose to specialise as a forensic, clinical, health or occupational psychologist. The choice is yours.

Learn to create images that tell compelling stories, whether your dream is to be a fashion or fine art photographer or a photojournalist.

As a photography student at ARU you’ll explore many areas of photographic practice including digital and analogue image-making, experimental crossovers, multimedia, self-publishing and exhibition.

Take full advantage of our specialist darkrooms, photographic studios, and digital post-production and printing suite. You can also borrow specialist camera equipment through our dedicated loan service.

All your work will be supported by academic staff working at the forefront of photographic research and innovation and have years of professional experience. You will be taught through individual tutorial and studio sessions, as well as in group lectures and workshops, with regular career development events throughout your study. Recent guest speakers have included Tom Hunter, Jane Hilton, Tim Flach, Hannah Starkey, Carole Evans, Alastair Levy, Mike Crawford and Lillian Wilkie.

Through continuous experimentation, you’ll be encouraged to refine your photographic style and voice.

Critical and contextual studies will connect your own research and writing to your practice and will guide you to specialist resources in our campus library. Explore hundreds of photographers’ monographs and access technical and contextual texts, as well as other online resources, to underpin and expand your practice.

You can expand your skillset, with additional technical workshops including printmaking, 3D work and writing workshops. You can choose to take part in photography field trips too, and experience photographing different locations such as Venice and Prague.

While studying BA (Hons) Photography with us, you’ll learn to adopt a professional approach to your work, covering aspects of career management such as rights issues, project management and self-promotion through social media. You can choose to take up work placements that will help you establish your own professional network, including opportunities such as working for magazines, galleries and photographers. You can also take an optional placement year.

Prepare for a career in technical art in the visual effects and video games industry. Develop your skills to meet demand for roles including technical artist, procedural content creator and technical director.

Our BA (Hons) Visual Effects Technical Art will help you become an artist skilled in the latest procedural 3D techniques, who can work alongside programmers, developers and other artists.Using the latest procedural content creation software, you’ll learn to design and deploy solutions to problems encountered in the video games and visual effects industries.

As well as exploring the key areas of working with VFX and computer graphics, our course will keep you up to date with the latest techniques and trends. We'll also help you identify the supporting skills and knowledge that you’ll need to succeed in the creative industries.

Throughout your Visual Effects Technical Art degree, our expert staff are on hand to offer support and feedback. They’ll help you create an online presence to showcase your work. All our lecturers and staff are researchers and practitioners, and their work reflects current VFX practice.

With our BSc (Hons) Audio & Music Technology degree, you’ll integrate theories of sound into your audio projects, as you build a portfolio for a future career in the creative industries, including live sound, gaming, broadcast and film.

Under the guidance of experienced academic staff and industry-active practitioners, you will spend time developing a broad, balanced skill set, acquiring proficiencies in the design, integration, and operation of the technologies and techniques that will underpin your future career.

Study on a degree that scored 100% for Overall Satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2019.

Our Audio and Music Technology course is accredited by JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support). The JAMES trained assessors and the accreditation panel members are working professionals with the experience and knowledge to evaluate the industrial relevance of a course.

Make the most of Cambridge’s diverse music scene with our links to local networks such as Cambridge Arts Network and Cambridge Live – from classical music to UK rap or even film and computer game soundtrack, there are plenty of opportunities to explore your style.

Take advantage of an optional work placement between years two and three, plus internships with our industry partners and practitioners. Opportunities like these provide great experience to include on your CV plus a fantastic opportunity to make those essential industry contacts.

Spend time working in climate-controlled recording studios and audio/video production facilities with support from our dedicated technical team. Develop your music and experiment with different styles and techniques as you immerse yourself in our industrious and collaborative student community, and join our award-winning Audio Music Technology Society and gain access to work experience at professional venues.