Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History and Politics

at Keele University United Kingdom

You’ll develop a solid foundation of theory and practical skills, building to cover advanced concepts and contemporary issues in chemistry in later years. You’ll have hands-on experience with state-of-the-art scientific instruments and techniques, and enjoy access to dedicated IT facilities. You’ll learn to use chemistry in problem solving, and to present your theories and findings confidently and imaginatively to your audiences.

For the Mathematics aspect of this course you will explore the beauty, elegance and practicality of pure mathematics, applied mathematics and statistics. You will learn to apply maths for a range of purposes which may include developing precise and logical arguments, constructing rigorous proofs, and formulating solutions to new problems. You will study in an intellectually stimulating environment.

If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into our BSc (Hons) Biology and Data Science Degree degree, our Foundation Year can provide an alternative route into your degree.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years’ experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you’ll study on campus, joining our community from the outset, and you will have access to a range of support.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease, obesity and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories and be taught by a team of engaging academics.

Practical chemistry is taught in our teaching laboratories and staff have direct experience of working in pharmaceutical companies and can therefore challenge you to develop the rigorous and demanding scientific approach that the industry expects. You’ll develop essential skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

The chemistry courses at Keele provide an innovative curriculum and high quality teaching. In your final year you will undertake a research project and learn how to conduct effective independent research.

Natural Sciences allows you to study a broad range of disciplines within a Single Honours programme. You choose one core discipline as a named route, accounting for half of your learning, that ensures you have a solid grounding in an established discipline. The remaining half of your learning is through an even mix of programme-specific interdisciplinary modules that cover the full range of disciplines offered by the programme and your own choice of elective modules that allows you to mix and match different subjects.

In Astrophysics, you will learn to formulate and tackle problems – from below the level of the atomic nucleus to astronomical scales. Astrophysics is active wherever the laws of physics are being tested to the limit – and beyond. Keele will help you to use astronomical observations, mathematical models and computer simulation to develop theories explaining some of the most complex phenomena.

Education at Keele is distinctive because of its strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying Education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele aims to introduce you to many of the big questions concerning education and schooling both in the UK and also internationally. Why do we go to school? What should we learn? How should we learn it? What is the main aim of education? How is educational success linked to students' gender, race and socio-economic background?

In looking at these types of 'big' questions and thinking historically, sociologically and philosophically, the course thinks critically about all aspects of education including primary, secondary and university levels. Whether you are intending to teach or just have an interest in education, this course will explore your assumptions about learning and consider your own school experiences. 

This course examines the geological aspects of the Earth, its structure, formation, composition, history, processes, resources and hazards. There is particular emphasis on the geoforensic analysis of earth materials and how it can be applied to a range of criminal, civil and environmental criminal applications. You will learn how geoforensic trace evidence can be used to link material or an offender to a crime scene. The course also includes how to undertake a multi-phased geoforensic search for missing persons, suspected murder victims, environmental/wildlife crime and to recover items of forensic interest.

Geoforensics is a practical subject requiring the use of applied problem-solving, laboratory and field skills where you will learn how to collect and analyse geoforensic data, and conduct geoforensic search for a range of items of forensic interest. This course provides a diverse range of specialist options. We focus particularly on applied research skills and you will learn to carry out your own research using specialist software and equipment. All of our single honours students are offered a work placement module in year 2.

You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources.

The MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations is distinctive as it is one of the most diverse collections of Masters pathways in the UK. The programme offers the possibility of developing an individual specialism as well as learning about broader issues in the pathway, and in wider fields of Politics and International Relations. You will gain a thorough grounding in the philosophical and practical issues underpinning study and research in Politics and International Relations. You will study 3 compulsory core taught modules, 4 optional modules and a dissertation over 12 months. 

Key benefits of studying for the MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations include; small class sizes, expert dissertation supervision on cutting-edge issues and debates, a dynamic academic community, strong student-staff relations and stimulating extra-curricular seminars and workshops. Staff and students regularly organise research events, which provide important opportunities for learning, networking and collegial debate on contemporary political and philosophical issues. For example, we host an annual Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, a bi-annual European Consortium on Political Research environmental politics PhD summer school, and in recent years have organised several ESRC-funded (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series.

Physician Associates (PAs) are healthcare professionals, trained in a generalist medical model to deliver care and treatment within hospital and community environments. A PA works independently, under the supervision of a senior doctor, to diagnose, manage and treat a range of patients as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Once qualified, PAs may also develop a specialist area of practice.

Keele’s PA course utilises a diverse range of teaching faculty including PAs, clinicians, scientists and researchers to maximise students’ learning potential. Furthermore, Keele’s placement providers are committed to developing PAs for recruitment into their organisations. Postgraduate medicine is closely affiliated to the North Staffordshire PA Internship Programme and is actively involved with the development of PA education nationally.

The programme's interdisciplinary approach to understanding some of the world’s most pressing problems means you’ll study a wide range of subjects, including the social sciences, arts, humanities and the natural sciences. We adopt an innovative approach to teaching, for example, previous students have engaged in 'living labs' where students have explored local issues and their potential solutions through field trips.

You will have the opportunity to apply knowledge and generate evidence and understanding by engaging with living communities and landscapes. Students will pursue hands-on research into Britain’s industrial, social, economic and cultural history as well as current/future-oriented issues which may include economic regeneration, social and political challenges and environmental sustainability, citizenship and creativity with opportunities for learning analytical, communication, presentational, writing and research skills. Whilst hosted in the School of Social, Political and Global Studies, Liberal Arts is closely associated with the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS). As part of ILAS, our Liberal Arts students are encouraged to engage fully in the Institute's lively events programme, including the Grand Challenges Lectures series, interdisciplinary workshops, discussion groups and research seminars.

Film Studies is an exciting, diverse and creative area of academic study. Keele offers you the chance to focus intensively on the history and theory of the medium and then apply this in the form of practical work, developing scriptwriting and filmmaking skills. You will learn to employ theoretical, historical and cultural strands of enquiry to analyse both classical and contemporary cinema, as well as making creative connections between Film and other art forms, such as literature and photography.