Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Literature and Journalism

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Literature can offer new perspectives on familiar themes, as well as open doors to unfamiliar ideas and cultures which are temporally or spatially remote from your own. It is an ideal source for philosophical reflection, exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

Our BA Philosophy and English Literature degree encourages you to expand your imaginative capacities and to critically reflect on possibilities for how the world could be, by engaging with a wide variety of perspectives. You will gain skills in understanding how to read and interpret in context, and in how to formulate your own arguments, to arrive at your own conclusions.

In your first year, you might choose to study international and American literature or revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations. In Philosophy, you might explore questions which lie at the heart of much literature, such as whether anything can give meaning to life, and whether our striving to achieve anything of significance is ultimately futile, even ridiculous. The philosophy of film and literature module addresses the assumption that anything is possible in fiction and considers the extent to which that is true.

All our English Literature and Philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings.

In your second year, you’ll focus on period-based literature from the Renaissance onwards and gain an understanding of literary history, from Elizabethan verse and drama, via Augustan poetry and the emergence of the novel in the 18th century, to the radical transformations of the Victorian age, and the emergence of modernity in the 20th century. In Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of topics, which includes a module on the nature of art, expression and representation (in literary as well as visual art), and modules on influential texts in philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic.

The final year allows for even more opportunity to tailor your degree to reflect your own interests. On the literature side, themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, 21 st century American literature, European crime fiction, literary adaptations and the culture of print in the 18th century. A wide variety of Philosophy modules are available, including modules on feminist philosophy, the nature of language and meaning, and a module on Nietzsche, who is well-known for his literary style.

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

Motorsport’s not just exciting entertainment, but also an important part of automotive development. It challenges engineers to be innovative in using the latest technologies to design high-performance vehicles. You’ll find most modules on this course are common with those on our general automotive engineering degree. However, you’ll also learn about aerodynamics of high- speed vehicles and high-performance engine design, testing and mapping. One of the big highlights is to get involved in designing, building and racing a Student Formula car. This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• This BEng Honours in Automotive Engineering with Motorsport will give you the opportunity for hands-on motorsport from your first year onwards, if you wish by getting involved in the design, build and racing of a single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition;
• Your studies will reflect the latest thinking in the industry as the School is supported by a Motor Industry Advisory Panel which includes representatives from many well-known automotive companies;
• Our MEng Automotive Engineering with Motorsport students have previously completed work placement years at companies including: McLaren Automotive, Mercedes-Benz Grand Priz Limited and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains;
• Your MEng studies involve an extra year and will provide you with a broader and deeper understanding of the subject
• Recent Automotive Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: Williams Grand Prix Engineering, McLaren Racing Limited, and Renault Sport.

• Allocated specialist support.
• Time to reflect and develop as a designer.
• Flexibility of core module delivery.
• Supported studio & workshop space.
• Collaborations with other Creative Arts disciplines.
• Take a look at our MA Design Leaflet.

Why choose this course?

MA Product Design is a Masters award within the MA Art and Design programme at the School of Creative Arts. Within the programme there is strong emphasis on professional practice and the real-world applications of art and design. You will develop key research skills and gain a good understanding of the work of other practitioners in your field.

The aim of the postgraduate programme is to equip you with the skills, knowledge and understanding required to practice at an advanced level, to foster your creativity and enhance your employment opportunities. You will work alongside artists and designers who are involved with a wide variety of media and forms. Induction, seminars and social events for students and staff mean that you will be part of a friendly and supportive postgraduate community, which also includes film makers, musicians and professionals working in new media. Senior research staff and internationally renowned artists work with postgraduate students, helping you to develop original and challenging work.

The MA Product Design degree aims to provide you with an understanding of the cutting-edge of design practice and to develop your creative and technical abilities as a designer. It will be of interest to product and industrial designers and design professionals working in related fields.

You will develop the entrepreneurial and industrial skills you need to develop your career to its full potential and gain a detailed understanding of the commercial and industrial contexts of contemporary design, alongside some of the theoretical and cultural ideas that shape contemporary design practices.

You will also consider design from the perspective of the society and people who use it. The course looks at practical approaches and the research methods involved in product design. Attention is focused on human users from ergonomic, ecological, social and psychological perspectives and the development of products in a post-industrial age where technology and production may respond to customer demands with speed.

Our staff are experienced in research and professional practice, and you will also benefit from contributions from visiting designers, makers and design professionals, as well as from involvement with our international exhibitions programme and close links with industry partners.

This course brings together several distinct but interrelated themes, to promote broad understanding and the examination of diverse areas in Sports and Psychology. The dominant programme themes are Physical Activity and Sports Development, and Sports Business Management which develop in terms of depth and complexity as the level of study increases. These are studied alongside research methods required for Higher Education, where students have the opportunity to further develop their research skills and experience within the second and third year. Students will also study Social, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, and will be introduced to study skills for psychology.

• Opportunity to visit Utrecht University as part of a Sports Business Management exchange
• Final year project poster presentation day: opportunity for final year students to experience a conference-style event, which is attended by the External Examiner. 
• Excellent links with alumni who often offer opportunities to current undergraduate students
• Student mentoring scheme whereby first year students access support from postgraduate, final year and second year students who, in turn, enhance their CVs by acting as mentors
• You will benefit from some of the best university-based sports and fitness facilities in the UK.
• Opportunities to support research.

Indicative course structure

Economics drives business, informs policy and affects everyone’s lives. With its applied business focus, this course emphasises the economic analysis of key business functions and the industrial structure of market economies and the global environment. It will give you a detailed understanding of the principles of economics and teach you how to apply these principles to support decision making. As well as developing an understanding of the nature of pricing, investment, employment and many other decisions businesses have to take, you’ll have the option to study modules in marketing, accounting finance and human resource management.

You can also study a language with this course. You can be awarded the degree ‘with language’ in the title if you choose to study a foreign language in all years of study. 

• To receive a broad intellectual learning experience by studying economic issues within the wider political and social environment;
• to develop a critical understanding of the principles of economic theory;
• for an appreciation of different approaches to economic problems and their relevance for real life circumstances; 
• to develop the ability to apply the theories of economics to a range of decision making problems in business;
• to become equipped with a set of subject specific and transferable skills needed to pursue a successful career.

The programme supports you in developing your knowledge and understanding of issues and practice through enquiry and research. The programme provides a range of module choices, but you are encouraged to bring your own ideas and focus on your own particular professional interests. This award is gained through taking an early childhood education focus for 50% of the study, including the Dissertation.

Applicants must have substantial experience of practice in early childhood educational settings, or must have a bachelor degree in early childhood education.

The MA Early Childhood Education is offered as part of a suite of awards available through the MA Education Framework.

This MA Early Childhood Education award aims to equip students to enhance service provision at nursery, local and national level becoming or preparing to become a change agent in their own practice and in early childhood practice in general.  Students will build on and deepen their knowledge and understanding of practice and theory in relation to child development, curriculum design and pedagogical leadership

Through this programme you will

• Develop and deepen your knowledge and understanding of issues relating to education practice through critical reflection, analysis and enquiry
• Develop your ability to critically analyse educational theory and how it links to practice
• Become a member of a supportive learning community and learn from professionals from a range of educational settings
• Become a successful practitioner researcher

Students typically explore areas such as interactive advertising, responsive objects and environments, networked information and social-media systems, interactive video, live performance technology and digital art installations.

Study with a top history department and be taught from the cutting edge of historical research. We are ranked first among all History departments in the country for the social and cultural impact of our research and fifth for the overall quality of our research. Our world leading experts have published widely, won prizes for their work, and contribute to national and international television and radio. Our publications include a contribution to Harry Potter: A History of Magic, the companion book to the recent exhibition of the same name at the British Library.

Through our diverse and inclusive curriculum students will learn about an array of cultures and identities. Topics range from magic and witchcraft, to propaganda and popular protest, to health and family life.

What links our work is our focus on people’s history and everyday lives. This is represented strongly in our first year programme, which will give you an insight into the making of the modern world through exploration of faith, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

The modules you take in your second and third year allow you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting; you might focus on a region, such as Europe, or a particular period, such as the twentieth century. Whichever path you choose, you will find challenging and stimulating courses.

In your final year, you demonstrate your research skills by producing a dissertation on a topic of your choosing. Previous students have been inspired by their year of study abroad, while others have worked on the history of jiu jitsu, women code breakers at Bletchley Park, the Notting Hill riots, and vice and sexuality in 17th-century London. One of the recent presidents of the University’s Students’ Union wrote her dissertation during her final year of study with us on changing perceptions of the devil, while one of our final year students won the British Commission for Maritime History Prize in 2016 for his dissertation on the East India Company.

We give you: 

• An exceptional academic team, conducting world-leading research
• Stimulating, innovative courses - our students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible program of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• The opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

In our so-called ‘post-truth’ era of fake news and alternative facts, what does it mean to communicate the truth? What are the ethical and philosophical issues journalists face in today’s globalised world?

Our BA Philosophy and Journalism degree allows you to examine our fundamental desire to communicate and discuss important shared events and experiences, through two distinct approaches. You’ll develop a range of journalistic skills while exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

In your first year you’ll be introduced to the practical craft of journalism, explore the law and ethics surrounding journalism and learn to think critically by examining reason and persuasion in the media, including the use of rhetoric and propaganda. You’ll also study social and political philosophy, covering topics such as freedom of speech and terrorism, and examine the nature of knowledge and reality.

All our philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings.

Our journalism team are highly experienced practitioners, who’ll help you develop the skills to produce work in different styles and for diverse markets. You’ll learn how to source stories and get hands-on experience as part of a vibrant student community and through work placements. You’ll take part in News Lab workshops, conduct interviews, write features and join lively group discussions.

In your second year you’ll delve into influential works of philosophy and political theory such as the themes in Plato’s Republic. You’ll also have the opportunity to specialize in news or feature writing, radio journalism or social media.

In your final year you’ll develop your journalism skills portfolio, examine journalism, government and the people and have the opportunity to develop your interests in topics such as political or feminist philosophy, or the philosophy of language.

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

Accounting is a vital and fascinating part of today’s global economy. Studying it here with us at Hertfordshire brings you face to face with current trends, practices and concepts – not just within accountancy itself, but in the wider world of business.

Our BA Accounting degree is a highly practical, relevant course. It gives you the sought-after skills, latest academic theory and real-world experience you need to become a confident, knowledgeable, forward-thinking graduate with exceptional career prospects.

The course explores the role of accountancy in businesses of all sizes and forms, opening your eyes to the diverse range of potential career paths ahead. It’s a multi-disciplinary, globally focused accounting degree, developed with innovative industry-leading companies and respected professional bodies.

At Hertfordshire, you’ll be taught by our team of leading academics, who together have created a supportive, inspiring learning environment. They’re joined by visiting industry specialists who bring with them years of real-world accounting experience and a real enthusiasm for sharing their insights with you.

We have strong links with the UK’s leading professional accounting bodies, including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finances and Accounting (CIPFA). 

These close ties mean that when you finish your degree, you’ll have exemptions from some of their highly respected professional accountancy exams, becoming a fully qualified accountant sooner.

During your degree, you’ll also have the opportunity to join the ACCA’s accelerate scheme and the CIMA university scheme, giving you associated membership of those bodies when you graduate. Membership comes with some really valuable benefits, including discounted accountancy exam fees, access to great resources and exciting networking opportunities.

You can also study a language with this course. You can be awarded the degree ‘with language’ in the title if you choose to study a foreign language in all years of study.

While you’re working towards your accounting degree, you’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad or take a work placement. Both experiences will strengthen your skills, build your confidence and make you stand out to potential future employers.

• Developed in collaboration with ACCA, ICAEW and CIMA, our course gives you exemptions from professional exams, helping you qualify faster.
• Input from industry leaders and professional bodies adds real-world skills to academic theory, giving you the competitive edge.
• You’ll be taught by leading academics and innovative industry specialists with years of hands-on experience in commercial accounting.
• We’ll help you find a valuable work placement, developing sought-after skills either in the UK or overseas.
• You’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad for part of your course, developing confidence, experience and practical language skills.

The MSc in Data Science and Analytics utilises our strong international reputation for research in these areas. The expertise of our staff influences this course which explores current research and practice in data science and analytics, extending students’ knowledge and understanding of the principles and practice of obtaining data from various sources, the essential methods for pre-processing and cleaning data, data analytics and modelling. 

This course is part of our Master's programme in Computer Science. 

• This MSc is available with an optional one-year industry placement. 
• One of a range of advanced courses within our postgraduate Master's programme in Computer Science, this particular course provides you with a specialism in Data Science  and Analytics
• Advanced topics studied include mathematics and programming of data science, data mining, machine learning and neural artificis, and data analytics applications.
• Taught by a highly-regarded and long-established computer science department.
• Sixty percent of our research impact in Computer Science and Informatics at the University of Hertfordshire has been rated at world-leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.