Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Chinese and International Business with year abroad

at University of Westminster - Regent Campus United Kingdom

Our Chinese and International Relations course focuses on questions of governance, democracy and human rights while training competent Chinese linguists ready to enter graduate employment.

You'll have the opportunity to study language, culture and international relations in an integrated way, exploring the connections between them and the broader geopolitical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. You'll also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

Top reasons to study with us

• Combine language skills with a knowledge of global affairs – develop your language skills against a backdrop of political and social understanding
• Learn Chinese in context – our authentic teaching, which focuses on language in a cultural context, equips you for real-life situations in the Chinese-speaking world
• Practise your language skills abroad – spend a year abroad perfecting your communication skills in a Chinese-speaking country
• Benefit from an expert teaching team – you'll learn from internationally recognised experts and benefit from the significant amount of contact time allocated to language learning on the course

This course looks at the way that museums, galleries and other cultural institutions are changing to meet the needs of the 21st century. The MA has been designed for students who wish to work as curators, arts organisers, museum professional and other cultural managers and who want to know in particular how these institutions face contemporary issues. It looks at the changing role of cultural provision and how agencies, festivals and flexible organisations shape, house, fund, and disseminate culture today. The course also gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the contemporary debates about working practices in cultural institutions, and the changing context in which organisations operate.

The course concentrates on professional practice and you will work closely with institutions such as Tate Britain and the Museum of London, and conduct case studies into creative projects run by organisations as diverse as the Victoria and Albert Museum, smaller independent galleries and London-based festivals and arts organisations. Classes are taught off-site at other institutions, and involve professionals from the sector as much as possible to give you an understanding of vocational issues and a close involvement in the workplace.

Our degree offers the exciting combination of the study of Chinese language and culture alongside the wider study of the forms, structures and varieties of language itself.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in Chinese, proficiency in language transfer skills, and a thorough knowledge of Chinese culture. On graduation, you'll be able to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas. We teach in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between language and culture and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. 

Top reasons to study with us

• Enhance your language skills abroad – You'll have the option to spend a full academic year abroad in your third year, or shorter periods ranging from a few days to a full semester
• Mix language with culture – Develop your Chinese language skills alongside your cultural knowledge of the Chinese-speaking world with our integrated curriculum
• Expert teaching – You'll study with world experts in creoles, pidgins and sociolinguistics
• Be supported – You'll receive individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules

Our French and International Relations course focuses on questions of governance, democracy and human rights, while training competent French linguists ready to enter graduate employment.

This course will enable you to achieve a good or high level of linguistic competence in French in all four skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking), and a critical understanding of culture and politics from the perspective of the changing dynamics of the global political order. You will have the opportunity to study language, culture and international relations in an integrated way, exploring the connections between them and the broader geopolitical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced. You will also gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

We place particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context, and offer high-quality teaching in all language skills.

We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.

You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign languages skills in all areas.

You'll develop a high level of competence in oral and written communication in French, proficiency in language transfer skills, a thorough knowledge of French culture, and the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.

You'll have the opportunity to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where French is the official language. You can also study an elective module from across the University in each year.

Law is an interesting and challenging discipline that impacts at every level, from people's individual daily lives to the operations of government on the international stage. Increasingly the international dimension to legal study has become more important, across a wide range of legal areas, as the influence of European and international organisations has become so significant.

The Law LLB Honours offers you an exciting and dynamic educational experience, while also providing you with the core subjects required by the professional legal bodies. The legal profession requires graduates to possess both intellectual and practical skills, and the course explicitly addresses these requirements with a structured programme of skills development. It will equip you with the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

You can also add an international dimension to your studies through a further year of law study abroad in one of the School's partner institutions in Europe and overseas.

Top reasons to study with us

• Practise in a real-world environment – as part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your legal skills at the Westminster Law School Legal Advice Clinic
• Develop mastery of an area of the law with subject streams developed by our research-led experts – you can specialise in entertainment and media law, commercial law, international law, theory and human rights law, criminal law and justice, or welfare law
• An international outlook – the Law LLB has several international law options, the chance to study abroad, the option to learn a foreign language alongside your studies and is supported by our International and European Student Law Societies
• Boost your employability – skills and work-based learning modules are available in every year of the course
• Personalise your learning – with a vast range of optional modules to choose from

Our Creative Writing and English Literature BA combines the study of literary and non-literary texts in English with the development of your own creative writing skills.

The study of texts and their background in the history of ideas informs your progress as a writer, while your experience of writing in a variety of genres (the novel, the short story, poetry and drama) enhances your appreciation of literature.

This course will be of particular interest to those who wish to write or develop their reading with the experience that comes from writing literary texts. You’ll gain the knowledge and understanding necessary to begin a career in freelance writing, publishing, theatre, or teaching literature and creative writing. The course will also equip you with the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

Top reasons to study with us

• Fantastic location for the creative industries – London has unrivalled access to publishing houses, film production companies, theatre and poetry networks, and other literary opportunities
• Writer-led workshops – all of our creative writing tutors are either practising poets, dramatists or novelists
• Subject-leading researchers – our English Literature staff are leading experts in their fields, producing internationally recognised research that they bring straight back into the classroom
• Gain valuable industry contacts – you’ll have the opportunity to make writing contacts through our talented creative writing tutors, our expert guest speakers and our industry links
• Get experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
• Opportunities to gain international experience – our students enjoy regular field trips and amazing opportunities to travel, work and study abroad

Our Politics BA equips you with an understanding of the relationship between government and society in regions all over the world, from Europe, the Middle East and Asia to North and South America.

Studying for a politics degree will help you to understand and think critically about political events, the interplay of domestic and international politics, how resources and power are distributed in society; how decisions are made; and why political systems develop in the ways that they do.

You'll study political concepts, ideas, values and institutions, and explore the relationship between political theory and practice.

Our graduates go on to work in a range of sectors, including the Civil Service, government, NGOs, international organisations, think tanks, teaching and research.

Top reasons to study with us

• An enhanced learning experience – Our central London location allows us to take you out of the classroom to visit places such as the Houses of Parliament, government departments, international organisations, NGOs, exhibitions and museums
• Our truly international outlook – We have been named the most diverse university in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand (source: Hotcourses Diversity Index 2018), with students representing 170 nationalities
• A supportive community – We provide a supportive, inclusive and dynamic environment with high student satisfaction. There are plenty of opportunities for community engagement, not least through the student-led Democratic Education Network - a runner-up ‘Student Experience’ initiative in the Guardian University Awards 2019

The Translation and Interpreting MA is open to native and non-native speakers of English, who combine English with any of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. The course provides you with extensive professional training aimed at the translation and interpreting markets, building on your existing language skills to develop a career in those sectors.

The course involves translation as well as conference and public service interpreting between one main language (Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish) and English. You will learn how to research specialised subjects for professional translation and interpreting purposes and hone your translation and interpreting skills by extensive practice, applying insights drawn from linguistics and translation and interpreting theory as well as from professional practice. You will also engage with a comprehensive programme of professional development activities and will further complement the knowledge and skills acquired on the core modules by choosing either Translation as Cultural Practice or International Liaison as an option module. At the end of the course, you will submit an MA Interpreting Project, an MA Translation Project, or an MA Dissertation.

Our Arabic and International Business BA will help you develop the skills and knowledge you'll need to succeed in the internationalised business world.

In today's global economy, language skills are of significant value to prospective employers when combined with business expertise. This combination can greatly enhance your career opportunities.

On our course, you'll have the opportunity to study Arabic language, culture and international business in an integrated way, exploring the relationships between these elements and the broader economic, financial and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

Our comprehensive language training places strong emphasis on the use of language in a professional environment, while our business modules will allow you to gain a solid understanding of international business – a combination that will enable you to gain the real-world skills required to progress to a rewarding career.

The training you'll receive in cross-cultural communication will equip you with the flexibility, adaptability and creativity required in global interactions.

You'll also have the opportunity to benefit from experiencing life, culture and the world of work or study outside the UK by taking part in an optional year-long placement overseas. Study placements take place at a partner educational institution in a country where Arabic is the official language.

Psychology is the study of the human mind and our behaviour, while criminology is all about the causes of crime and ways to prevent and control it.

This is a unique degree covering both British Psychological Society accreditation and QAA standards for criminology, which will allow you to study both psychology and criminology, and will equip you to understand human motivation and behaviour and apply that insight to legal and criminal contexts, opening up an exciting range of career opportunities once you graduate.

At Westminster, we have a solid background of teaching and research in these highly desirable subjects. We take an international perspective and draw on our expertise related to human trafficking and issues connected to the Global South.

We make the most of our long-established links with key partners in the criminal justice and forensic psychology areas to enhance your student experience. This includes links with a number of local Magistrates' Courts, the Central Criminal Court, Broadmoor Hospital, victim support at the Old Bailey, HMP Whitemoor, Feltham YOI, and the Metropolitan Police, all of which offer opportunities for educational visits and/or work placements.

We make full use of our central London location, with learning taking place both inside and outside the classroom and including visits to a theatre and a museum, field walks and opportunities for work-based learning.

Top reasons to study with us

• A wide range of option modules provides a truly multidisciplinary perspective on crime and psychology
• Our experienced team draw on their research and scholarly activity to provide you with a global perspective on crime and psychology
• Our degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Gaining a BPS accredited qualification is necessary if you wish to pursue a career as a Chartered Psychologist in the areas of forensic, clinical, occupational, counselling, health, educational, and sports and exercise psychology
• Based in our Regent Campus and Cavendish Campus in central London, you'll enjoy the benefits of studying in a major global city
• A work placement module is built into the course, to help you get ahead before graduating
• Between Years 2 and 3 you'll have the option to complete an additional year on a work placement or studying abroad