Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Politics

at University of Westminster - Regent Campus United Kingdom

Global issues and challenges, such as armed conflicts, terrorism, global warming and environmental degradation, economic inequality and injustice, migration, religious and cultural discord, have gained increased prominence, as have the range of actors and stakeholders at global, national and local level engaged in diplomatic activity to address them. Negotiated solutions are increasingly in demand and so are professionals with the knowledge and skills to engage effectively in diplomatic activity in a diverse and contested world.

The Diplomacy and Global Politics MA is designed to equip you with the theoretical and practical knowledge of international relations and the art of negotiation required at a global stage. As a diplomatic stakeholder, you'll be at the centre of forging crucial ties, resolving crises, shaping events and witnessing history in the making.

This course is for recent graduates and early career professionals who wish to improve their knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of contemporary diplomacy and global politics, enhance their professional skills and advance their careers. It also provides a strong foundation for those who wish to engage in further study of diplomacy, diplomatic innovation, and the study of global politics and governance, as well as bilateral, multilateral, and multi-stakeholder negotiations.

The Cultural and Critical Studies MA is part of the Cultural and Literary Studies Suite, a cluster of four MAs that bring together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary and experiential perspectives. You will share classes with students from the Art and Visual Culture MA, the English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Fictions MA and the Museum, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA, joining a fruitful and intellectually rigorous environment designed to facilitate interdisciplinary thinking. As part of our Suite, you may also choose an option module from the other three MA programmes (what is referred to as an ‘elective’ module), a fantastic opportunity to explore a facet of culture outside of your chosen MA programme.

The Cultural and Critical Studies MA offers you the rare opportunity to study contemporary critical and cultural debates across a wide range of fields. Exploring a variety of different visual, textual and popular forms of culture, the course will particularly appeal to those with wide-ranging interests in the arts and humanities, as well as those interested in cutting-edge theoretical debates.

At Westminster, we'll train you to become a competent linguist in modern languages, ready to enter graduate employment. 

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

Our course offers you an opportunity to study the French and English languages and cultures in an integrated interdisciplinary way, exploring the connections between them and the broader historical and cross-cultural contexts in which they are produced.

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), enhance your skills in using English, and develop linguistic and cultural knowledge and understanding.

You’ll be able to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations and you’ll gain the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

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 your understanding of the English language in terms of the way it is structured, its linguistic diversity in Britain and around the world as a global language, the ways in which it varies between different texts, and, at a wider level, the ways in which it reflects and contributes to wider meanings in society.  You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the history of the English language and consider the theoretical tools of both literary analysis and language research in detail.

You may have the option to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or approved form of employment in a country where French is the official language. You can also study an optional module from a range of topics across the University in each year.

Our English Language and Global Communication BA develops your understanding of the English language and the complexities of global communication in order to help you thrive in a professional global context.

You'll achieve a thorough knowledge of culture through comparative, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches and via the analysis of the forms and practices of cultural transmission. You'll develop the linguistic resources, strategies and intercultural awareness and flexibility essential for effective communication in global professional environments.

Our combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning will ensure that you graduate with an array of important transferable skills including cultural insight, the ability to evaluate and apply theory, undertake research and utilise creative and precise analytic capabilities. Engagement in small research projects and the associated ethical issues ensures that you'll have experience of considering and complying with ethical requirements.

Top reasons to study with us

• Enhance your communication skills abroad – You'll have the option to immerse yourself in another culture by spending a full academic year abroad. You can spend one or two semesters at a partner institution in Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia
• Interdisciplinary learning – Our course enhances your written and spoken English skills while developing your knowledge of the English language and your understanding of communication within cross-cultural settings
• Become a global citizen – Studying our degree, you'll gain a high degree of linguistic and cultural autonomy, and develop the skills and international outlook to thrive in intercultural settings
• Learn transferable skills – Our degree will prepare you for a variety of careers by helping you to build your communication, research, critical and analytical skills

Our Spanish 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.

You'll have the opportunity to study Spanish 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.

Top reasons to study with us

• Gain practical Spanish language skills and intercultural awareness in simulated and authentic professional contexts  
• Experience a sophisticated business environment – our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Financial Markets Suite allows you to gain first-hand exposure to technology that’s widely adopted in leading global investment banks in the major financial centres of the world
• Benefit from an (optional) international experience through a placement, study abroad and/or field trips. Previous field trip destinations have included Morocco, Hong Kong, France, Cuba and Argentina
• Receive tailored academic support and career planning through our tutorials
• Enjoy opportunities to practise one-to-one conversation with a native speaker through the Languages Plus programme

Our Chinese and Global Communication BA develops your knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, and develops your communication skills for the professional global environment.

The curriculum integrates applied language skills and cultural studies, while ensuring a rigorous development of your foreign language competence 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. 

You'll improve your ability as an intercultural communicator by studying how our ideas are shaped and communicated in a global society, where our interactions are no longer confined by national, regional or cultural boundaries.

Top reasons to study with us

• Enhance your language skills abroad – You'll have the option to spend a full academic year abroad between Years 2 and 3, or shorter periods ranging from a few days to a full semester
• Get career-ready – Our course strengthens your communication skills and gives you practice in transferring these to the world of work
• Understand multiple forms of communication – You'll learn how to read between the lines and really understand how we're influenced by the messages around us – on TV, in advertising, and across other media
• Multicultural focus – We use our students' different cultural experiences to discover what it means to be an intercultural communicator

You'll examine how languages differ and what elements they share, as well as developing your knowledge of the historical and cultural aspects of the English language in particular.

The course provides a rare opportunity to combine in-depth formal linguistic study with a consideration of the ways in which the English language is used and how it reflects its social context. As a result, the course nurtures research and analytical skills at the same time as enhancing your own abilities with the English language.

You'll develop your knowledge and understanding of how the English language works in terms of its structure, how it has changed over time and how it's employed in different spoken and written contexts. Your knowledge of English will be informed and contextualised by your wider study of language as a human faculty. You'll examine what languages have in common and how they vary in terms of their grammatical structures and their sound systems.

The course appeals to students interested in the nature of the English language and its variants, as well as students interested in language in general and the fundamental role it plays in our understanding of the world around us. It includes practical and theoretical modules that are invaluable for students interested in teaching English, speech therapy, editing, journalism, or advertising, but also helps to prepare you for any career that requires an advanced and sophisticated use of language.

Top reasons to study this course

• Academic expertise – the teaching staff on this course are industry experts, with experience in topics ranging from creoles and pidgins, to sociolinguistics, language and gender
• A holistic approach – study the underlying structure of language and how it's used, all in one course
• Study in a true polyglot city – with over 250 languages spoken, London is one of the world's most linguistically diverse cities
• An international experience – you'll have the option to spend one or two semesters at a partner institution in Europe, the USA, Canada, or Australia
• Get experience before graduating – you’ll have the option to do a work placement as part of this course
• Personal support throughout your degree – our small group tutorials are designed to support you, your studies and your career goals

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.

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

Our International Liaison and Communication MA is a dynamic, pioneering interdisciplinary course which meets the global demand for greater professionalism in interpersonal and inter-institutional bilingual communication. We focus on enhancing your skills as a communicator and facilitator of communication. This can be as an advocate, as a mediator, communication strategist, intermediary or communication facilitator. Grounded in the latest international communications theories and using real-life simulations, you'll learn to locate and analyse resources, pre-empt communications challenges and develop strategies to overcome obstacles to successful interaction.

The course will enrich your knowledge and application of the key models of international communication, information handling and presentation in a range of contexts from the field of public diplomacy to international media, intelligence, business and international NGOs. It will also enhance your competencies in handling information across and between languages and cultures, in various professional settings. You'll have the training and preparation to make significant contributions in your chosen profession.