Course Catalogue
2016-2017
Contents
Student Partnership Agreement
3
Intro/ Academic Level & Credit Conversion Guide
4
British Studies Core Courses
5
American Studies
6-8
Applied Social Sciences
8
o Politics and International Relations
8
o Psychology
9
Art
10
Business and Marketing Studies
10-11
Computing
12
Contemporary Language Studies
13
Drama
13
English Literature
14-16
Film, Radio and Television Studies
16-17
Geography
17-19
History and Archaeology
19-22
Communication and Language
22
Media Studies and Communication
23
Music
23-24
Science
24-26
Theology and Religious Studies
26-27
Tourism
27
Level 6 (400) Modules
28-32
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 2
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 3
Introduction
Welcome to the CCCU British Studies Programme Course Catalogue. The catalogue is split into level 4
and 5 (200 and 300) modules and level 6 (400) modules. We only recommend you take level 6
modules if required (and discussed) by your home institution. We will also need to discuss the
suitability of the level 6 module choice with you separately, as a high level of knowledge is expected.
Please note that for all modules outside the British Studies Programme which run in both the Autumn
and Spring terms, you will be entering the module half-way through the class if you attend in the
Spring term.
Furthermore, all modules outside the British Studies Programme will have a limited number of spaces,
as you will be entering class with CCCU full-time students. The modules listed in this document are
also subject to change due to revalidations or the module no longer running because of lack of
student numbers. So, it is important to regularly check your emails so that we can work with you to
create your schedule.
Once you are ready to start the course application process, please go to the following link and follow
the instructions:
https://canterbury.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/cccu-study-abroad-programme-course-application-form-sprin
Academic Level & Credit Conversion Guide
The following tables are designed to help you understand the differences between levels and credits
at Canterbury Christ Church University compared to your home institution. The information should
help you and your study abroad advisor ascertain what level modules (courses/classes) you are
required to take at Canterbury Christ Church University.
Level Conversion:
CCCU
4
5
6
Credit Conversion:
CCCU
10
20
40
US / Canada
200
300
400
USA (& Algoma University)
3
6
10
University of Victoria
1.5
3
5
If you have any questions regarding the above tables please do not hesitate to contact the Study
Abroad Programmes Administrator: [email protected]
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 4
Level 4 and Level 5 (200 and 300) Modules
British Studies Programme Core Courses
We strongly recommend taking the following two ‘core’ modules in the British Studies Programme;
they are designed specifically for you and will meet many elective requirements in your home
institutions. Students who are not on a bilateral exchange with CCCU will be automatically enrolled
on the following modules.
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1SSE Sites and Sights: Exploring Britain’s History and Culture
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring Term
A course of study actually designed around field trips, Sites and Sights offers a range of
academically stimulating and enjoyable field trips in Canterbury, London and the South
East of England. In class you will have time to study the history and cultural significance
of the places you visit, and reflect on your impressions of your new experiences.
Translates as: History, Archaeology, Interdisciplinary Studies and English literature
Note: To attend our field trip programme you must register for this course, and once
you have selected your modules you will be unable to change this module. This is
because all field trips will be booked according to the number of students who initially
register on the module.
MBSOI1DVC Divided By a Common Language: Culture and Society in Britain and the USA
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring Term
This module covers the major comparative aspects of British and American society and
culture. It is designed around big political and historical themes like ‘patriotism’, the
‘special relationship’, and immigration. Join UK students in seminars and compare two
unique and connected countries!
Translates as: Area Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Political Science and History.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 5
American Studies
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1SAF A Story of American Freedom? The History of the United States from Pre-contact to the
Present
[10 credits] To 1865 in Autumn term, after 1865 in Spring term
Is American History a story about freedom? In this module, which explores domestic US
history from indigenous Native Americans settlements to the present, students are able
to consider this question, as well as gain a broad basis of knowledge. The module will
cover both traditional historical narratives and introduce students to interdisciplinary
approaches to the study of US cultural history. Themes will include immigration and the
concept of the “melting pot,” race relations, gender, class conflict, and the notion of
“liberty.” Students will use a range of sources to explore these themes, including
traditional textual sources but also art, literature, and other cultural documents.
MBSOI1NAT The Invention of America: Texts and Contexts from 1607 to the Present
[10 credits] Spring term only
The module provides students with an introduction to American literature, developing
their responses to written and visual narratives of the “New World” and of the United
States of America, from the initial, colonial rhetoric of discovery and the Puritan call for
the foundation of a “City upon a Hill” to the establishment of national cultural
traditions in the 19th century and beyond. Students are encouraged to trace continuities
and identify discontinuities in the treatment of foundational myths, the definition of
quintessentially American concepts, and the acknowledgement of the dark underside of
the national narrative of democracy and progress. The module thus also raises students’
awareness of how native peoples, African Americans and other ‘minority’ cultures relate
to their own environments and ‘American’ identities.
MBSOI1AMC American Cinema Since 1950
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module aims to develop the student’s understanding of genre, as a critical concept,
as part of Hollywood industrial practice and as a critical tool for examining audience
expectations and pleasure. The module also aims to examine the history of the decline
in Hollywood studio production in the 1950s and the reconfiguration of the industry in
the New Hollywood. Finally the module aims to examine Hollywood’s relationship to
notions of American national identity and introduce the students to the major social,
political, institutional and aesthetic features of American cinema in the 1950s and
1980s and to highlight the connections between these periods.
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2AAC Atlantic Americas: Commerce, Domination, and Resistance in the Atlantic World, 15001800 [10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to introduce students to the early modern ‘Atlantic world’ and the
place of ‘the Americas’ within it. The early modern Atlantic world is broadly defined as a
set of colonizing and colonized states ringing the Atlantic Ocean, across the main stem
of ‘first wave’ colonization in the recent past, beginning with Jamestown and early
Spanish colonization of the Americas, and ending with wars of independence between
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 6
the colonies and the metropole, the Haitian revolution, and the Louisiana purchase. It
focuses on how networks of trade, migration, law, and exploitation shaped a diverse
array of peoples and polities, from England itself, to Ireland, Mexico, the Caribbean, the
eastern seaboard of the United States, and parts of Canada. The module aims to forge
connections beyond the traditionally national(ist) stories of single states and Empires.
This module will ‘visit’ strong themes such as trade, native and enslaved lived
experiences, migration, and imperial domination twice, over its duration. Students will
be exposed, for example, to pre-contact native histories, and to post-Columbian
exchange native histories, offering them a clear narrative of change over time. ‘Strands’
of historical narrative organize this account: law and migration, native and enslaved
lived experience, cultural exchange, colonialism and trade, religion.
MBSOI2RRU Race and Racism in the United States, 1607 to the Present
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module explores the role of race and racism in American history; concepts which
have arguably been at the heart of the American experience ever since the first Africans
were brought to Virginia in 1619. This module will consider the role that the social
construction of race has played in the United States over four hundred years, from the
beginnings of slavery to the Obama Presidency. These explorations will involve detailed
analyses of the primary source material on race relations, from proslavery polemics to
Black Nationalist rhetoric, but students will also engage with historiographical,
sociological, and political debates over the meaning of race and racism, and their role in
the history of the United States. Students will consider how both blacks and whites
negotiated (and renegotiated) their racial identities as they navigated the shifting
currents of the “colour line” from the slave trade, through slavery, civil war and
reconstruction, to the establishment of Jim Crow segregation, and will consider the
ways in which race intersected with class, gender, and power in American society.
Students will study the (often violent) methods that some whites used in their attempts
to maintain distinctions based on race, as well as the struggles of African Americans to
gain equality, respect, and civil rights in the twentieth century. We will discuss the
continuing relevance of race and racism in American life, as well as representations of
blacks and whites in art, film, and literature.
MBSOI2BBO Banned Books: A Literary History of the United States
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of the module is to introduce students to the politics, ethics, and circulation of
taboo culture in the United States. For as long as books have been published in the
United States (and even before), some have been banned, seized, and burned. In
considering literary and cultural texts from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to To Kill
a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye, this module offers a literary history of the United
States through the lens of the banned book, focusing on the changing – or otherwise –
priorities of censors and how they reflect changes in society. Some of the questions the
module hopes to answer include: Why were these books censored? What can (or
should) be regulated? Who is (or should be) the authority? The module will be
organized into thematic clusters that consider literary and cultural texts that were
and/or continue to be banned in the some or all of United States for reasons of politics,
race, sexuality, religion, and language, among others. Students will engage with the
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 7
changing definitions of “Blasphemy”, “Sedition”, “Obscenity”, “Censorship”, and even
“Adulthood” in order to fully grasp the “core” issues related to the banning of literary
and cultural texts.
MBSOI2UNB Uneasy Neighbours: US Foreign Policy in Latin America, 1823 to the Present
[10 credits] Autumn term only
In 1823 President James Monroe enshrined three central principles within the Monroe
Doctrine that have dominated and vexed US foreign policy ever since- neutrality outside
the Americas, non-intervention in Europe’s existing colonies, and anti-colonialism. This
module aims to explore the often troubled relationship between the United States and
its neighbours in the western hemisphere and to examine the extent to which US
foreign policy has been governed by Monroe’s core principles since the early 19th
century. The module challenges students to engage with primary evidence through the
critical analysis of a selection of keynote foreign policy documents from the period.
MBSOI2PCT Political Concepts in 21st Century America
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the political system of the United
States of America and engages in an examination of the political outcomes this system
generates. The module focuses on the core ideas that influence US politics and the key
actors that participate in the American political system. These actors and institutions
include the president, Congress, the Supreme Court, political parties, and the electorate.
At heart the module explores the agency versus structure debate that highlights the
structural constraints placed on political actors like the president and its impact on the
politics of the United States.
Applied Social Sciences
Politics and International Relations
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1NPG Introduction to Politics
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module aims to introduce students to some of the key issues and challenges
pertaining to the study of power, politics and the state, in relation to political
philosophy, international relations theory, political theory and various political science
subsets including economics, law, foreign policy and governance.
MBSOI1NNR Introduction to International Relations
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module has two aims; first, to introduce students to a range of themes and issues
that have been salient in International Relations since the Second World War; second, to
develop the key skills students will need to progress through their university career.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 8
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2SRG States and Regimes
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module is based on the long tradition of comparative political science and seeks to
give students the critical knowledge and understanding required to appreciate the
importance of global events and to analyse contemporary political situations. Building
on the knowledge and understanding developed in the Level 4 module Introduction to
Politics and Governance, students will examine the methodological underpinnings of
comparative politics, and apply this knowledge to a practical analysis of political systems
around the world.
Psychology
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1BAM Brain and Mind
[10 credits] Autumn term only
Psychobiology and cognitive psychology are core areas of the British Psychological
Society’s curriculum for accredited undergraduate programmes. Hence, this module
introduces students to key topics and concepts within these areas to illustrate the
contribution that psychobiology and cognition have made to our understanding of the
brain, cognition, behaviour and the links between them.
MBSOI1CSP Classic Studies in Psychology
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module extends the coverage of topic content and conceptual/historical issues in
the core level 4 CHIP/Topic modules by offering students an opportunity to look in
greater detail at a selection of seminal studies or works in Psychology and their
representation in both academic and popular media. An important aim is to develop
students’ awareness of the social and historical contexts in which such studies or works
were produced, the different ways in which they are and have been portrayed, and a
critical appreciation of their corresponding influence on the development of Psychology
as a discipline.
MBSOI1RES Research in Psychology 1
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module aims to complement the work undertaken in the other Level 4 modules by
introducing students to some of the basic concepts and techniques used in
psychological research, ensuring some familiarity with the most commonly employed
methods of data collection and data analysis. In addition, the module will foreground
the importance of acquiring practical experience in designing empirical studies and
analysing data manually and via computer (e.g. SPSS). The module will emphasise that
an understanding of research methods is required not only to conduct research, but
also to comprehend and critically evaluate psychological literature.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 9
Art
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2TC2 Art Theory and Context 2
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The aim of the module is to introduce the student to key theoretical concepts in
historical and contemporary art and visual culture and relate these to a wider
intellectual discourse. It aims to develop an advanced critical and theoretical vocabulary,
allowing the student to enter into informed discussion and criticism
MBSOI2DRS Drawing Studies
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The aim of the module is to encourage students to use drawing as a regular means of
documenting their experiences and clearly recognise the distinct roles that drawing can
have. (For instance, drawing to document information, discover and record a visual
idea, a technical working drawing). It aims to develop skills, especially in relation to
perceptual drawing and drawing as a means of visualising and researching issues.
Business and Marketing Studies
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1MPR Marketing Principles and Practice
[10 credits] Autumn term only
To provide students with an introduction to marketing, its fundamental concepts and
an overview of marketing practice
MBSOI1AFB Accounting and Finance for Business
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to accounting and finance for
students who are NOT majoring in accounting or finance. It examines the basic
principles and underlying concepts of accounting and the ways in which accounting
statements and financial information can be used to improve the quality of decision
making.
MBSOI1CBS Contemporary Business Issues
[10 credits] Autumn term only
To prepare students for the academic study of business and marketing by developing a
knowledge of contemporary and emerging business issues to support students’
personal, academic and professional development to prepare for work in the modern
business environment.
MBSOI1PMN People Management In The 21st Century
[10 credits] Autumn term only
To develop student’s understanding of individual and group dynamics in organisational
settings. It addresses both classical and emerging issues in organisations such as
efficiency and sustainability; develop graduate capacities for a sustainable future.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 10
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2AMP Advertising Media and Planning
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of the module is to develop in students a critical understanding of the decision
making processes involved in, and the factors which influence the advertising planning
process, including account handling, media selection, scheduling and buying. It aims to
develop an understanding of the actual and potential marketing applications of new
and emerging media, and the role they play in delivering a targeted and fully integrated
promotional mix for a modern organisation and its customer.
MBSOI2AST Advertising Strategy
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of the module is to develop in students a critical understanding of advertising,
both as an industry, and as a social and cultural force. It aims to develop a practical and
theoretical knowledge of the stages undertaken and techniques used in strategic
advertising planning and management, and to give students experience of developing a
strategic advertising campaign.
MBSOI2CBE Consumer Behaviour
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of the course is to develop in students a critical awareness and understanding
of consumer and organisational buyer behaviour and how they can be influenced by
marketing activity.
MBSOI2EBU E-Business
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of this module is to explore the business paradigm shift that arises from
application of emerging information and communication technologies. The module is
good for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of business activities and interaction
between business and the business environment (customers, suppliers…) and how
technologies can be deployed to enhance these activities.
MBSOI2EDE Employee Development and Employee relations
[10 credits] Autumn term only
To provide students with the ability to understand and assess approaches to the
development of the human potential in organisations and to analyse the relationship of
these approaches to organisational strategy, policy and practice.
MBSOI2HRM Human Resource Management
[10 credits] Autumn term only
To understand and analyse operational Human Resource activities and responsibilities
and relate these to organisational policy and practice.
MBSOI2MAL Management and Leadership
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aims of the module are to promote the study of management and leadership
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 11
within organisations; and the ability to systematically apply knowledge and
understanding to complex and ambiguous situations in order to evaluate and justify
recommendations for improved practices.
Computing
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1PRG Introduction to Programming
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to:
 Take students with a variety of programming backgrounds, including no prior
programming experience, and bring them all to a common level of knowledge
and understanding of computer programming.
 Develop the students’ understanding of the fundamental programming concepts
required by all programming paradigms.
 Provide students with the problem solving skills to design, implement, test and
debug a software solution to a given simple problem.
MBSOI1CSS Computer Systems
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to provide a foundation for all professional computer personnel in
computer systems and related topics, in particular the areas of: number systems,
hardware, digital systems and digital communication.
MBSO1EWD E-Commerce and Web Development
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to provide students with the necessary practical and theoretical
knowledge required to understand, design and build websites using a variety of tools
and techniques. The focus of the module is to provide students with the necessary skills
and knowledge to design and build a simple e-Commerce system using technical skills
together with the application of a practical understanding of today’s business world
and the impact of digital technologies on all aspects of economic activity. A
combination of technical knowledge and creative design skills necessary to devise and
implement on-line solutions to business problems is delivered in this module. The other
aspects of the module are the utilisation of international document distribution
standards, an appreciation of the human factors which influence good design practice
and acquiring demonstrable skills to support client side developments.
MBSOI11ADP – Application Development – pre-requisite – student has done an introductory
programming module using C, Java or C#
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module aims to extend students’ understanding of programming. In particular the
students will look at the Object-Oriented Programming paradigm. There will also be a
section looking at more advanced algorithms and data structures including the
theoretical knowledge of algorithm complexity.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 12
Contemporary Language Studies
[10 credits] Autumn term only
Level 4 (200 level) - Beginner’s Level
MBSOI1CFR French [10 credits]
MBSOI1CGE German [10 credits]
MBSOI1CTN Italian [10 credits]
MBSOI1CMC Mandarin/Chinese [10 credits]
MBSOI1CSH Spanish [10 credits]
The aim of these modules is to increase students’ competence in a modern language for use in work
situations and to focus the acquisition of language skills in the context of the countries in which this
language is commonly used. All Contemporary Language modules have limited places due to the
construction of the Programme and size of classes so will need to be approved subject to space.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate competence in the use of the language at the level studied during the module
to communicate effectively in the work situation; this will include reading, writing, spoken
use and basic translation;
2. Apply language skills to carry out relevant work tasks using the foreign language;
3. Demonstrate general knowledge and understanding of the geography, economic and
political situation and major cultural features of one or several countries where the
language is used.
Indicative Module Content:
The module will cover essential everyday vocabulary as well as work terminology. Practical skills such
as oral expression, written communications, IT skills, conventions and work practices will be covered.
Language structures and grammar will be presented and practised in that context.
The module will also include the study of relevant and current aspects of general knowledge about
the country or countries where the language is spoken, their usual work practices and important
cultural distinctions. This will include aspects of the geography, the economy and the political
situation.
Drama
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1THW Theatres of the World
[10 credits] Spring term only
The aim of the module is to introduce students to the notions about theatre and
performance held by various world cultures and, by so doing, to expand students’
understanding of theatre in its social, political, historical, and cultural contexts. Using
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 13
examples of selected performances, playwrights and texts from Africa, Asia, Europe,
North America and elsewhere, the module aims to lead students in the exploration of
theatre traditions in these cultures using a combination of theoretical and practical
sessions. The module also aims to lead students to consider the essential techniques
and approaches necessary for performing and analysing theatre from the selected
cultures. And consequently, to equip them with relevant analytical and practical skills
required for progression to any of the associated Drama Options at Level 5 of the
programme.
English Literature
All English Literature modules have limited places due to the construction of the Programme and size
of classes so will need to be approved subject to space.
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2LBW Literature Between the Wars 1918-1939
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The period 1918-1939 was a complex and traumatic one in our history – and one of
unprecedented experiment in the arts. In the wake of the First World War, and in the
slipstream of the Second, writers had to find new ways of representing experience, and
new ways of validating the role of the imaginative writer in society. This module
explores the fiction and poetry of the period with particular attention to the
relationships between literary form and cultural contexts.
MBSOI2ARL Arthurian Literature
[10 Credits] Spring term only
If you enjoyed studying Gawain and the Green Knight, there’s more where that came
from. The literature of the later Middle Ages spans some four hundred and fifty years,
and is dominated by poetry and prose written in English, French, and Welsh (amongst
other languages) about Arthur and Camelot. Many figures from Arthurian literature will
already be familiar to you, such as Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Lancelot, Morgan le Fay,
Gawain, and Mordred, There are plenty more who will be new to you, however!
This module will introduce you to the origins and development of the Arthurian
tradition in England, though we will start by looking at works (in translation) composed
by Welsh and French poets whose traditions laid the foundations for Middle English
writing about Arthur. We will also look at Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings
of Britain, a carefully crafted work of literature and history that offered a new story of
origins to the disparate ethnic identities of Britain after the Norman Conquest. Most of
the works we will study will be written in Middle English (and may include earlier works
like Layamon’s Brut), but the majority of this module will look at later works such as the
Stanzaic Morte Arthur, which focuses on the adulterous affair between Guinevere and
Lancelot, and the Alliterative Morte Arthure, in which the world of Camelot falls into
destruction and ruin.
MBSOI2BRM British Romanticism
[10 Credits] Autumn term only
In this module, you will read major poetry and prose of the period known as
‘Romanticism’, a half-century that witnessed revolutionary changes in literature and
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 14
society. In addition to studying the “Big Six”—Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron,
Shelley, Keats—you will read a wide range of other Romantic writers such as, for
example, political thinkers such as Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine, early feminists like
Mary Wollstonecraft, and labouring class poets such as John Clare.
MBSOI2ECF Eighteenth Century Fiction
[10 Credits] Spring term only
This module supplies a showcase for a remarkably rich mix of novels, ranging in date
from1678 to 1771 and—in between Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress at the start of the
sequence and Smollett’s Humphry Clinker at the end—taking in work by Behn, Defoe,
Cleland and Sterne. Students will reflect upon the historical rhythms that connect these
contrasting novels, and upon the ways in which novelists echo or transform the themes
and emphases of their predecessors. Careful and sustained attention will be paid to the
various styles of telling, and different ways of seeing, that the novel as a genre
accommodates.
MBSOI2TET The Elizabethan Theatre
[10 Credits] Autumn term only
This module focuses on the theatre of the 1580s and 1590s, a dynamic period that saw
the establishment of the theatre as an entertainment industry and the development of
playwriting on an unprecedented scale. We will investigate texts from the major genres
of the Elizabethan stage: comedies, tragedies and histories, including subgenres such as
revenge tragedy and romantic comedy. In addition to a close analysis of the module
texts, we will investigate the conventions and techniques used by Elizabethan
playwrights and actors. The plays studied will give us an opportunity to discuss a broad
range of issues including, for example, staging in the outdoor theatres such as the
Globe; court drama; boy companies; audience; the representation of women; regulation
and censorship; anti-theatricalism; writing the nation; Elizabethan politics (including the
succession crisis).
MBSOI2JAC Jacobean Theatre
[10 Credits] Spring term only
This module focuses on drama written during the reign of King James VI & I, between
1603 and 1625. The Jacobean period was an exceptional time for drama; writers such
as William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and John Webster were at the height of their
careers, the theatre provided an immensely popular and prolific entertainment industry
and playwriting was developing into new and exciting directions. We will investigate
plays from the major genres of the Jacobean stage: comedies, tragedies and histories,
including subgenres such as citizen comedy and baroque revenge tragedy. In addition
to close analysis of the module texts, we will investigate the conventions and techniques
used by Jacobean playwrights and actors. The texts studied will give us an opportunity
to discuss a broad range of issues including, for example, staging in the new indoor
theatres such as the Blackfriars’ Theatre compared to the outdoor theatres; court
entertainments and masques; audience; representations of gender; the revival of
chivalric values; regulation and censorship; writing Empire; court scandal and the
period’s fascination for plays about tyrants.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 15
MBSOI2MSB Mad, Sad and Bad
[10 Credits] Autumn term only
This new module aims to explore the representation of women and the
conceptualization of gender in American writing, interrogating statements such as
Leslie Fiedler’s in the process. Looking at a selection of classic and lesser known
narratives, including short stories, the module invites students to consider how the
representation of women in American literature is informed by, and in turn contributes
to, debates not merely about gender, but also about national identity, ethnicity, class
and sexuality. For this reason, it is organized around thematic clusters, such as, for
example, “the seduction narrative”, “madness and rebellion”, “the tragic mulatto”,
“sexual and social emancipation”, “femmes fatales”, etc.
MBSOI2MAE Martyrs and Exiles: Old English Language and Literature
[10 Credits] Spring term only
Few students have the opportunity to study the first six hundred years of English
language and literature, and the works of literature, history, and hagiography that were
written in Old English during the Anglo-Saxon period. This module will teach you the
language skills necessary to translate and analyse prose and poetry written in Old
English, and do this using the latest online hypertexts, textbooks, and other learning
aids. If you are interested in studying literature in its historical, cultural, religious, and
mythological contexts, or want to know more about what Tolkien read whilst he was
writing The Lord of the Rings, then this module is for you.
Film, Radio, and Television Studies
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2ANT Animation: Theory
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module aims to challenge, stimulate and inform students in relation to significant
developments in the dynamic and evolving nature of animation exploring the
relationship of animation to other art forms and connect animation with the broader
contexts of visual culture. Additionally the students will be introduced to a selection of
animation techniques and develop an understanding of the work of a range of
significant animators and animations.
MBSOI2SCT Screenwriting Theory
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module will provide conceptual and theoretical study of the craft of scriptwriting
and its historical and critical frameworks. It will offer advanced insight into the ways
that scripting and dramatic structuring inform the movement and meaning of the
media of film and TV. It will enhance critical understanding of the scriptwriting process
and overall capacity for theoretical analysis
MBSOI2PTV Popular T.V.
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The module seeks to develop a critical understanding and knowledge of the concepts
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 16
and practices underlying contemporary popular television formats and genres, through
the examination and analysis of a wide range of factual entertainment television
programmes. Television narratives, characters and the representations produced will be
explored within appropriate cultural, social, political, economic, production and
institutional contexts. Central to the module will be an awareness and understanding of
the multitude of ways that TV viewers engage with television as a multi platform
medium within a 21st Century digital mediascape.
MBSOI2LAM Laughing Matters
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The aims of this module are to develop student responses to comedy, humour and
laughter, both as a means of providing pleasure to an audience and as a means of
structure a given text. The comic will be examine both in terms of a variety of theoretical
positions on comedy, the comic, humour and laughter and the socio-political contexts
in which it takes place.
MBSOI2EAC East Asian Cinema
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to introduce students to a variety of East Asian films and to the
relevant social, cultural and political contexts within which these films might be situated
critically. Students taking the module will have the opportunity to study a range of East
Asian Cinemas, including films from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
The module aims to examine questions of film aesthetics and genre as they relate to
East Asian cinema; issues of history, nationalism, geopolitics, urbanisation, and gender
and sexuality; and the industrial and critical contexts within East Asian films are
produced and received. Issues of authorship will be considered through the study of key
East Asian cinema auteurs, such as Wong Kar-wai, Edward Yang, Zhang Yimou, Tsai
Ming-liang, Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, Takeshi Kitano, and Park Chan-Wook.
Geography
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1GCW Geography of a Changing World
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This introductory module aims to provide a broad synthesis of contemporary thinking
within human geography. The module places an emphasis on the explanation of spatial
differentiation of social, economic, and cultural phenomena at a variety of scales from
the global to the local. The module specifically aims to focus on issues of inequality and
unequal dependence within the modern world system, through the recognition of coreperiphery relationships and the importance of globalisation. It aims to examine the
evolution of core and periphery relationships, and the emergence of a semi-periphery in
detail.
MBSOI1PNP People, Nature & Place
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
Geography is often argued to be about the way humans and the physical environment
interacts. This module introduces you to key ideas concerning the relationships between
people and the environment and to the changing views of the natural world. The
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 17
module investigates how geography and related disciplines have viewed the relationship
between society and the natural environment and develops your understanding of both
the impact of the environment on society (from environmental determinism to ideas of
socially constructed nature) and the recognition of human agency in the landscape. It
explores the impact of demographic, technological and economic pressures associated
with societal development and processes of globalisation on environmental resources
and their role in growth of the concept of sustainable development.
MBSOI1TPE The Physical Environment
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This is an introductory module which examines the broad area of Environmental
Geography. It aims to develop awareness of the essential concepts, principles and
theories of how environmental processes work at a range of scales and start to
challenge some commonly held pre-conceptions. The module adopts an integrated,
systematic approach to physical geography and starts by discussing how the nature of
the discipline has developed over time. The module aims to develop understanding of a
selection of environmental processes, ranging from geomorphological and
biogeographical processes to those controlling the oceans and the atmosphere. The
module will show how the processes are dynamic and cause change and may be
applied to sustainable human management of the environment. The module also aims
to show how understanding environmental processes is essential if the landscape is to
be interpreted. The module will provide the opportunity for students to develop a range
of Graduate Skills (intellectual, key and discipline-specific) that will provide a foundation
for the Level 5 physical geography modules.
MBSOI1WRG World Regional Geography
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
In an ever more globalised world it is more important now than ever before to
appreciate the diversity of landscapes, people and cultures around the globe. As
globalisation makes the world an ever smaller place it is imperative that geographers
today have a sound knowledge of the world in which they live. This module, therefore,
develops a basic knowledge of places and characteristics and provides a global view of
world geography This module aims to explore every world region, so you will familiarise
yourself with the world we live in. In addition it aims to introduce key geographic
principles where relevant which will be built upon in more detail in subsequent
modules.
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2BLE Biogeography and Landscape Ecology
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to develop student’s understanding of biogeography – the study of
the distribution of organisms and soils in space and time, and the environmental
factors, including anthropogenic, that determine or limit these distributions. The
module introduces landscape ecology and its importance in conservation management.
The module introduces the worlds major biomes and more detailed study of habitats
and micro-habitats by drawing on a range of areas within the geographic and life
sciences such as geology, climatology, palaeontology, plant and animal systematics,
evolution and ecology. Biogeographical and landscape ecological processes are also
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 18
important to other fields of geography; for example food production system,
sustainable livelihoods etc, and the module examines human impacts on biogeographic
systems the means by which these systems can be managed in a sustainable manner.
MBSOI2EAD Environment and Development
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to develop understanding of the environmental problems facing the
countries of the developing world and to encourage critical evaluation of various
approaches to solving these problems and of managing environmental resources on a
sustainable basis. The modules aims to present these issues within the context of the
historical legacy of colonialism and its environmental impacts, and the contemporary
world economic and (geo)political system. It introduces and evaluates theories of
development and how these effect the understanding of the exploitation of
environmental resources of developing areas. It aims to examine the evolution of
varying forms of ‘environmentalism’, as these relate to developing areas.
Environmentalists philosophies, as these underpin action, can be broadly divided into
‘technocentrist’ and ‘ecocentrist’ – this broad division is utilised in the module which
aims to evaluate the nature and success of specific approaches to dealing with
environmental problems. The module also explores a range of management approaches
and techniques to evaluate their appropriateness for sustainable development.
MBSOI2GEM Geomorphology
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
Understanding the well-established principles of process geomorphology is a
prerequisite for any environmental management. This module examines the processes
that operate within a selection of geomorphological systems and shows the relationship
between process and landform at a range of scales within a modern conceptual
framework. This module includes a field exercise that provides data that is used for
critical analysis, problem solving an interpretation an environment and to produce a
reasoned scientific argument structured as a research paper.
History and Archaeology
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1NCH An Introduction to Contemporary History
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module provides an introduction to contemporary history from the First World War
to the present day. In order to do so it takes a global focus, looking at key events that
have shaped both national and international history in the period. Though based
around major events such as the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the Great
Depression, the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, the Chinese Revolution, and
the multifaceted Cold War, this is by no means a straight political history. Students will
also consider cultural and social factors in order to arrive at a more rounded picture of
how situations arose and developed. Lectures will set out the basic narratives and
themes and outline the state of current research.
MBSOI1KQC Kings, Queens and Conquerors in Medieval Europe
[10 credits] Autumn term only
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 19
The aims of the module are to allow students to acquire knowledge and understanding
of the major themes relating to a broad period of medieval studies; to introduce
students to a range of archaeological and historical sources and methodology for the
medieval period; to encourage students to think about the nature and limitations of
archaeological and historical knowledge concerning the medieval past; to familiarise
students with past and current debates surrounding the archaeology and history of the
middle ages; to encourage students to develop reasoned evidence-based arguments;
and to be willing to present their ideas in oral and written forms.
MBSOI1RRR Renaissance, Reformation and Revolution in the Early Modern World
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to introduce you to ‘early modern history’, a period defined as
roughly between 1450 and 1700 for the purposes of this course. Lectures will introduce
the major social, political, religious and economic developments and events which
occurred across a broad expanse in Western Europe. The module explores the wider
contexts of European religious conflict, social and intellectual development, and
economic expansion. Topics covered include the Reformation, Humanism and the
Renaissance, the printing press, colonial expansion, the Ottoman and Habsburg
Empires, poverty, witchcraft, court culture, monsters and the grotesque, print, war,
women and the Enlightenment. Above all, this module aims to introduce students to as
wide a variety as possible of the myriad developments, conflicts, and enduring themes
which characterise this peculiar, and powerfully important, period in European and
Colonial history, and to help students forge connections and contrasts between these
facets of the past.
MBSOI1MOM The Making of Modernity: Enlightenment, Nation and Empire
[10 credits] Spring term only
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the
age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the
winter of despair...' - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
The 'long nineteenth century' (1789-1914) was Europe's 'era of revolutions'. The word
'revolution' was used by contemporaries to describe many of its key events: the French
Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, the German Revolution, the Romantic revolution,
and the industrial revolution. Other changes, such as the transformation of the role and
position of women, the urbanisation of European society, the rise and fall of Napoleon,
or the unification of Italy, were no less significant. Almost all the movements which
formed our world -- secularism, liberalism, Marxism, democracy, romanticism,
conservatism, modernism, anarchism, terrorism, feminism (to mention just a few) -were creations of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. No proper understanding of
how we live now can be achieved without knowing about these revolutionary times.
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2ATU The Age of the Tudors, 1485-1603
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module begins with an overview of the political history of England and its
neighbouring realms at the end of the Wars of the Roses through to the Reformations
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 20
of Henry VIII and Edward VI. Tying political history with contemporary political theories,
it discusses the major political events of all the Tudor reigns and the roles of major
institutions such as Parliament and the Church. To provide students with an awareness
of the nature of ideological, political, religious and other cultural perceptions in this
crucial period of English history, the module will not only focus on elite representations
and adaptations, but will consider what has been termed 'history from below'. Mary’s
reign will be critically examined in relation to the historiographical debates surrounding
her persecution of heresy, but will also be used to analyse the problems of queenship,
drawing contrasts with the political and religious problems experienced by France and
Scotland in this period and investigating how similar problems were confronted by
Elizabeth I.
MBSOI2LHG Land of Hope and Glory? Britain since 1900
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to acquire a sound
knowledge of the political, social and cultural changes in Britain and her Empire and its
relations with the wider world from beginning of the twentieth century, and to develop
some appreciation of historical diversity and complexity. The themes included are, inter
alia, the expansion and contraction of the British Empire; the evolution of the
Commonwealth; Britain and European affairs; military strategy during the World Wars;
the impact of Total War on British politics and society; the relative decline of British
power in the post-Second World War geo-political environment; and the changing
nature of British social, economic and political life in the post-war world.
MBSOI2TCR The Crusades 1090-1291
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The module offers a detailed history of the crusading movement, from its origins in the
1090s through to the end of the sixth crusade. It explores a series of major themes and
debates, including, for example, why the Crusades emerged; what motivated the
crusaders; the causes, course and consequences of a series of Crusades; the Islamic
response to the Crusades; and the establishment and development of the crusader
states. Students examine the socio-cultural background to the Crusades, since the
development of Crusading was a response not simply to developments in Anatolia,
Palestine and Syria, but to a series of social and cultural developments in Europe during
the tenth and eleventh centuries. A key element of this module is the use of primary
sources, mostly chronicles, alongside secondary sources.
MBSOI2TPA Approaches to Archaeological Interpretation
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to introduce students to a wide range of theoretical approaches to
the archaeological record. It also provides an overview of key stages in the development
of archaeology itself.
MBSOI2SDD Sex, Deviance and Death in the 16th Century
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module explores the mental world of sixteenth and early seventeenth century
Europe with a particular focus on England. This course is recommended for students
studying Monstrous Regiment of Women and the Tudors, although these modules are
not a requirement. Students are introduced to print culture; health; the supernatural;
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 21
heresy; monstrous births; infanticide; spying; gender; sexual rebels; witchcraft; crime;
good and bad deaths; heresy and treason; magic and medicine; and plague. The course
is taught mainly through workshops based around primary sources. Particular attention
will be paid to some of the key trials in the period, such as the unsolved mystery of
Richard Hunn’s death and the trial of Elizabeth Barton, Maid of Kent. Foxe’s Book of
Martyrs, the witchcraft trials contingent on the 1563 witchcraft act, plague and the
printed debate about the nature of women will be explored. Spying will be examined
towards the end of the module against the Armada crisis, where students will be
introduced to palaeography (the study of original early modern handwriting) within the
workshop.
MBSOI2ITD 'Isolation to Domination’: The United States of America, 1914-1945
[10 credits] Spring term only
Students will engage with the most important themes and events that came to
dominate American history between 1914 and 1945. The period is one of tremendous
change, with major implications for twentieth century world history. Themes will
include: the emergence of the US as the dominant Western power, the creation, and
subsequent loss, of vast wealth, internal political and economic reform, and the
beginning of the Civil Rights movement. The module will ask students to consider how
these events helped to shape the rise of the modern USA and its place in the world.
Lectures and seminars will include: The USA in the First World War, The Roaring
Twenties, The Wall Street Crash, The ‘Age’ of Roosevelt, The Dust Bowl, The New Deal,
The Roosevelt Recession, The US in the Second World War. The central focus of the
module will be on the New Deal – its origins, goals, outcomes – from varying angles,
including economic, legal, foreign policy, cultural, and its impact on Women and
African Americans. The module concludes by examining how, by 1945, the USA had
emerged as the strongest western power.
Communication and Language
MBSOI2LNA Language Acquisition
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The processes involved in the acquisition of language can tell us much about the nature
of language itself as a system of human communication. We have all acquired own
mother-tongue as children with apparent effortlessness, yet how this remarkable
achievement happens remains a subject of scholarly fascination and controversy. In
addition, many of us go on to learn more than one other additional language at school
or later in life, but with much greater individual variation in both effort and success.
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the processes involved
in learning a first language, as a child, and any subsequent language in later life. It will
explore the main theories put forward to explain the phenomena, with reference to the
internal and external factors involved.
MBSOICMT Intercultural Communication 1
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The aims of this module are to provide students with an understanding of how cultural
identity influences how individuals express themselves, both verbally and non-verbally,
and of what it means to be ‘interculturally communicatively competent’, in other words,
to be skilled at communicating with people from and in a variety of cultural contexts.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 22
Media Studies and Communication
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1CMD Contemporary Media Debates
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aims of the module are to introduce students to contemporary debates about the
media in society and to equip them with relevant skills and knowledge to be able to
explore the various sides of arguments in these debates. We will explore key
contemporary debates such as who owns the media, the pros and cons of media
regulation, privacy vs and the media, and changing news and news values.
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2MAS Media and Society
[10 credits] Spring term only
The module explores the relationship between media and society through specific case
studies. It will help you to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which media,
communication and cultural activities and processes are central to the organisation of
everyday social life. It will also equip you with research and analytical skills to examine
the historical development and context of the relationship between media and society.
The module will provide opportunities to hone your research skills, both primary and
secondary, and to develop your communication skills.
MBSOI2PMS PR, Media and Sustainability.
[10 credits] Spring term only
The aim of the module is to develop students’ critical thinking about the links between
public relations, the media, sustainability and ethics.
MBSOI2MAI Media and Creative Industries
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aim of this module is to enable students to understand how media, and creative
industries work, their characteristics and the policies which impact upon them and the
cultural and creative artefacts they produce.
Music
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2MAC Music and Culture
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module aims to introduce you to the fields of cultural and critical studies of music
and ethnomusicology in their broadest definitions: the history, methods and subjects of
a culture-centred approach to music, particularly music of the non-Western world, folk
and popular musics. The module will allow you to understand the cultural, critical and
ethnomusicological methods and philosophies to music from around the world.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 23
MBSOI2APL Arts and Politics
[10 credits] Autumn term only, and will run dependent on student numbers
Political dimensions of art, art’s ability to act as a catalyst for political change, and the
use and abuse of arts by political movements have always been an urgent talking point
of artistic and academic debates. This module examines the incorporation of political
agendas into theatre, music, and dance. You will engage with a variety of key artistic
practices and political concepts that have underpinned interactions between arts and
politics. This module spans from the Middle Ages, throughout early modern period and
Romanticism to the present and introduces key political concepts that underlie
influential artistic practices. Specific works and artistic events relating to power, nation,
and censorship will be explored. Topics may include (but are not limited to): the use of
arts by courts, Church, and political regimes, key artists shaping and responding to
national romanticism, national anthems, arts as a vehicle of revolution, and arts that
offended moral standards.
MBSOI2AND Arts and the Individual
[10 credits] Spring term only, and will run dependent on student numbers
The module will introduce the broader notion of the ‘individual’ in the arts, and how
this notion is manifest in a number of artistic movements beginning with nineteenthcentury Romanticism. You will study a number of specific topics relating to the
individual in the arts, which might include the idea of the suffering individual, key artists
of the avant-garde, and the performer.
Science
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1CSC Core Science
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to give students the necessary background in science skills and to
introduce the broad body of knowledge of Mathematics, and Chemical and Physical
Sciences essential for the study of biological and/or the environmental sciences. Also,
the genetic structures within cells, their role in cell division and inheritance will be dealt
with (some lab work expected).
MBSOI1VAL Variety of Life
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to examine the cell as a unit of life and enable students to become
familiar with major living taxa of single-celled and multicellular organisms. In particular,
it will relate structure to function and examine how cells and whole organisms interact
with their environments (some lab work expected).
MBSOI1ENS Introduction to Environmental Systems
[10 Credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to introduce students to the concept of ecosystems and the
interaction between the biotic and abiotic components of such systems. The module
will then introduce students to the concept of energy in physical and biological systems.
The theme of energy will be seen as unifying all the various aspects of the relationship
between organisms and their environment (some lab work expected).
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 24
MBSOI1ENV The Organism and Its Environment (Autumn term ONLY)
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
Taking an ecological physiology approach, this module aims to familiarise students with
the major animal groups and to understand the relationships between these and their
environment. The module then moves on to examine the nature of genes in whole
organisms and in populations (some lab work expected).
Level 5 (300 level)
MBSOI2PCS Plant Control Systems
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to investigate the physiology of a range of plant groups. In particular,
this module will focus on communication and the homeostatic process as a unifying
theme and in this way, develop a holistic approach to the investigation of biological
control systems and the means by which they respond to the environment. It will also
provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to use computers and logic
circuits for monitoring, control and feedback in a laboratory environment (some lab
work expected).
MBSOI2CAS Communications and Analysis
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to develop the necessary background in science communication, skills
and methods essential for the study of biological and/or the environmental sciences and
to increase the students’ employability. This will build on the core module Core Science
in level 4.
MBSOI2ACB Animal Care and Behaviour
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
Animal Management and Behaviour allows students to examine animal care and
management issues and to underpin these with an understanding of the needs of wild,
free-living and captive and domestic animals. It also serves to give a broad
understanding of the behaviours in animals in these situations. Special reference is
given to those behaviours that have relevance to assessing animal welfare (some lab
work and field trips expected).
MBSOI2EPS Earth As A Planetary System
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
This module aims to explore aspects of the atmosphere, land and water (if it exists) of
planets in the solar system including earth. In relation to the latter, students will be
introduced to the fundamental concepts of systems feedback control at an ecosystem
and biosphere level and will develop skills associated with the analysis of
physicochemical factors which are relevant to environmental sciences. Field
interpretation of environmental systems will be an important aspect of the course (some
lab work and field trips expected).
MBSOI2EVN Evolution
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
In this level 5 course, an eclectic view of evolution is taken. The major tenet to be
considered will be that fitness within conditions leads to death or survival. The module
thus aims to consider the nature of evolution in biological, cosmological or
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 25
technological contexts. The student will have to analyse some of the theories at the
forefront of knowledge (some lab work expected)
MBSOI2RDE Reproduction and Development
[10 credits] Autumn and Spring terms
The aim(s) of the module are to examine the endocrine control of reproductive
behaviour and other aspects of reproduction, leading to an understanding of
embryological growth and subsequent ontogeny of selected vertebrates and
invertebrates.
Theology and Religious Studies
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1UWR Understanding World Religions
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module aims to develop students’ knowledge of both the nature of religion and
introduce a variety of the world’s religions. The module will give students a panoramic
overview of the world’s religions. It will look at how religions, as phenomena, have
been understood and analysed by scholars. The module will cover major religious
traditions of the world – both ancient and living – such as primal, Indian, East Asian
and Abrahamic traditions. The module will give a brief historical overview of each
religion plus a focus on key issues and/or themes relevant to each tradition, as well as
reading primary texts.
MBSOI1ETS Ethical Theories and Issues
[10 credits] Spring term only
The module aims to enable students to engage critically with significant ethical theories
and to provide students with the skills necessary to apply these theories to
contemporary moral issues. The module will involve a series of lectures, which will
introduce key themes, texts and ideas. Seminars and discussion groups based on the
reading of relevant primary and secondary texts will follow this up. This is further
supported by the departmental provision for individual tutorial times with the module
tutor. Students will explore their chosen interests through a written assignment and a
final examination.
MBSOI1NBS Introduction to Biblical Studies
[10 credits] Spring term only
The aims of the module are to enable students to gain an overview of the historical
background and content of the Old and New Testaments, to study in detail some
representative texts within them, and to enable students to become familiar with, and to
evaluate, the concepts, principles, methods and tools of modern scholarly biblical
interpretation.
MBOSI1NPH Introduction to Philosophy
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to introduce students to the history of philosophy and develop
students’ knowledge of key philosophical issues. It also aims to enable students to gain
a basic knowledge of the major philosophical problems studied.
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 26
MRPMD1NCY Introduction to Christianity
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The aims of the module are to offer students a broad introductory overview of
Christianity in its historical and intellectual development, to show Christian thought
within its historical, social and cultural contexts, and to introduce students to
theological resources from different Christian streams.
MRPMD1TSJ Theology and Social Justice
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to critically assess claims for, and approaches to social justice in the
context the Bible. The module will also explore the application of social justice in the
practices of Christians in a range of contexts.
Tourism
Level 4 (200 level)
MBSOI1TRS Introduction to Tourism
[10 credits] TBC
The module aims to provide students with a broad-based interdisciplinary
understanding of the rapidly expanding area of tourism focusing primarily on the
principal patterns of participation and the factors which influence them. The module
remains conceptual in its approach to tourism whilst maintaining a focus on current
tourism sector issues. This allows students to develop a broad understanding of the
concepts and characteristics of tourism as an area of academic and applied study.
MBSOI1NLS Introduction to Leisure Studies
[10 credits] TBC
The aim of the module is to introduce students to an interdisciplinary body of material
that constitutes Leisure Studies. This literature includes political, sociological and
economic perspectives on leisure, and focuses on the role it plays in contemporary
society.
MBSOI1CCT Contemporary Issues in Tourism and Events
[10 credits] TBC
The module aims to identify key internal and external factors shaping the contemporary
tourism and events industries, for example globalisation and crisis management. These
will provide the framework from which to identify some contemporary issues emerging
within the tourism industry (Tourism prerequisite required).
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 27
Level 6 (400) Modules
We only recommend you take level 6 modules if required (and discussed) by your home institution.
We will also need to discuss the suitability of the level 6 module choice with you, as a high level of
knowledge is expected.
American Studies
Level 6 (400 level)
MBSOI3BFM Black Freedom Movement
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The broad aim of this module is to explore black-white race relations in post-war
America. More specifically, it will discuss the various movements waged by black
activists to address issues of racism and inequality by developing an understanding of
the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power movement and contrasting black
philosophies. This will include discussions of key organisations and individuals such as
Martin Luther King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam, and the Black
Panther Party. Attention will be paid to recent scholarship that contests the traditional
civil rights (1955-65) / Black Power (65-75) narrative, and explores the notion of a
broader 'black freedom movement'. The module will also explore the location of Martin
Luther King and other major figures within recent history and national memory and,
through critical assessment of the philosophies and strategies employed by black
protest movements and individuals, reflect upon the state of contemporary race
relations
MBSOI3NPW Instrument of Power: The CIA and US Foreign Policy, 1947 to the Present
[10 credits] Autumn term only
In July 1947 President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act into law,
thereby establishing the Central Intelligence Agency. This module aims to explore the
unique place and role of the CIA in the making and implementation of US foreign policy
ever since the Agency was founded by Truman. This module scrutinises key themes and
issues that have dominated the CIA’s history, such as institutional marginalisation, the
politicisation of intelligence, exaggerated notions of CIA power and influence, plausible
deniability, the concept of speaking truth to power and so on. The module also engages
with key debates within the historiography of US intelligence history and US foreign
policy. Finally, it places emphasis on the conduct of primary research in investigating the
key events and issues within the CIA’s history since the 1940s. The module begins with
an examination of the role of a modern intelligence agency. It then explores the origins
of peacetime US intelligence by considering the role and impact of Donovan’s Office of
Strategic Services during World War Two and the creation and expansion of the Central
Intelligence Group after January 1946. The module then charts the rise and decline of
the CIA’s influence as an instrument of the US Government, examining its shifting role
during the Cold War, the post-Cold War 1990s, and the War on Terror through to the
present day
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 28
MAMMD3CNA Contemporary Native America: Resurgence and Resistance since 1960
[10 credits] Spring term only
The Red Power movement is classically viewed as 1969-1978 and the module will
explore the roots of this ‘Indian civil rights movement’ through the 1950s-60s leading
up to the famous occupation of Alcatraz Island. The progression and changing nature
of the movement will be traced and analysed through symbolic protests (such as Mount
Rushmore), the Trail of Broken Treaties (1972), the siege at Wounded Knee (1973) up to
the Longest Walk in 1978. The module then moves to discuss a wide variety of issues
that have been significant in the shaping of contemporary Native America, both in
terms of American Indian experiences and their position within society and the
American cultural imagination. This will include a number of case-studies including
controversies surrounding the use of Indian imagery for sports mascots and advertising,
repatriation, Indian gaming, white shamanism, ‘corporate colonialism’ and Big
Mountain, Columbus Day parades, and representations of Indians in film and television.
Business and Marketing Studies
Level 6 (400 level)
Please note modules at Level 6 are advanced and students are expected to have a vast amount of prior
knowledge of the subject.
MBSOI3BMC Brand Management Communication
[10 credits] Spring term only
The aim of the module is to develop in students an understanding of the theory and
practice of brand management and communication in the modern enterprise. The
module aims to develop in students a critical perspective on brands, their social and
cultural impact in the developed world, and the ability to apply this knowledge to the
brand planning process.
MBSOI3CCD Creative Campaign Development
[10 Credits] Autumn Only
The aim of this module is to develop in students an understanding of the critical
importance of creativity in the modern enterprise. This will include an understanding of
creativity in the creative industries generally, (drawing upon the Department for Culture
Media and Sport definition) as well as specifically the role of creativity in the advertising
industry. The module aims to give students direct, hands on experience of creative
processes, and an understanding of how this integrates into strategic advertising
planning.
English Literature
All English Literature modules have limited places due to the construction of the Programme and sizes
of classes.
Level 6 (400 level)
MBSOI3TVL Topics in Victorian Literature: Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell
[10 credits] Spring term only
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 29
This module is given over in 2016-17 to an intensive consideration of the works and
lives (including the cultural networks to which each belonged) of two leading Victorian
novelists: Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell. Their paths frequently crossed, and
indeed each writer is richly revealed by the contrast that the other presents. That
juggling, however, will be kept out of the seminar room; rather, the learning and
teaching will be so organised as to keep the two writers in separate compartments,
with the Dickens novels slotted into the first half of the module and the Gaskell novels
into the second.
MBSOI3SCA Scandalous Romantics
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module examines texts which alarmed, offended, or polarised readers during the
Romantic period, 1785-1831. By exploring these texts in the context of the moral,
political, personal, sexual, religious, and aesthetic controversies which surrounded them,
you will consider both the norms and transgressions of the period, as well as its most
divisive debates. As many of these texts were considered ‘scandalous’ for what they
revealed about their authors’ private lives, you will also have a chance to investigate
issues of self fashioning, fame, and personal reputation. You will draw on contextual
and biographical material, as well as contemporary critical responses to the texts and
their authors. Key issues raised will relate to: class, gender, sexuality, genre, radicalism,
celebrity and anonymity, privacy and publicity, and the creation of literary afterlives. The
module will cover a range of genres, and is likely to include the poetry of Lord Byron,
gothic novels like John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819), and Mary Robinson’s Memoirs
(1801), to give a few examples.
MBSOI3SAT Satire, 1693-1759
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module brings together a range of rich and rewarding texts which in conjunction
one with another should conduce to an appropriately ‘joined-up’ understanding of
satire in the period under consideration. At the chronological centre of the period, we
have the highwater mark of eighteenth-century satire, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s
Travels. Around Swift the module arranges a glittering constellation of fellow satirists:
John Gay, Henry Fielding, Charlotte Lennox, Samuel Johnson, and—by special
invitation—Voltaire (studied in English translation, of course). Most of the time we shall
be reading prose rather than verse (which sidelines Alexander Pope); but satire is
generically volatile and crosses all of the period’s major literary ‘kinds,’ entwining itself
potentially with all forms of artistic production. So the material prescribed for study on
this module is remarkably diverse. With that diversity goes a genuine excitement, since
the energies of satire are frequently destabilising and work in a dissident direction. This
is comedy whose interest is on the dangerous edge of things.
MBSOI3TCL Topics in Contemporary Literature: Literature and Power 1958-1968
[10 credits] Spring term only
The special topic this year is “Literature and Power 1958-1968”. How do works of the
imagination respond to powerful people and systems? How do they engage with the
discourses of power? Does literature have any power of its own with which to ‘answer
back’? Because this study will be so concerned with context, we will focus on a fairly
brief period, the years 1958-1968. These were years of great social change in Britain. A
series of events undermined the authority of the ruling establishment. The Empire was
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 30
vanishing in a process which saw most former colonies gain independence; the
Secretary of State for War (John Profumo) was forced to resign over a sex/spy scandal;
the ‘satire boom’ ridiculed the pomposity and hypocrisy of the nation’s rulers. In a key
moment for literature, the High Court ruled in favour of Penguin Books to allow the
publication of D. H. Lawrence’s sexually explicit novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover (32 years
after it was first banned). Meanwhile, the Cold War developed, leading to a very real
fear of nuclear annihilation and heightened political conflict over such events as the war
in Vietnam. Throughout the period, there was a much-publicized youth rebellion in
music, fashion, sexual mores and politics. In the midst of these events, came the rise of
fiction and poetry that represented working class lives, women’s experience, aspects of
sexuality and cultural difference, in new and challenging ways.
MBSOI3CES Contemporary Ethnic American
[10 credits] Spring term only
This module explores the vibrancy and richness of contemporary American literature,
with a specific focus on authors from a variety of ethnic minorities. To begin with, we
will look at writers from communities with a long history in the US (African Americans,
Native Americans, etc.), while with our second cluster of set texts we will move on to
consider narratives about recent immigrants to the US. Instead of providing an overview
of any one cultural tradition, the module engages with recurrent themes in ethnic
literatures, such as the desire to create a strong sense of personal and communal
identity, and to develop an original voice; the need to gain acceptance in mainstream
American society without losing one’s individuality; the attempt to retrieve forgotten
narratives, to challenge dominant historical representations and to contest racial
stereotypes and, last but not least, the celebration of one’s heritage and/or of
multiculturalism.
MBSOI3NEM Nature and Environment in Later Medieval Literature
[10 credits] Autumn term only
What might now be labelled the “natural world” had no currency for Classical or
medieval scholars. The phrase is never encountered because, as either a physical entity
or a mental construct, its existence was simply not acknowledged. Modern western
society has no problem with the idea because it has found a philosophical rationale for
separating it from us, nature from culture. But this division, false or otherwise, has a
relatively short historical pedigree and enjoyed little or no validity before the
seventeenth century’, Richard Jones, The Medieval Natural World.
‘Strange as it may sound, the idea of nature is getting in the way of properly ecological
forms of culture, philosophy, politics, and art’, Timothy Morton, Ecology Without
Nature. The lives of Europeans in the middle ages were closer to the earth in more ways
than one. They were lived according to the regular, steady rhythms of the annual
agricultural cycle, yet dependent upon the mercy of the seasons and the bounty of the
natural world for their continued survival. In the twenty-first century, as the scale of the
current ecological crisis becomes increasingly apparent, many are considering the ways
in which the literature of the middle ages - a time when people did not think of ‘nature’
as something distinct from the human - can help us to understand our precarious
position in the present day. ‘Nature and Environment in Later Medieval Literature’
requires no prior experience of Middle English or medieval literature, though you will all
have encountered Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in your first year of study, and some
of you will be studying Chaucer in your second. This module will teach you to
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 31
understand the ways in which nature and the environment appear in the literature of
the later middle ages from a variety of perspectives, considering human relationships
with landscapes, birds, animals, plant-life, weather, the elements, and so on and so
forth, over the course of several centuries. We will look at works such as the anonymous
lyric poems that reflect the experience of everyday life, but also the
shorter poems of named individuals like Chaucer, and some of Chaucer’s dream vision
works like The Parlement of Fowles and The Book of the Duchesse. In addition to
Chaucer, we will take another look at Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (this time in its
original form!), the Gawain poet’s powerful dream vision Pearl, the romance Sir Orfeo,
Williams Langland’s dream vision Piers Plowman, and the debate on love and virtue The
Floure and the Leafe.
On this module we will study works in Middle English in their contemporary literary and
cultural contexts, alongside some of the most current ecocriticism and ecological
theory.
MBSOI3TSB Topics in Shakespeare
[10 credits] Autumn term only
This module aims to encourage students to analyse Shakespearean texts in their
historical and cultural contexts. The content of the module will vary according to the
‘topic’ selected for study.
This year, the particular focus will be on magic and the supernatural on the early
modern stage. Supernatural elements (such as fairies, witches, ghosts and prophecies)
were a staple of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. They were used in both comedies
and tragedies to many different effects: in discourses of gender, for the demonisation of
opponents, to mark religious difference, to make a point about the nature and
legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of power, and sometimes to celebrate the magic of making
theatre. This module will trace the various ways in which writers of the period used
supernatural phenomena to make sense of their world. Our reading will centre on a
number of plays by William Shakespeare which are likely include The Tempest, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Henry the Sixth and Macbeth. In addition, we will read
(extracts from) Elizabethan and Jacobean witchcraft tracts and plays by Shakespeare’s
contemporaries such as Ben Jonson and Thomas Middleton.
MBSOI3RSN Topics in Renaissance Literature
[10 credits] Autumn term only
The internet offers the opportunity for us all to become authors and critics. Whether it
is writing reviews, giving feedback on purchases, tweeting or blogging, it has never
been easier to express an opinion in writing to a potentially global audience. This
module considers a parallel technological breakthrough some six hundred years ago:
the invention of the printing press, which for the first time provided the possibility of
quickly printing multiple copies of a page of text. This may not sound impressive in the
age of the Kindle but when the alternative was to painstakingly copy out a text by hand,
the potential for the printing press to revolutionise the circulation of ideas quickly
becomes apparent. This module focuses on book production and book ownership. It
asks questions like, “Who read Shakespeare’s Sonnets anyway?” and “What else did
they read?” and sometimes, “Did these readers venture into print themselves?” It looks
at writers who courted a book-buying public and those who preferred the intimacy of
circulating their work in hand-written manuscripts. Authors frequently studied on this
module include Sir Philip Sidney, William Shakespeare, John Donne but attention will
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 32
also be given to women writers and to the book collections and writing habits of the
‘not famous.’ Similarly while poetry will be a dominant genre studied, the module will
also offer insight into the diversity of works that made it into print in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. The module usually schedules at least one visit to the Cathedral
Library to view a selection of early printed and manuscript books and may include other
local excursions.
END OF DOCUMENT
Sven Seamark, Study Abroad Programmes Administrator, [email protected]
Katie Page, Study Abroad & Marketing Officer, [email protected]
Page 33