Politics, International Studies and Global Sustainable Development, BASc, University of Warwick

About Politics, International Studies and Global Sustainable Development, BASc - at University of Warwick

What will I learn?

Each year of the course is divided equally between compulsory modules on Global Sustainable Development and modules in Politics and International Studies.

In the first year, in your GSD modules you will consider the different perspectives which might be taken on global issues and gain an appreciation of the complexity of the problems. You will be introduced to some sustainable development issues and investigate these with your fellow students through a project. In your Politics modules, you are introduced to the main issues, theoretical perspectives, processes and core concepts in the study of politics and are provided with an overview of international politics and the theoretical and empirical study of international relations.

In your second year you have a choice of GSD modules. You can take both 'Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development' which will introduce you to the key debates surrounding health and the representation of bodies in contemporary culture, and ’ Food Security’ which will examine the relationship between Food and Sustainability using theories and methods from the sciences, social sciences and humanities. If you wish, in place of one of these modules you can choose a module from a range of options available across the University which has a focus on sustainability.

In your core Politics module, you learn about the political philosophy of some of the most important European writers from 1640 onwards. You are also able to choose an optional module to study thus providing you with the opportunity to develop your expertise in Politics in areas which interest you most.

Alternatively, after the first term at Warwick studying 'Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development', and modules in the Politics Department, you may choose to travel to one of the University's partners abroad to study. There you will continue studying Global Sustainable Development and Politics by taking relevant courses offered by the partner institution.

In the third year, you examine the sustainability issues surrounding Work and Energy and complete your exploration of sustainability in relation to Politics. You will bring together your knowledge, ideas and conclusions in a Dissertation focussing on an issue or question which is of particular concern or interest to you from a Global Sustainable Development point of view.

If you have been abroad in your second year, you will return to Warwick to complete the third and final year of the course.

How will I learn?

You attend lectures and take part in seminars, workshops and tutorials. You work with your fellow students in teams on controversial, topical problems that pose significant sustainable development questions. You undertake fieldwork, archival research, interviews with members of the local area and engage in peer discussion to propose alternative solutions. You also engage in peer review.

You will be taught by a range of academics, from different disciplines, who will communicate their expertise on a specific issue and describe their methodology for addressing it. Your role is to bring together these various approaches and to develop your own informed stance on each issue.

How will I be assessed?

We have devised an assessment strategy that allows you to develop your expertise in addressing problems using a variety of perspectives from the Arts, Sciences and Social Sciences. We will teach you to use quantitative and qualitative methods of research, and this will equip you with a solid foundation from which you can approach contemporary problems critically and creatively.

During the course you will produce essays, research papers and portfolios and make oral presentations. You will be expected to present your work in a public forum such as the British Conference for Undergraduate Research or the International Conference of Undergraduate Research. You will contribute to group projects and deliver extended pieces of writing (for the final year Dissertation) as well as sit mid and end of year short tests and traditional end of year written examinations.

What opportunities are there to study abroad?

In the second year of the course, you can choose to go abroad after the first term and spend the remainder of the academic year studying at one of our partner institutions in Europe, Australia, the USA. The Study Abroad Team based in the Office for Global Engagement offers support for these activities.

Entry requirements for this course

Contact University of Warwick to find course entry requirements.

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