General Studies in UK

Based at the world-leading UCL Institute of Education, this interdisciplinary degree draws on sociology, philosophy, psychology, and history, to provide our students with the critical tools necessary to reflect on education and society, and to become leaders of social and political change.

The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Applied Theology is designed to enable theological reflection upon experience in pastoral practice in the context of ministry in the Church. It may be taken if you hold a pastoral appointment at present, or if you are able to include a period of approved pastoral experience in your course of study for the PGDip.

Our War Studies BA degree is a long-established course that focuses on the global human challenges of war and conflict. In this three-year undergraduate course, you will approach the study of war and conflict from a variety of different disciplines including history, politics, international relations, philosophy, sociology, diplomacy and strategic studies, preparing you for a wide range of career choices. You will develop the ability to handle a broad range of evidence, analyse complex, challenging and important issues, and present arguments in a clear, concise and effective manner, both orally and in writing.

Understand the underlying factors driving human behaviour on Behavioural and Data Science MSc. Warwick's Psychology department offers you training in basic psychology, behavioural economics and state of the art methods in data science and analytics.

This course enables you to learn how anthropological ideas and approaches are vital for understanding the environmental, social and economic crises of the contemporary world. It teaches how to engage with local knowledge and community-based approaches, rather than rely on global blueprints for sustainable development.

The course is taught by an active, interdisciplinary team involved in world-class research on development issues. We offer comparative knowledge about achieving environmental and social sustainability through participatory approaches and active collaborations with projects for empowerment in the Global South. Geographical areas of expertise include Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, South Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Melanesia. Staff also help students connect with Durham’s excellent research communities such as the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, and the Durham Energy Institute.

The MSc is based around core modules focusing on the challenges of pro-poor transitions to sustainability, aided by culturally informed perspectives on new themes in development such as resilience, and energy justice. Options allow you to pursue subject interests with specialist guidance. The dissertation enables you to conduct independent research under the supervision of an expert, and become a master of your chosen topic.

Our sport development and coaching course blends both applied practical skills and knowledge of coaching, with the vital skills and functions of resource management. Giving you a broad skill range which is attractive to potential employees in a variety of sport sectors.

At Worcester, our innovative combination of sports development, coaching, and management provides you with a diverse array of opportunities and experience you will need to drive high quality sports development services. This multi-disciplinary approach will also equip you with operational, strategic and project management expertise that will enable you to take a dynamic approach to leading innovation and change within the sector.

Are you passionate about live performance and theatre practice, but equally interested in literature? Birkbeck’s location in Bloomsbury in London’s West End makes it an ideal place to study theatre and English.

Our BA Theatre Studies and English with Foundation Year is taught by world-class experts and allows you to explore a diverse and exciting range of theatre and drama practices, theories, institutions, companies and artists from across the world, from Ancient Greece to the present day. You will also receive essential training in performance analysis, theatre and performance history, cultural theory and research methods. Combining lectures, seminars and workshops, and visits to theatres and cultural institutions, there is no better place to pursue your love of theatre and English.

This Urban Planning degree focuses on the built environment and how it’s developed. You'll develop a thorough understanding of planning processes, design awareness and housing policy so you're equipped to pursue a career in town planning.

The course draws on Newcastle’s rich history, including the rise and decline of industry and its more recent cultural renaissance. You will undertake projects that address real-life planning situations and challenges, taking you out into the city and beyond. Study visits in Stage 2 also offer opportunities for international exploration and comparison.

You'll study topics such as design awareness, environmental sustainability and housing policy, and participate in a range of field trips and projects to see planning in action. You can specialise in subjects such as global poverty, the design of urban spaces, the effect of digital tools on democracy and how we plan for mega projects and the unknown.

The overall aim of this programme is to provide students with a comprehensive and rigorous academic grounding in a range of counselling and health communication theories, approaches and practical skills. The programme offers students an opportunity to learn about the conscious and unconscious psychological and biopsychosocial factors that underpin individual feelings, thoughts and behaviours across the lifespan, and within the context of the couple, the family and the group.

The programme is underpinned by a number of research-informed approaches to pedagogy and practice, designed to facilitate the development of observation and analytical skills and the capacity for self-awareness, self-reflection and insight.

Our dynamic Sports Coaching and Development program combines the theoretical and the practical to develop the skills and capabilities that you’ll need to bring the power of sport into community, school and international environments. As such, you’ll explore a range of different coaching environments, tackle practical coaching problems and develop solutions for working in each context.

While you’ll start off with a strong core of modules, you’ll also have the chance to tailor your degree to your specific coaching interests, with optional modules which allow you to focus on specialisms such as working in schools, international development and developing community projects. Throughout it all, you’ll find an emphasis on developing your professional skills through real-world experiences vital for your career.

Not only will you have a range of opportunities for placements where you will develop your coaching skills and gain vital experience, but you can also choose to spend a sandwich year working in a sports organization, or at a university abroad through our international partnerships, before completing your final year with an independent research study.

Youth work has been described as ‘the science of enabling young people to believe in themselves and build positive futures’ (National Youth Agency).

Working with people primarily aged between 11 and 25 is both a challenging and rewarding career choice and the professionals specialising in this field aim to support a young person to develop both personally and socially.

On this course, you’ll cover the history and development of youth and community work, explore the self, groups and learning, society and social policy, and develop your understanding of social science.

You’ll also be looking at oppression, globalisation, how agencies work together, and community development and management, as well as enhancing your research, practical and managerial skills.

Compulsory work placements in youth and community centres, and schools and voluntary organisations, provide ample opportunity to achieve hands-on experience working alongside professional youth and community workers. And you’ll see, first-hand, some of the issues that can affect young people and their communities.

Are you interested in cities and how they are developed? Do you like to think creatively about how urban spaces might work better for people? Are you concerned about social problems in cities and how we tackle the injustices that come with city life?

Our BA Urban Studies programme is a three year honours degree that gives you the opportunity to study the urban and built environment using cutting-edge theories and practices in politics, economics, design, sociology and geography. You'll develop a deep critical awareness of how cities work - and when they don't - and how the fortunes of city dwellers around the world can depend on the actions of global financiers, national politicians, and community activists.

This MA programme could be particularly relevant if you are considering employment in the field of humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction. It could also be relevant if you are a practitioner wishing to study the politics of aid. Our programme seeks to build on critical policy research and consultancy that has been completed for a wide range of international organisations.

Through this programme we aim to analyse the increasing overlap between ‘development’ and ‘security’ and to explore the significance of globalisation for the emergence of internal, regionalised and networked forms of conflict and instability.

The MA in Development and Human Rights combines insights from the fields of development studies, politics, and international law.

You will examine critical global issues facing the 21st century societies through a dynamic course that combines theoretical and applied perspectives.

Taught by leading experts, you will apply legal theory, political insights and specialist research and planning tools in the analysis of the interface between human development and human rights in international public policy, including aid policy.

Having recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, this is one of the longest running degrees on gender and development.

You’ll gain a solid understanding of debates in feminist thinking, and link them to gendered policy and programming. You’ll develop in-depth knowledge for gendered analysis using an intersectional lens on issues such as:

• women’s economic and political empowerment
• political economy, environment and feminist mobilisation for social justice
• sexuality, masculinity and disability.

Our groundbreaking work challenges ideas about gender. We work with nuanced, fluid perspectives on gender and sex, and the ways they interact. You’ll gain the skills required to participate effectively in gender- and development-related research, policy-making and programme implementation.

This degree is based at the Institute of Development Studies. You’ll benefit from our international research faculty’s expertise and our working relationships with partner organisations around the world. Your course teachers are all active in the field, working on high-level policy-oriented programming and cutting-edge academic research.

The BA Youth Work and Community Development offers degree level professional education and training. It is a unique, value-based course underpinned by a commitment to social justice, anti-oppressive practice and empowerment. These values inform teaching, learning, and the development of practice skills, enabling students to develop critical knowledge and understanding of a range of societal issues and problems that impact the lives of young people and the wider community. Topics include, but are not restricted to: social inequalities and social injustice, poverty, discrimination, participation and rights, mental health and wellbeing, safeguarding, social media, environmental justice, and crime and violence.

The course provides opportunities for students to acquire the academic and professional competencies required for becoming innovative and reflective youth and community development workers. It encourages students to be personally, socially and politically engaged with their respective communities, and, utilizing a ‘strengths-based’ approach to practice, seeks to enable students to foster and create positive social change.