BA (Hons) Politics

Core units

• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practice them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be the opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Collaborative Communication Project: The unit focuses on the centrality of communicaiton, both as a process and as a project. Through the collaborative development of a communication solution to a specific communication problem, the unit aims to promote the principles and practices of team-based iterative project work. 
• Understanding Contemporary Britain: During this unit you will be introduced to key aspects of culture and society in Britain today. You will develop an understanding of the relationship between developments in culture, politics and society in the making of modern Britain and be able to identify a number of different critical perspectives on those developments. 
• Law & Government: You will trace a case study through the United Kingdom's political and legal system, following the case study from its inception in a political party's election manifesto, through the legislative process, to how the judiciary interprets its provisions within a court of law. Building out from this case study you will develop an understanding of practical and theoretical underpinnings of politics and law. 

Core units

• British Politics in a Globalised World: At home and abroad, British politics is undergoing a rapid and unprecedented transformation. From dealing with the legacies of the British Empire to relations with the European Union to the cost-of-living crisis, you will study the major debates and questions animating British politics today. 

• Psychology of Politics: This unit takes a deep dive into the psychology of all things political. Why do we vote for certain parties? What attracts us to political leaders? Why might we join a protest? How do we respond to terrorist attacks? Why do people believe conspiracy theories or reject scientific evidence? We investigate contemporary political events using key theories and methods from political psychology. 

• Political Ideologies in Perspective: This unit explores key themes in political thought through the lens of ideology. You will discover the major conflicts and differences on questions of state power, civil rights, freedom and equality, justice, tolerance, and democracy among rival ideologies. These include liberalism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, anarchism, feminism, and other liberation ideologies, such as LGBTIQA+ rights.  

• The Foundations of International Relations: You will be introduced to a range of different perspectives on International Relations, such as liberal, realist, Marxist, feminist, and postcolonial approaches. The challenges and crises confronting global politics, including migration, state power, diplomacy, global inequality, international conflict and cooperation, will be investigated and you will develop an understanding of key policy issues facing nations or other actors in international affairs.  

• Infowars: Media Power & Political Communication: As they say, whoever controls the media, controls the mind! The media has become ever more critical in thinking about politics and in this unit you will examine the fundamental role it plays in the formation of political ideas and public opinion. You will have the chance to explore a variety of media platforms including: media organisations themselves; political leaders and political parties; activist groups; PR and professionals; celebrities, political pundits and public intellectuals, podcasters, and digital influencers. 

• Citizen Space & Civic Engagement: You will focus on how major political issues are encountered and understood ‘on the ground’ by ordinary citizens in their communities. Exploring the local dimensions of such challenges as deprivation and inequality, discrimination, environmental sustainability, migration, disenfranchisement, and disinformation, you will begin to develop a critical and practical awareness of civic engagement with the aim of preparing you to undertake outreach or advocacy work later on.

Core units

• Campaigning for Social Change: How do political organisations and movements sell their ideas to citizens? How do they gain a following and mobilise supporters? What are the keys to a successful campaign? This unit takes techniques and methods from psychology, communication studies, and marketing to investigate how campaigns are designed and executed. You will apply these insights to real-world campaigning scenarios, enabling you to develop both critical and practical skills. 

• Environmentalism & the Politics of Sustainability: This unit traces the diverse and uneven development of environmental consciousness in political life. It explores the contribution of different organisations in this field, from governmental and corporate bodies to civil society and activist groups. Building on core units in year one, you will explore the impact of political ideologies, the media, and a range of local and global contexts in shaping competing conceptions of the environment and sustainability. 

• Global Capitalism & its Discontents: Events since the global financial meltdown of 2008 have brought renewed spotlight on the workings of global capitalism and its various consequences for populations across the world. In this unit, you will explore the roots of different crises within the global economy from a variety of perspectives. You will also examine the impact of transnational, geopolitical, environmental factors in this process, as well as the implications for governments, businesses, and citizens in responding to a series of growing challenges under contemporary capitalism.   

• Politics Goes Pop: Culture, Protest, Movements: This unit takes you on a journey through the various ways in which politics has been expressed and mobilised in cultural forms. It looks at the uses of art, music, film, posters, books, popular culture, DIY media etc in creating political meaning and the role played by subcultures, countercultures, and social movements in opposing and challenging dominant political ideas through culture.  

• Research Methods in Politics: This unit introduces you to methods and methodologies that underpin the study and research of politics. You will take an active, hands-on approach to understanding the research process, from the initial conception of a research idea and development of research questions to the generation of findings and conclusions. A range of methods will be considered, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, content and discourse analysis. 

Option units (choose one)

• Global Current Affairs: You will engage with current debates in international and multimedia journalism, and be introduced to major global developments and their impact on news reporting. The aim is to develop your judgment and ability to link developments from different localities, periods and spheres of human activity, while dealing with issues of, and challenges to, professional practice.
• Strikes, Riots & Blackouts - Britain in the 1970s: You will explore the intense political and ideological social divisions of the time, often expressed in cultural forms including Punk and alternative and community media.
• Cold War Culture: This unit will introduce you to the history and study of the Cold War with a specific focus on the cultural dimensions of the Cold War. The unit will foreground a socio-cultural perspective, exploring key events and developments of the Cold War and its impact on politics, culture, society and everyday life. 

• Post-War Britain, 1945-2000: You will be introduced primarily to a social, political and cultural history of post-war Britain. From the launch of the Welfare State in the 1940s to the so called ‘Cool Britannia’ of the 1990s. How have the lives of ordinary men and women changed? How has the meaning of British identity or what it meant to be British changed? You will have the opportunity to specialise and hone in on your research skills and ability to design a small research project. 

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Choose either a 4-week or optional 30-week (minimum) placement, giving you the chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.

Core units

• Global Governance & International Justice: This unit explores the interconnections between power and justice in international affairs. You will get the opportunity to critically analyse the role of supranational organisations, such as intergovernmental organisations, multinational corporations (MNCs), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), nation states and regimes, and other key actors in the sphere of human rights through an investigation of different case studies.  

• Politics Works: Career Portfolio: This unit is an applied, employability-focused unit where you will put into practice the skills and experiences you have gained in your first two years of study (plus placement). Working in small teams, you will undertake a public or community outreach project in collaboration with a local political or civic organisation, addressing one or more key political challenges in the Bournemouth region. The project includes careers guidance and training, and culminates in a group showcase and presentation. 

• Academic Dissertation or Consultancy Dissertation: The dissertation offers you an opportunity to become an expert on the topic that is of particular personal interest and passion. You will develop a study that connects your learning with real-world insights enabling you to develop and demonstrate your critical, analytical and research skills.

Option units (choose two)

• The Philosophy of Politics: The unit invites you to debate political philosophies and theories, from populism to anarchism, socialism to eco-feminism, utilitarianism to critical race theory. We journey from Jeremy Bentham's "greatest happiness of the greatest number" to Ayn Rand's "virtue of selfishness", to Vandana Shiva's "earth democracy".
• Nation Branding & Public Diplomacy: You will be introduced to new fields of study and practice, uncovering a range of issues, debates, and practices that involve practitioners and scholars alike in nation branding and public diplomacy. Topics include the rise of place branding and nation branding; the intersections of nation branding, nationalism and national identities; the impact of populism; migration and diaspora; protests and movements, as well as gender, emotions and trauma. 
• Race, Media & Inequality: You will develop critical understandings of historical and contemporary issues and debates on the dynamics of race, ethnicity and culture in media and communication practice and political discourse. You will also develop the cultural competencies required to articulate the key issues and advance solutions for a specific industry.
• History & Political Struggle: International Perspectives through Film: This unit explores how key political events, ideas and conflicts in history are represented in fiction and non-fiction film. It considers and compares varied perspectives from around the world on turning points in world affairs. You will also assess the role of national and international film movements and cultures in shaping popular histories and providing varied perspectives on political movements and moments
• Space, Place, & Environment: This unit focuses on critical representations of space, place and environment in literature and culture from industrialisation to the present. You will explore the significance of space and the environment in relation to diverse yet connected topics such as globalisation, personal, social and national identity, politics and policy, global transmission of literatures, literary tourism, conservation, biophilia and urban regeneration. 

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

A placement should be a highly rewarding experience for you and the employing company and we do our best to ensure that everyone involved feels that they have got the most that they can from the experience.

On your placement, you’ll get to:

• Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
• Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
• Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
• Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
• Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider.

Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

You will begin your placement after completion of your second year of study and you can choose to complete four weeks (on the three-year option of the course) or a minimum 30-week placement (on the four-year option).

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator. 

Through timetabled sessions and one-to-one appointments, they’ll help support you in your placement search including advice on finding a placement, information and advice on all aspects of job searching and job applications, as well as ensuring your proposed placement meets the requirements of your course.
 
Our CareersBU service is also available throughout your time at BU, offering services like CV checking and careers fairs to meet employers.

Placement Development Advisors will support you once you have started your sandwich placement – so you will be able to maintain contact with the university throughout.

There are many contexts in which you could put what you learn to use in a professional environment on your placement – from media positions to working with politicians. Examples of our placement students’ employers include

• Office of Education and Quality
• Herts Mind Network
• Bournemouth West Conservative Association
• Citizens Advice
• Apollo Private Wealth

Many BU courses have partner universities around the world, offering opportunities for you to apply to study abroad for between one month and a year of your degree. There are usually no additional tuition fees, and the Turing Scheme at BU can often provide grants to support with travel and living expenses*.

As a student studying BA (Hons) Politics you can apply to study abroad at these international partners:

• Germany: Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena
• Germany: Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Kleve

Further information can be found here.

*Funding is subject to an annual successful bid and information will be shared with students in the Autumn

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

This course will prepare you for working in various roles within this fascinating area, including in local and national government, non-government organisations, think-tanks, lobbying groups and emerging political industries such as soft diplomacy and nation branding.

Among the positions you will be prepared for are:

• Political Press Officer/Spokesperson
• Campaign Strategist
• Digital Communication Strategist
• Political Project Manager
• Journalist.

Your placement and option units will also help you establish the career path you want to follow – and to take control of your career development after you graduate.

• Politics
• Diplomacy
• PR
• Marketing
• Journalism

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Dr Jenny Alexander is a Senior Lecturer in Politics, Media and Communication in the School of Humanities and Law. Her primary research, teaching and publishing interests are in environmental politics and environmental communication, and in gender, sexuality and politics/ gender, sexuality and communication.

Her PhD (University of Sussex) was on nineteenth century anarchist autobiographies. She has published on gender, sexuality, disability and representation (including on fan-fiction, anarchism and sexuality, and the semiotics of the 2012 Paralympics) and on environmental politics and communication (including on "eco-celebrity" and eco-fascism). Her most recent journal article, "Green White Nationalism: Eco-Fascism and the Alt-Right in the Era of Climate Breakdown" is forthcoming (2020). She is also currently writing a book for Routledge on Environmental Advertising: New Forms of Transnational Persuasion, about the global politics of promotional communication on the subject of the environment. Another book is at the planning stage; on the ethics of contemporary homoerotic subtext, titled Queercoding or Queerbaiting: The Homoerotic Subtext of Supernatural (A Study in Reading Subtext on Screen).

Dr Ian Gwinn teaches politics and history at undergraduate level. He is a historian of late-twentieth century Britain and Germany, who specialises in the study of social movements, cultural politics and the history of the social sciences. His current research concerns the formation and development of a feminist intellectual culture in the 1970s and 80s in Britain, West Germany and the Netherlands. Ian has previously studied at Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Birmingham, and received his PhD from the University of Liverpool in 2015 on the topic of the History Workshop movement in Britain and West Germany. He is currently working on turning his thesis into a monograph entitled A Different Kind of History is Possible due for publication in 2020.

Dr Elena-Alina Dolea joined Bournemouth University on September 1, 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and her research themes include public diplomacy and strategic communication of organisations (public relations, nation branding), migration, public issues, political communication. She is interested in supervising PhD students in any of these areas.

Alina was Fulbright Senior Scholar 2015-2016 and visited USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism between November 2015 and March 2016. She was also Visiting Scholar at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), during May-October 2015, researching public diplomacy in Switzerland (through the Swiss Scientific exchange program for new member states as part of Swiss Contribution to EU)

Described by one BBC journalist as 'a man who watches Westminster', Prof. Lilleker is a lecturer and researcher in political communication with particular interests in political party and candidate communication and the link to citizen and voter engagement.

His teaching covers topics relating to political communication, communication theory and reception theory. Through the delivery of his units, he prioritises maximising student engagement: his work in this area was recognised with the award of a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

In addition, Prof. Lilleker leads the Centre for Comparative Politics and Media Research and plays a leading role in developing research strategy as Deputy Head of the Humanities and Law Department. He is also Chair of the Political Communication Research Committee of the International Political Studies Association, a member of the UK Political Studies Association and the European Communication Research and Education Association.

Dr Anastasia Veneti joined Bournemouth University in September 2014. Prior to this, she was teaching at the University of Leicester and in several educational institutions in Greece (Akmi Metropolitan College, University of Athens, Technological Educational Institution of Ionian Islands). Moreover, she also worked as a research analyst in Greek market research companies (MRB S.A. and QED Hellas) and as communication consultant in various political campaigns, an NGO (‘ANIXI’) and the Hellenic Parliament. She is a HEA Fellow.

Her research lays at the intersection of media and politics. So far, she did research on political communication including political advertising, political campaigns, the use of SNS and digital applications (Twitter and selfies) by politicians and political parties. Her research also includes projects on protests and social movements: the most recent work in this area involves the examination of the media framing of protests and social movements from the Indignados to the Hong Kong Umbrella movement, as well as the exploration of the broader relationship between protesters and activists and the different forms of art that are used as outlets for political expression.

Dr David McQueen is a lecturer at Bournemouth University and his research interests include questions of media & power, conflict coverage and PR. He has been teaching on media courses at different levels since 1991 and is author of a popular undergraduate textbook Television: a Media Student's Guide. In 2010 he successfully completed his PhD research entitled BBC TV's Panorama, Conflict Coverage and the Westminster Consensus.

As a full time member of staff he has developed and taught on a number of BA and MA units within the Media School and is an active researcher with an interest in issues around media and power, conflict coverage, film and television history and public relations.

Dr Savvas Voutyras holds a PhD in Ideology and Discourse Analysis from the University of Essex. His research interests include the relation between discourse and affect, the use of psychoanalysis for political analysis, nationalism, and alternative community economies. He has published on the discourses of austerity in Greece and the emergence of new social and political movements in this context. 

Dawid Pekalski is a final year PhD postgraduate at Bournemouth University’s Department of Psychology and Department of Humanities and Law. His research interests centre around information processing, decision making and rationality in a post-truth era. He obtained his MA in International Political Communication, and works as a lecturer and researcher at Bournemouth University’s Department of Politics. He recently worked on an AHRC funded project – ArtoP: The Visual Articulations of Politics in Nigeria and Horizon 2020 project- Observatory for Political Text in European Democracies.

Dr Tabitha Baker is a lecturer in Politics in the department of Humanities and Law, Faculty of Media and Communication. She is also the programme leader for the Foundation Certificate in the Faculty of Media and Communication. Her teaching spans across the BA Politics and BA Politics & Economics programmes, and the MA Political Psychology and MA International Political Communication programmes. Her research interests include Political Psychology, Postcolonialism, National Identity, Defence Mechanisms, Emotion and Rural voters. She gained her PhD in 2022 with her thesis titled 'The psychosocial relationship between national identity and political sentiment in England: 2016-2020".