Liberal Arts (Accelerated) BA (Hons)

Rethinking Modernity (Core )

We have never been modern, at least according to the French sociologist Bruno Latour. And yet, the idea of ‘modernity’, and the closely related notions of progress and civilization, has governed how we think and talk about society, politics and culture. This module will encourage you to think critically about ‘modernity’ as a conceptual framework across Humanities disciplines by considering how ‘the modern’ has shaped work in History, Literary studies, Media and Cultural Studies. Along with key theorists and positions that underpin these areas, you will also study issues arising from post-colonial and feminist thought in order to challenge and rethink the notion of modernity.  

• Credits: 20

The Public Role of the Arts and Humanities (Core)

Module description coming soon.

• Credits: 20

Aesthetics (Core Option (Summer School, also counts towards film and screen media major))

Aesthetics within philosophy is centrally, though not exclusively, concerned with art and concepts like imitation and beauty. Yet it also includes broader debate about the politics of definition, cultural boundaries and ideas of ownership. You will study basic concepts in aesthetics e.g.  form; boundaries and definitions; aesthetics and ethics and interpretation. You will undertake a field trip, during which time you will attempt to answer some of the most fundamental questions in aesthetics. Your portfolio work will be based on this trip. 

• Credits: 20

Renaissance London (Core Option (Summer School, also counts towards English major and History major))

You will undertake an interdisciplinary study of London’s society and culture, between 1500 and 1640, from the establishment of the Tudors to the beginning of the Civil War. You will engage with a variety of different literary and historical sources to consider the culture and society of the period from a wide range of perspectives. Where relevant, you will undertake visits to a range of London based attractions relevant to the period (such as Shakespeare’s Globe) and think about the physical and spatial legacies and fragments of this period in the context of the present day city.

• Credits: 20

Popular Culture and the Arts and Humanities (Core Option (Summer School, also counts towards film and screen media major & creative writing major))

You will study conventional distinctions between popular culture, on the one hand; and the arts and humanities, on the other. Perspectives from aesthetics, cultural studies and sociology of culture are utilised to question the distinction between these cultural categories, particularly in relation to cultural value and historical context.

• Credits: 20

From Enlightenment to Romanticism (Core Option (Summer School, also counts towards history major, English major & creative writing major))

This interdisciplinary module has at its heart the exploration of a pivotal moment in the cultural, intellectual and political development of Western Europe.

You will explore developments through the close analysis of key texts in the Enlightenment and Romantic traditions, seeking to develop a nuanced and complex understanding of their place within the changing cultural landscape of the period.

• Credits: 20

Current Writers and Writing (Optional (Creative Writing))

Module description coming soon.

• Credits: 20

Introduction to Narrative (Optional (Creative Writing))

Module description coming soon.

• Credits: 20

Introduction to Critical Theory (Optional (English))

The module introduces critical theory and its application to the reading of literary texts. Beginning with classical descriptions of form and unity, the module traces the major developments in critical theory to the present day.

London Theatre (Optional (English))

This module introduces you to the contemporary London theatre scene by encouraging you to see a range of productions in London, and training you how to write and review these shows as your assessment.

Film, Style and Form (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module introduces you to film and television style. Beginning with a consideration of the variety of forms and approaches to the moving image, you will consider the micro elements of cinema such as mise en scène, cinematography, editing, sound, montage and special effects. You will also consider the macro structures such as narrative and genre, with a focus also on the identities of the producers, performers and audiences for screen industries.

Digital Cultures (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module considers the role of digital and social media in 21st-century life.

It will examine some ways of viewing digital media in terms of technological developments, the politics and economy of media, social media, participation and online communities, and the remediation of previous media forms through digital platforms. It also engages you with the ethical and political issues involved in contemporary media production and consumption.

Media History (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module will examine media products and institutions in light of technological and historical developments. By studying the origins of film and broadcasting industries, you will examine how cinema and visual culture has developed historically. This module will examine key areas of media production and practice and how this might be understood commercially as well as culturally and politically. It will also case study significant mediated forms of popular entertainment and their historical and social context, such as sport and the media, television comedy and popular music. The module will develop your understanding of public and private broadcasting, film standardisation, TV scheduling, press regulation, and the commercial imperatives of film and television production, distribution and exhibition.

Digital Production (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module will introduce a range of concepts relating to the creation, production and editing of digital short films. Whilst taking this module, you will begin to explore filmmaking both as a technical endeavour, and as a creative discipline.

Every step of the process of taking a script idea to the end result of a completed film will be discussed, performed and reflected upon within the lectures and workshops, and in the practical production and the development portfolio.

British Film and TV (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module will explore the key issues in analysing British film and television, as well as social changes that have transformed representations of Britishness in the media concerned. A variety of approaches will be taken, including close attention to particular auteurs in film and television as well as a more general discussion of important film and television genres.

Doing History (Optional (History))

In this module you will think about the kind of work that historians do – why they write history in the ways that they do, why they ask particular types of questions, what assumptions they bring to their work, what historians think about other people’s ways of producing accounts about the past, and the role of historical knowledge in contemporary culture.

Revolutions and Rebellions (Optional (History))

In this module you will examine a series of world revolutions and major rebellions against political authority. The module’s content covers two principal fields – different ways of conceptualising revolutions and rebellion, and specific examples of revolutions and rebellions that have occurred across four continents. The module begins by examining ideas and ideologies of revolutions, providing you with a vocabulary and conceptual repertoire that you can use to discuss revolutionary activities throughout the remainder of the module. The specific examples of revolutions and rebellions that we cover are located in a period that runs from the mid-18th to the early 21st Centuries.

What is Politics? (Optional (Political Science))

What makes a topic, theory or decision a political one? Who should care about political events, and about the academic study of politics? What methods or approaches are used to study politics? This module introduces you to key questions, theories and concepts in the study of politics at undergraduate level. You will investigate a selection of central political concepts from a range of perspectives.

Introduction to International Relations (Optional (Political Science))

International relations is the academic discipline that tries to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding and analysing international politics. This module will familiarise you with the origins and evolution of the discipline and show how different schools of thought have emerged, and how they can help us understand the nature of the international system.

Foundations in Biblical Interpretation (Optional (Theology))

This module provides a foundation of the variety of approaches to the interpretation of the Bible today which are in play in scholarly and popular discourse. It will look at ways in which biblical texts can be interpreted in their ancient contexts and how the history of their interpretation can be understood. It allows you to reflect on your own and others’ reading of the Bible thoughtfully, critically and creatively.

Key Concepts in World Religions (Optional (Theology))

This module will introduce you to a variety of religious thought from around the world. It will begin with the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It will then turn to the East and explore Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, before finally exploring Daoism and Confucianism. It will study both the practices and beliefs of each tradition. Each week it will examine either a pre-eminent thinker or a central concept within each tradition in particular detail.

Fundamentals of Systematic Theology (Optional (Theology))

The module introduces you to the central themes of Christian theology. It analyses each theme in its Scriptural foundations and doctrinal bases, before introducing an important contemporary discussions drawing on recent theology.

This approach provides an overview of the history of each theme, as well as equipping you with the fundamental terminology of systematic theology and some awareness of its contemporary relevance.

You will also be introduced to different modes of theological reasoning, enabling you to adopt and articulate your own positions on the matters studied. You are encouraged to engage with ongoing theological debates, and begin to engage critically with the interlocutors studied. The module provides a foundation and context for more specialised systematic theology modules of subsequent years.

The Nature of Religion (Optional (Theology))

The module offers a detailed exploration of the concept of religion, and the various ways in which leading scholars, both classic and contemporary, have tried to define it. You will be introduced to a foundational, theoretical debate in the study of religion.

The module will centre around the reading, interpreting, discussing, and critiquing a number of primary texts from within the sociology and anthropology of religion. Authors will include some or all of the following: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Peter Clarke, Steve Bruce, Irena Borowik, Linda Woodhead, Timothy Fitzgerald, and Christian Smith.

Introduction to Ethics (Optional (Theology))

The module will introduce you to ethics. It will include an overview of the main value theories and normative ethical theories, both historical and modern. You will also be taught to think about the status itself of ethical claims and ethical language.

Working with the Liberal Arts (Core)

This module combines a work placement with field trips to various cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries and cultural centres, publishing houses, theatres, memorials, archives, and public spaces, predominantly in London but potentially in other cities too.

The intention is to witness first-hand how and why these various spaces engage with the themes that run through the liberal arts degree - including identity, power, representation, knowledge. More importantly the visits will provide opportunities to speak with those employed in different roles in these institutions (directors, curators, artists, conservators, technicians, editors, publicists, educationalists, archivists, for example) in order to find out more about potential careers in the liberal arts, but also to learn vocational skills relevant to careers in the field.

• Credits: 20

Researching the Liberal Arts (Core)

You will be encouraged to think about the different research methods associated with the Humanities and Liberal Arts, and work in a group to apply these methods to a defined problem.

You will be briefed on a specific problem, question or issue within the field of the Humanities, Liberal Arts or Creative Industries by a practitioner or researcher actively engaged with it. You'll then have a series of research skills workshops before choosing how you will apply a given research methodology to produce a report on the subject.

• Credits: 20

Dissertation/Independent Project (Core (Summer School))

Module description coming soon.

In and Out of the Gothic (Core (Summer School))

You will study the emergence of the Gothic revival through the arts and humanities; to its later reimagining in popular culture. Starting with its roots in Romantic aesthetics and culture, the module considers the Gothic novel, art and architecture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It then proceeds to a consideration of popular cultural Gothic, from film and television to music, subcultures and online.

• Credits: 20

Writing Genre Fiction (Optional (Creative Writing))

This module aims to combine the analytical and interpretive skills required to assess the creation of works within a particular genre of fiction with the creative skills involved in contributing to that genre. The module will consider both the aesthetic and commercial concerns and demands of writing within established genre categories and attempt to address questions of distinctions between popular and literary fiction.

Writing Lyrics and Poetry (Optional (Creative Writing))

This module aims to help you develop skills in the use of rhythm, rhyme, metre and the innovative application of language in relation to writing poetry and song lyrics. It aims to develop a practical knowledge of the creative process through various stages of analysis and drafting.

Writing Adaptations (Optional (Creative Writing))

The aim of this module is to offer an examination of the relationships between texts in different creative media, and specifically to develop your critical and creative skills in considering the relationship between the printed word and film/television, with particular emphasis upon the techniques and processes of adaptation. Source material for consideration in the module will include short stories, novels, comics and graphic novels, non-fiction and video or computer games. Adaptations from page-to-screen as well as from screen-to-page (novelisations, tie-ins, spin-offs, etc) will be examined.

Writing Children’s Fiction (Optional (Creative Writing))

The aim of this module is to provide you with a basic understanding of the range and scope of contemporary literature for children and young adults, and an introduction to creating marketable work for these readers. The module will examine the nature of current work, in fiction and non-fiction, written for different age groups in established publishing categories. The goal is to focus your thinking on the needs and expectations of the readers they are specifically writing for, as well as the publishers who cater to those readers. You will produce a short piece of children's writing as part of the unit.

Romanticism: English Literature and its Background 1776-1832 (Optional (English))

The module asks you to read literature of the ‘Romantic’ period in the context of revolutions and profound changes that were happening in society. While the big six male poets – Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and Keats – are considered, the module brings to the fore works by working-class and women writers, such as Shelley’s Frankenstein, Austen’s Persuasion, and John Clare’s poetry.

Gothic Cultures 1760-1900 (Optional (English))

Starting with Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto (1764), which was written at Strawberry Hill, you will examine the result genre of Gothic fiction that flourished during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Literature and the Unconscious (Optional (English))

Taking texts like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and R L Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde as examples, this module proposes a psychoanalytic approach to reading literature, and asks you to examine the literary text as an expression of those repressed anxieties and desires we call ‘the unconscious’.

New Voices: Twentieth-Century Literature (Optional (English))

Module description coming soon.

North American Cinema (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module explores the history of Hollywood as a dominant mode of production together with subordinate modes of production. Areas of study include the studio system and the Paramount decree; New Hollywood and independent cinema; key genres such as film noir, melodrama and action-adventure; classification and censorship; distribution, exhibition practices and film festivals; and African-American cinema.

Screen Theory and Criticism (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

The module outlines key film and media theories, including classical film theory; spectatorship and apparatus theory; ideology and Marxist criticism; postmodern theory; queer theory; affect theory; and postcolonialism. It also considers non-theoretical methodologies such as media industry studies and film criticism. Guest speakers will give an industry perspective on the interpretation of and writing about film and television.

Disney and Animation (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module will begin with an insight into the Disney theme parks and their relationship with the real America that surrounds them. You will then develop a thorough understanding of the historical evolution of animation, including the centrality of Disney to narrative and technological innovations in this mode of moving image, as well as an understanding of the varying aesthetic and formal qualities at play in other animation products.

The Beatles and the Counterculture (Optional (Film and Screen Media))

This module considers the output and cultural significance of The Beatles in terms of historical context, lyrical analysis, iconography and their presence in other media (film, television and online) as a transmedia phenomenon. Following a chronological order, the development of the group’s musical and visual styles, lyrical concerns and cultural contexts will be tracked in relation to cultural studies methodologies. 

Liberty or Death: The French Revolution (Optional (History))

The French Revolution continues to shape our lives in innumerable ways, from the way we do politics to our art and literature. It gave birth to the modern nation-state and the modern restaurant, our concepts of left and right and the very idea of a national anthem. Yet the Revolution remains a subject of intense and passionate historical debate.

You will consider the historical significance of this period by examining the following questions: Why did the Revolution happen? What was new about the regime that emerged after 1789? What role did ordinary men and women play in events, and how did their lives change? Why, ultimately, did the Revolution lead to terror, war, and dictatorship?

Australia: Great Southern Land (Optional (History))

This module explores the political and cultural history of Australia from its earliest origins to the start of the 21st century.

Collective Memory and the Second World War (Optional (History))

This module examines the main ways in which various national and other group cultures have remembered (and forgotten), commemorated and represented aspects of the Second World War. It is organised around the concept of ‘collective memory’.

More specifically, this means thinking about: the intellectual and cultural traditions that frame representations of the past; the ‘memory makers’ who selectively adopt and manipulate these traditions; and memory consumers who use, ignore or transform the artefacts of memory for their own ends.

Nations and Nationalisms (Optional (History))

Although we live in an age of globalisation, nation states and nationalist movements continue to shape our societies and our politics. This means that understanding nationalism is not only of historical importance, but vital to those considering careers in law, politics and government, journalism and the media, since it touches on anyone involved in advocacy, policy and media roles.

On this module, you will examine the nature of nationalism, considering the extent to which it should be considered a ‘modern phenomenon’, the difference between ‘civic’ and ‘ethnic’ nationalism, and the relationship between nationalism and other ideologies.

Historical case studies will then allow you to examine the political consequences of nationalist movements from the French Revolution to the present day, as well as the ways in which nationalism interacts with social class, gender, religion and the state. Although the focus will be primarily on Europe, some non-European material will be considered, especially in relation to decolonisation and the end of empire.

Theory, Practice and History of Diplomacy (Optional (Political Science))

Diplomacy is the way in which the representatives of states interact with one another. This module provides an outline of how diplomacy emerged. It shows how diplomacy can be traced back to the very earliest phases of human development, long before the emergence of modern states as we know them. It then outlines the development of diplomatic practice through the Medieval world, before looking at how diplomacy evolved in the modern era. It also explores the ways in which diplomacy is carried out in contemporary international affairs, and how diplomacy fits into the big picture of foreign policy. You will analyse the roles of specific diplomatic institutions, such as foreign ministries and embassies. Finally, the rules that shape diplomatic practice are analysed, as well as the different types of diplomacy, including the increasingly important role of public diplomacy.

Modernity and Global Societies (Optional (Political Science))

Module description coming soon.

International Organisations (Optional (Political Science))

This module provides a comprehensive overview of how international and regional organisations shape and enhance political, economic, security and others forms of cooperation in the contemporary international system. It also examines the main criticisms levelled against them and the arguments for reform.

God in Christ (Optional (Theology))

This module involves a detailed study of the central Christian doctrines surrounding Christology and the Triune God, focusing particularly on intellectual developments in recent years. The first half of the module works from the Chalcedon Definition, and studies key tensions in Christology as they have affected important discussions in systematic theology, and the second half works from the Nicene Creed to the Doctrine of the Trinity in recent theology.

You learn about the complex theological dynamics involved when the understandings to fundamental doctrines change, and about the interplay with the historical and cultural contexts which stimulate such changes. You will also engage in critically evaluating these developments. The module uses visual theological aids throughout, to provide contextual and culturally-rich understandings of intellectual changes.

Religion and Reason (Optional (Theology))

This module will introduce you to the study of religion from the perspective of natural reason. The difference between natural theology and revealed theology will be explained. Key arguments both for and against the existence of God will be explored and you will learn how to critique and evaluate each argument.

Ecclesiology (Optional (Theology))

This module examines the historical origins of the Church and its Scriptural foundations. The different theological schools for understanding the significance and character of the Church are also studied, as they have developed in theological tradition. Different images for understanding the Church today are brought into discussion, to evaluate different ways of approaching the Church as a place of belonging for the contemporary believer.

The module also considers the trajectory and possibilities in the light of the culture in which we live at present, encouraging individual application of the module content to differing contexts.

Theology and Culture (Optional (Theology))

Module description coming soon.

Religion and Politics (Optional (Theology))

Module description coming soon.

Sacramental Theology (Optional (Theology))

Module description coming soon.

Gospel of John (Optional (Theology))

John's Gospel has been called 'the spiritual Gospel' for much of the history of Christianity, on account of its very different style and treatment of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus from that of the Synoptic Gospels. This third level module investigates the Fourth Gospel from a range of viewpoints – sociological, literary, historical, feminist, theological. It includes close analysis of the Gospel text as well as wider consideration of the Gospel's message in its own day and subsequently. Topics for study include the evidence for a 'Johannine Community' whose experience is, perhaps, reflected in the Gospel text.

Ecumenism and Interfaith (Optional (Theology))

Module description coming soon.

The Aspiring Entrepreneur (Optional)

Entrepreneurship education is essential for developing the human capital necessary for the society of the future. It is not enough to add entrepreneurship on the perimeter – it needs to be core to the way education operates. Educational institutions, at all levels (primary, secondary and higher education) need to adopt 21st century methods and tools to develop the appropriate learning environment for encouraging creativity, innovation and the ability to “think out of the box” to solve problems (Wilson et al 2009).

The intention is that this module will enable you to engage in a range of activities and reflect on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. As part of the curriculum framework, this module serves as a stepping-stone to promoting further entrepreneurial activity within the university. The progression route from the module, naturally links to Start-up St Marys (an entrepreneurial extra-curricular programme) which you will have access to. By completing the Aspiring Entrepreneur module, you will be equipped with the necessary skills and abilities to successfully engage in the St Mary’s Start-up programme and importantly, you will have enhanced their employability skills which in turn will improve graduate outcomes.

The Aspiring Entrepreneur module will support you in identifying the range of skills required and your current competencies in these, in order to successfully engage in future entrepreneurship. The module will explore a range of both technical skills and the leadership traits required by successful entrepreneurs. These skills are increasingly advantageous to both the individual and the organisation they operate in. With an extensive range of experience in both entrepreneurship and reflection, the Centre for Work-based  Learning academic team will be able to facilitate the development of the soft skills related to leadership, ethics, communication, and new working models (Sousa, 2018). 

Responsible Leadership in the 21st Century (Optional)

Module description coming soon.