Program Overview

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On our four-year BA Global Studies with Politics (including foundation year), we work with you to develop your subject-specific knowledge, and to improve your academic skills. You receive a thorough grounding in these areas during your foundation year (known as Year Zero) to prepare you for a further three years of undergraduate study at Essex. You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK. How do individuals, communities and governments approach human rights differently across the globe? How do these differences in human rights laws impact relationships between states? How does globalisation affect international relations? Our BA Global Studies with Human Rights course will deepen your knowledge of our increasingly interconnected world, whilst building expertise in human rights. You will develop your confidence to advocate for individual and community rights, social justice, and social change. The defence of human rights is one of the most profound challenges we face across the globe. From asylum seekers, to prisoner welfare and political alignment – we teach you the principles and practices of human rights from a global perspective. You will study topics including, but not limited to:

• The promotion and protection of human rights
• Society and modern revolutions
• -Patterns of migration
• International development
• Lessons from modern history

Based in our Interdisciplinary Studies Centre , you will be taught by experts from a range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences. You will also be taught by academics from our Essex Law School . At Essex we specialise in business law , public law , criminal justice , health law , law and technology , socio-legal studies and human rights law . Global Studies at the University of Essex video Why we're great.

• We equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed at Essex and beyond.
• Guarantee your place on your chosen course if you successfully complete your foundation year at Essex.
• Small class sizes allow you to work closely with your teachers and classmates.

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university.

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Placement year

When you arrive at Essex, you can decide whether you would like to combine your course with a placement year. You will be responsible for finding your placement, but with support and guidance provided by both your department and our Employability and Careers Centre. If you complete a placement year you'll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.

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Our expert staff

Our interdisciplinary studies staff teach in departments across the University, and specialise in a wide range of topics including history, law, literature, film, politics, and sociology. We are a team of internationally recognised writers and lecturers with expertise across the arts, humanities and social sciences. As well as being one of the UK’s leading universities for social science, and the highest ranking institution for political science, our staff research topics that stretch across the globe – we are working on issues in Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

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Specialist facilities

• Our Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA) is the largest of its kind in Europe
• Our Albert Sloman Library ’s collections of Latin American, Russian and Eastern European materials are of national significance
• Our Human Rights Centre brings together a vibrant community of students, over 2000 alumni, more than 100 members from 11 disciplines, fellows and partners.

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Your future

Our graduates are well-placed to address the complex issues which confront the modern world. You can gain a diverse set of skills as well as a wide-ranging knowledge of the world’s most current and significant problems. Our course provides you with an excellent basis for going onto a career in media, education, politics, the Civil Service, international organisations such as the UN and NATO or non-governmental organisations, and many other fields. Our Interdisciplinary Centre’s recent graduates have gone on to work in a wide range of desirable roles including an events co-ordinator for Age UK, a business provision manager for BT, an accountant in London, and an account executive for Bluesky PR. We also work with our Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities. Take a look at our dedicated careers pages for Law and Human Rights.