Latin American Studies with Human Rights

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Academic Year of Entry: 2024/25
Course overview
(BA) Bachelor of Arts
Latin American Studies with Human Rights
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
Area Studies
BA T7M9
08/05/2024

Details

Professional accreditation

None

Admission criteria

  • A-levels: BBB - BBC or 120 - 112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A-levels.
  • BTEC: DDM - DMM or 120 - 112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels. The acceptability of BTECs is dependent on subject studied and optional units taken - email ugquery@essex.ac.uk for advice.
  • Combined qualifications on the UCAS tariff: 120 - 112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 full A levels or equivalent. Tariff point offers may be made if you are taking a qualification, or mixture of qualifications, from the list on our undergraduate application information page.
  • IB: 30 - 29 points or three Higher Level certificates with 555-554.
  • IB Career-related Programme: We consider combinations of IB Diploma Programme courses with BTECs or other qualifications. Advice on acceptability can be provided, email Undergraduate Admissions.
  • QAA-approved Access to HE Diploma: 6 level 3 credits at Distinction and 39 level 3 credits at Merit, depending on subject studied - advice on acceptability can be provided, email Undergraduate Admissions.
  • T-levels: We consider T-levels on a case-by-case basis, depending on subject studied. The offer for most courses is Distinction overall. Depending on the course applied for there may be additional requirements, which may include a specific grade in the Core.

Contextual Offers:

We are committed to ensuring that all students with the merit and potential to benefit from an Essex education are supported to do so. For October 2024 entry, if you are a home fee paying student residing in the UK you may be eligible for a Contextual Offer of up to two A-level grades, or equivalent, below our standard conditional offer.
Factors we consider:

  • Applicants from underrepresented groups
  • Applicants progressing from University of Essex Schools Membership schools/colleges
  • Applicants who attend a compulsory admissions interview
  • Applicants who attend an Offer Holder Day at our Colchester or Southend campus

Our contextual offers policy outlines additional circumstances and eligibility criteria.

For further information about what a contextual offer may look like for your specific qualification profile, email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.

If you haven't got the grades you hoped for, have a non-traditional academic background, are a mature student, or have any questions about eligibility for your course, more information can be found on our undergraduate application information page. or get in touch with our Undergraduate Admissions Team.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

English language shelf-life

Most English language qualifications have a validity period of 5 years. The validity period of Pearson Test of English, TOEFL and CBSE or CISCE English is 2 years.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

Pre-sessional English courses

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Pending English language qualifications

You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk .

Requirements for second and final year entry

Different requirements apply for second and final year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a visa to study in the UK. Details of English language requirements, including UK Visas and Immigration minimum component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Course qualifiers

A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).

None

Rules of assessment

Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.

Additional notes

None

External examiners

External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment. External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course. They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards. External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.

eNROL, the module enrolment system, is now open until Monday 21 October 2024 8:59AM, for students wishing to make changes to their module options.

Key

Core You must take this module.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options You can choose which module to study.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory You must take this module.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Compulsory with Options You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Optional You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.

Year 1 - 2024/25

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01  HU100-4-FY-CO  Foundations of Human Rights  Compulsory  30  30 
02  CS111-4-AU-CO  Interdisciplinary Research and Problem-Solving: An Introduction  Compulsory  15  15 
03  CS112-4-SP-CO  Ways of Knowing  Compulsory  15  15 
04  SC164-4-SP-CO  Introduction to United States Sociology  Compulsory  15  15 
05    Option from list  Compulsory with Options  30  30 
06    Outside option  Optional  15  15 
07  CS107-4-SP-CO  CS107-4-AU  Compulsory 

Year 2 - 2025/26

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01    (LA440-5-AU and LA442-5-SP) or LA450-5-FY or (LA340-5-AU and LA342-5-SP) or LA350-5-FY  Core with Options  30  30 
02  HU200-5-FY-CO  Human Rights, Regional Systems & Global Challenges  Compulsory  30  30 
03  CS261-5-AU-CO  America and the World  Compulsory  15  15 
04    AR327-5-AU or SC233-5-AU  Compulsory with Options  15  15 
05    CS200-5-AU or (CS207-5-AU and option from list)  Compulsory with Options  15  15 
06    CS241-5-SP or Latin American option from list  Optional  15  15 

Year Abroad/Placement - 2026/27

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01  AW121-6-FY-CO  Abroad Module 120 Credits  Compulsory  120  120 

Year 3 - 2027/28

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01    CS831-6-FY or CS301-6-FY or (CS315-6-SP and option from list) - CAPSTONE  Compulsory with Options  30  30 
02  HU300-6-FY-CO  Selected Issues in Human Rights  Compulsory  30  30 
03  HR374-6-AU-CO  Slavery and Plantation Societies in Latin America  Compulsory  15  15 
04    LA460-6-FY or LA360-6-FY or LA450-6-FY or LA350-6-FY or Latin American option(s) from list  Optional  30  30 
05    CS307-6-AU and/or Latin American option from list  Optional  15  15 

Exit awards

A module is given one of the following statuses: 'core' – meaning it must be taken and passed; 'compulsory' – meaning it must be taken; or 'optional' – meaning that students can choose the module from a designated list. The rules of assessment may allow for limited condonement of fails in 'compulsory' or 'optional' modules, but 'core' modules cannot be failed. The status of the module may be different in any exit awards which are available for the course. Exam Boards will consider students' eligibility for an exit award if they fail the main award or do not complete their studies.

Programme aims

1. To provide students with an interdisciplinary programme of study of Latin American culture, society and politics and a foundation in human rights issues and concepts with particular reference to Latin America.
2. To develop students' analytical, problem-solving and transferable skills.
3. To develop the intercultural skills necessary for students to live and work confidently in different cultures through a programme of study undertaken in Latin America.
4. To enable students to achieve Proficiency level or Mastery level Spanish or Portuguese.
5. To provide opportunities for students to acquire research and critical skills
6. To provide students with a foundation for further study in Latin American Studies and/or human rights.
7. To provide students with a knowledge relevant to work in the field of the promotion and protection of human rights.

Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods

On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:

A: Knowledge and understanding

A1: Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the key historical , cultural and social processes of Latin America.

A2: Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese language at Proficiency or Mastery level in written and spoken registers relevant to both 'real life' situations and to the formal study of language.

A3: Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of some philosophical, political, sociological, economic and historical perspectives on human rights.

Learning methods

A1. is acquired through core course lectures and classes in Year 1, through Latin American option modules in Years 2 and 4, and through the Year Abroad.

Students are expected to undertake independent research through directed reading to consolidate and develop what they have learned in class.

A2. is acquired through specialist language teaching in Years 1,2, 3 (Year Abroad) as well as in Year 4 (for Mastery level).

A3. is acquired through compulsory human rightsmodules in all years of study.
Students are expected to undertake independent research through directed reading to consolidate and develop what they have learned in class.

Assessment methods

Assessment for A1. - A3. is through unseen examinations and continuous coursework.

In addition A2. is assessed through oral examinations.

Continuous coursework consists of essays and assignments.

B: Intellectual and cognitive skills

B1: Students will be able to identify accurately, and across a range of disciplines, issues related to Latin America of an intellectual and academic interest that require researching

B2: Students will be able to appreciate the distinctive contributions that different academic disciplines make to the study of human rights.

B3: Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of key research methods relevant to investigating human rights.

B4: Students will be able to apply a wide range of relevant primary and secondary written, oral or visual sources, where appropriate in their original language.

B5: Students will be able to reason critically, identify, analyse and solve problems, using appropriate methodologies and theories.

B6: Students will be able to demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought.

Learning methods

Skills B1 and B4 - B6 are obtained and developed through interactive classes and seminars where there is an emphasis on group discussion. B1 and B5 are also obtained through lectures. B2 and B3 are developed in Human Rights compulsory modules in Years 1, 2 and 4. All skills are developed by independent reading undertaken by students under the direction of lecturers and class teachers. Intellectual and cognitive skills are further developed through written and oral feedback on coursework. Students acquire and apply all these skills in researching and writing their dissertations. B1and B4 -B6 are also obtained in a research methods course (CS241).


Assessment methods

All skills are assessed through the dissertation and in continuous coursework.

B3. - B5. are also assessed by examinations.

C: Practical skills

C1: Students will be able to identify, select and synthesise information from paper and electronic sources.

C2: Students will be able to communicate with high level proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese in a wide range of contexts.

C3: Students will be able to apply the necessary organisational and cultural skills for living and working abroad.

C4: Students will be able to use techniques for systematic research in the field of human rights, including legal research, philosophical inquiry and social science methodology.

C5: Students will be able to Identify, locate and retrieve knowledge relevant to research on human rights.

Learning methods

C1. is acquired through preparation for classes, lectures, essays and the dissertation.

C2. is acquired through language learning and the Year Abroad.

C3. is acquired through the guided but ultimately independent process of organising and successfully completing a period of living and working in Latin America during the Year Abroad.

C4 and C5 are acquired through human rights core modules in Years 1, 2 and 4.

Assessment methods

C1. is assessed in essays and through the dissertation.

C2.is assessed through language course examinations, coursework and assignments and through the assessment of the Year Abroad as a whole.

C3. is assessed through the work of the Year Abroad.

C4 and C5 are assessed by coursework and examination.

D: Key skills

D1: Both orally and in writing students will be able to demonstrate Spanish or Portuguese language proficiency in relation to a range of academic and social contexts. They will be able to present knowledge or conduct an argument in a clear, coherent and relevant manner and work independently in a Latin American context

D2: Student will use relevant information technology to research and present written work.

D3: Where relevant and as the basis for an argument, students will be able to use, present and evaluate information provided in numerical or statistical form.

D4: Students will be able to identify a research problem and apply relevant research and methodologies to resolve it.

D6: Students will be able to reflect on their own learning, to seek and make use of feedback, to recognise when further knowledge is required and to undertake the necessary research

Learning methods

D1. is acquired through language course material and the Year Abroad.

D1. is learnt through participatory classwork in core modules.

D2, D4 and D6 are learnt through writing coursework essays and assignments and consequent feedback, both written and oral.

D4 and D6 are learnt in CS241 Doing Research for a BA Dissertation and through the dissertation.
Students are encouraged to use electronic resources, to participate in group work to the benefit of the group as a whole, to listen effectively and provide critical feedback in an appropriate manner.

Assessment methods

All skills except working independently abroad are assessed either through coursework or the dissertation.

Working independently abroad is assessed by the Year Abroad assessment as a whole.

D4 is part of the assessment process in CS241 Doing Research for a BA Dissertation.

D1.2, D4 and D6 are also assessed through examinations.


Note

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Contact

If you are thinking of studying at Essex and have questions about the course, please contact Undergraduate Admissions by emailing admit@essex.ac.uk, or Postgraduate Admissions by emailing pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

If you're a current student and have questions about your course or specific modules, please contact your department.

If you think there might be an error on this page, please contact the Course Records Team by emailing crt@essex.ac.uk.