(BA) Bachelor of Arts
European Studies (Including Foundation Year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
Area Studies
BA R008
10/05/2023
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
UK and EU applicants:
All applications for degree courses with a foundation year (Year Zero) will be considered individually, whether you
- think you might not have the grades to enter the first year of a degree course;
- have non-traditional qualifications or experience (e.g. you haven’t studied A-levels or a BTEC);
- are returning to university after some time away from education; or
- are looking for more support during the transition into university study.
Standard offer:
Our standard offer is 72 UCAS tariff points from at least two full A-levels, or equivalent.
Examples of the above tariff may include:
- A-levels: DDD
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMP
- T-levels: Pass with E in core
If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria, please get in touch for advice.
Mature applicants and non-traditional academic backgrounds:
We welcome applications from mature students (over 21) and students with non-traditional academic backgrounds (might not have gone on from school to take level 3 qualifications). We will consider your educational and employment history, along with your personal statement and reference, to gain a rounded view of your suitability for the course.
International applicants:
Essex Pathways Department is unable to accept applications from international students. Foundation pathways for international students are available at the University of Essex International College and are delivered and awarded by Kaplan, in partnership with the University of Essex. Successful completion will enable you to progress to the relevant degree course at the University of Essex.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 5.5 overall. Specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels required. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications
If you are an international student requiring a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
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.
Additional Notes
Our Year 0 courses are only open to UK and EU applicants. If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to your chosen 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
Dr Francisco Carballo
Lecturer in the Politics and Culture of Latin America
Goldsmiths, University of London
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.
Programme aims
To provide a multidisciplinary programme of study with which to assess the historical, political, social and cultural development of contemporary Europe.
To provide students with opportunities to acquire a critical appreciation of Europe from an East, West or Pan-European perspective.
To provide students with opportunities to experience and acquire a number of different critical approaches through a balanced mix of teaching, reading and research in a range of academic disciplines from an interdisciplinary perspective.
To develop students' analytical, critical, research and problem-solving skills.
To prepare students for further study in single or interdisciplinary programmes or in further vocational training.
6. To develop students' intercultural skills necessary for living and working confidently in a different cultural environment, through the experience of a period of residence abroad and the study programme of the year abroad.
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 some of the social, political and economic processes that have shaped Europe
A2: Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of some aspects of the cultural history of Europe
A3: Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of some of the issues that influence the ways in which Europeans view themselves
Learning methods
A1 - A3 are acquired through core course lectures and classes in Years 0 and 1, in European options in Years 2 and 4 and through a course of study followed at a European University in Year 3.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by unseen and oral examinations and/or continuous coursework consisting of essays or assignments.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Use their discipline-based training to think critically and analytically in relation to a number of different academic disciplines.
B2: Apply a wide range of relevant primary and secondary written, oral and visual sources.
B3: Reason critically, identify, analyse and solve problems, using appropriate methodologies and theories.
B4: Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought.
Learning methods
B1-B4 are acquired through classwork and the submission of coursework in all years.
Students are expected to do independent research to consolidate classwork.
B1 and B3 are also acquired through feedback on course work.
Assessment methods
All these skills are assessed in continuous coursework plus oral and written exams in all years.
B1 and B4 are also assessed by examinations.
C: Practical skills
C1: Students will be able to organise and communicate ideas clearly and coherently in a range of disciplines in both written and oral form.
C2: Students will be able to present high-quality written materials using appropriate language, referencing, effective layout and design, graphs, tables and illustrations.
C101: Students will be able to apply the necessary organisational and cultural skills for living and working abroad.
Learning methods
C1 - C2 are acquired through classes, coursework and preparation for examinations.
C2 is acquired through classes, lectures, essays and assignments.
C3 is acquired through class training in the two years prior to the period of study abroad and the guided but relatively independent process of organising and successfully completing a period of living and studying in Europe.
Assessment methods
C1 - C2 are assessed through unseen examinations, coursework essays and assignments in all years, including the Year Abroad.
C3 is assessed through the work of the Year Abroad.
D: Key skills
D1: Both orally and in writing students will be able to present knowledge or an argument in a clear, coherent and relevant manner and to work independently and effectively in a range of academic, cultural and social contexts in Europe.
D2: Students will be able to produce a word-processed essay or other text in an appropriate form in English and in another European language and to use on-line resources, email, presentation packages and electronic information retrieval systems.
D4: Students will be able to identify a research problem and apply relevant research methodologies to resolve it.
D6: Students will be able to reflect on their own learning, to seek and make use of feedback on their performance and to recognise when further knowledge is required and to undertake the necessary research.
Learning methods
D1 and D6 are acquired through participatory classwork and language study in all years.
D1 and D2 are also acquired through the work of the Year Abroad.
D2, D4, and D6 are acquired through independent learning and the presentation of continuous coursework in all years of study.
Students are encouraged 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 key skills are assessed through coursework or assignments on a continuous basis, including the work of the Year Abroad.
D1 is also assessed through written and oral examinations.