(BA) Bachelor of Arts
Social Change (Including Foundation Year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
BA L401
08/05/2024
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 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, 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.
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
Prof Raphael Hallett
Higher Education Consultant - Senior Advisor
AdvanceHE
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 students with a distinctive skill-set required to understand and analyse our increasingly globalised world, along with the practical tools needed for actively addressing pressing social problems.
- To provide students with opportunities to broaden their cultural horizons by taking up the challenge of studying new disciplines such as Art History, Human Rights, Philosophy, Literature, History, Sociology, Languages, Film Studies.
- 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 provide students with the necessary skills to undertake further study and/or pursue vocational training in employment.
- To provide students with sound knowledge and skills relevant to work in dynamic public and third-sector organisations with a social change mission.
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 the world.
A2: Students will be able to demonstrate, through a variety of means, a knowledge and understanding of the different styles of enquiry in a range of Humanities and Social Science disciplines.
A3: Students will be able to demonstrate a) knowledge of the core principles of Human Rights discourse, social entrepreneurship, and community action and b) the know-how necessary to navigate the external environment within which social change organizations operate.
Learning methods
A1 and A2 are acquired through core module lectures and classes in years 0, 1, 2 and the final year. A3 is acquired in the compulsory modules in years 1-3, with the relevant know-how coming especially from the community engagement modules (CS200, CS300)
Assessment methods
These skills are assessed in continuous coursework plus oral and written exams in all years. A3 is assessed especially in CS200 and CS300.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Able to use discipline-based training to think critically and analytically in relation to a number of different academic disciplines.
B2: Able to identify, analyse and solve problems, using appropriate techniques of writing, methodologies and theories.
B3: Able to demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought.
Learning methods
These skills are acquired in classes and seminars, in group discussion and through the submission of coursework in all years. Students are expected to do independent research to consolidate classwork. B1 and B2 are also acquired through lectures and feedback on course work. Students are encouraged to compare the approaches of different disciplines and to think across disciplines. The independence identified in B3 will come into play especially in CS200, CS300, and the capstone project.
Assessment methods
All intellectual/cognitive skills are assessed in continuous course work in all years and through end of year examinations, with B3 being assessed especially in in CS200, CS300, and the capstone project.
C: Practical skills
C1: Communicate ideas clearly and coherently in a range of disciplines in both written and oral form.
C2: Present written materials using appropriate language and referencing.
C3: Ability to work independently, write and think under pressure, meet deadlines, manage their own time and workload and demonstrate initiative.
C4: Ability to work competently in a range of roles in social change organisations.
Learning methods
C1-C3 are acquired through classes, the submission of course work and preparation for examinations in all years of study. C4 is acquired in CS200 and CS300.
Assessment methods
Assessment of practical skills is through the submission of essays and assignments, written examinations, as well as the assessment of the community-engaging group action taken in the CS200 and CS300.
D: Key skills
D1: Ability to present knowledge or an argument in a clear, coherent and creative manner.
D2: Ability to use the relevant information technology to research and present written work.
D3: Students will be able to identify problems and apply relevant research methodologies and techniques of writing to resolve them.
D4: Students will develop skills in collaborative learning and research - and gain experience in group presentations of research results. They will also experience intensive group collaboration in CS200 and CS300.
D5: Students will be able to reflect on their own learning, to seek and make use of feedback on their own performance, to recognise when further knowledge is required and to undertake the necessary research.
Learning methods
Key skills are acquired through participatory classwork in all years of study, through the presentation of continuous coursework and preparation for examinations. Students are encouraged to engage in discussion, to listen effectively and to participate in group work to the benefit of the group as a whole. On many modules oral presentation skills are assessed. Again, CS200 and CS300 provide a crucial venue to develop interpersonal skills.
Assessment methods
Assessment is through the submission of coursework and through written examinations. Some modules assess D1 and D5 through assessed oral participation or presentations.