Liberal Arts - U6ULIART

Introduction to Management

This module introduces participants to: the theory of management and organisation, the practices of managers, the function and practices of management, the individual and organisations, groups, the context of the organisation, motivation.

Explore the past and its role in today’s world: from prehistoric cultures through ancient Greece and Rome, to the Industrial Revolution and beyond.

Indicative modules

Studying the Roman World

Examine the history, literature and art of the Roman world, where we’ll explore from the beginnings of the city of Rome, to the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.

Studying the Greek World 

Consider how mythology is used in ancient literature, historical texts, religious contexts and the material culture of the ancient world.

Global Receptions of the Classical World

Build your understanding of the classical world by looking into how it has influenced modern societies, through case studies, media, geography and group research.

Interpreting Ancient Art and Archaeology 

Explore Greek and Roman art, from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman Empire (roughly 1600 BC to AD 400).

Other available modules

• Interpreting Ancient History 
• Interpreting Ancient Literature 
• Classical Language (different levels available depending on previous experience)
• Studying the Human Past 
• Introduction to Practical Archaeology 
• Themes in Heritage and Museums 
• Comparative World Prehistory 
• World Historical Archaeology

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other classics and archaeology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Classics BA or Archaeology BA degrees.

Indicative modules

Studio Project

Throughout your degree you will undertake a number of studio project modules which will help you recognise your status as a trainee researcher and allow you to develop vital skills in ethical academic study and research.

Ways of seeing, hearing and reading

This module introduces you to methods for and critical debate about the analysis of visual, auditory, audio-visual, and textual representation across media, art and screen cultures.

Institutions and Practices

In this module you will explore the production, distribution, and exhibition of media, art, screen, and creative texts. You will examine the political economy of the media and cultural and creative industries, in terms of access, ownership and power.

Global Media and Culture

In this module you will explore the productive, ownership, circulation and consumption of media, art and screen culture beyond White, Anglophone and Western contexts. You will look at how cultures intersect and explore the ways in which these intersections can help us understand the nature of national, regional, and global media and industries.

Other available modules

• History of Art: Renaissance to Contemporary Art
• Introduction to Cultural and Creative Industries
• Evolution and Dynamics of Change in the Screen Industries
• Media and Democracy

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and other Cultural, Media and Visual Studies modules that might be available to Liberal Arts students, please see our degrees in:

• Film and Screen Studies
• International Media and Communications
• Cultural and Creative Industries
• Art History and Visual Culture

At Nottingham, we go beyond your love of books. Our huge choice of optional modules in everything from Vikings to drama mean you can discover new passions, explore what you already love, and tailor your degree to what interests you the most.

Indicative modules

Studying Literature

This module introduces the core skills for literary studies. Topics covered include: close reading, constructing an argument, handling critical material, and the key critical questions about literary form, production and reception – and all while engaging with key literary works from across history.

Studying Language

You will learn about the nature of language, and how to analyse it. With hands-on practice, you will gain a thorough understanding of how language works in your mind, in society, in the world, and in literature.

Drama, Theatre, Performance

Who makes theatre? Where does performance happen, and who is in the audience? How is society represented on stage? These questions are at the heart of this module, which explores the extraordinary variety of the Western dramatic tradition.

Other available modules

• Beginnings of English

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other English modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our English BA degree.

Dive into current hot topics like climate change, globalisation, and our relationship with the earth whilst gaining skills to analyse data related to the world in which we live.

Indicative modules

Globalisation: Economy, Space and Power

This module introduces you to contemporary and historical approaches to understanding economic globalisation and its spatial unevenness. You will develop knowledge relating to globalisation as a set of discourses and practices using case studies relating to key themes of relevance.

Exploring Human Geography

You will critically examine the complex relations between people and places through key concepts in human geography. Themes include cultural, historical, medical, environmental, economics, and development.

On Earth and Life

Explore the deep historical co-evolution of Earth and life. Together, we’ll examine geological, plate tectonic and paleoenvironmental ideas and research at the global scale. We’ll use this knowledge to consider the role of life in creating past and present planetary environments.

Other available modules

• Exploring Place

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other geography modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please our Geography BA degree.

Develop your love of history further, gaining the skills to research, write and debate. Choose from a wide range of historical periods from the early medieval to the present, with the opportunity to focus on countries and regions around the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia.

Indicative modules

Exploring the Medieval World c. 500-1500 

This module invites you to dive into the rich and complex history of the medieval period, from political upheavals to cultural and social transformations.

Exploring the Early Modern World c. 1500-1800 

This module explores major shifts that reshaped societies in Europe and across the globe, examining themes such as the emergence of new imperial formations and their global impact, religious conflict and how it redefined cultural and political landscapes, and the socio-economic trends and their influence on everyday life.

Exploring the Modern World c. 1800-2000 

This module takes you on a journey through the major developments that defined society and culture from 1800 to 2000. You’ll explore the rise of new ideas and groundbreaking technologies, political upheaval, conflict, and revolutionary change and the economic transformations and the evolution of cultural norms.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other history modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our History BA degree.

Are you fascinated by abstract concepts such as infinity and symmetry? Do you want to develop your skills in problem solving and analysis? Our mathematics modules will allow you to pursue your mathematical interests at a deeper level.

Calculus and Linear Algebra

Consolidates core GCE mathematical topics in the differential and integral calculus of a function of single variable and put to use by solving some classes of differential equations. Basic theory will be extended to more advanced topics in the calculus of several variables.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other mathematics modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Mathematics BSc degree.

Philosophy can be transformative. You can do it for its own sake as well as for its ability to shape lives, institutions, and society. Our modules give you the option to explore many aspects of philosophy from its foundations in Ancient Greece to how it helps us understand events taking place across the world today. 

Indicative modules

Gender, Justice and Society

What is institutional racism? Are borders unjust? These are just two of the questions we’ll consider in this module. We'll take a critical look at some of the answers given by thinkers across the political spectrum and we'll also look at some of the political contexts in which these questions have arisen. This is feminist, social and political philosophy.

Introduction to Philosophical Traditions 

This module delves into how different cultures and traditions tackle philosophical problems and themes. You’ll explore a variety of topics, which may change each year, such as the nature of reality, human flourishing, the environment, beauty, tradition, wisdom, optimism, religion, mind and reason, social order, and principles for co-existence.

Religion, Media and Ethics

This module will explore how the media portrays religion, and ask why stereotypes persist, how the media challenges religion, and provokes new religious creativity, and asking what the big ideas of religious ethics could teach us about how to use media more wisely.

Other available modules

• Introduction to Theoretical Philosophy 
• Introduction to Practical Philosophy 
• Introduction to Philosophical Traditions 
• Metaphysics, Science and Language 
• Being Human
• Philosophy of Religions 
• Atheism
• Big Questions in Theology and Religious Studies
• Philosophy for Theologians
• Peace and Justice: Studying Theology and Religion 
• Abraham's Children: Judaism, Christianity, Islam 
• Reading World Religions 
• Creation, Revelation and Catastrophe: Introducing the Bible 
• Philosophy of Religions 

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other philosophy, theology and religion modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Philosophy BA and Philosophy and Theology BA degrees.

How do relationships between nations shape our world? Who holds power, and how do political processes impact our daily lives? Our Politics and International Relations modules will help you answer these questions and more.

Indicative modules

Political Theory in Practice

Political Theory in Practice acquaints you with the political concepts that are central to the theoretical, normative, and interpretative analysis of politics.

Introduction to Comparative Politics

Political Theory in Practice acquaints you with the political concepts that are central to the theoretical, normative, and interpretative analysis of politics.  Topics to covered will include politics, government and the state, constitutions and legal frameworks, democratic and authoritarian rule, and more.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other politics and international relations modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Politics and International Relations degree.

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. You'll have the opportunity to learn about the structure of the brain as well as the perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions of people.

Indicative modules

Social Psychology

Gain an introduction to the core topics in social psychology, which is concerned with trying to understand the social behaviour of individuals in terms of both internal characteristics of the person (e.g. cognitive mental processes) and external influences (the social environment).

Addiction and the Brain

You will gain a broad understanding of the behavioural and biological mechanisms underlying drug and behavioural addictions. You will be introduced to main drugs of abuse and identify common themes of addiction and the underlying mechanisms.

Developmental Psychology

You will learn different theoretical, applied and experimental approaches to cognitive, linguistic and social development from early to late childhood. You will cover the development of thinking, perception, intelligence, language and more.

Other available modules

• Psychological Approaches to Therapy

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other psychology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Psychology BSc degree.

How are societies organised? How and why are certain kinds of behaviour categorised as ‘crime’, and how should we respond? What has been the influence of the digital age on our society?

Indicative modules

Identity in Popular Culture

Examine a range of cultural forms, from the everyday popular culture that surrounds us in our daily lives, such as Hollywood films, reality TV and 'ethnic' cuisine, and explore the ways in which social identities and social relations such as class, gender or racial difference are represented and played out in popular culture.

Criminology: Understanding Crime and Victimisation

Consider how crime is defined and counted, and investigate the sources of criminological knowledge. The main focus is on key theoretical perspectives in criminology, and how they help us to understand and explain crime and victimisation and social reactions to it.

Investigating Social Worlds

This module introduces you to the nature of social research through exploration of the fundamental philosophical, methodological and ethical debates on ‘how to think of social research’ and ‘how to do social research’.

Other available modules

• Understanding Contemporary Society
• Society, Health, Tech and Environment
• Introduction to The Criminal Justice ’System’ in England and Wales
• Investigating Social Worlds
• Punishment and Penalty

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other sociology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Sociology BA and Criminology BA degree.

How can the arts help us think about health and cope with illness?  What can the arts contribute to healthcare practice and policy?

You will explore big questions like these, looking at how the arts can engage with the crucial issues in health today and build a better vision of health for the future.

We will cover major themes including:

• Representing health - look critically at representations of good and poor health, found in politics, religion, art, film, literature, and philosophy.
• Mental health - explore what mental health is, and how it differs from physical health. You’ll look critically at themes such as the marketisation of mental health, the history of mental health institutions, and the ethics of psychiatry.
• Communicating health - how health is communicated in personal, public, and professional settings. We’ll explore questions such as why it is so important that patient voices are heard in communicating about health.
• Health inequalities - look critically at striking inequalities in health, including patterns of gender, race, class, sexuality and economic differences in health and access to healthcare.

From treatment, information, care, and outreach, understanding the health humanities provides career opportunities for the next century.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We live in a data-driven society. Information is used for everything from predicting our shopping habits, to understanding global weather patterns, and has radically changed our world.

From the development of Artificial Intelligence to robotics and the use of ‘big data’, the capture and use of information is essential in modern society. To make sure these developments help solve problems, and are not used for harm, we need the arts and humanities to set boundaries and ask questions.

You will:

• Explore topics such as privacy, surveillance, power and representation
• Learn how modern technology can replicate historical biases and ignore contemporary struggles
• Gain the background and context to contemporary issues on data and society
• Question the limits we place on technology in our world
• Explore how the arts and humanities shape, direct and protect against the way data is used

This module is worth 10 credits.

The digitisation of records and texts has revolutionised academic study. The ability to efficiently and confidently use data is a valuable skill for both your course and future career.

On this module, you will:

• Learn the basics of data and ‘text mining’ (using search terms to explore large amounts of information)
• Develop your skills and apply them to case studies
• See how your work can highlight issues and solve problems
• Understand how data analysis allows us to create narratives that inspire and drive change

We will use examples and case studies from across the faculty, where data and text analysis have been used by arts and humanities researchers within their work.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Learn the basics of creating and editing audio and visual material.

From podcasting, photo editing, photography, video editing and sound editing, you can work on how your digital skills can be used to communicate and inspire.

You will be guided through a series of tutorials and examples where you can develop your skills and produce your own content.

This work will be developed through examples and case studies from across the faculty, where audio and visual materials have been used by researchers within their work.

Examples include:

• Virtual reality renditions of historical photographs
•  Immersive museum experiences
• Audio installations to share stories about migration and sustainability
• Interactive events to inspire young people about languages and cultures past and present

This module is worth 10 credits.

Epidemics and infectious illnesses have shaped our world. Most recently, the Coronavirus pandemic dramatically changed the way we work and socialise, with lasting effect.

We will explore the past and present of infectious disease, including how cultures, religions, literature and art have been shaped by the interaction between humans and disease.

You will learn about:

• The variety of human responses to sickness
• How ideas about illness are expressed across the world
• Drug resistant bacteria and mutations of viruses
• How the arts help societies to process the impact of disease - it is often through music, literature, philosophy and media that suffering is expressed and issues raised

This module is worth 10 credits.

Our digital revolution has been led by the arts and humanities.

From mobile apps to learn languages, to video tutorials on how to play an instrument, the use of digital platforms has transformed our disciplines.

In an age defined by ecological issues, technological change and political upheaval across the world, it is the arts and humanities which provide vital links between the past, present and future. It is now more important than ever that we connect communities, challenge structures of power and address inequality.

You will examine how the digital arts changed the world, using examples from a range of mediums from across the globe. This could be a community walking app, that has brought hidden histories to light, a crowd-sourced projects that have given a platform to new voices, or social media forums that link music, philosophy and literature to contemporary debates.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We are in a state of climate emergency. Sustainability and climate change is on both political and personal agendas like never before.

On this module, you will:

• Examine the idea of ‘sustainability’ - looking at the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental challenges that sustainability aims to address
• Link issues of climate change, and our responses to them, to shifting ideas about nature and its distinctness from culture, the scientific and industrial revolutions, and the emergence of the Western world
• Examine Western culture’s way of defining the ‘environment’ and our relationship with nature
• Look at the diverse ways in which different cultures imagine nature

The arts and humanities do not offer quick fixes to our problems, but ways of thinking that can change the world. We do this through understanding context, process and change.

We show how the arts and humanities sheds light on the history of the present and directs us towards the future.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how the arts and humanities contribute to sustainability.

From stories, to images and representation, the ways we understand the world also shape how we understand sustainability.

With a focus on globalisation, and the accelerating pace of climate change in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, we will think about the problems raised by the climate crisis. 

You will:

• Learn about debates around the Anthropocene, the era of humanity’s marked impact on the environment
• Examine the controversies and disputes that have emerged about our relationship with nature
• Explore how we can tell stories about climate change – for example through the literature and music of marginalised groups across the world, who feel the impact of climate change first

By considering how everyday life choices are linked to the environment, the module offers an imaginative way to explore the challenges of sustainable living.  You will gain the tools to challenge opinion and identify how local ideas can offer a solution to global problems.

This module is worth 10 credits.

From filters to fake news, we are exposed to a huge amount of information in our day-to-day lives.

Whether through advertising, promotion, policies or the media, the (mis)information we are exposed to is intended to influence us, change our minds, or maybe even censor and withhold information about important issues.

To challenge this, we need to think critically about data. This module will give you the skills to do just that.

You’ll gain the critical skills to observe, question, and act when the facts do not support what’s being represented. We will also introduce approaches you can use to question visual, textual, quantitative and qualitative information. This could include:

• Causality
• Statistics
• Bias
• Content analysis
• Language

Critical analysis is an important skill, not only so we can preserve our freedoms and protect from harm caused by misinformation, but in the workplace too. The ability to make judgements that are based on logic is a key transferable skill.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Writing inspires change. From the academic textbook that demonstrates a new concept, to a blog post that influences habits, writing can change the world.

On this module, you will learn to think critically about yourself and society, through reflecting on how you write.

Writing lets us occupy different spaces and identities. You can write to develop your sense of self, to enlighten others, or to build connections. Writing skills are more than just how to write an academic essay. Writing can give you an insight into who you are, your values and future direction.

During your studies, you will use writing to develop analytical approaches which can enhance your work and prepare you for your future career. Focusing on the diversity of experiences and backgrounds, interests and motivations, we show how meaningful writing can lead, inspire and transform. 

This module is worth 10 credits.

Managing Tourism and the Environment: Conflict or Consensus

This module will examine and explore the interactions between and the management of tourism and the environment from the perspective of key stakeholders including business, government, non-governmental organisations, tourist and local communities, the emergence of environmentally concerned consumers and the implications of different environmental paradigms for tourism development, and the role played by pressure groups in influencing tourism development and the emergence of nature/eco-tourism.

Sustainable Tourism Futures

This module will survey the international tourism industry in the 21st century. Starting with lectures on the history and sociology of tourism and its broader cultural significance, it will analyse trends in tour operation management, sustainable transport practice, niche markets like eco-tourism, and investigate and evaluate the various social, cultural and environmental impacts which the tourist industry has on destinations. 

International Entrepreneurship

This module will develop your understanding of entrepreneurship in an international context through considering a range of key issues and topics. The module adopts a critical and broad-ranging social science approach to the subject and aims to provide you with the ability to analyse entrepreneurship from an international perspective within the context of a wide range of management, organisation studies and social science debates.

Other available modules

• Sustainable Innovation in Entrepreneurial Organisations
• Management Science for Business Decisions

Explore the past and its role in today’s world: from prehistoric cultures through ancient Greece and Rome, to the Industrial Revolution and beyond.

Indicative modules

Archaeological Theory

You will focus on the relationship between concepts, interpretive approaches and analytical frameworks in the design and implementation of archaeological research projects.

Communicating the Past

Your aim in this module is to communicate a topic to the general public. How you choose to do that is entirely up to you, whether that be through written work, articles for a magazine, web, a video or even a phone app. 

Other available modules

• Performance and Display
• At Home with the Greeks and Romans
• Studying Classical Scholarship
• Religion and the Supernatural
• Classical Language(different levels available depending on previous experience)
• Archaeological Finds
• Analysing Archaeology
• Mediterranean Prehistory
• Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean
• Osteology
• The Lives of Ancient Objects

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other classics and archaeology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Classics BA or Archaeology BA degrees.

Indicative modules

Studio Project

This module aims to further your understanding of research processes and practices with specific focus on the process of developing a research question and design.

Encountering Culture: Media, Art and Screen Experiences

Learn how experiences with media, art and screen culture are shaped by factors such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and disability, and how this influence can change over time.  You will examine the history and critical theories of cultural experience and reception and discuss questions of interpretation and meaning. 

Objects and Technologies

This module explores the historical development of the technologies and objects through which media is created and experienced. You will interrogate the concepts of ‘technology’ and ‘object’ and question your own assumptions about what constitutes both categories.

Other available modules

• British Empire and its Cultural Legacies
• Travelling Stories - Narrative Locations
• Cultures of Collection and Collections
• Emotions, Affect and the Senses
• Revivals: Art in Dialogue with the Part
• International Study: Art and Place
• Creativity and Creative Labour
• Immersive Experiences
• Beyond the Screen: Franchising, Transmedia and More
• The Secret of Success: Manufacturing Value in the Screen Industries
• Journalism and News Media
• Communicating Identity
• Persuasive Communication and Political Belief

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and other Cultural, Media and Visual Studies modules that might be available to Liberal Arts students, please see our degrees in:

• Film and Screen Studies
• International Media and Communications
• Cultural and Creative Industries
• Art History and Visual Culture

At Nottingham, we go beyond your love of books. Our huge choice of optional modules in everything from Vikings to drama mean you can discover new passions, explore what you already love, and tailor your degree to what interests you the most.

Indicative modules

Modern and Contemporary Literature

Explore the astonishing transformations and innovations of literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Moving between genres, the module unfolds chronologically from modernism, through the inter-war years, and into postmodernism and contemporary writing.

Twentieth-Century Plays

Theatre makers in the long 20th century have been dealing with a series of pressing artistic and social issues, many of which still concern us today. What makes a play worth watching? Why do audiences enjoy watching bad things happening? How are minority groups represented on stage?

Ice and Fire: Myths and Heroes of the North

Odin, Thor and Loki: where do their stories come from? In this module, we learn about the origins of their myths from images on stone and wood in the Viking Age, as well as the written texts of the Middle Ages.

Other available modules

• From Stanislavski to Contemporary Performance: Practice and Theory
• Shakespeare
• Literary Linguistics
• The Psychology of Bilingualism and Language Learning
• Language Development
• Language in Society
• Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature: 1830-1910
• Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 1700-1830
• Contemporary British Fiction
• Names and Identities
• Dreaming in the Middle Ages: Visionary Poetry from England and Scotland

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other English modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our English BA degree.

Dive into current hot topics like climate change, globalisation, and our relationship with the earth whilst gaining skills to analyse data related to the world in which we live.

Indicative modules

Urban Geography

Examine the social, economic, cultural and historical geographies of cities to understand the importance of urban geography and how it can differ across a country.

Cultural and Historical Geography

Explore how geographers have explained cultural and historical developments, and how culture and history make geographies, with regional foci on South Asia, the Artic and British-European relations.

The Changing Environment

Consider the mechanisms for and evidence of, global environmental change.

Other available modules

• Rivers in the Landscape
• Rural Environmental Geography
• Economic Geography

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other geography modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please our Geography BA degree.

Develop your love of history further, gaining the skills to research, write and debate. Choose from a wide range of historical periods from the early medieval to the present, with the opportunity to focus on countries and regions around the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia.

Indicative modules

Rule and resistance in colonial India

Critically consider the history of the British imperial expansion in India from the mid eighteenth century, through to the Rebellion in 1857. It covers: the rise of trade relations with India, the growth of territorial rule through war and negotiation with Indian rulers, resistance to imperial rule through mutiny, and the debate over sati (widow immolation)

Race, Rights and Propaganda: Race and Identity in the Cold War Era, 1945-1990

Examine how the United States and Soviet Union dealt with issues of race and identity during the Cold War years, confronting racial questions, challenges and liberation movements from both within their own borders (and each other’s) and in several theatres of superpower conflict – including the Middle East, East Asia and post-colonial Africa - and often viewing them through highly racialised lenses.

The Second World War and Social Change in Britain, 1939-1951: Went The Day Well?

Analyse social change in Britain during and after the Second World War. Key issues may include: gender roles, impact of the lived experience, propaganda, creation of the NHS and educational reform, reconstruction of cities, post-war austerity and the construction of memory.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other history modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our History BA degree.

Are you fascinated by abstract concepts such as infinity and symmetry? Do you want to develop your skills in problem solving and analysis? Our mathematics modules will allow you to pursue your mathematical interests at a deeper level.

Indicative modules

Scientific Computation

Most mathematical problems cannot be solved analytically or would take too long to solve by hand. Instead, computational algorithms must be used. In this module, you’ll learn about algorithms for approximating functions, derivatives, and integrals, and for solving many types of algebraic and ordinary differential equations.

Complex Analysis

Study the theory and applications of functions of a complex variable, using an approach oriented towards methods and applications. You will also learn about functions of complex variables.

Vector Calculus and Electromagnetism

You will be introduced to the vector differentiation operations of gradient, divergence and curl, integration methods for scalar and vector quantities over paths, surfaces and volumes, and the relationship of these operations to each other via the integral theorems of Green, Stokes and Gauss.

Other available modules

• Differential Equations
• Real Analysis
• Applied Statistics and Probability

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other mathematics modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Mathematics BSc degree.

Philosophy can be transformative. You can do it for its own sake as well as for its ability to shape lives, institutions, and society. Our modules give you the option to explore many aspects of philosophy from its foundations in Ancient Greece to how it helps us understand events taking place across the world today. 

Indicative modules

Freedom and Obligation

This module offers a rigorous grounding in formal and philosophical logic, building on the basics covered in Introduction to Theoretical Philosophy. You'll delve deeper into Truth-Functional Logic, First-Order Logic, and Modal Logic, exploring these areas with greater rigour and completeness. 

Social Philosophy

Examine the metaphysics of social kinds and explore different accounts of social kinds that have been offered. We will also look at how the fact that we are situated in a social world can affect what we can or cannot know or understand about ourselves, each other, and the social world itself.

Buddhism and the World

This module combines philosophical, historical, and sociological perspectives to study Buddhism. Students will explore Buddhism as both a philosophical and religious tradition, focusing on how Buddhist teachings are applied in today’s world.

Other available modules

• Space, Time and Motion
• Exploring European Philosophy, Ancient and Modern
• Mind and consciousness
• Knowledge and Justification
• Moral Philosophy
• Philosophy of Art
• Religion in Britain: Interfaith Encounters in a Secular Age
• Freedom and Obligation
• Aesthetics
• Philosophy of History
• Applied Ethics
• Truth, Meaning and Existence
• Formal and Philosophical Logic
• Africana Philosophies and Religions
• Being, Becoming and Reality
• Islamic Philosophy and Theology
• Central Themes in Biblical Studies
• Buddhism and the World
• Philosophies of God: Unsettling Belief
• Ecotheologies of Love: Christian Theology and Climate Change
• Interfaith Encounters and Project Design

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other philosophy, theology and religion modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Philosophy BA and Philosophy and Theology BA degrees.

How do relationships between nations shape our world? Who holds power, and how do political processes impact our daily lives? Our Politics and International Relations modules will help you answer these questions and more.

Indicative modules

Democracy and its Critics

This module investigates the nature of democratic principles, the arguments of democracy's opponents and the claims of those who say that contemporary life is inadequately democratised.

Experiencing National Identity

The module will explore how national identities are expressed, experienced, and contested by citizens and political actors in a range of contexts. It will ask how and why we should investigate identity from an everyday, ‘bottom up’ perspective, while also examining discourses of national identity performed on the (inter)national stage.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other politics and international relations modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Politics and International Relations degree.

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. You'll have the opportunity to learn about the structure of the brain as well as the perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions of people.

Indicative modules

Advanced Social Psychology

This module will examine current issues and topics in social psychology such as; social cognition and social thinking, attribution, attitudes, persuasive communication and attitude change, social Influence, conformity and obedience, group decision making and behaviour change culture, intergroup behaviour, prejudice and discrimination, perceptions and motivations.

Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology

You’ll learn about the scientific, historical, and philosophical underpinnings of psychology as a discipline, which will demonstrate the inherent variability and diversity in the theoretical approaches to psychology.

Personality and Individual Differences

You will explore psychological explanations of personality and individual differences. In particular, the major personality theories are considered in detail and the application of these theories to areas such as abnormal psychology, criminal behaviour, and health are discussed.

Other available modules

• Advanced Developmental Psychology

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other psychology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Psychology BSc degree.

How are societies organised? How and why are certain kinds of behaviour categorised as ‘crime’, and how should we respond? What has been the influence of the digital age on our society?

Indicative modules

Sociology: Identity, Self and Others in a Digital Age

Examine the key debates in digital sociology, paying particular attention to the rise of new social media and how this affects identity, belonging, intimacy and civic participation. Your main focus will be how Web 2.0 has affected perceptions of self and social relations, exploring why some people engage with new technology whilst others actively resist it.

Social Inequalities: Causes, Patterns and Change

Gain an overview of socio-economic inequalities within and between societies, exploring major theoretical and practical issues regarding data analysis and policy evaluation.

Crime Stories: Crime, Justice and the Media

Explore theory, research and illustrative media examples addressing the relationship between crime, justice and the media. Examining both factual and fictional representations of crime and justice, we reflect upon depictions of crime, criminals and victims in media and methods of analysing these representations.

Other available modules

• The Body, The Self and Others
• Police, Policing and the Police
• Controversy: Experts, Post-Truth and Fake News
• Sociology: Identity, Self and Others in a Digital Age
• Youth, Crime and Justice
• China: Beyond the Headlines
• Understanding Religion in Contemporary Society
• Prisons & Society
• Classical Sociological Theory
• Contemporary Sociological Theory

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other sociology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Sociology BA and Criminology BA degree.

This module is based around a challenge: how do we use the digital humanities?

You are presented with a series of problems about how we can use the arts and humanities to address some of the major issues we face in technology and society.

For example, the acceleration of technology in both private and public life is immense, but this rapid pace of change should not prevent reflection.

In this module, you consider the major contemporary issues of how technology shapes our present and our future. We respond to these concerns using the specific skillset of the arts and humanities, where we ask: what does it mean to be human?

This module is worth 10 credits.

Stand out in your job search with employability skills and hands-on experience.

Learn key skills, from constructing an outstanding CV to practicing interview technique, before completing a part-time placement in the spring. This will be for one day a week, or equivalent, for up to eight weeks.

You can apply for placements in relevant local organisations. The dedicated faculty placement team have an established list of providers, or you can arrange your own placement, subject to approval.

Our placements include a range of sectors, including:

• creative and cultural industries
• media
• marketing
• heritage and museums
• the music industry
• education
• charitable and third-sector organisations

These are subject to change each year.

You will develop a wide range of transferable skills, including:

• communication
• presentation
• organisation
• professionalism
• time management skills

Assessment is through an online portfolio of materials, including application materials, reflective writing and a research report.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Community engagement is important in many careers, from politics and social work to marketing and business.

We do not work in a vacuum - our research and activities are linked to individuals and groups across society. By learning to engage with communities, researchers can reach wide audiences, learn from them and collaboratively make a real contribution to overcoming social problems. 

We need to understand how engagement works in order to work collaboratively, respectfully and sustainability with communities.

In this module, we will:

• Explore how our staff and students work with communities – from supporting immigrant communities settling into Nottingham, to engaging with schools to promote literacy and career opportunities
• Discuss how activism and advocacy can become part of academic work
• Explore how community engagement is structured and organised and how we can ensure our work within the arts and humanities has relevance and impact for diverse audiences

This module will prepare you for your future career, by focusing on the key skill of the arts and humanities: our ability to support and engage with those around us.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore the histories and legacies of colonisation, alongside the routes to justice through decolonisation.

Using examples from across the globe, we explore the impact of colonisation on society, politics, economics, and culture.

You will consider contemporary examples and a wide range of evidence, sources and perspectives, including from:

• art
• film
• literature
• archive materials and documents
• music and performance

You will also explore the debates around reconciliation, restitution and justice.

Together we will build an interdisciplinary analysis, drawing upon the research of the whole faculty to uncover, assess and deconstruct the practices of colonialism and their implications for our contemporary world.  

This module is worth 10 credits.

Doing an arts and humanities degree means you’ll gain the skills which are essential for changing the world we live in. Not only that, you are uniquely positioned to understand people, processes and culture.

This module lets you apply that knowledge to solve a real-life problem. The aim is for you to develop your understanding of your degree, and the range of careers open to you.

You will work in an interdisciplinary team on a real project connected to impact, which we define as our ability to ‘make change happen’. These projects have been designed by individuals, groups and organisations that are looking to make a difference to our world. This might be about sustainability, business, equality, culture, politics or society.

Teams will be given a project brief. You will then be guided through how to shape a project, and how to work as a team and deliver results. This will give you the employment skills and experience to show how you can make an impact as an arts and humanities graduate.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Wellbeing, the crisis in mental health care, and clapping for NHS staff during the Covid pandemic are all examples of health humanities. On this module, you will be exploring contemporary challenges in this area.

To build a healthier society, enabling access to healthcare for all, we must consider how people act, behave and build connections.

You will look at:

• how the arts and humanities respond to major issues in health, medicine and wellbeing – i.e. exploring how individuals use art, literature and culture to understand pain and loss, or analysing human behaviour with regard to new medicines and our relationship to health sciences
• topics such as cultural representations of health, places of medical treatment, or the relationship between medicine and emotions

The major challenges in health provision and healthcare can be influenced and directed by the arts and humanities. This module shows you how this field can be a powerful tool for change.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Discover how our world is experienced through language.

We live in a global society, where different languages build our perceptions, ideas and values. In this module, we respect that difference and participate in it.

You will:

• Use multilingualism as a tool to challenge our own thinking and to comprehend the lives of others in society
• Work through etymologies and translations from a wide range of languages, including Russian, Spanish, French and German
• Learn how understanding languages - not just speaking and reading them - can be vital in contributing to our community, enriching your experience, and participating in a global society

No knowledge of any language is needed, as we focus on understanding what it means to live in our multi-lingual world.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how Nottingham creates ideas, identities, culture and products, alongside how you as a student are also ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module will help you begin shaping your skills for the career you want, drawing upon the way arts and humanities work has transformed the city.

From the entrepreneurs who have set up businesses or those who have created and enriched charities and social projects, to the writers, artists, musicians and teachers who have all been created in Nottingham. We use their experience, their understanding and their skills to help you define your own path for after university.

You will be able to build your profile through this module, develop your own career narrative to use in your future work as well as engage in the variety of opportunities that are open to you as an arts graduate.

Through this module, we’ll address what it means to be ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Indicative modules

Entrepreneurship for Social Change

The module includes lecture content to consider the background, need for, and potential of ‘entrepreneurship for social change’. This includes reviewing the fundamentals of the business and society relationship, the emergence and potential of social and environmental entrepreneurship, and the organisational forms where entrepreneurship for social changes takes place, for example, Cooperatives, Charitable Foundations, Social Enterprises, B-Corps.

Food Systems Future

This module considers the critical issues related to transitioning to sustainable food production and consumption systems. Sustainable transition here refers to advancing towards systems that are equitable and can work within ecological limits.

Supply Chain and Operations Planning

This module will introduce you to supply chain fundamentals, including: the supply chain planning processes and the need for them, planning processes and methods, including: forecasting; aggregate planning; MRP; capacity management; theory of constraints (TOC); JIT (kanban); inventory management, IS/IT support for planning including ERP systems, and planning through the supply chain, examining the challenges in different contexts through case studies

Explore the past and its role in today’s world: from prehistoric cultures through ancient Greece and Rome, to the Industrial Revolution and beyond.

Indicative modules

Greeks and Persians

This module will consider the Persian Empire, and in particular contacts between Persians and Greeks in the approximate period 560-330 BC, major themes regarding the interactions between Greeks and Persians, including military and political conflict, but also trade and cultural engagement , and on-Greek evidence for the Persian Empire, including cuneiform writings, inscriptions, and visual evidence

Heritage and the Media

The aim of this module is to teach practical skills in media engagement and management through lectures and workshops, running in parallel with examining how archaeological data are used in media narratives through seminars.  

Other available modules

• The Silk Road
• Ancient Greek Medicine
• Coins, Cults and Cities
• The Christian Empire
• Virgil and the Epic Tradition
• Classics and Modern Media
• Special Subject in Classics
• The Bronze Age Aegean
• Life and Death in the Medieval City 
• Classical Language (different levels available depending on your experience)
• Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other classics and archaeology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Classics BA or Archaeology BA degrees.

Indicative modules

• The Cultural Sector Now
• Professional Practice: Festivals
• African and Afro-Diasporic Visual Culture
• The Outmoded
• Censoring Stories
• Playful Experiences
• Protest, Dissent and Civil Society
• Sound and Everyday Life
• Ruptures: Art Breaking with the Past Exhibition Histories and Practices
• Cultural and Creative Leadership
• Public Cultures and Creative Communication
• Attractions/Distractions: Shortform and Disposable Media
• The Unseen Industry: Distribution and Platforming in the Screen Industries
• Irrational Media
• Digital Labour
• Media, Memory and the Disaster

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and other Cultural, Media and Visual Studies modules that might be available to Liberal Arts students, please see our degrees in:

• Film and Screen Studies
• International Media and Communications
• Cultural and Creative Industries
• Art History and Visual Culture

At Nottingham, we go beyond your love of books. Our huge choice of optional modules in everything from Vikings to drama mean you can discover new passions, explore what you already love, and tailor your degree to what interests you the most.

Indicative modules

Language and Feminism

Gain a comprehensive knowledge of feminist theory, as applied to a series of language and linguistic contexts. You will explore a range of analytical approaches to language, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and interactional sociolinguistics.

Language and the Mind

Speaking, listening, reading and writing are a complex set of behaviours that are a fundamental part of our daily lives. And yet they remain difficult to fully explain. How does the mind cope with these actions and understandings? And what makes our minds so special that we can do this? 

The Viking Mind

This module explores Norse and Viking cultural history, using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the study of texts.

Other available modules

• English Place-Names
• Songs and Sonnets: Lyric poetry from Medieval Manuscript to Shakespeare and Donne
• Old English: Inventing a Nation
• Theatre Making
• Modern Irish Drama and Literature
• Changing Stages: Theatre Industry and Theatre Art
• Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• Advanced Stylistics
• Discourse and Power: Health and Business Communication
• Renaissance Women
• The Gothic Tradition
• Making Something Happen: Poetry and Politics
• One and Unequal: World Literature and English
• Modernist Genius
• Creatures and Myths

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other English modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our English BA degree.

Dive into current hot topics like climate change, globalisation, and our relationship with the earth whilst gaining skills to analyse data related to the world in which we live.

Indicative modules

Animal Geographies

Examine the history of animal geographies and explore the ethical, moral, and cultural issues embedded in human-animal relationships, through both historical and contemporary examples exploring how animals shape and are shaped by our ideas about place and identity.

Critical Human Geography

Explore the work of geographers committed to social justice and progressive change, with examples taken from environmental, economic and cultural-historical geography.

Landscape, Culture and Politics

Examine the connections of politics, culture and landscape in England, from the 18th century to the present day, in the context of relationships with Europe and empire.

Other available modules

• Fashion and Food
• Freshwater Management
• Geographies of Violence

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other geography modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please our Geography BA degree.

Develop your love of history further, gaining the skills to research, write and debate. Choose from a wide range of historical periods from the early medieval to the present, with the opportunity to focus on countries and regions around the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia.

Indicative modules

Voices from the Margins

This module dives into the stories and experiences of groups whose voices have often been overlooked or marginalised throughout history. We will explore how individuals and communities on the fringes of power interacted with the state and broader society, perspectives on marginalisation, including religious practices, sexual orientation, gender, and race or ethnicity, and the choices historians make regarding sources, methodologies, and approaches to bring these voices into the historical narrative - or sometimes push them back out.

Empires

Explore the impact and complexities of empires throughout history. This module examines how empires have shaped human politics, culture, society, and economics.

Ideas and Ideologies

Ideas shape how societies understand the world and make decisions about their future. This module explores how different societies develop and challenge their ‘’ideological road maps’’, origins of ideas,  their movement across time, space, languages, and cultures.

Other available modules

• History Special Subject
• Everyday Life and Culture
• Peace and Conflict
• Crisis, Revolution and Rupture

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other history modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our History BA degree.

Are you fascinated by abstract concepts such as infinity and symmetry? Do you want to develop your skills in problem solving and analysis? Our mathematics modules will allow you to pursue your mathematical interests at a deeper level.

Indicative modules

Discrete Mathematics and Graph Theory

The aim of Discrete Mathematics is the study of discrete and finite rather than continuous quantities. This includes counting problems, graphs and other quantities parametrised by integers.

Optimisation

Discover a variety of techniques and areas of mathematical optimisation including Lagrangian methods for optimisation, simplex algorithm linear programming and dynamic programming.

Game Theory

You’ll start with an investigation into normal-form games, including strategic dominance, Nash equilibria, and the Prisoner’s Dilemma. We, then look at tree-searching, including alpha-beta pruning, the ‘killer’ heuristic and its relatives. 

Applied Statistics and Probability

Through problem-solving, case studies and data analysis, you’ll cover introductory topics in statistics and probability across a broad range of subjects.

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other mathematics modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Mathematics BSc degree.

Philosophy can be transformative. You can do it for its own sake as well as for its ability to shape lives, institutions, and society. Our modules give you the option to explore many aspects of philosophy from its foundations in Ancient Greece to how it helps us understand events taking place across the world today.

Indicative modules

Buddhist Philosophy

Take a critical look at the core aspects of Buddhist thinking, with emphasis on some of its basic psychological, spiritual, and metaphysical conceptions. These include: the origin and nature of suffering; the no-self thesis; enlightenment; consciousness; experiential knowing; and the doctrine of Emptiness

Environmental Ethics

In this module we'll ask questions like: How should human beings interact with the non-human natural world? Is nature intrinsically valuable, or does it possess value only by being valuable to us?

Philosophy and Mortality

Explore the fragility of human life and how philosophy can help us to cope with it. Topics can include chronic illness, loneliness, grief, and various kinds of psychiatric conditions.

Other available modules

• Knowledge, Ignorance and Democracy
• Philosophy of Criminal Law
• Body and Soul: Christian Theological Anthropology
• Advanced Topics in Moral Philosophy
• Authenticity and Existentialism
• Advanced Topics in Modern Philosophy
• Topics in Metaethics
• Communicating Philosophy
• Dirty Talk
• Advanced Topics in Political Philosophy
• Philosophy of Life and Living
• Mind, Psychology, and Mental Health
• Environmental Ethics
• Religion in Real Life: Problem-Solving and Public Communication
• Science and Religion
• Christianity and Capitalism
• Ecotheologies of Love: Christian Theology and Climate Change

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other philosophy, theology and religion modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Philosophy BA and Philosophy and Theology BA degrees.

How do relationships between nations shape our world? Who holds power, and how do political processes impact our daily lives? Our Politics and International Relations modules will help you answer these questions and more.

Indicative modules

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: The Morality of Capitalism

This module asks whether capitalism can be given an ethical justification – one that would fulfil what it means for societies to be fair and just – and what that world would have to look like; how would it differ from our current world in terms of practices, laws, norms, and attitudes? It examines the good, the bad, and the ugly of capitalism and its associated practices.  

The Struggle for Democracy

The module adopts a global and comparative perspective, by focusing on countries in specific regions and by studying different data sets on the design, functioning and influence of democratic institutions.  

Left and Right in Contemporary Politics

The module focuses on the question of the role of ‘left’ and ‘right’ as structuring principles in a variety of political domains, ranging from party competition, policy formation (domestic as well as foreign policy), public opinion, public political discourse, voting behaviour, media production and consumption, etc.

Other available modules

• China in Global Politics
• Theories of the Modern State
• Political Parties and Party Systems around the Globe

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other politics and international relations modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Politics and International Relations degree.

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. You'll have the opportunity to learn about the structure of the brain as well as the perceptions, thoughts, feelings and actions of people.

Indicative modules

Cognitive Development and Autism

Explore modern versions of nativist and empiricist theories of cognitive development. You will also look at current theories which have been proposed to explain Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Forensic and Mental Health

The area of forensic mental health is extremely pertinent in both the criminal justice system and mental health services. You’ll look at offending behaviours, typical categorisation of those who commit crimes or harm themselves, standard interventions for offenders and the neuroscience of offending.

Educational Psychology

Examine the assessment and intervention work with specific populations such as young people who display challenging behaviour in schools, vulnerable adolescents, and bilingual learners.

Other available modules

• Current Issues in Psychology: Debates and Applications
• Applying Social Psychology to Societal Issues

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other psychology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Psychology BSc degree.

How are societies organised? How and why are certain kinds of behaviour categorised as ‘crime’, and how should we respond? What has been the influence of the digital age on our society? 

Indicative modules

Cults and New Religious Movements: Power, Belief, Conflict

Examine new religious movements (NRMs)—including groups sometimes referred to as ‘cults’—and the theoretical concepts used to understand them. A particular focus will be on the varying degrees of tension that might exist between such groups and their broader social environments, as well as how they are conceived, both in academia and in the media.

Cyber Crime

Explore the criminological study of cyber crime. You’ll draw on key literature and current research to consider the ways in which new and emerging forms of digital media and information and communication technologies provide opportunities for a variety of deviant and criminal behaviours.

Crimes and Harms of the Powerful

Consider key themes of: State crime, corporate crime, state-corporate crime, harm, green crime; state-facilitated and state-initiated corporate crime; capitalism, neoliberalism, austerity and indifference; crimes of commission and omission; and command and control regulation vs. business self-regulation.

Other available modules

• Victimology
• Human Trafficking
• Contemporary Developments in Welfare Policy
• Gender, the Family and Social Policy
• Analysing Public Policy 

More information

For more detailed module descriptions and to see other sociology modules that may be available to liberal arts students, please see our Sociology BA and Criminology BA degree.