War and Conflict - BA (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

The BA in War and Conflict is composed of compulsory and optional modules. 

The modules below are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

Teaching and assessment

Our main teaching methods are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.

Politics Open Forum

We hold a weekly extra-curricular Open Forum organised by our School research groups, where students and staff have the opportunity to discuss and debate key issues of the day that affect higher education and politics in the world today.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• offer a thematic pathway in areas and issues relating to the study of conflict, peace and security constructed in a progressive core, based on the strong offerings in the School of Politics and International Relations in the areas of conflict, war and peace
• offer a broad-based approach to the study of conflict and security from the disciplines of history, anthropology, international law, sociology, political science and international relations. This gives you access to the key areas of conflict, peace and security offered by other schools of the University, enhancing the inter-disciplinary nature of the programme
• place questions of political and international order and decision-making at the centre of social-scientific analysis
• enables you to understand and use the concepts, approaches and methods of politics and international relations, and to develop an understanding of their contested nature and the problematic character of inquiry in the discipline
• develop your capacity to think critically about political and international events, ideas and institutions
• encourage you to relate the academic study of politics and international relations to questions of public concern
• provide a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate
• assist you to develop cognitive and transferable skills relevant to your vocational and personal development.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• key concepts, theories and methods used in the study of international relations, politics, strategic studies, history, criminology, international law and their application to the analysis of conflict and peace
• the study of war and peace in a historical context
• the political and social dynamics of interaction between people, events, ideas and institutions in the context of conflict and peace
• factors accounting for political change
• the normative and positive foundations of political ideas
• the reliance of international relations on knowledge from cognate disciplines
• the nature and significance of politics as a global activity
• the origins and evolution of the international political system, including contemporary changes underway
• different interpretations of world  political events and issues.

Intellectual skills

You develop the following intellectual skills:

• gathering, organising and deploying evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources
• identifying, investigating, analysing, formulating and advocating solutions to problems
• developing reasoned arguments, synthesising relevant information and exercising critical judgement
• reflecting on, and managing, your own learning and seeking to make use of constructive feedback from peers and staff to enhance your performance and personal skills
• managing your own learning self-critically.

Subject-specific skills

You gain the following subject-specific skills:

• understanding the nature and significance of conflict as a human and global activity
• the application of concepts, theories and methods used in the study of conflict, peace and security to the analysis of political ideas, institutions, practices and issues in the global arena
• evaluating different interpretations of world political events and issues
• describing, evaluating and applying different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting issues in international relations
• developing knowledge of contending and comparative approaches to theories and concepts of international relations.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

• communication: communicating effectively and fluently in speech and writing (including, where appropriate, the use of IT); organising information clearly and coherently; using communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information
• information technology: producing written documents; undertaking online research; communicating using email; processing information using databases
• working with others: defining and reviewing the work of others; working co-operatively on group tasks; understanding how groups function; collaborating with others and contributing effectively to the achievement of common goals
• improving own learning: exploring personal strengths and weaknesses; time management; reviewing working environment (especially student-staff relationship); developing specialist learning skills (for example, foreign languages); developing autonomy in learning; working independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation
• problem-solving: identifying and defining problems; exploring alternative solutions and discriminating between them.

Careers

Graduate destinations

Graduates have a wide range of career options, including:

• practical politics
• local and central government
• the diplomatic service
• non-governmental organisations
• journalism
• international business
• teaching
• publishing
• financial services.

Many of our graduates choose to go on to further study at Master’s and PhD level.

Help finding a job

The School of Politics and International Relations runs an Employability Programme, focused on providing you with the skills you need when looking for a job. This includes workshops on a range of topics, for example summer internships, networking, and careers in diplomacy and the Civil Service.

You also have access to a weekly Employability Newsletter, featuring jobs for graduates, as well as internship and volunteering opportunities.

The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which can give you advice on how to:

• apply for jobs
• write a good CV
• perform well in interviews.

Career-enhancing skills

To help you appeal to employers, you also learn key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to:

• think critically
• communicate your ideas and opinions
• manage your time effectively
• work independently or as part of a team.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.