What can I study?

This module will introduce the subject of Criminology through the lens of the Scottish Criminal Justice System. The module will provide an overview of the Scottish Criminal Justice System before examining the major avenues by which the public obtain information about crime – as victims of crime and from the media and official statistics.  The module examines the processes that have developed our definitions of crime and the broader social and political context in which this crime occurs.

This module explores contemporary issues and debates that shape world politics today. It starts by introducing International Relations (IR) theory before turning to two broad themes that dominate the subject: conflict and peace. By the end of the course, you will be able to describe different perspectives and concepts linked to the study of international politics and employ concepts and theories to analyse global issues and problems.

This course aims to introduce you to Gothic literary expression in the British nineteenth century, before exploring the many ways in which this dark heritage continues to affect contemporary cultural production. focusing on three British texts from the Nineteenth century – Frankenstein (1818), The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Dracula (1897) – this class will discuss the adaptation, appropriation, and influence on contemporary popular culture narratives such as those found in fiction, film, tv, fashion, video gaming, and music videos.

This module examines a significant aspect of Scottish history, looking at the phenomenon of witchcraft as part of early-modern culture. You will gain an understanding of the dynamic between popular and elite culture, the significance of witchcraft belief to early-modern society and the social, cultural, political, economic and religious tensions that contributed to witch hunting.

With attention focused on the question of independence, recent debates concerning Scottish culture and identity gain a heightened political charge. Literature has not only reflected but actively shaped such debate. What role has writing played in political change, and to what extent has Scottish culture escaped its own stereotypes? This course examines the literary and political currents shaping contemporary Scottish identity, introducing you to key twentieth-and twenty-first-century texts. We encounter and explain a range of cultural debates concerning language, class, democracy and nationhood, attending to the urgency as well as the complexity of recent Scottish writing.

As binary understandings of gender and sexuality are increasingly shown to be outdated and outmoded, this module examines gender and sexuality in a Scottish context and for students to apply their knowledge of identity politics. You will study a range of acclaimed Scottish texts that explore gender, across a diverse range of poetry, novels, cinema and drama. We will examine the decline of traditional, industrialist, ‘hard man’ masculinities as well as broken masculinities, resistant femininities, and resurgent Scottish LGBT+ fictions. There will be optional opportunities to submit creative work as an alternative to an essay assignment, enabling you to demonstrate an understanding of the stylistic and thematic aspects of the course as a creative practitioner.

Scotland’s landscape has inspired poets and writers for generations. From the hills covered in purple heather to the glorious light at sunrise, almost every vista is an invitation to the enthusiastic visual journalist. At the same time, the protection of a diverse and sustainable environment has pushed an appreciation of the landscape to the top of the educational agenda. This is a unique module that enables you to appreciate the environment, and enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland while learning and developing your skills at landscape photography. You will learn the practice of landscape photography, but also the theory and principles of British photography. Equipment and software will be provided.