The University of Birmingham is a public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College, making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter. The University have a long and proud history of firsts, at the University of Birmingham; they were the first – and are now one of the largest - civic universities in the UK.

At Birmingham, the institution teach and research across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education. The University is a truly international community consisting of more than thousands of staff, students, and alumni. The student community is not only one of the largest of any UK university, it is highly diverse, with 82 per cent of home undergraduate students from state schools, 32 per cent from a BAME background, and 35 per cent in the first generation of their family to attend university.

Core modules
You will study a core module in theory and methods, choosing from:

Research Skills and Methods
This module provides an introduction to the methods of contemporary philosophy. Topics addressed typically include: critical thinking in philosophy, reading in philosophy, research skills, dissertation planning, and presenting philosophical arguments in written work. You will also participate in online sessions focused on generic research skills.
Assessment: Written assignment

Or -

Introduction to Legal Research
This module introduces a range of approaches to legal research. It examines the importance and nature of legal research, foundational elements of legal research, and a variety of methods in legal research (such as doctrinal, theoretical, normative, and socio-legal). Alongside introducing legal research and methods, the module critically interrogates the underpinnings of each of the approaches used in legal research to uncover their advantages and disadvantages, and explore the connections and synergies between them. The module aims to improve students’ comprehension of the variety of methods in legal research, allow them to make an informed initial choice of the methodological approach(es) for their own research (while being aware of its limitations and possible alternative methods), and assist them in translating their research interests into viable research projects.
Assessment: Written assignment

Optional modules
You will also choose a total of five optional modules. This includes at least one module from each of the Law, Politics and Philosophy departments, and a further two modules from any of the three departments. The range of modules available typically includes:

Law
Issues in Transnational Criminal Justice,
Socio-Legal Theory
International and European Legal Responses to Terrorism
International Human Rights Law
International Trade Law and Policy
Global Crime Problems
Public International Law
Philosophy
Bioethics
Ethics and Global Ethics
God, Freedom and the Meaning of Life
Epistemology
Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science
Topics in Global Justice
Human Rights
Philosophy and Mental Health
You can see the full module descriptions here.

Politics
Globalisation and Governance
Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and International Order
Diplomatic History
Global Cooperation in Practice
The Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
International Relations Theory
The European Union and Global Politics
Dilemmas in International Relations.
Security Studies
US Foreign and Defence Policy
Dissertation or Practice-Based Dissertation
You will complete the programme with a research project.

If you choose to complete a written dissertation, this will be a substantial and sustained investigation of a topic related to one or more of the disciplines being studied, culminating in a 15,000-word dissertation.

The practice-based dissertation is ideal for those who have begun careers and are returning to study after time in employment, or those who are aiming to enhance their employability by obtaining (further) experience within related professional contexts. It offers a more applied, contextualised approach to independent research than the more traditional dissertation route. In addition to completing 160 hours on placement, you are asked to produce a practical output/project for the organisation hosting your placement. This can take various forms, such as a report for internal use, a piece of research, a contribution to a report or policy document, a video, a feature article for a newspaper or another form or media output. You complete the placement with a 10-12,000-word report encompassing aspects including the rationale for the placement, a reflection on the tasks performed, and a theoretical discussion of an issue related to the placement.

Please note that the optional module information listed on the website for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

Fees
How To Apply
Terms and conditions – what you need to kn

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it