Bachelor of Arts (BA)

BA Politics and Japanese

Study the key areas of global politics alongside Japanese language and culture.
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: LT22 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Study with a language

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

RWS Brode Scholarship

You may be eligible for this scholarship if you fulfill the following conditions:

  • your qualifications were achieved at a state-funded school in the UK;
  • your total household income does not exceed £60,000 (as verified by the Student Loan Company);
  • you achieve high marks in your A-levels (or equivalent qualifications), usually AAB or above;
  • you apply to (and remain on) either a single honours Language course, or a dual-language course.

Awards will be made according to a sliding scale, benefitting those who have achieved the highest marks relative to backgrounds.

You will be automatically assessed for this after you have registered on your degree.

You simply need to make sure you allow the University access to your records when applying for your student lLoan (we cannot otherwise assess your eligibility).

Bursaries and Scholarships

Course unit details:
Arguing About Politics: Political Theory in the World

Course unit fact file
Unit code POLI20602
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Introduction to Political Theory POLI10702 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Ideals of Social Justice POLI20881 Co-Requisite Compulsory
Injustice and Resistance POLI20961 Co-Requisite Compulsory
POLI20602 Pre requisites - students must have taken POLI10702

Please note that you only need to have met ONE of the above pre-requisities to take POLI20602

Aims

This course will introduce students to a selection of recent work in political theory with particular focus on how these theoretical debates apply to current political controversies. Theoretical arguments about (among other topics) the interface between morality and politics, the nature of toleration, freedom of expression, group rights, and global justice will be applied to practical political problems.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit successful students will:
Have gained a deeper understanding of certain key normative debates in politics

Be able to apply theoretical arguments about abstract concepts to practical political controversies Be able to analyse normative arguments critically

Be able to construct and defend their own normative arguments in an analytically rigorous fashion

Teaching and learning methods

Tutorials are taken by the lecturers who lecture that week.

Assessment methods

One seven-day open book exam: 60%
One 1800-word essay: 40%

Feedback methods

Politics staff will provide feedback on written work within 15 working days of submission via Blackboard (if submitted through Turnitin).

Students should be aware that all marks are provisional until confirmed by the external examiner and the final examinations boards in June.

For modules that do not have examination components the marks and feedback for the final assessed component are not subject to the 15 working day rule and will be released with the examination results. This applies to Semester 2 modules only. Semester one modules with no final examination will have their feedback available within the 15 working days.

You will receive feedback on assessed essays in a standard format. This will rate your essay in terms of various aspects of the argument that you have presented your use of sources and the quality of the style and presentation of the essay. If you have any queries about the feedback that you have received you should make an appointment to see your tutor. Tutors and Course Convenors also have a dedicated office hour when you can meet with her/him to discuss course unit specific problems and questions.

On assessments submitted through Turnitin you will receive feedback via Blackboard. This will include suggestions about ways in which you could improve your work in future. You will also receive feedback on non-assessed coursework, whether this is individual or group work. This may be of a more informal kind and may include feedback from peers as well as academic staff

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 2
Lectures 20
Seminars 10
Independent study hours
Independent study 168

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Stephen Hood Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Information
Information
POLI 10702 (Introduction to Political Thought) is a pre-requisite. 

 

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