BA Professional Studies

Year 2

(Award available for year: Diploma of Higher Education)

Learning outcomes

On completion of level 2 students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
1. How to engage critically with the key concepts, theories, academic and professional perspectives which have been drawn upon to examine contemporary social issues such as globalisation and global citizenship; sustainability and environmentalism; posthumanism and our changing relationship with technology; and creativity in different organisational and professional contexts
2. How to understand and evaluate a variety of philosophical and theoretical approaches used to consider contemporary issues in an interdisciplinary way, through the analysis of case studies
3. How to evaluate and reflect on ethical issues and principles in academic research and in academic and professional contexts

Skills Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
1. Start to develop deeper analytic skills through the application of interdisciplinary theory, as well as theory of specific relevant disciplines – to start to develop skills of holistic thinking
2. Demonstrate reflective understanding of own learning and life experience through consideration of local and global and professional contexts, including awareness of personal responsibility as a global citizen and as an active and valuable participant within a learning community
3. Develop a structured, coherent and critical argument supported by academic research
4. Develop an applied understanding of research design through engaging with different kinds of research and research methodologies, to produce a focused research proposal
5. Evaluate and analyse research sources in order to apply to the development of a research proposal and other critical work

Transferable (key) skills

On completion of level 2 students will be able to:
1. Communicate complex information, understanding, arguments and analysis in a variety of forms including written, verbal and visual. This will include a consideration of different academic and professional audiences
2. Learning in a self-directed way and in collaboration with others – developing the ability to collaborate asynchronously online and to organise time effectively to coordinate with others and with their own goals
3. Demonstrate digital skills needed to contribute to collaborative learning and create a resource
4. Continue to develop their own areas of specialism based on contemporary social issues, to then engage in creative problem-solving

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will include opportunities to:
- produce a variety of written, verbal and visual work which is informed by the analysis of contemporary issues, case studies and cultural texts, by academic research and theory, and by professional practice
- undertake self-reflection which involves showing global and cultural insight and understanding of the benefits of creativity for academic and professional contexts
- work with others and develop team working skills, including reflecting on the challenges of this and the way to work through these
- develop digital skills to gain confidence in working with different platforms and software to learning collaborative and produce something creative
- learn to identify your own areas of interest and expand your understanding of them through research, including planning a research project - Make connections between different life, work and academic experiences (including between modules) to start developing their own critical voice and academic identity