Culture, Environment, and Social Change BA Honours

The Culture, Environment and Social Change BA will enable you to explore the most important issues in the world today. Ranging from climate change and resource depletion to mass migration and social inequality, you’ll examine critical issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives to make sense of a complex and dynamically changing world at a variety of different scales.

In this course, you’ll examine how the historical forces of colonialism and capitalism have laid the foundations for contemporary environmental and social crises, learn how to critically analyse the ways humans understand, experience and impact the natural world and gain a clear understanding of how cultural media and institutions have shaped the evolving relationships between societies and environments in the Global North and South.

The core modules have been designed to introduce you to key ideas and theories in environmental humanities and social justice. These are combined with a broad range of option modules, enabling you to tailor your degree to your interests. You can develop a specialism in Language and Communication, Law, or Politics. You can also select a range of optional modules from English Literature, Creative Writing, Sociology, and History, allowing you to experience different methodological perspectives on contemporary environmental and social issues.

Ultimately, this course aims to develop environmentally and socially conscious global citizens who want to make a difference in the world. All through the course and upon graduating, you’ll be empowered to advocate for social change and prepared for a career in a wide spectrum of areas, including policymaking, campaigning, education, government, the arts and industry.

Top reasons to study with us

• Optional years of work or study abroad or in a UK placement are available, providing the opportunity to extend your learning and gain insight into possible future careers
• Develop a specialism in language and communication, law or politics throughout the degree
• Enhance your studies with options to select electives from English literature, creative writing, sociology and history
• Undertake an extended research project in your final year: this can be on a topic of your choosing and presented in your choice of medium
• Assessment methods including podcasting, blog writing, video production and presenting will help you develop the digital skills to advocate for change

Why study this course

Develop a Specialism

Choose to specialise in language and communication, law or politics and take electives from English literature, creative writing, sociology and history.

Make a positive impact

Develop the theory and skills that will empower you to make a difference in the world.

Creative Assessment

Produce podcasts, campaigns, educational curricula, blogs and more as part of your studies.

The following subjects are indicative of what you will study in this course.

Year 1

Study subjects include:

• CESC Tutorial 1
• Land, People, Culture
• Objects and Meaning: The Social Life of Material Culture
• Protests: From Bread Riots to Extinction Rebellion
• Global Governance and Development
• Intercultural Communication: An Introduction
• Race and the Law

Credit Level 4

Year 2

Study subjects include:

• CESC Tutorial 2
• Representations and Theories of Social and Environmental Justice
• Working With Data
• Climate, Change and Culture
• Introduction to Human Rights Law
• Language in the Public Space
• Making Memory: Culture History and Representation
• The Politics of Killing

Credit Level 5

Placement Year

Professional experience or study abroad year

Between Years 2 and 3, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a professional placement year in the industry. Completing the placement year will lead to the final award Bachelor of Arts with Honours – Culture, Environment and Social Change with Professional Experience.

Alternatively, you can undertake a period of study abroad at one of Westminster’s partner institutions. Successful completion will lead to the final award Bachelor of Arts with Honours – Culture, Environment and Social Change with International Experience.

Year 3

Study subjects include:

• CESC Project
• Contemporary Ideas and Challenges
• Social Change
• Elements of International Law and Global Justice
• Issues in Culture
• Sex Strike: Gender and Protest
• The Global Politics of Climate Change: Security, Sustainability and Low-Carbon Transition
• Work Placement for Humanities

Credit Level 6

As a student in the School of Humanities, you’ll have opportunities to gain certification in employability-related skills. This course has been designed with a strong focus on career prospects, with employability skills woven throughout the core modules and tutorial sessions. Innovative modules will require you to organise and present at your conference and produce digital resources, including campaigns, podcasts or videos.

Employing Humanities Programme

Benefit from our tailored scheme to develop work readiness and draw attention to the wide applicability of humanities skills in working life and careers.

Boost your Employability

Gain international or workplace experience by studying abroad or undertaking a work placement between your second and third year.

Employers around the world

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Industry Links

In Years 2 and 3, you’ll be taught by practitioners fighting for social and environmental change across education, NGOs, politics, law, journalism and the arts, as well as academics from a range of disciplines.

As part of the Employing Humanities programme, you’ll engage with employers from various fields through tailored humanities career fairs and the ‘Hackathon’, where employers provide live briefs for student work. Previous employers have included Meta, Channel 4, BBC News, Mind, Brand Advance and WaterAid.

Job roles

This course will prepare you for roles in a variety of areas, including:

• Diversity and inclusion manager
• Work in charitable or campaigning businesses
• Talent developer
• Community liaison
• Sustainability development officer
• Accessibility policy advisor
• HR officer
• Work in local or national equalities commissions
• Museum educator
• Outreach officer
• Teacher
• Digital content producer
• Recruitment officer

Graduate employers

Graduates of this course can follow a range of different routes that may include:

• Policymaking
• Campaigning
• Education
• Government
• The arts
• Environmental and social justice
• Industry

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, allowing you to choose from a set of extracurricular activities.

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up for a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.