BA (Hons) Politics, Philosophy and Economics Bachelor's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London

This module will introduce you to the academic study of politics and to the 'real world' of contemporary politics. As a foundational course, it will give you all the essential tools to understand the nature of politics and analyse the way different political systems work. You will be introduced to key concepts such as politics, power, rights, ideologies, democracy and representation, and will learn about the different actors, institutions and processes that make up politics today.

Knowledge is often thought to be the highest achievement of rational creatures, the thing that distinguishes us from other animals and is the basis of our ability to predict and control our environment. Beginning with the most Platonic of questions, 'what is knowledge?', this course introduces you to basic topics in contemporary epistemology. Among the questions it goes on to address are: why is knowledge valuable?; how do we acquire knowledge and how do we pass it on to others?; how do we become

Principles of Economics is a first-year undergraduate module in how the economy works. The module is suitable for students with or without A-Level economics or equivalent. We will cover the basic theories of macroeconomics (that of the economy as a whole) and microeconomics (the behaviour of individuals, firms and governments and the interactions between them). The module adopts the state-of-the-art CORE approach (Curriculum Open-access Resources in Economics) to teaching Principles of Economics

Data Skills for Economists is about understanding the data we encounter constantly in everyday life and the data that social science researchers create as they explore and analyse the world around us. We'll endeavour to understand such questions as: Where does data come from and how can we harvest it? What useful information does the data contain? How can we create new data to generate useful insights? Computers equipped with statistical software are a big part of the answer to the third questio

The aims of the module are to cover the basic mathematical and quantitative tools used by economists every day. The module gives an emphasis to the mathematical tools, which are applicable to solving a wide range of economic problems. The first half of the module is devoted to linear algebra, specific functions of one and more variables used in economics, manipulating those functions and finding their minima and maxima. In addition, the first half of this module delivers the rules of integration

In this module you will develop an understanding of the models of individual optimisation and their applications. You will look at the key determinants of an individual's behaviour in a variety of circumstances and the behaviour of firms in different market environments, such as perfect competition, monopoly and oligopoly. You will consider how changing circumstances and new information influences the actions of the economic agents concerned, and examine the properties of competitive markets and

In this module you will develop an understanding of macroeconomics and macroeconomic policy-making. You will look at a variety of contemporary and historical macroeconomic events, and the differences between the short, medium and long run. You will consider why some countries are rich and some are poor, why different economies grow at different rates, and what determines economic growth and prosperity. You will examine the role of monetary and fiscal policy, its impact on the economy and its lim

This module introduces institutions and politics of the United States. It offers a thorough grounding in the empirical and theoretical literature on American politics. The module covers the Constitution, Congress, the Presidency and federal bureaucracy, separation of powers, federalism and state governments, the Supreme Court, elections, political parties, the media, and interest groups. By the end of the module, you'll be prepared to engage knowledgeably with American political news and to tack

This module is a key bridge between the first year modules in comparative politics and international relations and the third year modules in the politics of Africa, China, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia. It is designed to equip you with a critical understanding of the most important features of the history of international development which build the foundations of our modern world: the transition from empires to states, colonialism, de-colonisation, and the subsequent post-colon

Democracy in Britain explores the theory and practice of modern British politics. It's designed primarily to familiarise students with the ways in which British democracy has evolved, how it operates today and some of the challenges that confront it. You'll gain knowledge of the 'nuts and bolts' of the political system and you'll learn about how and why the system operates in the way it does, the quality of contemporary democratic governance and key features of political behaviour in Britain.

This module concerns the theories underlying discussion of political problems and issues today. Examining a range of key ideas and the thinkers who have developed them, the module will consider what lies at the roots of contemporary debates about laws, policies, protest, and resistance, and it will it enable you to make sense of these debates. Topics covered will likely include liberty, equality, human rights, punishment, democracy, gender, race, multiculturalism and cultural hegemony, civil dis

This module examines the relationship between states and markets, power and wealth, in International Political Economy (IPE). You'll be introduced to the key concepts and theoretical debates in IPE. It tackles issues such as the globalisation of trade, finance, and production, the continued problems of development and democratic governance in the world economy, and emerging questions surrounding global flows, networks and spaces. You'll explore the history of regimes, crises, and competing theor

This module provides a comprehensive overview of Security Studies as a field of International Relations. You'll start by examining the issue of security and key security issues and then move on to look at more general theories of security and how these have changed, especially in an age of terrorism. The second half of the module will focus on the sub-field of military innovation studies as states around the world renew their focus on conventional/hybrid warfare and defence spending rises.

In this module you will plan, structure and write an extended piece of work in a topic of your choice through independent research with the support and guidance of a supervisor.