BA History and Business

BEP1010: Business and Society

This module is designed to help you to broaden your understanding of the relationships between business and society through a focus on responsibility. Throughout the module you will be engaging in case study work, debate and independent research. Your adaptability will be assessed through exercises that will challenge you to examine Business and Society from a variety of perspectives.

The aims of this module are to:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between business and society
• Explore emerging trends in the environment in which business operates
• Consider the responsibilities of different groups and individuals in contemporary society

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BEP1040: Marketing in a Digital Age

This module will introduce you to aspects of traditional marketing management theory and its application to developments in the new media environment. It will analyse the communications methods and technological advances in developing campaigns, acquiring new customers, managing and maintaining crucial existing customer relationships. Drawing on examples from social media, digital advertising, media buying, analytics, branding and strategic communications, this module will enable you to examine and critique the many different techniques and tools now available to marketing professionals for managing customer relationships and maximising targeted exposure. Case studies will examine the possibilities of delivering value to organisations and their clients through digital communications and marketing. This module will feature a practical component where you will develop your own search optimisation campaign. By the end of this module you will be familiar with the technology and techniques strategically utilised by digital marketing practitioners to increase reach, sales and adoption of their services, ideas and products.

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BEP1080: Theory and Practice of Management

This module introduces you to the interplay between management theory and the digital reality of the modern workplace. You will learn how to structure complex business problems using foundational frameworks, and how to address them using applied data science and AI tools. Embedded within a context of responsible management, the module fosters critical debates on the role of technology in business, equipping you with the practical skills to develop evidence-based and sustainable business proposals.

The aim of this module is to bridge the gap between foundational management theory and the contemporary reality of AI-augmented decision-making. Operating within the context of Sustainable Futures, this module introduces you to the "art" of management (ethics, strategy, human behaviour) and mirrors it with the "science" of management (data interpretation, AI tools, and cooperation theory). Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and interactive activities, the module aims to develop your ability to think critically, solve problems, and adapt to the challenges of contemporary management practices following an evidence-driven approach.

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BEP1100: Understanding Work and Organisations

Organisations and organising refers to processes through which people are grouped in order to carry out and achieve common goals beyond the reach of individuals. In everyday life organisations are all around us and indeed, Peter Drucker who developed management as a discipline, stated that we live in a 'society of organisations'. We engage with organisations as customers, consumers, employees or through communities we live in or visit. Organisations and the wider labour market and environmental contexts in which they operate are therefore a fundamental part of the complex systems of society.

It is therefore important to develop some understanding and insight about how organisations interact with their environments, can be appropriately designed and effectively managed. This module does this through a combination of theoretical frameworks, practical, consultant-style activities with responsible AI use intergrated and part of the module's learning outcomes. It opens with an overview of the purpose and structure of organisations, activities within them - some ethical and some not - before mapping the relationship between organisations, their natural and labour market environments.

The module concludes with an attept to look into the future and discuss how changes in labour markers and organisational needs are likely to affect your career trajectories.

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HIC1604: New Approaches to History

This module will provide you with the key skills necessary to identify the intellectual and historiographical perspectives from which different histories have developed. You will examine how historians study the past and how they engage with each other’s work. You will consider how even historians studying the same topic can have differing perspectives. Over the course of the module, you will develop your understanding of the ideas that have underpinned historical research and writing, and how different theories and assumptions shape the ways history is written. At its core, the module highlights the importance of historiography and reading critically by analysing and evaluating the author’s argument. You will consider new directions and approaches for the study of history in dialogue with other disciplines. You will be encouraged to read closely, process reflectively, and develop critical thinking skills. You will be introduced to the working methodologies and interests of the academic staff in Cornwall and the variety of possible approaches to history that you can look forward to exploring during the rest of your degree.

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POC1036: Generative AI and Sustainable Futures: Ethics, Society, and Scholarship

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the production, communication and evaluation of knowledge across higher education, professional environments and society. This module provides you with the foundational understanding and practical competencies to become AI‑literate within their degree programmes. It equips you with a clear grasp of how Generative AI operates, develops your ability to use AI tools effectively and ethically, and encourages critical engagement with the opportunities and challenges AI presents for the Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. You will examine the technical principles underlying large language models and related systems, gaining insight into their capabilities, constraints and modes of operation. This technical grounding is complemented by structured opportunities to apply AI tools to academic research tasks, including project planning, source interrogation, argument development and the communication of ideas. Throughout, the module emphasises the importance of evaluative judgement: you will learn how to assess the quality, accuracy, reliability and biases of AI‑generated materials, and to make informed decisions about appropriate use. A distinctive feature of the module is its sustained engagement with the broader implications of AI for sustainability, social and environmental justice, legal processes and political life. You will explore how debates within your own disciplines intersect with the development and deployment of AI technologies, enabling you to situate your learning within wider scholarly and societal conversations. The module also incorporates personal skills auditing and guided professional development, supporting you in building responsible, reflective and future‑facing approaches to AI use. It prepares you not merely to use AI tools, but to understand, question and evaluate them as emerging and influential components of academic practice and contemporary society.

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HIC1010: Foundations of Environmental Humanities

This module introduces you to the insights provided by a range of humanities disciplines dealing with urgent issues of climate and environmental change. You will be introduced to key concepts and ideas and will track the emergence of Environmental Humanities as a new interdisciplinary field. You will get to learn about cultural, ethical, historical, social, political, legal and literary perspectives representing environmental humanities inquiry. You will study an array of theories, themes, issues, questions, and debates within the humanities in dialogue with the sciences. We will address issues associated with knowledge, meaning, justice, crisis, and sustainability.

The module aims to introduce you to the main themes, theories and discussion in current Environmental Humanities research, by focusing on cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives and approaches. You will develop a broad understanding of the relationship of nature, culture, history, science, technology, politics and economy in the context of today's climate and environmental crises. You will develop knowledge of the multi-layered and historically contingent relationship of nature, culture, politics, economy and science. We will discuss different perspectives on environmental, social and multi-species justice.

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HIC1012: Historical Sources and Skills: Microhistory and History from Below

While engaging with grand narratives is an important first step in histories studies, the research projects which you will undertake in your studies will require you to speak to larger historical debates by identifying specific case studies and microhistories which can speak to larger issues. This also means you will need to be able to use an analyse a wide array of primary sources. This module will equip you with the skills needed for success in your future research projects, including your final dissertation, by focusing on the art of primary source analysis and identifying appropriate case studies. Rather than looking purely at top-down history, this module will also provide perspectives from the "history from below" and help you identify microhistories which can speak to broader historical issues and debates.

Primary source are enormously varied, ranging from private diaries and newspapers to oral history recordings, material cultural and paintings to manuscripts. Each variety poses different possibilities and problems to the historian, all of which we will explore. By focusing on a different source genre each week, you will develop the ability to tackle historical research at a more sophisticated level. We will employ the sources examined to shed light on a range of histories, with a focus on the history of social relations, working-class politics, popular protest, the history of gender and sexuality, immigration, and the lives of non-elite people.

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HIC1603: Public History

Public History is an optional module on the level one History programme, which will introduce you to the theory and practice of public history. You will analyse the power, politics and practicalities of (re)presenting history in the public sphere. You will gain insight into public responses to the past and the importance of understanding diversity and inclusivity in current approaches. From heritage sites and museums, to film, fiction and virtual reality; the course explores key concepts and contextualises them within national and international debates. You will have the opportunity to analyse museum exhibits, conduct practice oral history interviews, critically analyse concepts relating to protest and social activism in cultural heritage settings, and examine why it matters to challenge accepted narratives (as well as those under threat) in the current political landscape.

This module aims to give you a core theoretical understanding of the key issues and debates in Public History. You will have the opportunity to put theory into practice through in-class discussions and assignments , which will help you to critically review and engage with current debates in the field. It also aims to give you competency in several transferable skills, including experience in undertaking basic oral history interviews, understanding different viewpoints through structured debate, and in critical analysis.

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HIC1605: European History: Politics and Society

This introductory module explores themes, ideas, and developments in history and historiography that are fundamental to understanding the past and its study. It does so through a chronological framework that maps onto key points in British and European history and scholarship. We consider the emergence and development of key concepts in European history including nationalism, democracy, and revolution, among others. We will also address questions and debates about periodization throughout European history. Within this framework, you will analyse key ideas, events, and individuals, as well as debate approaches taken by other scholars, past and present.

This module aims to introduce you to some of the foundational concepts, key events, and important individuals in European history. Mirroring the long chronologies of other core modules, you will gain insight into developments in European society and culture, while also attaining a foundational understanding of the general overview of European history. You will gain the ability to make connections between the core modules at first-year. This general understanding will give you a good grounding to look in greater detail at some of these and later events in the rest of your degree.

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HIC1610: An Introduction to Histories of Science and Environment

This module introduces you to the history of scientific and other systematic approaches to non-human nature in different parts of the globe from 1500 to the present day. You will develop a broad knowledge and critical understanding of the way historians, sociologists and other scholars have studied the complex and changing relationship between humans and the non-human environment. These will enrich your ability to understand how interdisciplinary approaches within the humanities and social sciences can yield powerful insights into the roots of our environmental crises and dilemmas.

This module aims to give you a broad understanding of the ways in which human cultures have interpreted and exploited their non-natural environments from 1500 to the present. These include Western scientific, non-Western and indigenous processes for making and applying knowledges. You will acquire a broad understanding of connections between, on the one hand, beliefs and practices concerning 'nature' and sustainability, and on the other. the wider contexts of politics, economics, imperialism, industrialisation, gender, race, conflict, religion and spirituality. The module will give you the ability to challenge assumptions made about such fundamental concepts as nature, environment, science and knowledge. It aims to enrich your ability to apply interdisciplinary approaches to critically understand a range of environmental issues that have become global crises.

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HIC1611: Global History: Twentieth Century Transformations

This module introduces key social, cultural, economic, and political themes in modern global history, with a particular focus on the twentieth century. Moving from colonialism and world wars through nationalism, migration and race, global governance, decolonisation, the Cold War, environmentalism and globalisation, it traces both global interconnectedness and moments of rupture. You will work closely with primary sources alongside secondary readings to engage with historians’ interpretations and develop your own evidence-based arguments.

This module aims:

· to develop your understanding of major patterns of global historical change in the modern period, approached from comparative international and cultural perspectives;

· to build your understanding of how global processes and micro-historical experiences inform one another, using case studies drawn from across the module;

· to strengthen your skills in historical enquiry, particularly in analysing primary sources for themed portfolio assessments, relating them to wider historiographical debates, and presenting your arguments clearly in written and oral form.

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HIC2039: The Practice of History

This module is a major step in your development as a professional historian and preparing for your dissertation next year. It is a guided independent study, with the freedom to explore one of two pathways depending on your interests and future career ambitions. Students must choose either:

1. Libraries, archives and special collections, or;
2. Public understanding of the past

Every student is required to design and deliver - with the support of a supervisor - a project that stems from their historical and professional interests, the expertise of staff, and the availability of resources. You will practice the collection and application of a critical analysis to primary and secondary sources, and real-world historical practice to interrogate our knowledge of the past and its uses in the present.

This module is a guided independent study module, which aims to develop your transferable skills in self-motivated study, project management, communication, problem-solving, source analysis, archival skills, critical engagement with scholarly debates, and producing an excellent standard of final output. Unlike many core modules, students enrolled in The Practice of History will have the choice to follow one of two professional pathways:

1. Libraries, archives and special collections: This pathway models the work of a traditional historian and is centred around the dialogue between primary and secondary sources. Students following this pathway will have the opportunity to construct their own research project, beginning with the development of a specific research question. They will use a range of primary and secondary sources to produce a critically reflective research essay based on 4-5 primary sources. This option constitutes an individual project, which will be fully supported through frequent meetings with supervisors.
2. Public understanding of the past: In this pathway, students will be matched with a local cultural heritage organisation to research one of their key priorities for public engagement. Students will work with a range of sources and, under the guidance of the organisation and supervisor, will deliver a pre-determined output, which might include a museum exhibition, educational resource, short documentary, film consultation, podcast, discovery day, or research papers at conference, amongst others. This pathway has the potential for group work, with no more than three students per project. This project involves working with sponsors on pre-defined projects, which will require independent outputs for the sponsor that while not formally assessed are used as the basis for the assessments for this pathway.

It is important to note that both pathways will require students to participate in employability activities, specifically tailored for their cohort as part of this module.

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BEP2001: Business Beyond Profit

This module offers you the opportunity to explore how businesses can balance their environmental and social goals with financial sustainability, applying academic learning in a real-world context. The module will introduce you to different forms of business that do not necessarily prioritise profit -this will include Third Sector organisations, Social Enterprises, non-profits and not-for-profit organisations.

You will receive structured guidance about how and why these different forms of business are established and using a variety of techniques you will gain a comprehensive understanding of business development for environmental and social purposes. Invited guest speakers will share their insights and expertise of different aspects, challenges and considerations of developing and managing a 'business beyond profit'.

This module aims to enable you to understand the role, significance and importance of businesses who have considerations and commitments beyond profit, and the principles on which such organisations function. Introductory sessions will provide definitions, frameworks and boundaries, and through collaborative and problem-based approaches you will explore the following key areas:

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BEP2040: Strategic Concepts for Business

Strategic thinking is important for all forms of organisation, and most managers are aware of the critical need to take a long-term view when developing strategy.

This module looks at how strategy is developed and enacted in practice across a variety of organisational contexts, from developing strategic business ideas, to strategy formulation and execution at multiple organisational levels, and with recognition of how a climate changing and digitally inter-linked economy demands decisions that will produce a value-creating strategy.

Students will engage with contemporary business strategy frameworks while critically examining their assumptions and limitations in complex and uncertain environments. Alongside established tools for analysing competitive positioning, capabilities and environments, the module introduces systems thinking, complexity and regenerative perspectives

The aim of the module is to equip students with the ability to strategise in complex, real-world conditions, integrating competitiveness, value creation, sustainability and systems awareness. Students will develop the capacity to analyse strategic issues from multiple perspectives and understand how strategic intent, vision and mission interact with wider economic, social and ecological systems. The module explicitly addresses the implications of the polycrisis for strategic management.

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BEP2050: Finance for Business

Finance is an essential part of running a business. Managers and entrepreneurs, whatever their specialism, require a working knowledge of finance to design and implement business plans, manage risk and monitor performance. This module will explore a range of key financial concepts to equip you with the knowledge that you need to understand the role of finance in business and how to use financial information to make effective business decisions.

This module will introduce you to the theory and practice of finance in business. You will be exposed to real financial issues and decisions that you may face as a company director, manager, entrepreneur or specialist professional (e.g., lawyer, accountant or management professional). This module will also build the foundations for further exploration of the wider worlds of corporate finance and investment management should you wish to do so in the future.

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BEP2060: Research Inquiry for Practice

The Research Inquiry for Practice is a compulsory module on the BSc Business programme. Its core aim is to prepare you for making decisions based on evidence from quantitative (number-based) and qualitative (word-based) data. The module will equip you with core research skills which will allow you to manage your dissertation research project as well as offer research-based advice to businesses in the present, information-driven world.

On completing the module, you will be able to design an appropriate research strategy for data collection, analyse both qualitative and quantitative data, as well as present it in the most impactful way. Finally, you will be familiar with selected software packages to analyse data.

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BEP2110: Workplace Wellbeing

Hybrid working, physical and mental ill-health, work-life balance, toxic workplace environments, leadership and culture are all critical factors which organisations must consider in order to create positive work spaces . In parallel, an aging population in the UK, rising demand for human capital, techological advancements, and significant talent gaps which are forecast for Western economies are additional incentives for improving the wellbeing, engagement and productivity of workers.

This makes it necessary to develop broader understanding both of policies and practices which support positive work spaces, as well as the actions which detriment them.

This module will start from the assumption of redefining wellbeing - as a state of being that is shaped by engagement and other workplace factors as much as by physical and psychological health, hence making wellbeing central to business strategy, which opens an important new avenue to increasing organisational effectiveness, boosting workforce productivity, driving business performance and realising core strategic goals.

In this module we examine the political, social and philosophical dimensions behind modern business approaches to employee wellbeing and responsible business practice, and the extent to which a biopsychosocial approach is a critical factor in developing strategies to address the challenges of the future .

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BEP2120: Digital Technologies and the Future of Work

How we work, and the nature of the work we do, is being re-imagined. This module explores the rapidly evolving role of digital technology in shaping contemporary workplaces, professional practices, and future careers. Students will examine how digital innovations (from automation and AI to hybrid working tools and data‑driven systems) are transforming the way individuals, teams, and organisations operate. The module investigates both the opportunities and challenges that accompany digital transformation, including impacts on productivity, wellbeing, communication, and sustainability.

A key component of the module focuses on understanding how different groups, sectors, and the planet are affected, positively and negatively, by technological change. You will engage with real‑world examples to evaluate issues such as digital inequality, environmental consequences of technology adoption, and ethical considerations in digital work environments.

The module also develops essential online communication skills by examining how digital contexts reshape the ways we collaborate, influence others, and construct persuasive arguments. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own learning and future professional pathways, considering how digital technologies may shape your career trajectories and those of your peers.

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BEP2150: Ecological Economics

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to ecological economics in theory and practice. You will receive a thorough grounding in macroeconomics and microeconomics, alongside an in-depth knowledge of the economics and policy of environmental pollution, renewable and non-renewable resource use, as well as the connection between globalization and environmental degradation. With this basis, you will be able to identify possible solutions to environmental problems and assist in policy recommendation and decision-making.

This module aims to improve understanding of the link between ecological systems and economic activity. The module introduces core issues in ecological economics, related to micro and macro-economic theory, international trade and policy. Ecological economics is a transdisciplinary approach to economics that incorporates insights from the biological, physical and social sciences. In this module, you will apply ecological economic theory to a set of concrete environmental problems or challenges, in relation to the increasing scale of human impacts and the inequitable distribution of resources, in a way that encourages you to reflect on possible solutions and formulate policy recommendations. Seminars will complement lectures with more case studies and real-life examples.

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BEP2190: Understanding Financial Statements

Financial accounting is that branch of accounting that focuses on producing information for external users of financial reports, including shareholders and lenders . The information produced by the financial reporting system is crucial for the efficient operation of world financial markets. This information manifests itself in the form of the annual report, issued by all companies (the financial statements forming part of the annual report).

The module begins by examining financial reporting in context (the landscape of accounting; key characteristics of businesses; how businesses create value and the purpose of financial statements). This is followed by a review of the mechanics of the accounting system using the Colour Accounting Learning System. Next is a discussion of financial reporting standards (a brief history of accounting standards; an overview of the IASB and IFRS Accounting Standards and the regulatory environment in which financial reporting operates).

Following on from the introduction above, the main focus of the module is then an understanding of the main components of a set of financial statements:

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BEP2210: Circular Enterprise Economy

There is a mounting interest in rethinking and redesigning business strategies in the context of ever-increasing social-ecological crises. What has become apparent is that the assumption of an ever-expanding economy is not compatible with operating within the planetary boundaries, in a safe and just space for humanity. This calls into question the inherently intertwined relationship between infinite economic growth, business operations, and ever-expanding markets, from raw material extraction to post-consumption disposal and waste. What it is openly questioned is the capacity to sustain endless economic growth on a planet with finite resources, which is not only harmful to the natural ecosystems that support human life but to human life itself. Most notably, expansion, extraction, and pollution/intoxication have been carried out at the expense of human communities, not just natural ecosystems, but also future generations, particularly in the Global South.

Given this background, in this module, we will engage in learning activities that enable students to investigate business strategy in relation to sustainability and circularity as a theme that crosses subject boundaries. The module intends to form and frame a learning path for developing knowledge and understanding of transitioning to more socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and circular business models.

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HIC2007: Apocalyptic Narratives: Disaster Writing

In this module, you will study a range of literary, historical and scientific narratives of global natural disasters (for example, hurricanes, landslides, drought, explosions, volcanic eruptions, exposure to nuclear warfare agents or chemical accidents), as well as texts on apocalypses. You will explore the ways in which such disasters and apocalypses have been imagined as the result of human actions—or portrayed as part of a 'natural' order. Further investigations include the ways in which multinational corporations often benefit by disasters, and the ways in which science writing and humanities writing can be integral to both the understanding and the mitigation of sometimes avoidable events. As part of the applied discipline of this module, you will be expected to engage in weekly writing practices of your own.

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HIC2009: Ecology and Empire

This module examines how colonialism has shaped both the environment we inhabit and the ways we imagine our relationship to it. Through the lens of environmental history, it traces the ecological consequences of imperialism, the colonial formation of environmental knowledge, and the entanglement of globalisation, land politics, and sovereignty. Students will explore how anticolonial and environmental movements have contested these legacies and consider what it means to think beyond them.

You will engage with a range of historical sources—including archives, letters, photographs, and maps—and develop skills in interpreting them through postcolonial and settler‑colonial perspectives. By situating imperial and global histories within environmental frameworks, the module addresses questions such as:

• What is imperialism, and how has it shaped the world around us?
• How does an environmental history lens change our understanding of colonisation and decolonisation?
• In what ways has colonialism organised knowledge about the natural world, and how might we move beyond those frameworks?

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HIC2028: Art and Archaeology in Post-Colonial Nations

In this module you will study indigenous art and archaeology, as well as the ways in which European colonizers and indigenous populations interacted, in southern Africa, Australia, and North America from deep time up until the present day. You will look at cultural and societal transformations using historical, archaeological, and art historical evidence, from the point of view of European settlers and indigenous groups. You will critically engage with the emergence of the themes of socialised landscape, environmental history, material culture, migration, and cognitive archaeology, as well as the ideological implication of these concepts. You will investigate the origins of indigenous art and culture as well as the consequences of pre- and post-colonial efforts to manage and interact with the land. This module will enable you to demonstrate how useful a critical historical perspective is to understanding and addressing the roots of contemporary issues concerning social and cultural identity, indigenous worldviews, and reconciliation.

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HIC2040: Stolen Histories: Colonialism, Looting, and the Illicit Trade of Cultural Heritage

How did West African material culture like the Benin Bronzes end up in European museums? Why does their journey matter? What do objects and artworks such as these mean to us now, in the 21st century, as we live with the legacy of empire? What do they tell us about culture, power, and the links between finance and politics? To whom do these artefacts belong? This module will explore the complexities of decolonising spaces and disentangling repatriation claims using an interdisciplinary approach integrating perspectives from history, anthropology, art history, and museum studies.

This module will be of interest to students who want to explore the historical context of stolen objects to understand how and why they were taken. You will have the opportunity to explore the world of fake objects and forged artworks, shipwreck looting, the illicit trade in antiquities, war zone collecting, and debates surrounding contemporary 3D reproduction printing. We will examine how museums respond to issues surrounding the sale of objects, the politics of museum closures, and the disposal of collections across different geographical regions. You will develop skills in analysing material culture, using objects as primary sources.

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HIC2041: Critical Elements of Environmental Humanities: Cultures of Earth and Water

How can the humanities help us understand and respond to the ecological and climate emergency? How do these emergencies challenge traditional approaches to the study of human culture and ‘nature’? This module approaches these urgent questions through the study of landscapes and waterscapes as both a physical and ideological entity. Every landscape and waterscape is shaped by the often unintended consequences of its human and nonhuman histories. On this module you will investigate landscapes and waterscapes (from oceans to rivers and lakes) shaped by a range of connected processes such as mining and extraction, farming, energy production, conservation and recreation, pollution and waste. We will examine the multiple, often competing meanings that landscapes and waterscapes hold across societies and cultures, both locally and globally. We will engage critically with the visible and invisible legacies of colonialism and extractivism. We will also seek out possibilities for hope in acts of and in the regeneration of ruined landscapes and waterscapes.

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HIC2316: The Occult in Victorian Britain

Far fewer Britons believe in ghosts now than they did in the nineteenth century. Why were the Victorians so fascinated by the occult and what we now call the 'paranormal'? In this module you'll be exploring the origins, growth (and in some cases demise) of many key occult/esoteric 'currents' of the period, including animal magnetism and Swedenborgianism, Modern Spiritualism, Modern Theosophy, psychical research and ritual magic. You'll be exploring the ways that historians have interpreted these currents as responses to a host of wider issues, including the growing authority of the sciences, the fragmentation and privatisation of religious practices, secularisation, democratisation, industrialisation and urbanisation. For this reason, this module is as much a history of Victorian culture, broadly defined, as specific occult and esoteric currents. Indeed, you'll learn how useful these currents are as lenses for better understanding the Victorians.

But this module isn't just about the British: most of the occult and esoteric movements originated in other countries (e.g. Modern Spiritualism was 'born' in the US in 1848) and their ongoing development overseas impacted on the British scenes.

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HIC2338: Germany 1500-Present: Cultural and Political Histories

This module will examine the cultural and political history of Germany and its regions within a longue durée framework. It will particularly look at how attempts to define the 'who,' 'what' and 'where' of local and national communities shaped the unfolding of German history. Different answer to these questions often made the difference between war and peace, life and death, and democracy and dictatorship. The module will begin in the early modern period with the earliest attempts to imagine the nation on the map and will proceed to an era of modern nationalism—examining the failure of liberal ideas of nation of 1848, political unification under Bismarck, and popular ideas of Germany as a 'nation of regions.' Moving from the Second Empire to the Weimar Republic and the mass violence of the Third Reich, we will conclude by examining attempts after 1945 to rethink local and national communities within a new federalist democracy and a unified Europe.

• The module will introduce you to the shaping of local, regional and national communities in German history across the longue durée.
• It will examine the ideologically variant contexts in which ideas of community were formed and the tools used in their shaping. Notions of Germany as a 'nation of regions' will represent a particular focal point.
• Over the course of module, you will be asked to reflect critically on how, within the context of German history, differing ideas about community had broader social, cultural and geopolitical ramifications.

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HUC2001: Humanities in the Workplace (Penryn)

No prior knowledge skills or experience are required to take this module and it is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students.

For this module you will complete 35 hours of voluntary work experience with an employer of your choice. The aim of this module is for you to gain employment experience, skills for finding and securing the perfect job, and to see how your academic learning translates into a post-university environment.

We will have a series of workshop sessions to help you with the skills required for finding/ securing your work placement, including CV writing, and practical sessions talking about day-to-day issues within your placements.

You may arrange your placements yourselves using the assistance of the Employability resources on campus, and may undertake your placement at any point up until the end of April. This will allow you to undertake placements in other parts of the UK/ world if you so choose.

This module will help you to gain experience in a graduate level working environment, building contacts, skills, and knowledges to help you start out on your career post university, or try out a field that you think that you might be interested in but need to understand more.

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HUC2013: Enlightenment and the Age of Reason: Philosophy, Politics, Society

Today we take for granted that scientific rationality, individual autonomy, universal human rights, and notions of 'progress' are key features of the modern world, but how did this happen? This module explores the social, cultural, and political conditions in Britain, Europe, and the wider world in the period c. 1650-1800 within the context of the birth of the 'modern world'. Each week you will examine key works, people, and institutions that contributed to the intellectual, cultural and social discourses of this crucial period of flux, which has had long-lasting and world-wide consequences, some of which you will explore during the course of the module.

This module aims to give you in-depth knowledge of a crucial period in history and to engage you in critical reading and thinking. Primary source texts and secondary literature will present you with ample material to develop critical and analytical skills, as well as hone your discursive and communication skills in the seminar discussions which will be a key component of this module. Lectures will provide key background information, especially biographical and historical context and introduce key themes and questions for discussion. You will have the opportunity to undertake independent research and to present their work in a supportive environment.

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HUC2015: Revolution and Abolition: History and Legacies of the Atlantic Slave Trade

The late-Eighteenth century saw intense debates about the evils of slavery, the limits of political liberty, and the link between imaginative literature and historical agency. This module introduces you to some of the key texts written in the incredibly tumultuous period between the 1780s and 1820 when Britain was involved in a transatlantic slave trade, a global war with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and wracked at home by often violent political agitation. The module looks both at the historical conditions that led to abolition and slave rebellions in the Atlantic world, while also considering imaginative literature that contributed to political debates. The module will also consider contemporary issues in heritage, commemoration, and reparation relating to the Transatlantic slave trade and its legacy.

You will be introduced to a range of historical and theoretical perspectives for looking at issues surrounding the movement towards abolition of the slave trade and slavery in the British Empire. You will examine primary sources including polemical prose, poetry, parliamentary oratory, and life-writing that played a role in the movement for abolition. You will consider some of the debates in contemporary historiography of the Black Atlantic, and consider the legacies of the slave trade in literature and heritage in the present day.

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HAS3999: Study Abroad

The Study Abroad programme enables you to undertake a year-long study placement at a partner university outside of the UK, as part of your degree programme.

This module serves as the administrative mechanism for recording the Study Abroad assessment results of students within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS). Students participating in the Study Abroad programme and based in a HASS department (except for the Law School, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Modern Languages, and the School of Education) will be registered on this module during their Study Abroad placement year.

The Study Abroad programme widens the range of modules available to you during Stage 3 of your degree programme; enables you to broaden your academic horizons by studying in a different learning culture and (where relevant and appropriate) in languages other than English; and aims to promote resilience, independence, cultural awareness, and communication skills.

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HAP3906: Work Placement Year

This third-year module forms part of the 4 Year 'with work placement' programmes offered by HaSS, Cornwall to include the Law and Business Programmes with Professional/Industrial Placement, the Politics Programmes with Employment Experience (EE) or Employment Experience Abroad (EEA) and the Humanities Programmes with EE/EEA.

On this module you will work in the UK or abroad for the whole academic year (a minimum of 28 weeks). You will use one or two placements to gain skills that equip you to work in the global jobs market and to improve your knowledge of the work environment. You are encouraged to deepen your understanding of the workplace and the employability skills that you acquire during the year.

Placement durations are as follows:

• for a single placement, a minimum of 28 weeks, excluding statutory and other holidays;
• for two placements, a minimum of 14 weeks per placement, excluding statutory and other holidays.

Prerequisites: to have studied HAP2906

This module cannot be combined with any study year abroad module.

The aims of this module are to provide you with opportunities to:

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HAP3000: Dissertation

The dissertation module equips you with ability to design and carry out independent research on a specific research topic in History and/or Politics and International Relations - with the support from an academic supervisor - resulting in a dissertation.

Each dissertation is a unique research project shaped by your own research interests and ideas and compliant with the standards or rigour and validity of academic research. Hence, there is art and skill to competing a dissertation. It helps developing deep discipline-specific knowledge and valuable transferable skills, including project and time management, engaging with feedback, research, data analysis, critical thinking and communication skills.

This module aims to equip you with necessary knowledge and skills to conduct your own dissertation research in History and/or Politics and International Relations using a series of dissertation lectures and workshops, as well as supervision meetings with a supervisor. These sessions will cover the research process and basics of research design, and other topics essential for your dissertation project. Overall, the module will enable you to conduct your independent research to address a research question of your choice in a rigorous, ethical and competent manner, thus, making you an expert in this research topic.

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BEP3010: Social and Technological Innovation

'Innovation' is one of the buzz words of current management thinking, but what does it mean? We are living in an age where everyone is looking for the 'next big thing', that's what innovation is, it is about having an idea, making it work and doing things differently. This module will examine different ways in which social and technological innovations have revolutionised how we do business and in turn how society operates. We will look at the theory behind innovation and apply it to current business case studies enabling you to analyse how certain businesses and organisations have used innovative practices to do things differently, for the benefit of society, the environment and in the process - their own competitive advantage.

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BEP3011: Business and Climate Change

This module is specifically designed for flexible learning and engagement with local communities . This module offers the opportunity for multidisciplinary study on a very wicked and complex topic that many businesses , policymakers and communiti es are very concerned about : Climate Change. In the lectures and classes, we will discuss the paradoxical role of business and climate change, addressing the following questions: How does climate change affect business? How can businesses develop climate change and net-zero strategies? How can business es potentially benefit from climate change? How do carbon markets work, and what are their limits and potential? Why do we find it so difficult to adopt less carbon - intensive lifestyles? What is the role of technology? What are the ethical issues that climate change raises? What are the responsibilities of business? How does business (and society at large) adapt to climate change? What does 'net-zero' mean? This module will address such questions, exploring the relationship between business and one of the, if not THE, most important question s of our time. As climate change requires immediate changes in behaviour and systems, w e will also apply our new-gained knowledge in practical settings . Students will form group s to work with local businesses, policymakers , and communities to bring about meaningful climate change action.

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BEP3020: Practice-Based Consultancy Management

This module introduces you to the world of professional consultancy, with a particular focus on sustainability and contemporary business challenges. You’ll explore what consultants do, how the consulting profession works and why organisations increasingly turn to consultants to navigate complex issues.

Through real cases, research tasks, and a live or simulated consulting project, you will learn how to analyse business problems, work effectively with clients, and apply consultancy tools in practice. You’ll develop skills in problem‑solving, communication, professional relationship‑building, and project management—key capabilities for anyone considering consultancy or advisory roles.

You will also examine how consultancy theory translates into real‑world consulting work, gaining insight into client expectations, project protocols, risks and the barriers that affect implementation. Throughout the module, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your experience, evaluate your impact, and learn how consultants adapt and make sound decisions when information is incomplete or situations are uncertain.

By the end of the module, you will have planned and delivered a consulting project to a defined brief and timeline, communicated your findings professionally and reflected critically on your development as an emerging consultant.

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BEP3030: Globalisation and Internationalisation

The aims of this module are to:

• Provide an understanding of the economic, social, political and technological factors that influence and shape businesses operating in the global economy
• Explore managerial processes within the international business environment
• Examine the ethical issues associated with global sourcing of labour, materials and production processes
• Critically analyse a global economy from an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible perspective
• Critically examine key managerial issues for companies operating internationally - including managing across cultures, business structures and strategies, entering global markets, multinational purchasing and supply, and international human resource management

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BEP3040: Local - Global Innovation (Cornwall Research Seminar Series)

We are facing critical sustainability challenges rooted in complex interrelations between social, economic, and ecological systems. As a result of globalisation, these challenges often have a transnational aspect and require global coordination. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): a global agenda that is meant to provide a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet called. Nevertheless, achieving sustainable development and finding solutions to these global challenges, calls for local action.

This module will explore when and how local communities can be drivers for transformational change and tangibly impact global development goals

The objectives of this module are twofold. First, through encounters with practitioners, students will engage with real-life local innovation projects that seek to contribute to sustainable development. Second, students will analyse key theoretical perspectives that conceptualise sustainability, place-based action, and processes of change from the bottom up. The module invites critical questions, such as: How are global ideas translated and enacted in local contexts? How are innovation projects embedded in their social, economic, and cultural environments? How do actors mobilise local identities, and what implications does this have for legitimacy and responsibility? What role does radical imagination play in prefiguring local realities and pathways for change?

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BEP3070: Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations

This module examines how organisations cope with crises and manage profound change. The complex cultural, political and ethical issues faced by change agents will be examined in detail. Consideration will be given to how managers can be better prepared for the unpredictability, unintended outcomes and possible harmful consequences of change. The linear versus complexity mindsets will be examined from a critical perspective. The module aims to provide an understanding of both particular approaches and techniques for managing change, and the limitations of these approaches/techniques when applied in practice. Particular attention is given to the role of the consultant in the change management process. This module is concerned with the development of transferable skills - you will act as facilitators on real organisational change problems, thus enabling the students to operate as change agents.

The module incorporates a practical, creative thinking, organization-based case study assignment where students will be tasked with designing a change programme to tackle current complex challenges facing organisations.

The creation of sustainable and resilient organizations that enhance business, society and the environment is a key concern of this module.

This module aims to examine how organizations cope with crises and manage the impact of change.

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BEP3110: Marketing Strategy

This module will be of interest to those who wish to gain an understanding of how to take a strategic approach in marketing. Students will become familiar with techniques for analysing the internal and external environment so as to evaluate strategic choices for competitive advantage. Students will learn how to interpret marketing knowledge and analysis to critically evaluate current marketing plans, and formulate a coherent marketing strategy. Case studies are used to enhance your ' knowledge and skills of the real-life application of marketing management and strategy.

The module is suitable for both business and non-business students.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a relevant and comprehensive understanding of theory and concepts of strategic marketing in a global marketplace . You will learn how to interpret marketing knowledge and analysis to critically evaluate current marketing plans, and formulate a coherent marketing strategy. The analytical skills developed on this module are designed to provide you with a critical awareness of the importance of strategically managing the customer relationship process.

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BEP3172: Future 17: Sustainable Development Goals Challenge

Future17 is designed to develop the skills needed to collaboratively tackle 21st Century global challenges and to work with professionals to create pathways towards innovative solutions to real-world issues that relate to one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Future17 enables students to collaborate with learners from a consortium of global partner universities in international, interdisciplinary and multicultural teams to tackle challenges through projects defined by third-party organisations (businesses, charities, NGOs etc.). Students will first undertake an online induction programme that will develop skills for collaborative, challenge-based and inter-cultural learning, which promotes forms of Design Thinking for tackling global challenges. They will then work with academic and third-party mentors to diagnose a sustainable development challenge and develop an approach for developing one or more solutions. They will be assessed on the basis of a 1500 project report and presentation to a panel including representatives of the third-party organisation that set the challenge and academic staff from the partner universities along with other student groups at a showcase event.

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POC3103: The Resource Paradox: Blessing or Curse?

To meet global targets of decarbonisation and reach Net 0, there will need to be a significant expansion of mining. In this interdisciplinary module you will look at some of the social, economic and political ramifications of resource extraction around the world, with a focus on critical minerals. This module seeks to situate extraction within a broader nexus of security and development to go beyond dichotomous discussion about if these industries promote or impede 'development' and instead question how varied practices around the world challenge and complicate our understanding of what development is, how it happens and what it means in the first place. Natural resources drive the economies and technologies of the developed world but they also have a huge impact on developing societies. The challenges associated with extractive industries have different manifestations and complexities in different locations, and across local, national and global scales. The international community is deeply implicated in the complex political crises that can emerge not only because it drives extractive industries but also because of the global governance mechanisms through which a wide range of actors engage in local contexts.

No specialist knowledge, skills or experience are required to take this module. It is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students. The module is suitable for students studying Politics, Geography, FCH and History.

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POC3117: The Politics of Climate Change

This module aims to introduce you to the political and governance challenges presented by climate change. In taking this module you will learn that producing effective climate policy is an inherently complex activity because of: the politicisation of climate science; issues surrounding intra and intergenerational equity; the interconnectedness of climate change and sustainable development; the cross-sectoral and multi-actor dynamics of climate issues; and the interaction between different governance scales. For successful completion of the module you will need to have a strong background in politics, international relations or human geography.

This module aims to help you examine why the issue of climate change is so difficult to address. While being rooted in concepts from political science, it aims to provide you with a platform through which the climate change problematique can be analysed from different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Through a mixture of activities your learning will be organised around key aspects of climate change governance, namely: adaptation and mitigation governance, the politicisation of climate change, climate justice, use of climate science, energy transitions and the multiple levels of climate politics.

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HAP3001: Environmental Humanities: Futures

This module explores how environmental humanities can help us imagine different futures in the face of climate and ecological crisis. Focusing on the themes of hope, sustainability and stewardship, we examine story-telling and community activism, landscape histories, the rise and critique of sustainable development, and practices such as commons-based governance. We then turn to historical and contemporary ideas of stewardship, from pre-industrial Britain to energy futures, degrowth, green colonialism and relationships with more-than-human worlds, culminating in a reflection on what it might mean to be a 'good ancestor'.

You will engage with historical case studies, theoretical texts and creative work to investigate how narratives of time, progress and crisis shape environmental futures. Through critical and reflective assessments, you will analyse the limits of dominant (often Western and extractive) models of sustainability, engage with anti-colonial and anti-extractivist perspectives, and experiment with alternative imaginaries of care, responsibility and collective action on a damaged planet.

This module aims:

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HAP3003: Irish Stories: History and Culture from 1800 to Now

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HAP3004: Writing Nature

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HIC3038: Caribbean Histories: Colonialism, Resistance and Environmental Crisis

This interdisciplinary module focuses on the Caribbean region as a case study for exploring twenty-first century modes of imagining climate change and environmental catastrophe in the (post) colonial context to investigate the relationship between Caribbean histories of colonisation and exploitation, concomitant narratives and theories of climate change, climate crisis, resilience, and response. Through engaging with histories, stories, and practices of resistance across the Caribbean, you will uncover and examine the ways in which alternative imagined futures, to those of the dominant Anglo-American climate change discourse, empower communities impacted by climate change in the present.

Keywords: Caribbean history; culture; colonialism; environmental crisis; resistance; imagined futures.

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HIC3044: Boffins: Scientists, War, Politics and Culture in the Twentieth Century

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HIC3048: Gender, Power and Identity in Early Modern Britain

This module will provide you with a unique opportunity to investigate the meanings and construction of gender in historical context: not just biological difference but also the social meanings attached to that difference. You will engage with the most recent research on queer theory, gender and sexuality, homosexuality, and the cultural origins of the male/female binary . Throughout the module you will discover how contemporaries expressed their sexual identities in often unexpected and surprising ways. We are concerned with contrasting the myths about gender relations in this period with a close understanding of the documented experiences of the lives of men and women, both rich and poor, from childhood to old age. You will explore the ways historical lines of enquiry have developed over time and how old assumptions are modified in light of new theoretical and methodological developments. Overall this module will advance your understanding of the importance of gender as a key component of early modern history and the extent to which gender offers a 'useful category of analysis' in the study of all periods of History.

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HIC3050: Pacific Histories: Environment, People, and Politics

This module introduces the Pacific as a vibrant region of mobility, exchange, protest and activism, challenging older portrayals of it as an empty space without history or culture. Focusing on the modern period, you will examine Pacific histories of migration and colonisation, decolonisation and indigenous rights, environmental justice and global environmental politics. You will also explore how Pacific peoples have participated in regional and international forums of governance, and reflect critically on how knowledge about the Pacific is produced, silenced and contested.

This module aims:

• to deepen your understanding of key historical and theoretical approaches to Pacific histories, drawing on global, transnational and interdisciplinary perspectives, including Pacific Studies and Environmental Humanities;
• to develop your skills in analysing a wide range of sources—such as maps, photographs, oral histories, protest literature, music, material culture, petitions and archival records—to interpret Pacific pasts and their wider significance;
• to support you in designing and communicating independent historical work for different audiences, through both a creative piece with reflective commentary and a research essay.
  

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HIC3318: The Power of Place: Home, Locality, and Region in Modern History

Attachments to place and home have represented deeply powerful forces throughout history. They have played a key role in community and identity formation, and represent sites filled with personal and collective memories. Loss of such attachments, whether through forced uprootedness, exclusion, destruction in warfare, or processes of globalization, has historically generated deep preoccupation with the category of home. Given the intense emotions associated with place and home, it is not surprising that political groups across the spectrum have developed their own ideas and discourses about home and place. But what is the relationship of politics and place attachment? Have hometown sentiments always been a source of regressive, nationalist, or exclusionary projects, or can we also find democratic, inclusive, and cosmopolitan sides of home in history? How exactly have different political movements and historical actors sought to shape ideas about home, locality, and region throughout history? This module will examine these questions by looking at the radical transformations of place in modern history. Histories which we will examine include the emergence of nationalism and efforts to nest local identities within new national ones, the history of modern state building, nationalist contestation of ethnically diverse border regions, and the radical transformation of place during the wave of mass urbanization at the end of the late nineteenth century.

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HIC3322: Early Modern Britain: Power, Authority and Social Unrest

This module seeks to provide you with a firm grounding in the social, cultural and political history of early modern Britain. It will provide you with a clear and accessible introduction to key events, themes and debates including state formation, religious reformation, national and local governance, the law courts, attitudes towards poverty and the poor, popular politics and social unrest, and how people dealt with crisis such as plague and food shortages. You will also study the politics of identity in relation to class, race and gender and contemporary attitudes towards crime and social deviancy. The module adopts a comparative approach to the study of the nature and scope of the sixteenth- and seventeenth century state and the lives of people – both rich and poor – who lived within it.

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HIC3514: Myth in the Modern World: From the Classics to Conspiracies

From ancient Babylon to classical Greece to twenty-first-century Europe, myth, legend, tradition, and folklore have been present in every culture. This is true of the present-day, where rumours, memes, 'post-truths', and 'alternative facts' are all around us. But why are humans so susceptible to mythic thinking? This module explores the seductive power of myth in human societies through the eyes of a diverse range of thinkers, scholars, and historical actors. From a range of disciplinary perspectives, we will examine how and why myth, traditions, and unprovable beliefs persist. You will examine a diverse topics such as the Enlightenment science of 'mythography'; the rise of anthropology and the 'human sciences'; the study of contemporary folklore and urban legend; the 'science' of UFOlogy and modern conspiracy theories; the reinterpretation of ancient cultures in the modern world; and the impact of myths on popular culture. We will end by asking whether digital technology has led to a new age of myth.

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POC3146: Party Politics, Voters and Elections in Britain

Elections and political parties sit at the heart of our democracy. They shape public debate and are pivotal to the decisions we take about which issues should be prioritised and how to solve social problems. At the same time, British party politics and the relationships between them and their voters are changing - making elections less predictable and making room for insurgents to challenge the parties that have dominated the political system.

This module will equip you with the knowledge, conceptual tools and skills to observe, analyse and explain electoral politics in Britain. You will learn about the British party system and how it is changing, theories and tools (such as polling) used to explain voter behaviour and party campaigns, and the electoral systems used in the UK. You will also be taught how to analyse constituency level election data and survey data, allowing you to develop original analyses of recent election results, and develop strategies to advise political parties and/or campaigners for the future.

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