Foundations in Politics introduces students to key political concepts alongside essential academic skills for university-level political study. Students will explore foundational ideas such as power, the state, political legitimacy, democracy, race, gender, nationalism, and political participation. Alongside this, they will develop academic skills in independent research, critical thinking, academic writing and referencing, public speaking, and the responsible use of AI tools.
Teaching is delivered through shared workshops and smaller group seminars with active ‘hands-on’ tasks, discussion, and analysis of current political debates. Assessment combines a written coursework project involving one of the central concepts, with a step-by-step Public Speaking Ladder designed to gradually build confidence and communication skills through supported, incremental practice and training. Successful students will complete the module with a strong conceptual grounding in politics, increased confidence in academic and oral communication, and the core skills required for progression through the Politics degree.