Be a changemaker with a social science degree from London South Bank University

03 Oct 2019

Are you looking to carve yourself a career that would help you positively impact the world? Do you see yourself as a global citizen who would like to play a role in the betterment of society? Possessing the right knowledge and skills will serve as a springboard to help you translate thoughts into action and cultivate your talents to address social issues.

For London South Bank University’s (LSBU) School of Law and Social Sciences, such principles – including social justice and global responsibility – are the foundation of study programmes. These themes feed into the School’s courses, teaching and research, helping students make a difference in their home countries or internationally, regardless of their discipline.

LSBU is a public university located in the heart of London. Courses are career-focused, with opportunities for students to enjoy mentoring and undertake internships or work experience placements. Unsurprisingly, LSBU was named The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment in both 2018 and 2019.

The School is dedicated to developing people who make a difference in the real world via their social science courses, which range from criminology to tourism at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. The School’s research focuses on issues such as race, gender, pedagogy, international development and the urban environment.

Whether you plan to study law, international relations or even social history, you’ll benefit from a wide range of engagement with your peers and experience how social justice and global responsibility operate around the world. This facilitates students’ diverse and informed understanding of how these ideas operate and are conceptualised internationally.

London South Bank University

Inspiring the next generation of lawyers

Aspiring lawyers may want to consider the School’s law courses, which are ranked in the UK’s top 25 in the Guardian League Table 2019. For instance, prospective undergraduate students can pursue LSBU’s LLB (Hons) Law programme, which is held at its Southwark Campus and can be done on a part-time or full-time basis to suit the needs of both young and mature students.

Students will learn from educators who are qualified solicitors and barristers, passing on their insights, real-world case expertise and passion for law to the next generation of legal minds. Many graduates go on to become solicitors or barristers. It’s worth noting that law graduates have gone on to work across a wide range of sectors as the programme equips students with exceptional analytical and communication skills, while changes in the legal services market are also creating a rising demand for additional roles, including paralegals and legal executives.

Regardless of your career choices, LSBU’s law programmes provide opportunities for students to enhance their employability. Students also have the chance to give something back to their community while improving their legal skills and employability through the School’s activities.

This includes LSBU’s Legal Advice Clinic (LAC), which gives students a platform to interview clients and support them with free legal advice. Meanwhile, the Street Law programme gives students a real taste of the courtroom; they partake in a mock trial involving knife crime, with students acting as the jury, witnesses and defendants. They learn to use their skills to interview defendants and witnesses to present a convincing case to the jury.

London South Bank University

International relations for a holistic understanding of international affairs

International relations is a unique area of study that can help you become an active agent of change in the global system.

For instance, students who pursue the BA (Hons) in International Relations will explore development and underdevelopment, conflict and conflict resolution, war and terrorism, and globalisation and activism. This interdisciplinary degree trains students to explore issues facing the world from numerous perspectives, including global and systemic, individual and rational, cultural and critical and Western-centric and post-Western.

Students will also be armed to study an array of enticing topics, learning to consider issues of equity, ethics, social justice and global responsibility, as well as learning chief IR concepts, theories and perspectives. Other topics include sustainability and climate change, and citizenship and nationality, which are highly relevant in today’s society. There are also interactive seminars and workshops to encourage exciting, free and open debate among students, in addition to work placements, internships or work experiences to enhance students’ employability.

All-encompassing

Becoming a student at LSBU means studying in a diverse student community. The university attracts students from various backgrounds, including first generation scholars and refugees for whom English is not their first language. Students will find that LSBU provides a good support network; teaching and learning includes personal tutoring, tutor guidance and advice on work experience as you plan your career, as well as practical application of learning and tailored field trips, and plenty more!

So, if you’re eager to study social science courses from the perspective of social justice and global responsibility at a university located in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting, vibrant cities, LSBU might just tick all your boxes.

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