Degrees for the real world

Graduate with the skills employers want, with our ‘Engaged Arts’ optional modules.

Designed alongside students, these new modules explore real-world challenges across seven contemporary themes: 

• Empowering employability     
• Health and wellbeing 
• Data and digital 
• Community engagement and social impact ·        
• Sustainability 
• Equality and justice
• Academic skills

 The modules are open to all undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts.

What skills will I gain?

Whether you want to work in the cultural and creative industries or elsewhere, the modules will give you a broader understanding so you can use your degree to its greatest potential. 

Depending on the modules you choose, you can build skills in:

• Analysis  
• Problem solving   
• Creativity and creative thinking   
• Communication 
• Cultural awareness 
• Data and text mining     
• Writing 
• Practical industry skills (podcasting, photo editing, photography, video and sound editing)

When can I take the modules?

The Engaged Arts modules are available in the first two years of your course.

You can apply the ideas and approaches from the modules to: 

•  your own skills (year 1, semester 1) 
•  your communities (year 1, semester 2)   
•  your degree (year 2, semester 2)     
• your future (year 2, semester 2)

How are the modules assessed?

The modules are assessed by ‘reflective’ pieces of work. This can include essays, image (i.e. posters, visual art, infograms), video, and audio (i.e. podcasts or recorded elements). 

You are encouraged to take advantage of the range of assessment types on offer, choosing a format that works best for you, your skills and development.

How can the modules help my future career goals?

You can create an online portfolio to store all your Engaged Arts module work, assessments and feedback.

This online tool also allows you to highlight sections, add notes, and connect other evidence to place your work in a wider context. This will be a useful record of your skills and experiences, to use for cover letters and job interviews.

For example, you can use your portfolio to look at the challenges you have faced, new skills that you have gained, and the way you have worked with others. It will also show future employers the topics and discussions you have encountered around real-world issues such as sustainability, AI, or equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).