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Hispanic Studies and Global Sustainable Development BASc (R4L8)

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Explore our Hispanic Studies and Global Sustainable Development degree at Warwick

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GSD (Single Honours and Joint Courses)

88.6% Overall satisfaction for Global Sustainable Development students at Warwick (The National Student Survey 2021)

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Page updates

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R4L8

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Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc)

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3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with intercalated year

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26 September 2022

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Global Sustainable Development

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University of Warwick

3a

A modern languages degree equips you with excellent communication, research, critical and evaluative skills, all of which are highly sought after by employers. On our BASc Hispanic Studies and Global Sustainable Development (GSD) degree you will gain specialist knowledge and understanding of the language, culture and sustainability issues of the Hispanic world.

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The ability to communicate and express yourself confidently in more than one language is a vital skill for any Global Citizen.

A degree in Hispanic Studies and Global Sustainable Development (GSD) provides you with the unique opportunity to develop your Spanish speaking skills and confront critical challenges, including social justice and climate change facing the Hispanic world.

You will undergo a rigorous development of your language skills and explore Hispanic cultures with the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. Throughout the three years, this programme strikes a positive balance between language modules and cultural modules.

By studying GSD, you will take a transdisciplinary approach and confront issues from a diverse array of perspectives. You will need to be ready to think creatively and embrace new opinions from your peers from across the world. We will challenge you to become an active participant in your own learning.

You can enhance your skills and studies through optional work placements, study abroad, and certificates.

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Teaching on this course will be equally split between the GSD Department and the Hispanic Studies Department.

In the first year you will study core GSD modules designed to provide a critical understanding of the ‘three pillars of sustainable development’:

• Economic Principles of Global Sustainable Development
• Environmental Principles of Global Sustainable Development
• Social Principles of Global Sustainable Development

You will also study the core Global Sustainable Development Project module, giving you the chance to see how the principles of GSD apply to a real case affecting a local community.

For the Hispanic Studies half of the workload, you will study one of the following optional core Spanish language modules:

• Modern Spanish Language
• Modern Spanish Language for Beginners

You will also study one of the following optional core Spanish culture modules:

• Language, Text and Identity in the Hispanic World
• Images and Representations of the Hispanic World

In the second year, in GSD you will have the opportunity to engage with a key issue in sustainability, studying one optional core module from the following:

• Health and Sustainable Development
• Security, Sovereignty and Sustainability in the Global Food System
• Inequalities and Sustainable Development: Inclusion and Dignity for All

You will also choose optional modules with a GSD focus from within GSD or from other departments across the University.

For the Hispanic Studies half of the workload, you will develop your language skills by choosing one optional core language module from the following:

• Modern Spanish Language II
• Modern Spanish Language II (Post Beginners)

You will also study one optional Spanish culture module offered by the Hispanic Studies Department.

You may choose to study abroad for part of your second year at Monash University. In Term One at Warwick you will study an optional core GSD module, an optional module with a GSD focus, one core Hispanic Studies module, and one optional culture module offered by the Hispanic Studies Department. The remaining study will consist of pre-approved modules at Monash University.

In the final year, there is one core GSD dissertation module. You will also take modules with a GSD focus from within or outside of the School for Cross-faculty Studies. For the Hispanic Studies half of the workload, you will study one language module, Modern Spanish Language III. You will also choose optional culture modules offered by the Hispanic Studies Department.

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Hispanic Studies

In the first year you will select two modules from a choice of Hispanic Studies modules. The assessment methods will depend on your module choices. Modules may be assessed by examination, coursework, or a combination of coursework and examination.

In the second year, you will select one module from a choice of two optional core Hispanic Studies modules. Both are currently assessed 70% by examination. You then have a choice of other Hispanic Studies modules which have different assessment patterns, so the assessment methods will vary according to which modules you choose.

In the final year, the core Hispanic Studies module is currently 85% assessed by examination. You then have a choice of other Hispanic Studies modules which have varying assessment patterns, so the assessment methods depend on your module choices..

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A level typical offer

AAB to include an A level in a modern or classical language. You will also need grade B or grade 6 in English and Mathematics at GCSE.

We make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances at ABB including Spanish, plus grade B or grade 6 in English and Mathematics at GCSE.

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB including grade B in a modern or classical language. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

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IB typical offer

36 to include a modern or classical language at Higher Level 5, and Mathematics and English.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 34 including grade 5 in a Higher Level Language. If you do not have a grade B in GCSE Mathematics, you will need a grade 5 in Higher Level Mathematics or 6 in Standard Level Mathematics. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

4c

We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside one or two A levels, including an A level in a modern or classical language. You will also need grade B or grade 6 in English and Mathematics at GCSE.

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Year One

Economic Principles of Global Sustainable Development

This module aims to introduce you to various economic concepts and perspectives related to global sustainable development. In particular, you will consider the relationship between economics and policy, and you will become familiar with the way in which economists address real-world dilemmas.

Environmental Principles of Global Sustainable Development

This module allows you to investigate a range of perspectives on Sustainable Development from the perspective of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary Environmental Studies. It aims to equip you with the capacity to engage in academically-grounded and critical discussion of the world’s most pressing environmental issues, as well as associated policy responses at a range of geographical scales. Furthermore, it aims to establish skills for the creation and the persuasive presentation of environmental policy to key decision makers specifically through the creation of a Policy Briefing paper and a Policy Pitch.

Social Principles of Global Sustainable Development

This module addresses the social and political principles of GSD. Its teaching methods range from Stimulus to Simulation in order to allow students to engage with theoretically complex concepts through practical activities. It is taught in a combination of lectures and seminars and involves group activities as well as online collaboration.

Global Sustainable Development Project

This module requires students to engage actively in understanding the real-life application of the theories they studied in their first year modules. The problem we investigate is sustainable transport: this is obviously a broad area of study, and one that has a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data to be examined / critiqued. The module aims to provide students with opportunities to examine the Economic, Environmental and Social arguments that have been advanced in relation to the case.

Modern Spanish Language 1

Do you have A level or an equivalent in Spanish and want to consolidate, extend and refine your skills to advanced level? This module will equip you with sound grammatical and linguistic foundations, with the aim of increasing your confidence in reading, listening, speaking and writing in Spanish. You'll use authentic resources in a variety of media from around the Hispanic world, including books, articles, newspapers, television, music, and podcasts , as well as taking part in our virtual language exchange with students at the Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Colombia, a fantastic way to expand the language and intercultural skills outside the classroom. During the module, students will develop their skills through a combination of classroom sessions, guided learning activities and appropriate self-study resources. Weekly classes will cover reading, language in use, grammar and functional aspects of Spanish such as translation, extended writing and oral expression, which are reinforced through complementary activities on Moodle, our multimedia VLE.

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Modern Spanish Language for Beginners

As a beginner in the acquisition of the Spanish language, you’ll gain a keen grammatical awareness, a sound understanding of cultures and societies across the Hispanic world, and most of all, confidence in reading, listening, speaking and writing in Spanish. Using authentic resources, including newspapers, television and radio, you are expected to end your course able to sustain everyday conversations in Spanish, read authentic texts, follow the gist of TV extracts and write at an intermediate level in Spanish. You'll also work on basic translations to and from Spanish as a means of consolidating your knowledge.

Language, Text and Identity in the Hispanic World

How has the Spanish language travelled around the world and what happens when it co-exists with other languages? How do writers use language to explore identity, and what happens when they work between two (or more) languages? What skills do we need as readers to interpret the nuances of texts that travel between languages? This module will equip you with an understanding of the cultural and sociolinguistic diversity of the Hispanic world, and a strong grounding in the literary and cultural analysis of texts that address this diversity. The module explores the different varieties of Spanish spoken around the world, along with some of the principal languages that share its territory. It also reads a variety of texts that negotiate national and gender identities across linguistic and cultural borders, with a focus on those that travel between non-hegemonic Hispanic contexts and the Anglosphere.

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Images and Representations of the Hispanic World

Where did the familiar stereotypes of Spain and Latin America come from? How have they circulated and been received at different times and in different places? And how have Spaniards and Latin Americans represented themselves to travellers, tourists, artists, and even invaders? Through the study of representations of the Hispanic world, you'll investigate significant topics including (de)colonisation of the Americas, stereotypical views of the Hispanic world and the imagining of Spanish identity through art and film in the 20th century. You'll be expected to read widely and independently, and to gain the analytical skills needed to conduct close textual and film analysis.

Year Two

Health and Sustainable Development

Viable and equitable solutions in health and sustainable development require interdisciplinary and critical thinking. The first part of the module will introduce you to fundamental concepts of global health governance and health systems, and acquaint you with key global health priorities like drug resistance and mental health from the perspective of GSD. The second part of the module will focus on issues that relate to policies and behavioural change, and are also applicable beyond health, for example in areas like education or technology transfer. Alongside the module content, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your analytical skills to make independent, critical, and constructive contributions to Health and Sustainable Development.

Security, Sovereignty and Sustainability in the Global Food System

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed in 2015, commit the international community to a set of 17 goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity. Of these, Goal 2 specifically aims to end hunger, end all forms of malnutrition, and ensure sustainable food production systems by 2030.

The pressing need for such initiatives is stark: we inhabit a world where at least 800 million people are chronically undernourished. The world population is projected to increase to a staggering 10 billion people by 2050, yet who will be responsible for ensuring all these mouths are fed? And can we ever produce and consume food for so many people without causing an unsustainable impact on our environment?

Food security, sustainability and sovereignty are thus crucial issues confronting the world today, and it is these issues which this module seeks to introduce and evaluate. The module is taught in collaboration with active researchers from across various disciplines at Warwick, especially those involved in the University’s Global Research Priority on Food.

Inequalities and Sustainable Development: Inclusion and Dignity for All

This module focuses on how inequalities shape our societies, economies, environments and politics. Starting with the question ‘does inequality matter?’, you'll critically reflect on the UN's decision to integrate inequalities into the Sustainable Development Agenda. You’ll then explore six different dimensions of inequalities (work, politics, environmental justice, societal discrimination, automation and globalisation, opportunities and empowerment) and gain an understanding of the complexities of these problems. Finally, you’ll appreciate the challenges faced by today’s policy makers who aim to address issues of inequalities while taking into consideration all three pillars of sustainable development.

Modern Spanish Language 2

On this module, you'll extend your competence in Spanish. You'll deepen your understanding of advanced grammatical and linguistic structures, increase the range and sophistication of your vocabulary, and refine your use of register in authentic spoken and written discourse. You'll use resources from a variety of media from around the Hispanic world, and take part in our virtual language exchange with students in Latin America and Spain. At the end of the course, you should have sufficient mastery to discuss different topics, report on your independent reading and support your opinions with solid arguments.

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Modern Spanish Language 2 (Post-beginners)

This module for post beginners follows the first year Module HP102 and seeks to consolidate the language skills gained in students’ first year of study. The aim of this module is to further extend and refine competence in modern Spanish. It covers the main linguistic (oral, aural, written, spoken) skills, and seeks to promote the continued acquisition of grammatical awareness and essential communicative competences. At the end of the course, you will be able to understand discourse about concrete and abstract topics, to give presentations about different topics, to report on the results of your independent reading and research, and to state your point of view and support it with solid arguments.

Final Year

GSD Dissertation/Long Project

In this final-year module you’ll bring together all of your learning and experiences on the course – the theoretical concepts and principles and your practical know-how – in order to address a specific sustainable development problem of your own choosing. This will be a problem that concerns you most and which you’d like to tackle.

You’ll be supported by an academic supervisor to devise a suitable project and to undertake research to explore the issue, taking a transdisciplinary approach to your investigation in order to produce an original research output. This may be a concept paper, a practical project, a film production, a long essay, an advocacy campaign etc. – use your creativity!

You’ll design a strategy for disseminating your findings (for example at a conference presentation, via online publication or an article in a journal or at a public meeting that you’ve arranged). This provides you with an opportunity to get your voice heard in a forum where it matters and could have lasting impact.

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Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules include:

• Managing Natural Resources
• The Energy Trilemma
• Human Rights and Social Justice in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Challenges of Climate Change
• Multilingualism and Sustainable Development
• Surviving the Apocalypse

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assessmentgsd1

Hispanic Studies modules

In the first year you will select two modules from a choice of modules offered by the Hispanic Studies Department. Assessment methods will depend on your module choices. Modules may be assessed by examination, coursework, or a combination of coursework and examination.

In the second year, you will select one module from a choice of two optional core modules. Both are currently assessed 70% by examination. You then have a choice of other modules which have different assessment patterns, so assessment methods will vary according to which modules you choose.

In the final year, the core module is currently 100% assessed by examination. You then have a choice of other modules which have varying assessment patterns, so assessment methods depend on your module choices.

Modules from across the University

Assessment methods will vary according to the optional modules that you choose from across the University. The overall percentage of the course that is assessed by coursework depends upon the external options taken.

We continually review our assessment methods considering feedback. Therefore, assessment criteria is subject to change annually.

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Your final degree classification is determined by your second and final year marks and each contributes 50%.

GSD modules

In the first year, two of the core modules have an exam worth 40%. The remaining core modules are assessed by methods such as essays, online quizzes, presentations, and a group research project.

In the second year, optional core modules and optional modules in the GSD Department do not have traditional examinations. Depending on your module choices, assessment methods may include case studies, research papers, essays, log books, projects, presentations, quizzes and critical policy reviews.

The final-year dissertation is assessed via coursework, including a research proposal and presentation or other means of dissemination.

See assessment methods for individual GSD modules.

Hispanic Studies modules

In the first year you will select two modules from a choice of modules offered by the Hispanic Studies Department. Assessment methods will depend on your module choices. Modules may be assessed by examination, coursework, or a combination of coursework and examination.

In the second year, you will select one module from a choice of two optional core modules. Both are currently assessed 70% by examination. You then have a choice of other modules which have different assessment patterns, so assessment methods will vary according to which modules you choose.

In the final year, the core module is currently 100% assessed by examination. You then have a choice of other modules which have varying assessment patterns, so assessment methods depend on your module choices.

Modules from across the University

Assessment methods will vary according to the optional modules that you choose from across the University. The overall percentage of the course that is assessed by coursework depends upon the external options taken.

We continually review our assessment methods considering feedback. Therefore, assessment criteria is subject to change annually.

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cocertgsd

Co-curricular certificates

We offer a range of unique certificates outside of the curriculum as a way of continuing your professional development. In your first year, you can complete certificates in Digital Literacy, Sustainability, and Professional Communication.

Explore our range of certificates

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gsdstudyabroad

Study abroad

Although it is not compulsory, we encourage you to study abroad during your degree.

Option 1: Part of your second year abroad

Spend part of your second year at Monash University, home to the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. You will learn to appreciate the different concerns and priorities for sustainable development, including different approaches to tackling global issues.

Your academic achievements abroad will count towards your degree awarded by Warwick.

Find out more about studying abroad for part of your second year.

Option 2: Year abroad

You may choose to apply for an intercalated year spent either studying abroad or on a work placement (subject to you meeting departmental academic requirements). This will mean extending your course to four years.

Warwick has partnerships with universities across the world. You will spend your first and second years at Warwick, studying abroad in your third year before returning for final year.

Your year abroad will not count towards your overall final mark, giving you the freedom to choose modules outside of your comfort zone.

Learn more about spending a year abroad.

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typicalteachinghoursgsd

First-year core GSD modules have between 20 and 25 hours of contact time. Each module consists of lectures, workshops and, for the 'Global Sustainable Development Project' module, group supervision sessions.

Second-year optional core GSD modules have up to 45 and 50 contact hours.

The final-year core GSD dissertation module currently involves seven lectures and eight supervision sessions across three terms.

Optional modules in the GSD Department are available with between 25 and 50 hours for scheduled contact time, depending on the module. Some modules have lectures, workshops, film screenings and research supervision, whereas others only have lectures and workshops. Some modules may also include field trips.

Module offerings in other departments may involve more or less formal teaching time per week than the GSD modules.