The Economics taster course provides an introduction to the principles and policies in economics – the toolkit of economists. We use real world economic problems and policy issues to introduce the key elements of this toolkit. You will learn how aggregate economic activity is measured, what drives growth and how income is distributed. We examine how shocks get amplified and lead to boom and bust cycles, and how fiscal and monetary policies can mitigate these cycles. We will cover labour markets and unemployment as well as financial markets and inflation.

The Sociology taster course will give you an overview of the academic discipline of sociology. The aim is to get you to start thinking about what the word ‘society’ means to you, and understand how professional sociologists explain the social processes that shape our individual lives. Exploring sociological theories about ‘families’ and ‘work’, and the concepts of ‘norms of behaviour’ and ‘deviance’, as well as others, the course also looks at the social research methods which are used in a wide range of subjects, including: management studies, psychology, medical and health sciences, media studies and business studies. If you are thinking of studying for a degree in sociology, or a degree that includes sociology, this course will give you a good idea of what is involved.

The Finance taster course introduces students to the modern mechanics of money, banking, and monetary policy. Students explore Modern Monetary Theory, and the key debates and theories in modern finance, e.g. Do commercial banks create money? Is Quantitative Easing basic monetisation? Capital Asset Pricing Models and Financial Market Performance. Topics to be covered: 1. What is Money and Where does it come from? 2. The Mechanics of Modern Banking and the Creation of Commercial Bank Money 3. Term Structure of Interest Rates and Efficient Market Hypothesis 4. Capital Asset Pricing Models

The Psychology taster course will give you an overview of the areas of psychology, such as social and developmental, neuroscience and neurological development, psychiatry and abnormal psychology, cognition and perception, and applied psychology (organisational, sport and performance). We will discuss the breadth of these topics, how one area can be so different from another, and what kind of things are important or relevant for each area of study. The course will also give you an overview of 1) the methodologies used in studying psychology, 2) an introduction to how children develop, focusing on the nature-nurture debate, 3) the different areas of child and adolescent development, and 4) the key areas of interest in applied developmental psychology today.

The world is in a constant state of change. Embracing the idea of a world order, or rather a world disorder, our International Relations (IR) taster course pursues the meaning and scope of international relations, state and non-state actors, theory versus practice, people and street politics as well as international relations in times of turbulence. Doing so we explore questions such as the following: What do we mean by a ‘world order’ and what challenges is this order facing today? Are states still the main centres of power in the world? What roles are international organisations and non-state actors playing in domestic and world politics and how are these actors, among others, challenging the traditional role of states in IR? What role do ordinary citizens occupy in politics and what do we mean by legitimate versus illegitimate public demands? Lastly, what major and unforeseen events have shaped our contemporary world, particularly, how did they impact the relationship among states, non-state actors and the world’s population?