The elective scheme is part of Sussex's interdisciplinary approach to teaching, and allows you to customise your degree to suit your learning requirements.
The electives scheme at Sussex
The University is enhancing the interdisciplinary opportunities it provides for you to broaden and enrich your studies through a system of elective modules.
Most single-honours subjects across the arts, sciences and social sciences are offering electives, exceptions being where professional-body requirements do not provide sufficient space within the curriculum (e.g. law, accountancy, engineering …). Under the electives system, you will be able to choose to spend 25 per cent of your study time in your first and second year on a range of subjects.
Electives will either be offered as free-standing modules (e.g. Introduction to British Sign Language), or as a specific named pathway over Years 1 and 2 (refer to Language as an elective below). Students successfully completing a named pathway will be able to have this recorded in their degree title.
Language as an elective
SCLS recognises that as future global citizens, students of all disciplines will travel, live and work in countries across the world, and that it is increasingly useful and important to be able to communicate in another language.
For this reason we offer a flexible language scheme allowing students on a wide range of single-honours degrees to gain credits. Students who complete a named pathway can opt for the award of ‘... with proficiency in (the target language)’ on their degree certificate, giving added value to their studies.
E.g. BA (Hons) International Relations with proficiency in Arabic;
BSc (Hons) Business and Management Studies with proficiency in Chinese;
BA (Hons) in Film Studies with proficiency in French for Professional Purposes.
Language electives provide the opportunity to:
- start a new language
- develop a language you have already studied (subject to level)
- brush up your language skills
- develop your communication skills
- communicate with people from other countries
- gain an insight into other cultures
- prepare for a visit abroad
The current range of languages available is: Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
Other electives in SCLS
Introduction to British Sign Language
This free-standing elective module will introduce British Sign Language to students with little or no prior knowledge of the target language. The module aims to teach the first stages of BSL (Basic Level/A1-A2) to enable students to understand basic information and to communicate effectively in BSL in everyday situations. Classes will consist of a variety of practical activities and make use of a range of audio-visual resources. In addition, students will study aspects of Deaf culture and the Deaf community in order to understand the general social and cultural background of BSL.
The module is available to first year students in the autumn term and repeated in the spring term.
Intercultural Encounters: Who do you think you are?
This free-standing elective module seeks to promote cultural awareness and inter-cultural comprehension. Students will be concerned to define what is meant by 'culture' and to analyse their own cultural backgrounds and attitudes. They will consider how and why cultural characteristics arise and whether generalisations (such as national or cultural stereotypes) are ever valid. In particular they will reflect upon the ways in which culture and language are linked, and on how cultural values and attitudes are encoded in language. They will sample various theoretical approaches to these issues by way of original lectures, prepared seminar questions, academic essays, and a range of audio-visual sources.
The module is available in the spring term to first and second year students.
English Language Teaching electives
For more information on the English Language Teaching modules, see our ELT electives page.
- English Language Teaching elective pathway
- Introduction to English Language Teaching and Learning
- Second Language Acquisition
- English as an International Language