Subject Study Experiences

Let your students get to know the subjects they’re interested in with one of our Subject Study Experiences.

Join us for an on-campus Subject Study Experience

Led by our academics, these on-campus sessions give your students the chance to explore a subject in more depth. These sessions are a great opportunity to inform their future Higher Education options.

All events will run from 10.30am to 2.30pm. The days will be held in person on our University of Sussex, Falmer Campus. Travel costs will be reimbursed and lunch is included.

You can book now onto the following Subject Study Experiences:

  • Psychology – Wednesday 21 February

    We all like to think of ourselves as unique, independent individuals, standing apart from the people around us. But are we really as unaffected as we think?

    In this Psychology masterclass, students will examine the forces of social influence – how the people around us affect the way that we think, feel, and behave. In particular, students will learn about the phenomena of obedience, conformity and persuasion.

    They will have the chance to take part in activities and discussions. They’ll also learn about career options for Psychology graduates.

  • Criminology – Thursday 29 February

    Criminology – as the Sociology of crime and deviance – is preoccupied with explaining who commits crime, why, and how to deal with it. As a social science, it is also about how society creates the conditions for crime. This includes how it labels and treats some people and not others as criminals, as well as the role politics, media and popular culture play.

    This masterclass invites students to think like a criminologist for a day – to develop a healthy scepticism, practice independent thinking, and decide for themselves on important issues in contemporary crime and justice.

  • Politics – Tuesday 5 March

    UK and global politics is currently experiencing crisis. Established political systems are now threatened in a range of different ways, and the route to improving living standards, creating a better society and protecting ourselves from external threats has never been more clouded. Understanding politics is crucial in the modern world, to help us understand the current crisis and know how to solve it.

    In this masterclass, through a range of different activities, debates and critical discussion, we will work to understand what the core of the crisis facing UK politics is. Students will learn about the implications and ways to prevent it from extending any further. They will sample the types of academic practise being undertaken by academics at Sussex, and see what a grasp of politics can deliver when it comes to changing to our current circumstances.

  • Neuroscience – Tuesday 5 March

    The brain contains approximately 180 billion cells, more cells than stars in the Milky Way. Of these cells, neurons generate their own electricity which is then used to communicate with other neighbouring neurons via synapses. Circuits of these neurons then project throughout our body down specialised pathways called nerves, passing electrical signals to our muscles controlling our movement.

    This session will investigate the very origins of this electrical activity and watch in real time as it controls our muscles – willingly or otherwise. Students will hear from scientists across diverse fields and career paths, who have dedicated their working lives to further our understanding of the human brain.

  • Education and Social Work – Wednesday 13 March

    How can we make a real difference to the life outcomes of children and young people?

    Students will explore how can children and young people can be supported to grow, learn and develop emotionally and socially. They’ll look at how working with a diverse range of organisations, professionals and communities can impact this. 

    Students will find out how they could make a lasting positive impact through our courses.

  • Economics – Thursday 21 March

    This exciting Economics Masterclass enables students to discover what economists do and to answer some of the ‘Why?’ questions that economists ask.

    The day will include engaging interactive games, innovative teaching approaches and the chance to develop your networks. Students will have the opportunity to think about their future career. They’ll also hear from current Economics students about their future plans and what it’s like to study Economics at degree level.

    The following interactive sessions will be delivered by our experienced academics:

    • Who are the economists and what do they do?
    • Why do we need good economists?
    • Why do economists need to talk to other social scientists?
    • Can economists help build a better future?

    The day will close with a social, friendly networking session to offer students the opportunity to gather first-hand information from professionals, alumni and current students on the life, employability prospects and career opportunities of economists.

  • English – Tuesday 26 March

    Understanding Political Rhetoric: Slippery Slope vs Can of Worms

    How does political language persuade us without us noticing? How can we get better at analysing political rhetoric?

    This masterclass will focus on two key metaphors – the slippery slope and the can of worms. Students will explore the history of these tropes and develop a toolkit of ways to describe, analyse and contextualise them.

    This session will be of interest to anyone taking English Literature, English Language or Philosophy A-Levels, and will show how study of language and ideas at university can open worlds of possibility for understanding the media and the world. It will relate to specific assessment objectives on the English Language A-Level.

  • International Development – Thursday 18 April

    Debt Crisis & Climate Justice

    The number of countries in ‘debt crisis’ has been rising dramatically over the last 5 years. Being in debt crisis means that governments are paying around a fifth of their annual budget in interest and debt repayments to international lenders, leaving much less to spend on vital public services (like healthcare and education) and infrastructure. Many countries in debt crisis are those most at risk from climate change. Having to spend public money on paying debts makes it harder to adapt to or mitigate climate change, or invest in renewable energy and ‘green’ infrastructure.

    In this taster session, students will explore the origins of the current debt crisis and its relation to climate justice. In the practical part of the session they will explore proposals for addressing the interlinked debt and climate crises, including the idea of ‘loss and damage’ funding and climate reparations.

  • Physics and Astronomy – Wednesday 24 April 

    The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day 2021, is the largest and most sophisticated space telescope ever constructed. It is specifically designed to observe the Universe in infrared light, to see some of the cooler places in our galaxy and to observe the most distant infant galaxies in the process of forming.

    Students will learn how astronomers at Sussex will use this facility over the coming decades to answer some of the biggest questions in astronomy. Hands-on activities will help them to understand how planets are discovered orbiting other stars – and how we might find evidence for alien life on one of these worlds using the JWST within just a few years.

  • Sustainability Research – Wednesday 24 April (10am to 3pm)

    This exciting event is slightly different to our other Subject Study Experiences.

    On this two-part day, students will start with a guided tour of campus, hear from students studying subjects around sustainability and take part in a mini academic taster.

    Later we will move from campus to the Meeting House in Brighton, where students will have the opportunity to hear from current researchers in the field of sustainability and share ideas in a workshop-style afternoon. The research presented will focus on sustainability and how it impacts young people.

  • Engineering – Tuesday 30 April

    Light for Vision and Power

    This workshop delves into the world of electromagnetic radiation, exploring both its sources and applications.

    In the first part students will explore solar energy generation through the concept of a Solar Updraft Tower (SUT), building a model to understand blade geometry, solar incidence, and solar power's impact on electricity generation. This hands-on experience covers basic heat transfer and fluid dynamics concepts, ending with a discussion on renewable power and computational fluid dynamics.

    In the second part, a gamified electronics workshop guides students through the generation of pixels on screens using pulse width modulation, persistence of vision and colour mixing. Through hands-on activities, they will learn to power individual LEDs and 3-color LEDs, reinforcing their knowledge with a colour-matching game. The session wraps up with a discussion on the scale and complexity of engineering large LED panels, demystifying everyday LED terminology.

Book your place now

Our Subject Study Experiences include two sessions, run by our academics, in students’ chosen subject. They run from 10.30am-2.30pm. You can book onto multiple experiences.

The booking deadline is two weeks before each event takes place and spaces may fill up before this. There are limited spaces per subject so please sign up as soon as possible. We aim to give students their preferences, but it is a first come, first served basis. Places are limited to 25 per day.

After you have signed up to the day you will receive an email closer to the time with further details.

You must complete this form in one sitting – you cannot save and return later. This form should take no longer than five minutes to complete.

If you have any problems completing this form please contact us: accessprogramme@sussex.ac.uk.