FASS

Careers information and resources for arts and social sciences students.

Art and Design

E.g. Fine Art, Fine Art and Design, Fine Art and Film, Fine Art and Theatre, Fine Art and Creative Writing, Design, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Art typically will have the ability to:
- Generate ideas, concepts, proposals, solutions or arguments independently and collaboratively in response to set briefs and self-initiated activity.
- Use convergent and divergent thinking in observing, investigating, visualising and making; develop ideas through to material outcomes.
- Manage interaction between intention, process, outcome, context and dissemination.
- Employ materials, media, techniques, methods, technologies and tools with skill and imagination.
- Study independently, set goals, manage their own workloads and meet deadlines. Also, anticipate and accommodate change, and handle ambiguity, uncertainty, and unfamiliarity.
- Analyse information and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation.
- Interact effectively with others through collaboration, collective endeavour and negotiation; apply resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills to their own practice or that of others.
- Articulate ideas and information in visual, oral and written forms and present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations.
- Source, navigate, select, retrieve, evaluate, manipulate and manage information; employ communication and IT skills.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Fine Art.
Further study
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements and internships

School volunteering placement module

If you are thinking of a career in teaching, our placements offer you the opportunity to work for half a day a week throughout a term in a Primary, Secondary or Special Needs school. The optional placement module is offered in year 2 and enables you to work alongside a teacher and gain valuable classroom experience; it will normally provide you with the opportunity to teach the class or to work with a designated group of pupils. You will develop a range of employability skills and develop your knowledge and understanding of an educational issue through a project linked to your school. The placement is for approximately three hours per week and you will be supported by a series of seminars that guide you through your project.

Employability Module: Creative Enterprise

This third year module provides an opportunity for you to develop your understanding of the innovative ways in which creative practitioners produce and deliver their work. It provides an overview of the challenges faced by freelance practitioners, producers and small cultural companies within the creative industries. You will also develop a working understanding of the key management and enterprise skills involved in delivering creative projects. Working in groups you will put your learning into practice through the delivery of your own live creative arts project. This will enable you to understand the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours relevant for employment in the arts and creative industries.

Extra-Curricular Activities

LICA’s academic staff are professional artists and practitioners who combine theoretical knowledge and research with their teaching career and their passion for the subject. We invite visiting artists and practitioners to give talks, show their work and engage with our students, and have excellent industry links UK-wide. This environment is ideal for you to start developing yourself as a professional and forming your own network of professional contacts.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Criminology

E.g. Criminology, Criminology and French Studies, Criminology and Law, Criminology and Psychology, Criminology and Sociology, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Criminology typically will have the ability to:
- Examine crime in its historical and contemporary economic, social and cultural contexts.
- Develop valuable transferable skills in research, analysis and communication.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principal features of the criminal justice system(s) studied.
- Apply knowledge to a situation of limited complexity so as to provide arguable conclusions for concrete actual or hypothetical problems.
- Identify accurately issues that require researching.
- Identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information.
- Recognise and rank items and issues in terms of relevance and importance.
- Judge critically the merits of particular arguments.
- Present and make a reasoned choice between alternative solutions.
- Act independently in planning and undertaking tasks, and when working in groups contributes effectively to the group’s task.
- Research independently in areas of law not previously studied.
- Read and discuss legal materials, written in technical and complex language.
- Present knowledge or an argument in a way that is comprehensible to others and which is directed at their concerns.
- Use, present and evaluate information provided in numerical or statistical form.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Criminology.
Further study
Find out more about postgraduate study at Lancaster University Law School.
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements and internships
Voluntary work placements and optional modules

Many of our criminology students volunteer with organisations such as Lancashire Youth Offending Team, Police Special Constables and the Citizens Advice Bureau. We have strong links with local criminal justice organisations, thus enabling unique learning opportunities, such as:
- Visits and collaborative learning with HMP Lancaster Farms
- Optional modules, in which you can deliver a live project for an organisation within, or connected to, the Criminal Justice System.
You will benefit from our excellent connections with NGOs, charities, and local criminal justice agencies such as Lancashire Police and HMP Lancashire Farms. There will be opportunities for you to visit the prison and engage in collaborative learning, and analyse data from Lancashire Police; this data is then often used by the force. All of this helps you to make professional connections, learn more about criminal justice agencies, and get a head start on your career.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Drama and Theatre Performance

E.g. Drama, Theatre and Performance, Fine Art and Theatre, Film and Theatre, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Theatre Studies typically will have the ability to:
- Apply performance and production skills to communicate with an audience.
- Work as part of a team to create original work.
- Communicate in writing, orally and through performance.
- Exercise critical, analytical and physical skills and conduct research.
- Apply creative and imaginative skills through the realisation of practical research projects.
- Think reflectively and independently, and concentrate and focus for extended periods.
- Develop ideas and construct arguments and present them in appropriate ways.
- Handle creative, personal and interpersonal issues and negotiate and pursue goals with others.
- Manage personal workloads and meet deadlines under pressure with flexibility, imagination, self-motivation and organisation.
- Produce written work with appropriate scholarly conventions.
- Apply information retrieval skills involving gathering, sifting and organising material; use IT skills such as word processing, electronic mail, and accessing electronic data.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Drama.
Further study
- MA Arts Management
- PhD Theatre Studies
Search for postgraduate degrees in drama, theatre studies and acting on Prospects.
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

School volunteering placement module

If you are thinking of a career in teaching, our placements offer you the opportunity to work for half a day a week throughout a term in a Primary, Secondary or Special Needs school. The optional placement module is offered in year 2 and enables you to work alongside a teacher and gain valuable classroom experience; it will normally provide you with the opportunity to teach the class or to work with a designated group of pupils. You will develop a range of employability skills and develop your knowledge and understanding of an educational issue through a project linked to your school. The placement is for approximately three hours per week and you will be supported by a series of seminars that guide you through your project.

Employability Module: Creative Enterprise

This third-year module provides an opportunity for you to develop your understanding of the innovative ways in which creative practitioners produce and deliver their work. It provides an overview of the challenges faced by freelance practitioners, producers and small cultural companies within the creative industries. You will also develop a working understanding of the key management and enterprise skills involved in delivering creative projects. Working in groups you will put your learning into practice through the delivery of your own live creative arts project. This will enable you to understand the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours relevant for employment in the arts and creative industries.

Extra-Curricular Activities

LICA’s academic staff are professional artists and practitioners who combine theoretical knowledge and research with their teaching career and their passion for the subject. We invite visiting artists and practitioners to give talks, show their work and engage with our students, and have excellent industry links UK-wide. This environment is ideal for you to start developing yourself as a professional and forming your own network of professional contacts.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

English and Creative Writing

E.g. English Literature, English Literature and History, English Literature and Linguistics, English Literature and Philosophy, English Literature and Religious Studies, English Literature with Creative Writing, English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice, Film and Creative Writing, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in English Literature & Creative Writing typically will have the ability to:
- Use advanced literacy skills to communicate effectively in an appropriate style and apply sustained written and oral arguments coherently and persuasively.
- Analyse and critically examine diverse forms of verbal and textual communication.
- Gather, sift, interpret and organise substantial quantities of diverse information in structured ways.
- Organise their time and workload as developed through the planning and delivery of written assignments, presentations and project work.
- Exercise independent thought and judgement.
- Comprehend and develop intricate concepts in an open-ended way that involves an understanding of aims and consequences.
- Work with others through the presentation of ideas and information and the collective negotiation of solutions.
- Understand, interrogate and apply a variety of theoretical positions and weigh the importance of alternative perspectives.
- Handle information and arguments in a critical and self-reflective manner.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on English and Creative Writing.
Further study
Find out more about the Lancaster Writing Programme.
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

Creative and Heritage Organisation Placement Module

In Year 3 there is the opportunity to undertake a short, paid placement that will count towards your degree and provide valuable experience working in a role that is relevant to your degree or your future career aspirations, for example with a publisher, museum, newspaper, heritage site or art venue. Typically 30-40 hours is spent on placement.

School Volunteering Placement Module

If you are thinking of training to be a teacher, this optional module gives you invaluable hands-on experience of working alongside a teacher in the classroom for half a day a week over the course of a term. Based in either a primary or secondary school, the placement could involve classroom observation and teacher assistance and, in most cases, the opportunity to teach the class or to work with a designated group of pupils. You would also be asked to develop a special project or activity to carry out in the school relating to the teaching of English. An end-of-placement essay provides the opportunity to reflect on the placement and this counts towards your degree.

Employability Module: Beyond Undergraduate English Literature

A degree including English Literature can underpin many careers and this careers-focused module provides a rolling programme of events designed to enhance your knowledge of careers, employability and graduate research possibilities. It offers professional development workshops on employability-related matters, including bespoke talks by the University’s Careers Department, as well as visits from potential employers and alumni of the Department.

Extra-Curricular Activities

As well as the employability skills such as communication, time management and presentations that are built into the modules you will take during your degree, there is an extensive range of extra curricular activities and field trips. Some are organised by staff, such as public lectures, reading groups, or visits to the theatre; others are organised by students, such as open mic nights on campus.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

History

E.g. History, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, History and International Relations, History and Philosophy, History and Politics, History and Religious Studies, History, Philosophy and Politics, German Studies and History, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in History typically will have the ability to:
- Demonstrate command of a substantial body of historical knowledge.
- Understand how people have existed, acted and thought in the context of the past; appreciate the complexity and diversity of situations, events and past mentalities.
- Read and use texts and other source materials critically and empathetically; reflect critically on the nature and theoretical underpinnings of the discipline.
- Recognise there are ways of testing statements and that there are rules of evidence which require integrity and maturity.
- Marshall an argument, be self-disciplined and independent intellectually.
- Express themselves orally and in writing with coherence, clarity and fluency.
- Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information; use effectively Information Technology, information retrieval and presentation skills, analyse and solve problems.
- Exercise self-discipline, self-direction and initiative.
- Work with others and have respect for others’ reasoned views; work collaboratively and participate effectively in group discussions; show empathy and imaginative insight.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on History.
Further study
Find out more about PhD opportunities in History.
Specialist vacancy sources
Archaeology
- British Archaeological Jobs Resource
Museum & Galleries
Heritage
Professional bodies
Placements & internships
Heritage Organisation Placement Module

In your second year, you can opt to take a credit-bearing work placement module, coordinated through the department’s Regional Heritage Centre. These voluntary range from prominent multi-site organisations such as the National Trust to small independent museums, county archives, and heritage consultants. Our placement providers include:
- Lakeland Arts, Kendal and Windermere
- Keswick Museum & Art Gallery, Lake District
- National Trust, Gawthorpe Hall and Sizergh Castle
- Greater Manchester Museums Group
- Norton Priory Trust, Runcorn
During your work placement you might find yourself analysing data on visitor experiences, improving the description of collections, writing text for exhibitions or researching world-class collections. The module aims to foster awareness of, and reflection on, career opportunities in the heritage sector and elsewhere.

Extra-Curricular Activities

A Lancaster University History degree is a gateway to an exciting and rewarding career. History graduates are able to think critically, analyse evidence, structure an argument, and communicate effectively. A degree in History offers you the combination of specialised knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the world in which we live, which we enhance through a programme of visiting speakers and workshops.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Linguistics and English Language

E.g. English Language, Linguistics, English Language and Creative Writing, English Language and French Studies, English Language and Linguistics, English Language and Literature, English Language in the Media, Linguistics and Philosophy, Linguistics with Chinese, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Linguistics and English Language typically will have the ability to:
- Appreciate complete analytical systems, rigorous classifications of specific aspects of human behaviour, theoretical frameworks and research methods for planning projects, finding new data and drawing conclusions.
- Have an appreciable knowledge of theory and practice in other areas of study including the role of language in society, its cognitive nature, the way it is acquired, the way it changes and the way it forms part of the gamut of communications.
- Abstract and synthesise information and develop problem-solving strategies.
- Manage an argument and think and judge independently.
- Critically judge and evaluate evidence, especially in relation to the use of language in social, professional and other occupational contexts, translation and interpretation.
- Acquire complex data from a variety of sources and think creatively about and build complex systems.
- Write essays, research reports and deliver presentations using the appropriate register and style and apply skills in advanced literacy, statistics and ICT.
- Consider the ethical issues involved in data collection and data storage.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on English and Linguistics.
Further study
Find out more about PhD opportunities and scholarships in Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University.
Specialist vacancy sources
- British Council
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

Research Internships

Every year, our department provides up to ten paid internships where second and third-year students work with members of staff on a research project. SPRINT interns work intensively on the same project for one month during the summer, while TRINITY interns work one day per week throughout Terms 1 and 2, moving between a variety of tasks and projects. These internships are a great way to develop your research skills and gain experience working alongside our staff.

Find out more about LAEL internships.

School Volunteering Placement Module

If you are interested in becoming a language teacher or working in education, this optional year 3 module gives you invaluable hands-on experience of working as a classroom volunteer in a primary or secondary school over the course of one term.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We work with the central University Careers Service to support you in preparing for your future career. We embed practical skills such as transcribing language and language analysis into our degrees so that our graduates are well prepared for careers which use these skills and others such as problem-solving, critical evaluation of evidence, and attention to detail.

We offer a range of opportunities that support your personal and professional development including public events, seminars, and major international conferences. Our staff and students contribute to debates via social media, academic and student blogs, media interviews and public talks. This is all part of our vibrant and friendly academic community.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Languages and Cultures

E.g. Modern Languages, Modern Languages and Cultures, French Studies, German Studies, Spanish Studies, Chinese Studies, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Languages and Cultures typically will have the ability to:
- Read, write, listen to and speak in a foreign language to levels of ability appropriate to the target language and to the learning outcomes of the degree programme.
- Use reference materials effectively to learn other languages with relative ease.
- Apply analytical, critical and specialist skills drawn from other areas of study such as literatures, cultures, linguistic contexts, history, politics, geography, social or economic structures, often related to business, legal, creative, technological or scientific contexts.
- Appreciate the internal diversity and cross-cultural connectedness of cultures and show curiosity and openness towards other cultures.
- Reflect and judge critically in the light of evidence and argument.
- Organise and present ideas in a framework of a structured and reasoned argument.
- Be self-reliant, adaptable and flexible.
- Deploy skills in ICT, in note taking and summarising, library research, mediation, analysis and problem solving.
- Write and think under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Communicate and work creatively and flexibly with others.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Modern Languages.
Further study
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements & internships
Year Abroad (study or work Placement)

Your year abroad takes place in the third year of your degree and many students describe this as a life-changing experience. Our language degrees offer flexibility with your year abroad; enabling you to study at a partner institution, conduct a work placement, teach with the British Council, or a combination of these. In recent years students have undertaken some fantastic paid work placements overseas – here are just a few examples:

French
- Administrative and Commercial Assistant, JCM Conseil Immobilier (Papeete, Tahiti)
- Website Coordinator and Client Liaison, Roomlala (Paris, France)
- Cinema Festival Event Coordinator, MJC Annonay(Annonay, France)
German
- Project Management Trainee, IFH Performance Solutions (Frankfurt, Germany)
- Translator and Media Intern, Siemens Nixdorf (Paderborn, Germany)
- Marketing Assistant, Bricoflor (Wuppertal, Germany)
Spanish
- Travel Agency Intern (Montevideo, Uruguay)
- Teaching Assistant, SEK (Galicia, Spain)
- Public Relations Intern, Marco de Comunicación (Madrid, Spain)
As a Language Assistant you would work for the British Council and support the teaching of English in a school or university, planning activities and producing resources to help students improve their English as well as introducing UK contemporary culture through classroom and extra-curricular activities. You may also support the running of international projects and activities.

In year two, our non-credit bearing 'Year Abroad Preparation' module will take you through the administrative, academic, financial and welfare matters that you should be aware of in order to fully enjoy this exciting opportunity.

Work Placement Module - Professional Contexts for Modern Languages

This optional second year module aims to support you in applying your linguistic and cultural understanding in a specific professional context and reflecting on key issues in relation to your placement organisation. You would typically spend between 25-30 hours over a period of 10 weeks engaging with a placement organisation on a voluntary basis. Alternatively you could undertake a 'block' placement over a two to three week period during the Easter vacation. We have developed a number of local work placements, including some in schools, but you could also source your own placement (subject to departmental approval). We provide workshops to prepare you for the placement beforehand.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We regularly invite guest lecturers to visit the department. Recently the award-winning German author and performance poet, Ulrike Almut Sandig, ran a masterclass in performance poetry with first and second year students. Such events really bring literary texts to life so that they literally leap off the page.

We also engage with language professionals to bring real-world experience into the academic environment. In 2018 we hosted Roman Ehrlich, a young German contemporary writer to listen to our students’ translation of his work. Michael Krüger, a German publisher, shared with students his life in literary publishing. Benoît Peeters, Professor of Graphic Fiction and Comic Arts, worked with our second and final-year students on translating comics and Canan Marasligil, multilingual translator and poet of Turkish origin, offered comics and video translation workshops to our students between French, Spanish, and English.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Law

E.g. Law, Law with Criminology, Law with Politics, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Law typically will have the ability to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principal features of the legal system(s) studied.
- Apply knowledge to a situation of limited complexity so as to provide arguable conclusions for concrete actual or hypothetical problems.
- Identify accurately issues that require researching.
- Identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information, using relevant primary and secondary legal sources.
- Recognise and rank items and issues in terms of relevance and importance.
- Judge critically the merits of particular arguments.
- Present and make a reasoned choice between alternative solutions.
- Act independently in planning and undertaking tasks, and when working in groups contributes effectively to the group’s task.
- Research independently in areas of law not previously studied.
- Read and discuss legal materials, written in technical and complex language.
- Present knowledge or an argument in a way that is comprehensible to others and which is directed at their concerns.
- Use, present and evaluate information provided in numerical or statistical form.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Law.
Further study
Find out more about PhD opportunities and scholarships at Lancaster University Law School.
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements & internships
At Lancaster University Law School, we believe that one of the best ways for students to learn is through practice and, while we recognise that not everyone studying for a qualifying Law degree will choose to pursue a legal career, we do believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to explore that option during their time here. We offer these voluntary opportunities to all students as either part of their studies or extracurricular activities.

Miscarriages of Justice Clinic

You can be involved with the Miscarriages of Justice Clinic as both an extra-curricular activity and as an assessed, optional module. You will investigate ‘real life’ cases where there has been a potential miscarriage of justice with a view to referring the case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The scheme it is run by solicitors and barristers who supervise the work, and the assistance is undertaken Pro Bono to persons convicted of a crime but who have maintained their innocence and exhausted their appeals process.

Law Clinic

You can work in the Law Clinic as part of your degree or as an extra-curricular activity. Being involved in the Law Clinic enables you to gain invaluable experience delivering legal advice to clients, developing their communication skills, practising interviewing, drafting advice and managing case files.

The Law Clinic provides legal advice and information on a range of issues including family, employment, consumer, and tenancy issues. In addition, by working in partnership with North Lancashire Citizens Advice Bureau, we can provide legal advice to people from across Lancaster and Morecambe. A pop-up clinic moves around organisations within the community, including a local food bank, a supported housing project, and a youth organisation.

The aim of the Clinic is to provide high quality legal advice and information while offering practical experience to our Law students. The advice is supervised by qualified barristers and solicitors and the Clinic works closely with local firms of solicitors who also provide supervision to students. The Law Clinic is committed to sustaining and developing its links with other advice agencies, local firms and individuals. It is also a member of LawWorks and adheres to their Protocol on Pro Bono work.

Streetlaw

Streetlaw is offered as a third year module and as an extra-curricular activity. Streetlaw sessions are delivered by our law students, who put together interactive presentations/lessons on topical issues of the law that will be of interest to school pupils or members of community groups. The aim of the sessions are to inform groups about particular areas of the law and their legal rights and responsibilities. Students research, design, and deliver the interactive sessions whilst being supervised by a legally qualified member of staff.

Examples of recent Streetlaw projects
- School Admissions Presentation at a Pre-School Centre Our students presented to parents at a local nursery about their rights surrounding school admissions.
- Lancaster District Homeless Action Service & Oak Tree House Our students delivered presentations on family law issues and police powers.
- Campus in the city Presentations for the general public covered the importance of making a will, family law issues, consumer rights, social media safety, and facts surrounding universal credit.
Reserved Work Experience Placements - Voluntary or Paid

The Law School’s strong links with the professions means that you will be able to apply for work experience placements exclusively reserved for those in the Law School. Placement opportunities include those at local, national, and regional solicitors’ firms and barristers chambers; and judicial marshalling, an opportunity rarely afforded to students, where you sit alongside a judge in the Crown Court.

Access to the Professions Placement Scheme

Alumni generosity has allowed us to provide a scholarship fund to assist students in gaining work experience in the legal profession. You can apply for money to support your costs whilst on placement, such as accommodation and travel.

Voluntary Work Placement - Citizens Advice Bureau

The Law School works in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau as part of the Law Clinic scheme. However other general volunteering opportunities are available for you to work directly within the organisation. Whether it’s providing relevant assistance to clients as an Advisor, or taking on an administrative role as a Casework Assistant, the Citizens Advice Bureau gives you the chance to give back to the local community using the skills obtained from your degree, as well as obtaining practical experience working with clients.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Each year, we support and encourage our students to consider and develop their career prospects, and to explore the many opportunities both within and beyond the legal sector. Those wishing to pursue a legal career can benefit from our strong links with the legal professions and begin to establish links of their own.
- Law Society: Our active, student-run Law Society organises mooting and negotiation competitions, and a range of careers and social events.
- Liaising with Lawyers: This event welcomes practising solicitors and barristers from around the country to the Law School to give a series of talks on life in legal practice. You will have the opportunity to network and ask questions, providing a real insight into the profession.
- Judicial Lecture Series: Members of the judiciary regularly visit the Law School to discuss their work and meet with students. Most recently, Lord Justice Ryder, Senior President of the Tribunals and a Court of Appeal judge, gave a lecture to students on his career and the role of tribunals in forging a path for lawyers seeking judicial office.
- Law Careers Fair: This event is specifically for those seeking to enter legal practice. Representatives from Law firms across the country attend and provide students with the opportunity to network and learn more about firms they are considering applying to. Regular attendees include Ashurst, Pinsent Masons, and Bird & Bird.
- Careers Dinner: An opportunity to meet partners and trainees from law firms and chat informally about possible career options. Regular attendees include DLA Piper, White & Case, and Allen & Overy.
- Careers support: Practising lawyers run the Law School careers clinic, and will assist you on a one-to-one basis with job applications and CVs, running mock interviews, and providing general careers advice and guidance. You can also take part in a range of workshops and mock interviews, and these can be tailored to: For those seeking a career at the Bar, this annual trip will enable you to experience life as a barrister and talk with current BPTC students as well as practising barristers about this career path.
Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Media, Film and Cultural Studies

E.g. Film Studies, Film, Media and Cultural Studies, Film and Creative Writing, Film and Creative Writing, Fine Art and Film, Media and Cultural Studies, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Media, Film and Cultural Studies typically will have the ability to:
- Manage interaction between intention, process, outcome, context and dissemination.
- Employ materials, media, techniques, methods, technologies and tools with skill and imagination.
- Study independently, set goals, manage their own workloads and meet deadlines. Also, anticipate and accommodate change, and handle ambiguity, uncertainty, and unfamiliarity.
- Analyse information and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation.
- Interact effectively with others through collaboration, collective endeavour and negotiation; apply resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills to their own practice or that of others.
- Articulate ideas and information in visual, oral and written forms and present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations.
- Source, navigate, select, retrieve, evaluate, manipulate and manage information; employ communication and IT skills
- To engage in debates in Media and Cultural Studies; marginal Cultures; Mediation, Identities and Activism in Contemporary Britain; Making, Reforming and Hacking the Public Sphere.
- to critically analyse studying media and culture and to examine historical and contemporary issues and debates.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Media Studies.
Further study
Find out more about PhD opportunities in Sociology at Lancaster University.
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

Employability Module: Independent Research Project

You will conduct an independent research project whilst also gaining highly valued work experience in a charity, local government, social enterprise, or company. This will foster your ability to ask critical questions, drawing on sociological and critical cultural theories to analyse ‘real world’ problems and come up with viable solutions.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Our staff and students engage with important public debates around social and cultural issues at local, national and international levels. We contribute to debates and campaigns via social media, academic and student blogs, media interviews and public talks, and this contributes to the intellectually vibrant and friendly atmosphere for which Lancaster is been renowned.

We offer a range of opportunities that support your personal and professional development. You can participate in field trips, film screenings, public events, seminars, and major international conferences. All this makes for a vibrant and supportive atmosphere.

We have a dedicated Careers Tutor who works with the University careers service to offer many opportunities: to gain different work experiences through our placement and internship programmes, to develop application skills, and to learn about preparing your CV.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Philosophy

E.g. Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy and Religion, History, Philosophy and Politics, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Philosophy typically will have the ability to:
- Accurately identify underlying issues in all kinds of debate and use and criticise specialised philosophical terminology.
- Think logically and present the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems.
- Sensitively interpret thoughts and ideas drawn from both history and current trends and assess arguments presented.
- Consider unfamiliar ideas; extract, analyse and construct sound arguments and to identify logical inconsistency.
- The ability to work with and in relation to others through the presentation of ideas and information and the collective negotiation of solutions.
- The ability to handle information and argument in a critical and self reflective manner and evaluate opposing arguments.
- Ability to cross traditional subject boundaries, examining the limitations and virtues of other disciplines and practices, and recognising philosophical doctrines in unfamiliar places
- Ability to apply philosophical skills and techniques to issues.
- Develop the ability to reflect clearly and critically on oral and written sources, employing powers of imagination as well as analysis.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Philosophy.
Further study
Specialist vacancy sources
- PhilJobs
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

The Richardson Institute Internship Programme

The Richardson Institute is the oldest Peace Studies centre in the UK and was established in 1959 in the spirit of the Quaker scientist, Lewis Fry Richardson. The Richardson Institute is an interdisciplinary forum for cutting-edge research into peace and conflict, and is open to all students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Each year the Institute provides over 60 voluntary internships which enable undergraduate students to work with external organisations on research projects. Recent interns have worked with NGOs, think tanks, charities and faith based organisations on project themes such as Religion and Borders and Religion and Conflict Situations. You will work on the project alongside your studies throughout the academic year and your project supervisor will support you with research training and interactive workshops.

School Volunteering Placement Module: PPR in Education

This optional placement module will give you experience in a classroom, including classroom observation, teacher assistance, as well as teaching small groups (under supervision). You’ll develop transferable skills and will be required to reflect on how your subject area is experienced by learners, delivered in other parts of the educational sector, and applied in a classroom setting.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We offer a wide range of support for preparing students for life after university. All our programmes offer students the opportunity to develop their skills and experience with a range of different employment paths in mind. As a PPR student, you will be allocated an academic tutor, who will offer you regular one-to-one guidance on developing and recording the transferable skills and experience that will make you highly employable after your degree. All our modules are developed with such skills-building in mind.

As well as the above work experience modules, you will be encouraged to participate in Active Research and field studies with external partners. We hold career guidance workshops specifically for students of each of our core subjects and our dedicated careers tutor offers individual advice on how to plan ahead and make the most of the opportunities we offer.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Politics & International Relations

E.g. Politics, International Relations, International Relations and Religious Diversity, Politics and International Relations, Politics and Religious Studies, Politics and Sociology, Politics with Chinese, Politics, International Relations and Management, Peace Studies and International Relations, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Politics typically will have the ability to:
- Understand the nature and significance of politics as a human activity and apply concepts, theories and methods to analysing political ideas, institutions and practices.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different political systems, the nature and distribution of power in them; the social, economic, historical and cultural contexts within which they operate, and the relationships between them.
- Understand the nature and significance of politics as a global activity.
- Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from secondary and primary sources.
- Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems.
- Construct reasoned argument, synthesize information and exercise critical judgement.
- Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing.
- Use communication and information technology to retrieve and present information, including statistical or numerical information.
- Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organization and time-management.
- Collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Politics.
Further study
Find out more about postgraduate research in The Department of Politics Philosophy and Religion (PPR) at Lancaster University.
Specialist vacancy sources
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

The Richardson Institute Internship Programme

The Richardson Institute is the oldest Peace Studies centre in the UK and was established in 1959 in the spirit of the Quaker scientist, Lewis Fry Richardson. The Richardson Institute is an interdisciplinary forum for cutting-edge research into peace and conflict, and is open to all students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Each year the Institute provides over 60 voluntary internships which enable undergraduate students to work with external organisations on research projects. Recent interns have worked with NGOs, think tanks, charities and faith based organisations on project themes such as Religion and Borders and Religion and Conflict Situations. You will work on the project alongside your studies throughout the academic year and your project supervisor will support you with research training and interactive workshops.

Employability Module: Politics Employability and Engagement through Outreach

If you are taking a Politics and International Relations degree, this module provides the opportunity to work with sixth form students and successful PPR alumni in positions in Politics, the Civil Service, the Media and NGOs. Through a combination of activities, such as preparing digital and written materials for use in outreach work, you will develop a range of skills in communication, analysis, mentoring, feedback and writing. This experience will boost your CV, particularly if you want to work in teaching or the public and charity sectors.

wp.lancs.ac.uk/politics-outreach

School Volunteering Placement Module: PPR in Education

This optional placement module will give you experience in a classroom, including classroom observation, teacher assistance, as well as teaching small groups (under supervision). You’ll develop transferable skills and will be required to reflect on how your subject area is experienced by learners, delivered in other parts of the educational sector, and applied in a classroom setting.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We offer a wide range of support for preparing students for life after university. All our programmes offer students the opportunity to develop their skills and experience with a range of different employment paths in mind. As a PPR student, you will be allocated an academic tutor, who will offer you regular one-to-one guidance on developing and recording the transferable skills and experience that will make you highly employable after your degree. All our modules are developed with such skills-building in mind.

As well as the above work experience modules, you will be encouraged to participate in Active Research and field studies with external partners. We hold career guidance workshops specifically for students of each of our core subjects and our dedicated careers tutor offers individual advice on how to plan ahead and make the most of the opportunities we offer.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Religious Studies

E.g. Religious Studies, Religious Studies and Sociology, Religious Studies with Chinese, Philosophy and Religious Studies, International Relations and Religious Diversity, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Religious Studies typically will have the ability to:
- Provide empathy and imaginative insight.
- Use independence of mind and initiative and have a belief in lifelong learning.
- Gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information.
- Attend closely to the meaning of written documents.
- Use teamwork skills including attending to others and having respect for others views.
- Formulate questions and solve problems.
- Explore links between religion on the one hand and literature, culture and the arts on the other.
- Be self-critically aware of presuppositions and encourage constructive and critical exploration of arguments.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Theology & Religious Studies.
Further study
Find out more about postgraduate research in The Department of Politics Philosophy and Religion (PPR) at Lancaster University.
Specialist vacancy sources
- Guardian Jobs - Religious Education
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

The Richardson Institute Internship Programme

The Richardson Institute is the oldest Peace Studies centre in the UK and was established in 1959 in the spirit of the Quaker scientist, Lewis Fry Richardson. The Richardson Institute is an interdisciplinary forum for cutting-edge research into peace and conflict, and is open to all students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Each year the Institute provides over 60 voluntary internships which enable undergraduate students to work with external organisations on research projects. Recent interns have worked with NGOs, think tanks, charities and faith based organisations on project themes such as Religion and Borders and Religion and Conflict Situations. You will work on the project alongside your studies throughout the academic year and your project supervisor will support you with research training and interactive workshops.

School Volunteering Placement Module: PPR in Education

This optional placement module will give you experience in a classroom, including classroom observation, teacher assistance, as well as teaching small groups (under supervision). You’ll develop transferable skills and will be required to reflect on how your subject area is experienced by learners, delivered in other parts of the educational sector, and applied in a classroom setting.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We offer a wide range of support for preparing students for life after university. All our programmes offer students the opportunity to develop their skills and experience with a range of different employment paths in mind. As a PPR student, you will be allocated an academic tutor, who will offer you regular one-to-one guidance on developing and recording the transferable skills and experience that will make you highly employable after your degree. All our modules are developed with such skills-building in mind.

As well as the above work experience modules, you will be encouraged to participate in Active Research and field studies with external partners. We hold career guidance workshops specifically for students of each of our core subjects and our dedicated careers tutor offers individual advice on how to plan ahead and make the most of the opportunities we offer.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Sociology

E.g. Sociology, Politics and Sociology, Religious Studies with Sociology, Film and Sociology, Criminology and Sociology, etc.

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Sociology typically will have the ability to:
- Formulate and investigate sociologically informed questions using major theoretical perspectives and concepts and their application to social life and social, public and civic policy.
- Analyse, assess and communicate empirical sociological information and identify and comment on different research strategies and methods.
- Conduct sociological research in a preliminary way.
- Understand the ethical implications of sociological enquiry.
- Assess the merits of competing theories and explanations.
- Gather, retrieve and synthesise information and make reasoned arguments and interpret evidence and texts.
- Reflect on their own accumulation of knowledge.
- Communicate in writing and orally in a variety of contexts and modes.
- Use statistical and other quantitative techniques and information retrieval skills in relation to primary and secondary sources of information.
- Apply information technology skills.
- Use skills of time planning and management and deploy group work skills.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Sociology.
Further study
Find out more about postgraduate research funding opportunities in The Department of Sociology at Lancaster University.
Specialist vacancy sources
- British Sociological Association
Professional bodies
- British Sociological Association
Placements & internships

Employability Module: Independent Research Project

You will conduct an independent research project whilst also gaining highly valued work experience in a charity, local government, social enterprise, or company. This will foster your ability to ask critical questions, drawing on sociological and critical cultural theories to analyse ‘real world’ problems and come up with viable solutions.

Extra-Curricular Activities
Our staff and students engage with important public debates around social and cultural issues at local, national and international levels. We contribute to debates and campaigns via social media, academic and student blogs, media interviews and public talks, and this contributes to the intellectually vibrant and friendly atmosphere for which Lancaster is been renowned.

We offer a range of opportunities that support your personal and professional development. You can participate in field trips, film screenings, public events, seminars, and major international conferences. All this makes for a vibrant and supportive atmosphere.

We have a dedicated Careers Tutor who works with the University careers service to offer many opportunities: to gain different work experiences through our placement and internship programmes, to develop application skills, and to learn about preparing your CV.

Find out more about placements and internships within FASS.

Social Work

Skills
A Lancaster graduate in Social Work typically will have the ability to:

Managing problem-solving activities:
- Think logically, systematically, creatively, critically and reflectively, in order to carry out a holistic assessment.
- Apply ethical principles and practices critically in planning problem-solving activities.
- Plan a sequence of actions to achieve specified objectives, making use of research, theory and other forms of evidence.
Gathering information:
- Demonstrate persistence in gathering information from a wide range of sources and using a variety of methods, for a range of purposes. These methods include electronic searches, reviews of relevant literature, policy and procedures, face-to-face interviews, and written and telephone contact with individuals and groups.
- Take into account differences of viewpoint in gathering information and critically assess the reliability and relevance of the information gathered.
- Assimilate and disseminate relevant information in reports and case records.
Analysis and synthesis:
- Assess human situations.
- Analyse and synthesise information gathered, weighing competing evidence and modifying their viewpoint in the light of new information, then relate this information to a particular task, situation or problem.
- Assess the merits of contrasting theories, explanations, research, policies and procedures and use the information to develop and sustain reasoned arguments.
- Employ a critical understanding of factors that support or inhibit problem-solving, including societal, organisational and community issues as well as individual relationships.
- Critically analyse and take account of the impact of inequality and discrimination in working with people who use social work services.
Intervention and evaluation:
- Build and sustain purposeful relationships with people and organisations in communities and interprofessional contexts.
- Make decisions based on evidence.
- Use and evaluate methods of intervention critically and reflectively.
Communication:
- Engage individuals and organisations, who may be unwilling, to achieve a range of objectives.
- Use verbal and non-verbal cues to guide and inform conversations and interpretation of information.
- Negotiate and, where necessary, redefine the purpose of interactions with individuals and organisations and the boundaries of their involvement.
- Listen actively and empathetically to others, taking into account their specific needs and life experiences.
- Make evidence-informed arguments drawing from theory, research and practice wisdom, including the viewpoints of service users and/or others.
Working with others:
- Involve users of social work services in ways that increase their resources, capacity and power to influence factors affecting their lives.
- Engage service users and carers and wider community networks in active consultation.
- Respect and manage differences such as organisational and professional boundaries and differences of identity and/or language.
- Demonstrate interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence that creates and develops relationships based on openness, transparency and empathy.
- Operate within a framework of multiple accountabilities (for example, to agencies, the public, service users, carers and others).
All social work graduates demonstrate the ability to reflect on and learn from the exercise of their skills, in order to build their professional identity. They understand the significance of the concepts of continuing professional development and lifelong learning, and accept responsibility for their own continuing development.
Career options
For more information visit the Prospects pages on Social Work.
Further study
Specialist vacancy sources
- Community Care
- BASW (British Association of Social Workers)
- JobMedic
- Check local council websites for vacancies
Professional bodies
Placements & internships

Read more about your placements on your Social Work degree.

FASS

Art and Design

Art and Design Accordion Accordion

School volunteering placement module

Employability Module: Creative Enterprise

Extra-Curricular Activities

Criminology

Criminology Accordion Accordion

Drama and Theatre Performance

Drama and Theatre Performance Accordion Accordion

School volunteering placement module

Employability Module: Creative Enterprise

Extra-Curricular Activities

English and Creative Writing

English Literature and Creative Writing Accordion Accordion

History

History Accordion Accordion

Linguistics and English Language

Linguistics and English Language Accordion Accordion

Languages and Cultures

Languages and Cultures Accordion Accordion

Law

Law Accordion Accordion

Miscarriages of Justice Clinic

Law Clinic

Streetlaw

Examples of recent Streetlaw projects

Reserved Work Experience Placements - Voluntary or Paid

Access to the Professions Placement Scheme

Voluntary Work Placement - Citizens Advice Bureau

Extra-Curricular Activities

Media, Film and Cultural Studies

Media, Film and Cultural Studies Accordion Accordion

Philosophy

Philosophy Accordion Accordion

Politics & International Relations

Politics Accordion Accordion

Religious Studies

Religious Studies Accordion Accordion

Sociology

Sociology Accordion Accordion

Social Work

Social Work Accordion Accordion