Foundations of Social and Political Science
Course dates: Monday 05 October 2026 - Monday 24 May 2027
Class timetable: 25 sessions (View class timetable for Monday 05 October 2026 to Monday 24 May 2027)
Timetable data for Monday 05 October 2026 to Monday 24 May 2027
| Day of class | Date of class | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 05-Oct-2026 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 12-Oct-2026 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 19-Oct-2026 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 26-Oct-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 09-Nov-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 16-Nov-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 23-Nov-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 30-Nov-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 07-Dec-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 14-Dec-2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 11-Jan-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 18-Jan-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 25-Jan-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 01-Feb-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 08-Feb-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 22-Feb-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 01-Mar-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 08-Mar-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 15-Mar-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 22-Mar-2027 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 26-Apr-2027 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Tuesday | 04-May-2027 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 10-May-2027 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 17-May-2027 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
| Monday | 24-May-2027 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Birkbeck Campus, Central London |
Location: Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Fees: £1810.00
RegisterCourse Overview
In our Foundations of Social and Political Science short course we provide you with training in the key skills required for studying social and political science, while at the same time addressing some of today's central social and political problems. You will gain skills of critical reading, explore the main forms of reasoning and the handling of evidence in social and political science, and develop writing and presentational skills crucial to your further studies.
Weekly topics are on important problems from across political and social science that relate to the broader content of undergraduate courses and subject areas in the School of Social Sciences, for example:
- the state and international politics
- social and political identities
- conflict, law and crime
- the material spaces of social and political engagement.
Assessment is via a 750-1000-word essay plan and bibliography (30%) and 1750-2000-word essay (70%).
As a student on this course, you will study alongside Birkbeck students enrolled on one of our undergraduate or postgraduate courses, giving you the opportunity to network with a range of Birkbeck current students whilst you learn.
This can be taken as a standalone short course or as part of:
Fees
Students are charged a tuition fee for each short course on registering. Please view details for this course, including dates, location and fees at the top of this page. Short course fees may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see our Fees Policy.
Birkbeck's Lifelong Learning Guarantee
If you've studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a reduction on the tuition fee of this course.
Entry Requirements
Most of our short courses have no formal entry requirements and are open to all students.
This short course has no prerequisites.
As part of the registration process, you may be required to submit a copy of a suitable form of ID.
International students who wish to come to the UK to study a short course can apply for a Visitor visa. Please note that it is not possible to obtain a Student visa to study a short course.
How to Register
You register directly onto the classes you would like to take. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis - so register early.
If you want to take more than one short course, you can select each one separately and then register onto them together via our online application portal. There is usually no formal selection process, although some modules may have prerequisites and/or other requirements, which will be specified where relevant.