Welcome to the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences at University. The faculty is the largest in the School
in terms of student and staff numbers and consists of the departments of Development Studies,
Economics, Financial and Management Studies, Politics and International Studies and the School of Law,
as well as the Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Sciences, the Centre for Gender Studies, the Centre for
International Studies and Diplomacy, the Centre of University Studies and a number of department-
specific centres. All five departments offer undergraduate programmes, and all but Finance and
International Management offer joint undergraduate degrees which can be combined with other
disciplines from across the School. Each department also offers a range of masters-level programmes
with a regional or disciplinary specialism, as well as a postgraduate research programme. The range of
course options and combinations is one of the most distinctive characteristics of studying at University l
and all students are given the option of studying an Asian or African language, either as part of or on top
of their degree.
Staff in the faculty come from all over the world and combine regional knowledge with disciplinary
specialisms. Teaching draws heavily on academic staff’s individual research which allows the faculty to
maintain a large portfolio of courses, often exploring cutting-edge issues. Many faculty members have
played a significant part in public debates and policy-making in relation to Asia and Africa. Academics in
the faculty are regularly consulted by governments, public bodies and multilateral organisations including
the United Nations and the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, European Commission, DFID and
other country-specific organisations and NGOs.