BA (Hons) International Labour and Trade Union Studies (ILTUS)

This is a three year full-time or four and a half year part-time block residential undergraduate course.

For the block residential route you will be required to attend the college six weekends a year during term time. The course is aimed at students who are active in trade unions, worker organisations or community groups. It covers four main themes: Employment Relations, Law, Sociology and Economics, but requires no advance academic knowledge of these subjects. The course is unique in the UK as the only undergraduate programme to analyse employment relations issues on a global basis, including attacks on workers’ rights, international migration, aging populations and other challenges for contemporary trade unions.

Overall Course Aims

• You will develop a depth of knowledge and complexity of analytical skills
• You will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed on the degree course and, where this is your desired outcome, be provided with a suitable academic grounding if you wish to progress to Masters level of study
• You will deepen your problem-solving skills and increase your capacity for critical evaluation and independent judgment, particularly in undertaking independent study and research
• You will develop comprehension of, and the capacity to analyse issues that are central to the study of international labour and trade unionism
• You will be able to apply and critically reflect on different theoretical perspectives to the analysis of issues of labour regulation and trade union organisation and practice in different contexts
• You will be equipped with the personal and professional aptitudes to succeed in appropriate employment where this is the desired outcome for you
• You will be empowered with the motivation and independent thinking and learning skills to enable you to become lifelong autonomous learners and engage with the issues raised by the regulation of labour at both national and international level, along with the contemporary challenges posed to trade unions dealing with change and globalisation.

This course further aims to equip you with:

• A systematic understanding of key aspects of the subjects studied enabling you to show detailed and coherent knowledge informed by reference to research and scholarly work
• The skills and confidence to deploy an appropriate range of analytical techniques to support independent enquiry
• The ability to devise and sustain arguments in response to issues and challenges emerging in the general field of international labour and trade union practice
• The competence to manage your own learning using scholarly sources, contemporary documents and basic research methods
• Communication skills in order to be able to present complex ideas and arguments using a range of presentational techniques

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All candidates must be able to satisfy the general admissions requirements for Ruskin College. If you have a Certificate of Higher Education or 120 credits in a relevant subject you may be eligible for direct entry onto Level 5. Please contact Hannah on 01865 759604 for further information. Similarly, if you have a Diploma of Higher Education or 240 Credits in a relevant subject you may be eligible for direct entry onto Level 6 of this course. COURSE AND APPLICATION DATES This course starts in September. The closing date is 15th August.

CAREERS

Designed for trade unionists and other activists, this course naturally leads students into associated careers; Fulltime trade union officials, Trade union organisers or Project workers on TUrelated initiatives Progression Opportunities within Ruskin College Graduates of the International Labour and Trade Union Studies programme can apply for postgraduate study on the following course at Ruskin College:

• MA International Labour and Trade Union Studies
• MA Public History

Tuition Fees 2015/16

Access to HE Programmes, Level 3, Full Time: £3,358

Why study at Ruskin?

Individuals like you who want to make positive changes to their lives and have the determination to secure the education, qualifications and opportunities that we offer.

As a Further Education College based in Oxford, Ruskin offers educational opportunities, to adults with few or no formal qualifications in an informal setting. Our curriculum starts with the students, their enthusiasm, needs, ambitions and skills and we offer our applicants potential progression routes from foundation courses, through to Access to Higher Education, Degree Programmes up to Masters level.

Whether you are about achieving qualifications, pursuing a forgotten enthusiasm or simply learning to enjoy education. Our friendly residential college attracts students from our local communities, across the UK and the world to help each other learn.

We’ll help you find a level of study that suits your skills and experience.

Ruskin College has a proud history of supporting individuals to realise their potential. We’re a small college, with big ideas – and the programmes we offer mean your learning can also make positive changes to the lives of others. Ruskin welcomes students who not only want to develop themselves but want also to put something back into society.

All of our courses feature the same high-quality teaching and support and there is a range of options for you to explore, from short courses through degrees to masters programmes.

What’s special about Ruskin?

• Academic excellence - Ruskin offers highly qualified staff who provide a supportive and enriching learning experience
• A supportive environment - with our help you can realise your potential and overcome your own personal barriers to learning. Your tutor will help you to find the skills you need and handle the challenges you face
• A like-minded community - you’ll be joining a community of like-minded people, and studying alongside other adults like you who have chosen to make a positive change in their lives
• Clear progression - your learning journey is tailored to your ability and aspirations and that can mean direct access to a degree programme (subject to interview)
• An eye to the future - what you can achieve depends on the skills you have developed during your studies. Our longer courses can lead you directly into professional careers or on to further higher education.

Our story began 115 years ago, rooted in educating working-class adults. Today, we continue to offer opportunities and support to students who often face challenging circumstances. Students come to us from all walks of life, of all ages, some with family or caring commitments, many who are familiar with unemployment or part-time, low paid jobs, and many who have been denied education, qualifications and chances earlier on in their lives.

Why not make Ruskin College the next chapter in your story?

Accommodation at Ruskin

Ruskin College is located in Old Headington, an area just three miles from the centre of Oxford and rich in history. Ex-residents of Headington include CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Sir Isaiah Berlin and Elizabeth Bowen amongst others.

From Headington, there are regular and frequent bus services to the city centre and a regular coach service to London.

Once offered a place, full-time students can apply for a single study bedroom for the entire academic year (40 weeks). Accommodation for students on site is of a high standard, recently-refurbished and offering study/bedrooms in small blocks on the peaceful, semi-rural campus.

There is a choice of standard rooms with shared bathrooms or shower and toilet facilities or en-suite rooms at a higher cost, and subject to availability. All have shared kitchens, and there are three common rooms for use in the evenings.

The College occupies a beautiful site with lawned areas to the front, featuring specimen trees and an avenue of elms, a walled garden behind with opportunities to become involved, an orchard, a small wood and meadowland beyond. Above all, this provides a calm and tranquil environment in which to study.

Life on Campus

The College attracts students from all over Britain and many parts of the world. Within its residential community, students socialise, study and help each other learn in a friendly, supportive environment.

Up-to-date computer facilities are available throughout the week, including weekends, and the modern, purpose-built Callaghan library is well-stocked with over 40,000 volumes.

There is an active Students Union, called the Ruskin College Student Union (RCSU), which promotes and supports the interests of Ruskin students, co-ordinates activities and sponsors groups and societies within the College.

Students are also eligible to join the Oxford Union, and University of Oxford clubs and societies, which offer a wealth of sporting, theatrical, musical and political activities.

Ruskin College is one of the liveliest venues for literary and political meetings in Oxford. We have visiting speakers, music evenings and creative writing and poetry readings, in addition to hosting a variety of Platform events in theatre, law, gender and history.

Life in Oxford

The City of Oxford offers a wide range of cultural and leisure opportunities.

The Ashmolean was the world’s first public museum and houses collections from classical sculpture to impressionist paintings. The Museum of Modern Art offers the best of contemporary work. Within Oxford colleges, many fine collections of art are available for public viewing.

The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, counts among the most prestigious in the world, and Oxford’s Blackwell's bookshop is the flagship for one of the UK’s largest academic booksellers.

The Oxford Playhouse and the New Theatre showcase the best in touring performance – from classic drama, through opera and dance, to stand up and big name bands and singers. A variety of other smaller scale performance spaces cater for all tastes, many offering opportunities to participate.

A vibrant music scene also exists in Oxford’s pubs and clubs right across the city, from folk to funk, rock to reggae.

There are great sports and leisure facilities within Oxford. The University Sports Centre has squash courts and a gymnasium, and there are opportunities galore for individual and team participation. The city itself also offers an ice rink and a variety of sports centres and facilities.

University Access

Many of the facilities of the University of Oxford, its libraries, social life, and events, are open to Ruskin students through the College’s links. Students studying for the Foundation Degree in Business and Social Enterprise are able to access facilities offered by Oxford Brookes University, including the library, careers service and sports facilities.

Ruskin College also has established links with Universities to provide progression into higher education for those completing one of the Access to Higher Education Diploma courses or the first (CertHE) or second (Foundation degree) courses.