UWE Bristol among 23 universities in UK awarded right to deliver Parliamentary Studies Module

UWE Bristol has been named among 23 universities nationally that have been awarded the right to deliver the unique and highly regarded Parliamentary Studies Module from the academic year 2024/25.

In connection with the UK Parliament’s commitment to promoting and supporting the study of Parliament, this is the third time that Parliament has sought collaborators to teach the Parliamentary Studies Module following continued and successful engagement with universities throughout the UK since 2013.

The applications were judged by a panel of staff from the Houses of Parliament. UWE Bristol’s successful application was put together by Dr Thom Oliver (Senior Lecturer in Politics), Dr Jane Kirkpatrick (Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations) and Professor Peter Clegg (Head of the School of Social Sciences). Parliamentary Studies will become a module option for students in their third year of the Politics and International Relations programme in the next academic year.

Professor Clegg said: “We are very pleased to be awarded the right to deliver the module. The opportunity to work with Parliament, to promote its role and importance, and to give students the first-hand experience of visiting and working with colleagues at Westminster is an exciting prospect. Our Politics and International Relations programme emphasises the important relationship between theory and practise, and the Parliamentary Studies Module will enhance this focus. Ensuring our students can reach out into the real world, where politics and political decision-making really counts is crucial.”

Dr Oliver said: “Following a competitive process, we are delighted to receive this award which enables us to deliver the prestigious Parliament Studies Module in conjunction with the UK Parliament. The module will build upon the specialist expertise in the team and offers our students a clear view of how politics is both practiced and researched, opening new pathways for our graduates into the political world.”

Parliamentary Studies is the only higher education module formally approved by the Houses of Parliament and is co-taught by university tutors and officials from the Houses of Parliament. The aim of the module is to provide students with a detailed knowledge of how Parliament works in both theory and practice and is delivered in collaboration with the Houses of Parliament. The Higher Education Institution (HEI) provides academic and theoretical content, and the Houses of Parliament provides practical teaching about the work, processes and business of Parliament.

UWE Bristol and the other successful institutions will deliver the module from the academic year 2024/25 until the end of the academic year 2029/30 with a review of quality and progress after two years.