If you want to know “why the world is the way it is,” the Undergraduate Certificate in Politics is the course for you – whoever you are

Where do you sit on the political spectrum?

Are you conservative in your world views?  Or are you inclined to a more progressive take on the economic or social structures that make up modern life?

Politics can be acutely personal. They can unite or divide people. And they can do so dramatically. Perhaps more than any other form of allegiance, political views have the power to mobilise people, ignite movements, drive social cohesion – and its opposite – and shape the future for entire societies. 

But where do they come from? Why do we have the views that we do? And how certain can we be that our ideas are actually sound?

The University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) Undergraduate Certificate in Politics challenges students to reassess what they think they know and understand about our political structures, our beliefs and even our expectations of systems like democracy. And there has never been a more interesting or relevant time to do so, says Course Director, Carina O’Reilly. 

“We’re living in such interesting and changing times, with acute geo-political tensions poised to reshape the way we trade and collaborate globally. There are so many questions that students bring to this course, many of them around the role of democracy in protecting us from populism and how democracy itself works. Students come to us with so much to explore.”

They also come to be challenged, she adds. And the online Undergraduate Certificate in Politics delivers that challenge from the word go. Students are expected to immerse themselves in the history of politics from early political theory to notions of the “social contract” in the 18th century through to the founding ideas of liberal democracy. The course covers a lot of ground, says Carina. 

“Learning is structured around three core online units that really get into the root of statehood and the roles played by things like religion and different schools of political belief. It’s demanding in the best possible way,” she add, “in the sense that it really expands our students’ minds and thinking.” 

Unit one is an immersion in the ideas of democracy, power, morality, capitalism and debate. A “light start,” Carina laughs, that paves the way for a second unit on states and regimes.

“We look at how states are formed and the constitutional structures that underpin them. From here, we explore the impact of inter-statal organisations like the UN and NATO, or the EU. And we ask really important questions about globalization and how it has affected people around the world.”

The course culminates in a final unit exploring liberal democracy in practice: how parliaments in countries like the UK and US operate, and how democracy can remain robust in the face of referenda, populism, activism and crises, including the pandemic. On completion, students receive their certificate from the University of Cambridge.

“This is a learning experience that really integrates the foundational ideas of the past, particularly those of the 18th century, with the things that are happening here and now in our present. For our students it constitutes massive intellectual stimulation and a chance to really broaden their understanding of why things are the way they are, why people vote the way that they do, and why they themselves cleave to the ideas and beliefs that they have – we challenge them to ask themselves where their opinions come from and whether they are legitimate.”

Chris is an accountant based in the UK. He joined the Undergraduate Certificate in Politics to “round out” his own understanding of an area of human activity that is “relevant to all lives and affects all of us all the time,” he says. The course gave him as many surprises as answers. 

“You find the insights that you’re looking for on this course, but it also poses questions – some of which you may not have even imagined or might have taken for granted. It challenged us to look at the nature of democracy and unpack why – or indeed if – this system is better than others. One of the areas that I enjoyed most, was looking at how power changes hands, which is one of the greatest tests of democracy. Specifically, we dug into how democracy works in the US and we unearthed quite a lot of controversy – all sorts of interesting questions and discoveries emerge as you go deeper.”

The course was a unique opportunity to really look at key areas of life, says Chris.  

“The constraints of work and home responsibilities can make it hard to explore big ideas, and most of us have competing things that eat our time. Coming to ICE gives you the structured reading and the learning framework to investigate these topics properly.”

Students come to the course from a very broad diversity of backgrounds, says Carina. And for a breadth of reasons. 

“We have people join us from international organisations, including the UN. Others are international workers. Some are graduates and others didn’t go to university. Our cohorts are hugely diverse and span a breadth of age groups and interests. That’s really part of the fun of it.”

What unites all of her students, she adds, is a “curious mindset,” and a thirst for knowledge. And while some leave the course inspired to pursue further studies, others attend for the “sheer joy” of learning. 

“People join this course with plenty of different goals and objectives, all of them valid. This is an environment that invites everyone in to explore ideas and topics that are common and relevant to us all.”

The Undergraduate Certificate in Politics welcomes students from all over the world and every walk of life, says Carina. And for potential applicants, she has this advice: “Just do it. And have fun. If you have a curious mind and an appetite for discovering why the world is the way it is, this is the course for you.”

----------------------------------

Find out more about the Undergraduate Certificate in Politics and apply by 3 December 2021.