Courses

• Business
• Communication
• Culture & Society

Business

Personal Investment & Portfolio Planning — EC22005

The course explores the following: The importance of company, sector and geographical spread in reducing risk in a portfolio. The wide range of marketable and non-marketable investments and their different properties are covered. The importance of fundamental analysis of a company's financial performance and the quality of its management. Accounting ratios, income and priority percentages, and information obtainable from company reports. Also the potential impact of economic and political factors on a company's fortunes both in relation to its industrial sector and the economy as a whole (domestically and internationally). This is compared with the techniques of technical analysis. The information available from the Financial Times to compare companies with similar companies and the stock market as a whole.

Innovation Creativity & Enterprise — EN22001

The course explores the following: What are creativity, innovation and enterprise in an organisational context?; Their role in change; The barriers that can exist and strategies to overcome them; The different approaches to problem solving — principles and frameworks; The range of tools and techniques that can be used to foster creativity; The characteristics of an innovative organisation, and how to create an appropriate climate for creative individuals and groups to work in; Practical approaches to managing the innovation process.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation — EN22002

FALL ONLY. The course covers the following: Who is an entrepreneur?; Theories of entrepreneurship; Motivations for starting a business; Personal characteristics of an entrepreneur; Ethnic minority issues in entrepreneurship; Role and importance of the entrepreneur in Scotland; Differences between larger and smaller enterprises; Role of smaller companies; Start-up issues: Idea generation, Opportunities, Support, Entry, Planning; Issues in family businesses; Setting up in Scotland — the business scene and support; What are creativity, innovation and enterprise in an organisational context?; The characteristics of an innovative organisation, and how to create an appropriate climate for creative individuals and groups to work in.

Personal & Professional Development Planning — HT22019

Two work books will be issued at the start of the module. Students are expected to prepare exercises for each workshop. All students are expected to participate in a WebCT Vista on line discussion group. Weekly email bulletins will support the flexible route. The module enables the student to take responsibility for their own learning, develop and practice reflective skills, become an independent learner, develop self confidence. Appraise their strengths and weaknesses, self assess, prioritise, plan and set objectives for their future personal and professional development needs.

Marketing Communications Tools — MK22004

SPRING ONLY. The course covers the following: Marketing communications mix and marketing communications plan; Communications theory: Buyer behaviour: Sales management; Advertising; Sales promotion; Direct marketing; P.R. and sponsorship; Internet as a communication tool; Evaluation of communication campaigns.

Developing Skills from Part-Time Employment — MK22005

This module is designed to give the student an opportunity to gain credits from part time work that is agreed with the employer and the University. The module is student led and focused and empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning and their personal development. It provides a mechanism for students to reflect upon and investigate the world of work and to problem solve work related issues. Students will be required to agree, confirm and complete between 15 and 20 hours in employer verified part-time jobs between weeks 2 and 12 of the semester. The jobs may be of the students own choosing and agreed with the School or come from a bank of part-time positions, in which case students will have to attend interviews with these potential employers in week 1 of the semester. Acceptance for these part-time jobs cannot be guaranteed. The delivery of this module focuses on the development of the student's general/generic skills and is not subject/discipline based. The content of the module includes the process of learning from the workplace, keeping a continuous learning log, problem solving techniques, negotiating skills, working in groups, organisational culture, and employability skills and attributes, personal and professional development planning, and poster presentations. Students who do not attend the first workshop will not normally be permitted to take the module. Students are responsible for ensuring that their employer completes the required health and safety and assessment forms by the due date.

Starting a New Business — EN32001

The course explores the following: Entrepreneurs, business and you; Ideas generation; Researching the market; Resourcing the business; Positioning the business; Cash & financial planning; Selling the idea and presentation skills.

Project Management — OP32003

The course covers the following: Project Definition, Project Management approach and project teams; Phases of Projects (Conception, Development, Realisation, Termination); Work Breakdown and Network Analysis (CPM); Risk Analysis and associated statistical techniques; MS-Project topics: Initial Set-up and Project data entry; Summary Tasks (Outlining); Complex Relationships and Critical Path; PERT Chart and Resource Allocation; Resolving Over-Allocated Resources; Managing Multiple Projects and files; Baseline Planning/Running out a Project; Project Cost Control; PERT Analysis and other enhancements.

Managing Performance — OP32012

SPRING ONLY. The course covers the following: Relationship between mission statements, goal and objectives; Critical success factors; Definitional problems of quality, efficiency and effectiveness; Facets of performance; Input, process and output measurement; Complimentary role of process techniques including benchmarking, TQM and workstudy; Measurement period selection and window analysis; Internal political aspects of performance reporting and target setting; Performance indicators including development, application and limitations; Qualitative measurement and subjectivity issues including role of surrogate quantitative measures; Black box measurement techniques including Data Envelopment Analysis and extensions.

Conference & Exhibition Management — HT32010

This module considers the demand and supply of conference and exhibition facilities and services in the UK and internationally. Analysis of the trends in the market, patterns of provision and market sectors will be carried out with extensive use of current research outputs. Provision of service in terms of delegate, venue and intermediate needs will be established with particular reference to meeting specific market sector needs. Principles of event management will be examined. Appropriate management strategies for successful planning, management and operation of conference and exhibition facilities will be applied.

Marketing & Society — MK32010

FALL ONLY. The course explores the following: Critical Marketing Thinking; Marketing Institution; Culture & Consumption; Marketing Semiotics; Gender & Consumption; Consumer Socialisation; Advertising Language; Postmodern Marketing and Societal Marketing.

Communication

Advanced Presentation — CA22004

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Delivering oral presentations in a variety of simulated situations to a professional standard; Preparing and delivering group presentations; Utilising PowerPoint to anchor the verbal delivery, rhetoric, visual integration, theoretical discourse.

Professional Communication: FSA1 — CA22070

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Development of team work and individual skills within an agency/consultancy setting; Managing appropriate research, construction and presentation of findings; Manage resources within defined areas of work and take the lead on planning in familiar and/or defined contexts; Develop evaluation and critical skills.

Media Law — LW22011

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Law of defamation and defences, copyright and defences, official secrets, confidentiality and private censorship.

Professional Communication: FSA3 — CA32070

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Development of project management skills and practice; client liaison and communication both internally and externally (stakeholders); critical evaluation of project outcomes; management of resources, to put strategy, planning, implementation and evaluation knowledge into practice.

Marketing Communication Strategy — MK71004

FALL ONLY. The course will cover: The nature of marketing communications; Theories/models of the communications process; The contexts of integrated marketing communications — ethical, buyer, stakeholder, external and internal environments, financial; The communications process and the marketing mix; The role of market research in marketing communications; Developing an integrated marketing communications strategy; Relationship marketing and communications; Planning and implementing a media strategy; Evaluating the effectiveness of marketing communications; Branding; New media.

Communication Planning — CA32073

FALL ONLY. The course will cover: Addressing/evaluating communication planning issues, related to various communication disciplines, such as PR, Advertising and Corporate Communication; Critically assessing planning as part of Professional Communication Management, using appropriate theories.

Professional Communication: FSA2 — CA22071

SPRING ONLY. The course covers: Development of teamwork and individual skills within an agency/consultancy setting; Managing appropriate research, construction and presentation of findings; Manage resources within defined areas of work and take the lead on planning in familiar and/or defined contexts; Develop evaluation and critical skills; Understanding of an appropriate range of core theories, principles and concepts.

Theoretical Perspectives — CA22081

SPRING ONLY. The course explores the following: The origins of communication as a discipline; The influence of ideological and linguistic perspectives; European and American developments; The mapping of the field; The Chicago School; Propaganda and Persuasion research; Mass Communication effects; Group Dynamics: Process and linear theories; Formulating communication questions; Problems of definition; contexts; interpersonal theories.

Market Research & Communications — MK22003

SPRING ONLY. The course covers: The relationships between marketing management and the functions of marketing research and communications; Nature role and function of marketing research; Critical analysis of the scope and limitations of marketing research; Evaluations of secondary and primary research designs and methodologies; Data collection, analysis, and interpretation; Cost versus quality; Assessment of role, nature and function of the marketing communication mix within the strategic marketing management context; The marketing communications planning process-objectives, content and context; Selection and evaluation of communication tools.

Professional Communication: FSA4 — CA32071

SPRING ONLY. The course covers: Development of project management skills and practice; client liaison and communication both internally and externally (stakeholders); critical evaluation of project outcomes; management of resources, to put strategy, planning, implementation and evaluation knowledge into practice; Develop understanding and application of appropriate academic/theoretical issues.

Communication Implementation — CA32074

SPRING ONLY. The course covers: Addressing/evaluating the implementation of communication plans and strategies across various communication disciplines, such as PR, Advertising and Corporate Communication; Application of theory to practice; Critically analysing the implementation of Communication Planning and Strategies as related to Professional Communication Management.

Communication Evaluation — CA32075

SPRING ONLY. The course will cover: Addressing/evaluating the effects of communication; focus on evaluating the stages and process of communication practice and management; Developing theoretical analysis and critique.

Culture & Society

Modernity & Modernism — DM20001

FALL ONLY. This module examines questions raised by Modernity and the concept of Modernism. It provides an understanding of the formal, institutional and historical determinations of creative arts practice and discusses questions of meaning, use and effect. Thus it is concerned not only with questions of history, but theories, methodologies and discourses of visual culture. The first part of it introduces theoretical concepts that have shaped debates within photographic practice. In contradistinction to hermetic categorisation or linear chronologies, usually presented in dominant histories of the medium, links are made across genres and historical periods.

Texts & Contexts — PS22023

FALL ONLY. Texts exist in a number of contexts: social, cultural, and historical. The module focuses on literary texts and their relation to these contexts. It examines evaluation and privileging of texts within the academy and society in general. It provides an introduction to a study of the sociology of the text.

Literature, Media & Culture — PS22024

FALL ONLY. Indicative content for three sessions could include: one session devoted to Frankenstein in text and film; one session devoted to the detective genre in text and film; and one session devoted to comic books and filmed cartoons. Students will engage with issues of genre, adaptation, and cultural significance in each session.

Media Regulation — CA32083

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Media ownership, control, regulation, operation, structures and organisation. The origins, history, power, policies and practices of regulatory authorities e.g. Advertising Standards Authority, British Board of Film Classification, Press Complaints Commission, Ofcom, BBC. The role of Government Departments. Effective use of directed study time will include, inter alia accessing various web sites e.g. those of various regulatory authorities.

Sociology of Organisations — PS32013

FALL ONLY. The course covers: Functionalist, Marxist and Weberian accounts of the division of labour and organisational structure; Convergence Theory, Weber's 'iron cage', technical rationality and bureaucracy; Comparative analysis of 'soviet' and 'capitalist' firms, management practices, legal codes and internal democracy; The rise and fall of scientific management — from employee control to employee autonomy; Bureaucratisation, privatisation, decentralisation and the post-modern organisation; Social engineering within organisations - from 'Fordism' to 'Toyotaism'; Work design and redesign — who is involved in designing work systems? What values, methods, practices, cultures and interests shape their designs?

Science Fiction: Text & Film — PS32032

FALL ONLY. Course description to come.

Understanding Cultural Studies — PS32033

FALL ONLY. Course description to come.

Modern Scottish History 1707 — 1914 — PS32038

FALL ONLY. The course explores the following: The causes and consequences of the 1707 Act of Union; The rise and fall of Scottish Jacobitism, 1688-1750; The Scottish Enlightenment; Political management & Scottish Economic Performance, 1707-1850; Thomas Chalmers & the 1843 Disruption; Chartism; Scottish Urbanisation & Industrialisation; Highland Society: Clearance, Emigration and Land Reform; The Scots Abroad; Irish Immigration; Scottish literature; The Liberal ascendancy in Scotland before 1914 and the rise of Labour; Unionist Nationalism, Empire, Britishness & Scottish identity.

Introduction to Film History — DM10010

SPRING ONLY. The module will examine the diversity of early cinema; the plural developments in narrative and representational styles following the medium's first decade; the rise of art cinemas the 1920s, especially German expressionism; Soviet constructivism and French surrealism; the introduction of sound, and a variety of other cinema movements, including cinema v?rit?, neorealism, the French New Wave and New German Cinema. Key directors considered include De Sica, Kurosawa, Godard, Bergman, Renoir, Hitchcock, Lang and Eisenstein.

Comparative Societies — PS22007

SPRING ONLY. The course explores the following: The sociological context — theories of development, modernisation theory, under-development theory, world systems theory, articulation of modes of production & globalisation. National contexts — the primacy of local/regional cultures and class relations in conditioning accumulation and development. The following sylabi are indicative only: Comparative analysis a) the development of capitalism in Britain b) the development of capitalism in Scandinavia c) the development of socialism in Eastern Europe d) the development of capitalism in Japan. In addition students will be able to focus, if they wish, upon a particular society of their choosing — in consultation with the module leader.

Popular Culture — PS22022

SPRING ONLY. Popular culture is the examination of the construction of everyday life, the study of lived cultures and cultural practices. The module focuses on the specific nature of popular culture: Tracing the changing cultural expressions of Western society; Examining what defines popular and mass culture; Current theories on popular culture; The manner in which individuals and social groups participate in the formation, production, and consumption of popular culture; Culture and civilisation, the cultural and commercial, the politics of the popular; gender and the commercial.

Information, Communication & Society — CA32080

SPRING ONLY. The course explores the following: The nature of information; The communication of information in modern societies; New and emerging technologies and their convergence; Information society concepts and critiques; Growth of the information economy including telework and the 'dot com' phenomenon; The debates surrounding information age issues such as access and the surveillance state; Information policy and the role of the state; Impacts of ICTs on media professionals; The global dimension; Technological and social forecasting.

Vision & Difference — DM30008

SPRING ONLY. This module examines questions raised by late capitalism, post-modernity and the concept of postmodernism. The first part discusses the emergence and development of post-structural and post-modern theories and the question of history. It then moves on to discuss contemporary problems within the field of photography and visual culture. It examines work that has been generated by and contributed to post-modern debates and raises questions about subjectivity, technology, culture and politics. What does it mean to speak of post-photography, post-feminism, post colonialism, the post-human?

Cultural Geography — PS32026

SPRING ONLY. Course description to come.

Cultural Studies: Theory into Practice — PS32031

SPRING ONLY. Course description to come.

20th Century Scottish Society — PS32037

SPRING ONLY. The course covers: The Languages of Scotland; Scotland the Brand: Tourism & Heritage; Sport & National Identity; Urban Decay & Regeneration; The Scots Abroad; The Politics of Devolution; Old & New Immigration; Rural Scotland; Women & Scottish Society; Labourism; Reporting Scotland: Media & film; National Identity.

Sexuality & Gender — PS32039

SPRING ONLY. Course description to come.

Scottish Culture & Society — LB22005

Students are encouraged in weekly lectures to develop their appreciation of Scottish culture and society, using a mixture of internal and external staff. Outside events include visits to places of interest, such as Edinburgh Castle and a distillery, and cultural events, such as a Ceilidh. The assessments consist of an essay on a suitable topic agreed with the module leader, and a group presentation developing one of the topics introduced in class. Groups must consist of students from at least two different countries.

Internships

Charitable Organizations

A variety of charities accept students for research and administrative placements, such as women's rights, special-needs, the Cancer Research Group, and the Scottish Health Advisory Service. Students of physical and occupational therapy can also work with disabled children or adults.

Conference and Event Planning

Edinburgh plays host to many conferences and special events throughout the year.

Veterinarian and Equestrian Centres

Previous students have interned at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and also at the Appin Equestrian Centre.

Banks and Financial Institutions

Edinburgh is a banking capital and we have links with the Royal Bank and The Bank of Scotland. Students have particularly enjoyed placements in the archives and banking museums.

Advertising

Students have worked in advertising in various areas, in particular charities, sports and museums.

Healthcare and Administration

Successful internships have taken place within the National Health Service, particularly in the Information Services Division where students have been given various interesting research topics.

Law

There are some very successful legal firms in Edinburgh. We have established a link with Core Solutions, a commercial mediation and dispute resolution company.

Marketing

Previous internships have taken place in various areas of marketing including sports marketing with the Edinburgh Capitals, KD Media, Big Blue and Belinda Robertson (cashmere).

Psychology and Psychiatric Facilities

Students are placed within the psychology department at Edinburgh University and also within the Royal Edinburgh Psychiatric Hospital.

Publishing

Previous publishing internships have taken place with Media Magazine, the Holyrood Magazine (the official Parliament Publication) and also with charitable organizations.

Religious Organisations

EPA has links with various Presbyterian Churches, and student placements range from St Giles Cathedral to small churches involved with outreach in the community.

Social Services and Social Work

EPA has been involved with the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and their Social Work Team and also has very strong links with Capability Scotland — Scotland's leading disability organization. Students have also been placed with the Bethany Fellowship, working with the socio-economically disadvantaged.

Sports

Previous internships have been with Edinburgh Leisure, Edinburgh Capitals, the Scottish Rugby Union, David Lloyd Gym and the Hibernian Football Club, and the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team.

Finance

Students have been placed in internships with Watson Wyatt, a prominent global consulting firm.

Medical Research

Internships have taken place with the NHS.

Politics and Government

Politics interns work as research and administrative assistants to Members of the Scottish Parliament or at political party headquarters: Scottish Nationalist, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democratic or the Green Party.

Museums & Tourist Attractions

Edinburgh is world-renowned for the quality and diversity of its museums and visitor attractions, many of which offer administrative, and in some cases research, placements to students. Placements are also available in tourism and hotel management.

Public Relations

Public relations placements are available in a variety of organizations and businesses.

Business

Although Edinburgh is a relatively small city, it is the capital of Scotland and very cosmopolitan. Previous interns have enjoyed placements in various businesses from the Festival Theatre to football clubs and small independant businesses.

Theater and Dance

Edinburgh is one of Europe's leading centers of theater and dance. Students can intern in a variety of theaters, large or small, traditional or alternative, and also at contemporary and art film houses. Students of dance can teach in dance workshops and successful internships have taken place in Dance Therapy.

Education, including Special Needs

Teaching and administrative placements are available in schools. Most placements are with children aged 5-11 years. Interns can specialize in different areas, such as teaching children with special needs, teaching sports or in equestrian schools.