Modern Slavery Studies (MA)

Modern slavery is a crime that affects an estimated 45 million people across the globe. The aim is to provide a suite of programmes that will align the right skills, powers and experience to meet challenging anti-slavery requirements.

As the role of the anti-slavery workforce becomes further embedded in public and private sector organisations, there is a need to ensure that continuous professional development is available which is academically accredited and recognises the skills and knowledge of people required by the role. This MA portfolio of programmes provides this accredited CPD route.

The programmes have been developed in close and regular liaison with members of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group. The initial programme, the University Certificate, worth 40 Level 7 credits, recognises the importance and complexity of the role of those working within modern slavery departments and further professionalises it.

On successful completion of the University Certificate, there is an opportunity for learners to ‘top-up’ this award by studying a further 20 credit module to achieve a Postgraduate Certificate. Subsequently, the credits achieved can be used to top-up to a Postgraduate Diploma or an MA.

Why choose this course

There are clear benefits of these programmes for both the individual and for the wider public, private and not-for-profit organisations.

For the individual, it recognises and builds upon their professional competency and practice by providing an appropriate, focused and useful programme of continuing professional development.

For the organisations, it will help develop academic and practitioner research and hence a corpus of knowledge that will enhance the contribution and assessment of mechanisms to combat modern slavery for societal well-being.

Course Overview

A Blended Learning Approach

The programmes take a blended learning approach enabling work-based learners to complete much of the programme online at a distance, providing the flexibility they require to accommodate employment and study.

However, annual face-to-face events allow learners to synthesise and further develop the learning to date. The programmes are proposed in progressive, bite-sized chunks of learning (University Certificate, PGCert, PGDip and MA), offering learners the opportunity to progress through the various awards, undertaking between 40- and 180-credits worth of CPD. The modules will involve masterclasses from current practitioners in the field.

Assessment

Assessment methods that are both formative and summative are varied, contemporary, and linked to professional practice.

Formative assessment is used extensively throughout the programmes to prepare and rehearse students for the summative assessment this is achieved via practical exercises undertaken online and/or discussed in scheduled sessions, e.g. case studies, practical work and presentations by learners. Each module is assessed summatively through individual assessment tasks that provide feedback on a learner’s performance for the module but includes feed-forward guidance to support learners in subsequent modules/learning.

Career Opportunities

One of the concerns of the Welsh Modern Slavery Leadership group is that within Wales and the UK there is limited opportunity for anti-slavery professionals to obtain vocational and academic qualifications in this extremely complex area of serious and organised crime.

Students can also Exit with University Certificate, PGDip and PGCert.

Good first degree in a relevant subject