Why study Modern Studies?
Learning Modern Studies gives you a greater understanding of the contemporary world and your place in it.
You will learn contemporary political and social issues in local, Scottish, United Kingdom and international contexts, and, in these contexts, develop an awareness of the social and political issues you will meet in your life. You will also develop investigating, evaluating and analysing skills in order to understand and explain political, social and international issues.
The skills you learn in Modern Studies are valuable in many career areas, including public administration, business management, law, teaching and journalism.
What do I need to get in?
Entry is at the discretion of the school or college but you would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
Modern Studies helps to develop your understanding of how contemporary society is organised. You will study the role and actions of selected organisations and evaluate how effective they are in meeting their aims. You will also learn how human and legal rights and responsibilities are applied in different societies. You will develop a range of research and information handling skills.
The course has three compulsory units. The units are similar to those for National 4, but you will be expected to produce a higher standard of work.
Modern Studies: Democracy in Scotland the United Kingdom (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- use sources of information to detect and explain examples of exaggeration and selectivity in the use of facts
- increase your knowledge and understanding of democracy in Scotland and the UK
- develop your knowledge and understanding of the UK political structure, including Scotland’s place within this and the debates around this arrangement
- you can then choose either the Scottish political system or the UK political system and develop your knowledge and understanding of the main institutions and organisations that make up political life in your chosen context
- learn more about the ways in which society is informed about the political system, and how people are able to participate in and influence the political system
- increase your understanding of rights and responsibilities in contemporary democratic political society.
Modern Studies: Social Issues in the United Kingdom (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- learn how to use sources of information to make decisions and justify them in detail
- increase your knowledge and understanding of social issues in the UK, choosing to focus on either social inequality or crime and the law
- if you choose to focus on social inequality, you will examine a specific aspect of contemporary social inequality in the UK, looking at the causes and consequences of social inequality and attempts by government, organisations and individuals to tackle it
- if you focus on crime and the law, you will examine the causes of crime; how crime affects individuals and society; and the role of individuals, the police, the legal system and the state in tackling crime.
Modern Studies: International Issues (6 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- learn how to use sources of information to draw and give detailed support for conclusions
- further develop your knowledge and understanding of international issues, choosing to focus on either a socio-economic and political study of a significant world power or a contemporary world issue
- if you choose to study a world power, you will focus on contemporary socio-economic issues and study its political system
- if you choose to study a world issue, you will focus on a significant contemporary issue, its causes and consequences, and attempts at resolution.
How will I be assessed?
Course Assessment (6 SCQF credit points)
Units will be assessed internally by your teacher or lecturer as 'pass' or 'fail'. Your work will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the course. Items of work might include:
- written work - such as research assignments, reports and case studies
- projects
- question papers/tests.
Units do not contribute to your overall grade but to achieve the course qualification, you must pass all units plus a course assessment.
The course assessment for this course consists of two components:
- question paper (60 marks)
- assignment (20 marks).
For the assignment component, you will be asked to choose a contemporary issue topic to research and produce evidence to support your findings. The assignment component will be set and externally marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
The question paper will be set and marked externally by the SQA.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - Modern Studies (National 5)