Open units are units which are outside of a student's subject discipline(s) that are available in many undergraduate programmes (subject to space and timetabling constraints). Typically these units are interdisciplinary and do not have any pre- or co-requisites. Single honours undergraduate students are normally able to choose up to 20 credit points of open units.
The University has developed a number of thematic, interdisciplinary "Bristol Futures" open units which deal with issues and themes of current importance. Details of these units are available here including video trailers for some of the units. Specific details about each unit is available below. The Bristol Futures optional units are:
City Futures: Migration, Citizenship, and Planetary Change
Creative Futures: Tools for Changing the World
Decolonise the Future!
Science of Happiness
Sustainable Development
Understanding global problems using data: inequality, climate change and the economy
The open units scheme also includes the University Wide Language Programme units. Details of these are available here as well as specific information about each unit below.
It is possible that open units appearing on this list will be unavailable if capacity has been taken up by students taking it as an optional unit.
What do the teaching blocks (TB) mean?
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| AVDASI 1 - Aerospace Vehicle Systems Introduction | AENG10001 | 10 |
| Advanced English Language Studies | LANG14011 | 20 |
| Advanced Legal Research Methods and Legal System | LAWDM1008 | 10 |
| Advanced Legal and Socio-Legal Research Methods | LAWDM0084 | 20 |
| Aircraft Operations | AENG24630 | 10 |
| American Fiction that Matters: US Writing in 'The American Century' | MODL23012 | 20 |
| Analysis in Management | EFIM10003 | 20 |
| Ancients and moderns: cultures of humanism in Renaissance Europe | MODL30002 | 20 |
| Anguish in Eden: Foundations of American Prose Writing | MODL23011 | 20 |
| Anticipating the End: Russian Thought in the Shadow of Revolution (1890-1917) | RUSS30059 | 20 |
| Approaches to Poetry | ENGL10026 | 20 |
| Approaches to Shakespeare | ENGL10027 | 20 |
| Approaches to the study of Political Science | POLI11104 | 20 |
| Astronomy 1 | PHYS10500 | 40 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Beginners' German Language 1 | GERM19001 | 20 |
| Beginners' German Language 2 | GERM19002 | 20 |
| Big Ideas in Science | CHEM10001 | 20 |
| Biological Psychology | PSYC10003 | 10 |
| Biology 1A: Diversity of Life | BIOL11000 | 40 |
| Biology 1B: Life Processes | BIOL12000 | 40 |
| Brazilian Portuguese for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 1 | LANG10005 | 20 |
| British Prehistory | ARCH12011 | 20 |
| Building New Britains | HISTM0027 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Death and Afterlife in Buddhism | THRS20087 | 20 |
| Developmental Psychology | PSYC11019 | 10 |
| Dissertation | BIOCM0005 | 60 |
| Doing Social Research | SOCI10005 | 20 |
| Domestic Violence: Research, Policy and Activism | SPOLM5010 | 20 |
| Drugs and Society | SPOL30011 | 20 |
| Drugs and Society | SPOL21011 | 20 |
| Dynamics of Networks | EMATM0008 | 10 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Education, Schooling and Diversity | SPOL10015 | 20 |
| Elementary Statistics | MATH10510 | 10 |
| Engineering Physics | EMAT10005 | 20 |
| English for Academic Purposes | LANG10031 | 10 |
| English for Academic Purposes - Part 1 (Science and Engineering) | LANG10002 | 10 |
| English for Academic Purposes - Part 2 (Science and Engineering) | LANG10003 | 10 |
| English for Business and Professional Purposes | LANG14021 | 20 |
| Environment Earth | EASC10004 | 20 |
| Environmental Geoscience 1 | EASC10002 | 40 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Film and Television Forms and Analysis | DRAM11005 | 20 |
| Film and Television Histories | DRAM23123 | 20 |
| French for Business and Professional Purposes Level 3 | LANG34012 | 10 |
| French for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 2 (post GCSE) | LANG12022 | 20 |
| French for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 2 (post GCSE) | LANG12012 | 10 |
| French for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 3 (post A'Level) | LANG13012 | 10 |
| French for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 3 (post A'Level) | LANG13022 | 20 |
| French for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 1 | LANG21022 | 20 |
| French for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 1 (continuation of Level 1 Grade 1) | LANG21012 | 10 |
| French for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22012 | 10 |
| French for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22022 | 20 |
| Further Qualitative Methods | SPOLM0017 | 20 |
| Further Quantitative Methods | SPOLM0016 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Geology 1 | EASC10001 | 40 |
| German for Business and Professional Purposes Level 3 | LANG34013 | 10 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 2 (post GCSE) | LANG12023 | 20 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 1 (ab-initio) | LANG11043 | 20 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 2 (post GCSE) | LANG12013 | 10 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 3 (post A'Level) | LANG13023 | 20 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 3 (post A'Level) | LANG13013 | 10 |
| German for Medical Studies Level 1 Grade 3 (post A' level) | LANG13303 | 10 |
| German for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 1 | LANG21013 | 10 |
| German for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 1 | LANG21023 | 20 |
| German for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22023 | 20 |
| German for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22013 | 10 |
| Ghosts, Death and the Afterlife | THRS20167 | 20 |
| Ghosts, Death and the Afterlife | THRS11055 | 20 |
| Globalisation and Development | ECON10053 | 20 |
| Green Planet | BIOL20013 | 10 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Health Policy in a Global Context | SPOL30055 | 20 |
| Health Policy in a Global Context | SPOL20055 | 20 |
| Hinduism and Buddhism | THRS11047 | 20 |
| Historical Studies 1: Western Art Music (up to 1750) | MUSI10045 | 20 |
| Historical Studies I: Western Art Music I | MUSI10052 | 10 |
| Historical Studies II : Western Art Music (1750 to the present day) | MUSI10046 | 20 |
| Historical Studies II: Western Art Music II | MUSI10053 | 10 |
| History of Germany and Austria, 1918-34 | GERM20028 | 20 |
| History of the USA Before 1865 | MODL23009 | 20 |
| History of the USA Since 1865 | MODL23010 | 20 |
| Homeric Society | CLAS12343 | 20 |
| Homeric Society | CLAS22343 | 20 |
| Human-Computer Interaction | COMS21301 | 10 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Japanese for General Purposes (ab-initio) | LANG11046 | 20 |
| Japanese for General Purposes Intermediate | LANG31046 | 20 |
| Japanese for General Purposes Pre-Intermediate | LANG21046 | 20 |
| Journeying: Discovering the World, Creating Ourselves | GEOG16002 | 20 |
| Judaism and Christianity | THRS11049 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Key Social Thinkers | SOCI10006 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Language (Advanced) | MODL10014 | 40 |
| Language for General Purposes (Ab-initio Mandarin Chinese) | LANG11047 | 20 |
| Language for General Purposes - French Level 1, Grade 1 | LANG11042 | 20 |
| Law Gender and Sexuality | LAWDM0033 | 30 |
| Leading in Education and Training (Unit 231) | MEEDM0015 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Mahayana Buddhism | THRS20032 | 20 |
| Mandarin Chinese for General Purposes (pre-intermediate) | LANG21047 | 20 |
| Marine Ecology and Physiology | BIOL21403 | 10 |
| Markets, Government and Public Policy | SPOL20017 | 20 |
| Markets, Government and Public Policy | SPOL30021 | 20 |
| Mathematics 1A20 | MATH11004 | 20 |
| Mathematics 1AM | MATH10100 | 40 |
| Mathematics 1AS | MATH10300 | 40 |
| Mathematics 1EM | MATH10600 | 40 |
| Mathematics 1ES | MATH10500 | 40 |
| Migration Policy in the UK and European Union | SPOL20030 | 20 |
| Migration Policy in the UK and European Union | SPOL30030 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Navigating Life's Milestones: Responsible Caring (Trinity and Baptist College) | THRS20180 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Performance Forms and Analysis | DRAM11004 | 20 |
| Performance Histories | DRAM23125 | 20 |
| Personal Identity | PHIL10022 | 20 |
| Personal Welfare Services | SPOL30053 | 20 |
| Personal Welfare Services | SPOL20053 | 20 |
| Philosophical Texts 1: Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion | PHIL10003 | 10 |
| Physics 1E | PHYS10300 | 40 |
| Planet Earth | EASC10003 | 20 |
| Policy Processes and Policy Research | SPOLM5008 | 20 |
| Political Concepts | POLI11101 | 20 |
| Political Systems of Modern Europe | MODL20008 | 20 |
| Principles of Economics | EFIM10050 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Qualitative Methods | SPOLM5002 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Researching Child and Family Welfare | SPOLM0011 | 20 |
| Researching Health and Social Care | SPOLM5004 | 20 |
| Researching Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion | SPOLM5011 | 20 |
| Russian for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 1 | LANG10006 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Teaching and Learning using Simulators (Unit 217) | MEEDM0014 | 20 |
| Texts in Modern Political Philosophy | PHIL10027 | 10 |
| The Bible and Theology | THRS11048 | 20 |
| The Johannine Writings | THRS20177 | 20 |
| The Religious World of Dante | THRS20090 | 20 |
| The Saving God (Trinity and Baptist College) | THRS20178 | 10 |
| The Struggle for Russia: 19th-century Debates on Self and Society | RUSS20012 | 20 |
| Theorising Social Welfare 1 | SPOL31001 | 20 |
| Theorising Social Welfare I | SPOL21001 | 20 |
| Thinking Sociologically | SOCI10004 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Understanding Public Policy | SPOL30054 | 20 |
| Understanding Public Policy | SPOL20054 | 20 |
| Understanding Urban Society | SPOL30023 | 20 |
| Understanding Urban Society | SPOL20023 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| Viewing the City of Rome | CLAS12357 | 20 |
| Viewing the City of Rome | CLAS22357 | 20 |
| Violence against Women | SPOL31013 | 20 |
| Violence against Women | SPOL20013 | 20 |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top | ||
| What is the Good Life? | CLAS22354 | 20 |
| What is the Good Life? | CLAS12354 | 20 |
| World in Crisis? | GEOG16001 | 20 |
