School of Humanities and Social Science

The School of Humanities and Social Science is an innovative and distinct school.

We are leading educators within five subject areas: 

• English Literature
• History
• International Relations and Politics
• Media, Culture and Communication
• Sociology

Blending cutting-edge research with innovative teaching and engagement with practitioners, the curriculum that underpins these subject areas is vibrant, student focused and centred on contemporary debates and issues.

Staff in the School are research active and committed to producing world-leading research that has impact and reach across the regional, national and global stage. The School of Humanities and Social Science’s distinguished reputation is strengthened by the relationships we have established with key stakeholders outside the University, both locally and internationally, which enhance the student experience and reflect the University’s commitment to be a pioneering and modern civic university.

Our specialities and research

We achieved excellent REF 2014 results

Over the past six years staff in the School have produced a wealth of published research, authoring or editing 52 books, producing 192 articles and contributing to 95 chapters in books or entries to edited collections. We have also been involved in interdisciplinary collaborations throughout the University and have forged external research partnerships both nationally and internationally. We feed all of this cutting-edge research into our teaching.

This work helped us achieve excellent Research Excellence Framework 2014 results, with an increased level of 3* and 4* activity across the School. It has also provided us with the strong foundation we need to continue to improve the range, impact and quantity of our research within our key areas of research, which are:

• Communication, cultural and media studies
• English literature
• History
• Social work and social policy

In addition to our research, the educational experience we offer is further enriched by our international partnerships, which have been developed across the world, from Europe to China and the USA. These links not only provide students and staff with the opportunity to study or work overseas, but they also enable international visiting scholars to make valuable contributions to our curriculum.

We are dedicated to providing a stimulating and challenging environment for all our staff and students, which is why we run regular research seminars, international conferences and lectures.

Our work also extends beyond the University. In 2014 we launched a new project – Merseyside at War. This initiative honours the people of Merseyside’s role in the First World War and captures stories, such as John Condon’s (the youngest allied solder to die in WW1), records memorabilia and promotes local First World War related events.