A Level Citizenship Studies Distance Learning Course

Now available as a 12 month FAST TRACK course at no extra cost!! Just select the option at the bottom of this page.

Guaranteed exam place: venues in Bristol, Harrogate, Birmingham & London.

Specification
AQA AS and A2 Citizenship Course (1101/ 2101

Testing Centres
http://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/p_private.php

Course Overview
Citizenship studies provide a framework and practical tools to understand and participate in society on a number of levels – local, national and global.  As well as the course and the textbook, it will be useful to keep up with television news, newspapers and magazines.

Course Synopsis
The Course is divided into two modules, each of which is divided into four lessons. All of the lessons will have references to relevant textbooks and to carefully selected websites. At the end of each lesson there is a set of key words – democracy, freedom of speech etc. After studying the lesson, you should be able to provide an outline of what these phrases mean and the key debates involving them.  Each second lesson has a tutor marked assessment which, when completed, should be sent to your tutor.

Studying citizenship introduces various terms and concepts that are subject to various definitions and debate. You will be required to recognise and understand these terms when you meet them and also to apply them to real-life situations.  Citizenship is not a dry academic study and there will be opportunities to explore how it is relevant to your everyday life as a citizen:  from the process of contacting one’s MP to your rights to protest and demonstrate; legal and economic rights and access to resources to the global structure of power and institutions.

Each module of the course corresponds to the examination unit. The lessons have been arranged to follow the syllabus and to provide for ease of understanding and topic coverage so may be of different length and difficulty. Unit 1 has been built around a basic outline of British parliamentary democracy and how it is structured.  Unit 2 then explores the notion of citizenship and how it is placed within the former.  It would make sense to work these two units in parallel, moving from the general to the particular.

Module 1
Lesson 1
Representative Democracy and the Definition/Role of the Citizen
 
DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE
Lesson 2
Citizenship and Political Participation
 
Assignment A
 
Lesson 3
Political Ideology & Political Action
 
Lesson 4
Life Chances, Social Exclusion and the Underclass
 
Assignment B
 
Module 2
Lesson 1
Political Rights & Responsibilities
 
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lesson 2
Legal Rights & Responsibilities
 
Assignment A
 
Lesson 3
Freedom of Speech
 
Lesson 4
The Media & Public Opinion
 
Assignment B
 
The Examination
Unit 1: Democracy and Justice
1 hr 30 minutes

Unit 2: Rights and Responsibilities
1 hour 30 minutes

A2 Economics

The Examination
Unit 1: Democracy and Justice
1 hr 30 minutes

Unit 2: Rights and Responsibilities
1 hour 30 minutes

A2 Economics

Course Synopsis
The Course is divided into two modules, each of which is divided into four lessons. All of the lessons will have references to a textbook (see above) and to carefully selected websites. At the end of each lesson there is a set of key words – democracy, freedom of speech etc. After studying the lesson, you should be able to provide an outline of what these phrases mean and the key debates involving them.  Each second lesson has a tutor marked assessment which, when completed, should be sent to your tutor.

Studying citizenship introduces various terms and concepts that are subject to various definitions and debate. You will be required to recognise and understand these terms when you meet them and also to apply them to real-life situations.  Citizenship is not a dry academic study and there will be opportunities to explore how it is relevant to your everyday life as a citizen:  from regional and national identity to global citizenship and the challenges of balancing them; conflict resolution to bringing about social and political change on a global level through institutional channels and direct action.

Each module of the course corresponds to the examination unit. The lessons have been arranged to follow the syllabus and to provide for ease of understanding and topic coverage so may be of different length and difficulty.  The third and fourth modules build upon take for granted a working knowledge and understanding of the issues in the first and second.  Unit 3 has been structured around how different social, ethnic and religious identities can conflict with a national idea of citizenship and how they can be reconciled or arbitrated; Unit 4 explores issues of conflict between national identities and civic concerns (the environment, famine etc) on a global scale, institutionally and socially. These are similarly themed but in different contexts so could be studied simultaneously.

Module 3
Lesson 1
Citizenship & Community Participation
 
DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITIES
Lesson 2
Meeting Community Needs
 
Assignment A
 
Lesson 3
Identities & Cohesion
 
Lesson 4
Dealing with Conflict
 
Assignment B
 
Module 4
Lesson 1
Interconnectedness of UK, Europe & World
 
GLOBAL ISSUES
Lesson 2
Sustainability & The Environment
 
Assignment A

Lesson 3
Dealing with Global Conflict
 
Lesson 4
Global Decision Making & Direct Action
 
Assignment B

Learning about Citizenship
Citizenship studies provide a framework and practical tools to understand and participate in society on a number of levels – local, national and global.  As well as the course and the textbook, it will be useful to keep up with television news, newspapers and magazines.

The Examination

Unit 3:  Diversity and Community
1 hr 30 minutes

Unit 4:  Global Issues
2 hours

Suggested reading
AS Citizenship (Paperback)

by Tim Holden-Rowley (Author), John Blewitt (Author)

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Hodder Murray (26 Mar 2004)

ISBN-10: 0340859040

ISBN-13: 978-0340859049

Understanding Social Citizenship: Themes and Perspectives for Policy and Practice (Understanding Welfare: Social Issues, Policy & Practice) [Illustrated] (Paperback)

by Peter Dywer (Author)

Publisher: Policy Press; illustrated edition edition (18 May 2004)

ISBN-10: 1861344155

ISBN-13: 978-1861344151

Study Time
To complete a full A level it will take in the region of 200 study hours.

Pre-requisites
To take an A Level you should have a GCSE grade C or above, or the equivalent and preferably in your chosen subject.

Support
You will have access to tutor via email who will mark your work and guide you through the course to ensure you are ready for your examinations.

Examination Centres
The examination board can provide you with a list of examination centres but it is entirely your responsibility to find a centre which will accept you as an external candidate.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do your courses meet the latest syllabus changes?
A. yes, all our course materials meet any changes and will be updated free of charge if further changes are made.

Q. Why do I have to find a centre myself?
A. We have students all over the UK and Europe and it is impossible for us to arrange dates and times for individual students.

Q. What if I cannot find an examination centre in my home town?
A. If you wish to gain the qualification then be prepared to travel it is worth it!

Q. How much are exam fees?
A. These vary from centre to centre so please check with your local centre.

Q. Are the courses paper based or on-line?
A. All our courses are paper based and come in attractive sturdy folders.

Q. How do I contact my tutor?
A. Tutors are all working Teachers or Lecturers so contact is by email only.

Q. Why can I not take my exams when I have completed the course and why do I have to wait?
A. Exams are taken at the same times as schools and colleges and are not flexible.

Q. I want to take my exams but there are only a few months to study, is this possible?
A. Depending on the time of year, it is sometimes impossible to complete your studies in a short space of time as your work has to be marked and checked. More importantly the examination boards have cut off times which are not flexible. See our web site for further information.

Q. Will I receive UCAS points on completion of this course?
A. Yes all of our A Levels carry UCAS points. The number of points awarded will depend on the grade you achieve.