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 | ||
| Big Ideas in Science | CHEM10001 | 20 |
| Biology 1A: Diversity of Life | BIOL11000 | 40 |
| Biology 1B: Life Processes | BIOL12000 | 40 |
| Biophysics and Molecular Life Sciences I | BIOCM0008 | 20 |
| Biophysics and Molecular Life Sciences II | BIOCM0009 | 20 |
| Brazilian Portuguese for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 1 | LANG10005 | 20 |
| British Prehistory | ARCH12011 | 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 | ||
| Developmental and Cellular Physiology of the Specialised Cell | PHPH20010 | 20 |
| Diet and Dating in Prehistory | ARCH30023 | 20 |
| Dissertation | BIOCM0005 | 60 |
| Divine Love and Ritual Sex: Hindu paths to liberation | THRS20104 | 20 |
| Divine Love and Ritual Sex: Hindu paths to liberation | THRS10037 | 20 |
| Doing Social Research | SOCI10005 | 20 |
| Domestic Violence: Research, Policy and Activism | SPOLM5010 | 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 | ||
| Early and Premodern Christianity | THRS10032 | 20 |
| Early and Premodern Christianity | THRS20100 | 20 |
| Economy and Society in the Ancient World | CLAS12331 | 20 |
| 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 |
| European Society | MODLM2046 | 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 | ||
| Film and Television Forms and Analysis | DRAM11005 | 20 |
| Film and Television Histories | DRAM23123 | 20 |
| Film and the Ancient World | CLAS22350 | 20 |
| Film and the Ancient World | CLAS12350 | 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 | LANG22022 | 20 |
| French for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22012 | 10 |
| 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) | LANG13013 | 10 |
| German for General Purposes Level 1 Grade 3 (post A'Level) | LANG13023 | 20 |
| 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 | LANG22013 | 10 |
| German for Specific Purposes Level 2 Grade 2 | LANG22023 | 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 Care Policies | SPOL21018 | 20 |
| Health Care Policies | SPOL31018 | 20 |
| Health Policy in a Global Context | SPOL20055 | 20 |
| Health Policy in a Global Context | SPOL30055 | 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 the USA Before 1865 | MODL23009 | 20 |
| History of the USA Since 1865 | MODL23010 | 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 |
| 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 |
| Living Religions | THRS10028 | 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 | ||
| Mandarin Chinese for General Purposes (pre-intermediate) | LANG21047 | 20 |
| Marine Ecology and Physiology | BIOL21403 | 10 |
| Markets, Government and Public Policy | SPOL30021 | 20 |
| Markets, Government and Public Policy | SPOL20017 | 20 |
| Mathematics 1A20 | MATH11004 | 20 |
| Mathematics 1AS | MATH10300 | 40 |
| Mathematics 1EM | MATH10600 | 40 |
| Mathematics 1ES | MATH10500 | 40 |
| Mechatronics | MENG26004 | 10 |
| Medieval Mystics and Visionaries in Medieval England | THRSM0100 | 20 |
| Modern Mathematical Biology | MATHM0014 | 10 |
| Modern Mathematical Biology | MATH30004 | 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 | ||
| Neurophysiology | PHPH20009 | 20 |
| Neuroscience | PHPHM0006 | 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 |
| Performing the Body | DRAMM1114 | 20 |
| Pharmacology | PHPHM0007 | 20 |
| Philosophical Text 3: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics | PHIL10008 | 10 |
| Philosophical Texts 1: Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion | PHIL10003 | 10 |
| Philosophical Texts: Plato | PHIL10024 | 10 |
| Planet Earth | EASC10003 | 20 |
| Policy Processes and Policy Research | SPOLM5008 | 20 |
| Political Concepts | POLI11101 | 20 |
| Political Systems of Modern Europe | MODL20008 | 20 |
| Poverty, Social Exclusion and Social Policy | SPOL20019 | 20 |
| Poverty, Social Exclusion and Social Policy | SPOL30019 | 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 | ||
| Reflection on Religious Pluralism in Contemporary Society | THRSM0101 | 20 |
| Research Methods and Questions: Working with Theatre and Performance Archives | DRAMM0019 | 20 |
| Researching Child and Family Welfare | SPOLM0011 | 20 |
| Researching Health and Social Care | SPOLM5004 | 20 |
| Researching Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion | SPOLM5011 | 20 |
| Romano-British Archaeology | ARCH10009 | 20 |
| Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 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 | ||
| Texts in Modern Political Philosophy | PHIL10027 | 10 |
| The Archaeology and Topography of Ancient Greece | ARCH20021 | 20 |
| The Archaeology of Myth: From the Trojan War to the end of Atlantis | CLAS12384 | 20 |
| The Archaeology of Myth: From the Trojan War to the end of Atlantis | CLAS22384 | 20 |
| The Bible in the Academy | THRS20093 | 20 |
| The Dynamic Cell | BIOCM0007 | 20 |
| The Persian Empire | CLASM0048 | 20 |
| The Philosophy of Religion | THRS10034 | 20 |
| The Philosophy of Religion | THRS20102 | 20 |
| The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age | THRS10041 | 20 |
| The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age | THRS20108 | 20 |
| The Struggle for Russia: 19th-century Debates on Self and Society | RUSS20012 | 20 |
| Theorising Social Welfare II | SPOL21002 | 20 |
| Theorising Social Welfare II | SPOL31002 | 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 |
| 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 | ||
| World in Crisis? | GEOG16001 | 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 | ||
| 1AM Further Mathematics | MATH10002 | 20 |
| 1AS Further Statistics | MATH10001 | 20 |
| 3000 Years of Chinese Religions | THRS20103 | 20 |
| 3000 Years of Chinese Religions | THRS10036 | 20 |
| ‘Hedgehogs and Foxes’: The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel 2019 | RUSS20013 | 20 |
