Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Business and International Relations

at Aston University United Kingdom

Study the MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Translation Studies at Aston University to pursue a career in teaching English to speakers of other languages and gain additional expertise in translation theory and practice to give your career a head start.

What you’ll learn
The core TESOL modules cover the practical and theoretical background to TESOL/English Language Teaching (ELT), helping you to foster a principled approach to pedagogic practice. You will study how the English language works and put your learning into practice with real classroom teaching. Through English teaching, you will develop a deeper understanding of the key principles of classroom activities and will be able to evaluate different approaches to teaching and learning.

On the Translation Studies strand of the degree, you will study the translation industry in-depth and gain a thorough understanding of translation theories and strategies so that you are able to take on an informed, critical approach to translation practice. You will also become familiar with the most popular and cutting-edge computer-assisted translation tools in the market, including translation memories, machine translation, and localization tools, and develop expertise in multilingual specialized translation. You will also have the opportunity to work towards SDL Trados certification (the world's leading translation software solution).

Study a BSc (Hons) Economics and Politics degree course at Aston University and tackle some of the most challenging, controversial and real-world issues facing governments, business and the wider society today.

What you’ll learn
On this degree course, you’ll have the opportunity to explore political topics going beyond the UK and Europe, covering North America, South Asia, China, Japan or the emerging global powers. You will acquire the ability to analyse and understand political problems, socio-cultural change and political institutions and structures.

On the economics side, you’ll develop an ability to investigate a range of political and economic issues, and gain a sound understanding of how economic and political issues are often closely interrelated in today’s globalised mass society. You’ll become familiar with a range of tools needed to solve a variety of complex economic problems, and develop research and analytical skills, equipping you with highly relevant, adaptable skills that are transferable across whatever career path you choose.

An integrated placement year offers the chance to apply your learning in a work placement in the UK or overseas. Whether you choose to focus on politics or economics, Aston’s strong links with employers around the world mean you will have a wide range of options to boost your employability and explore the world of work. Unlike some other universities, the placement year at Aston is not a ‘bolt-on’ year, it is an integral part of your degree and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity. You'll receive plenty of help and advice in finding your placement and specialist support and supervision from the University during your placement.

You will also have the opportunity to produce a substantial piece of individual work in the form of a dissertation on an agreed topic of your choice.

Explore English language and literature, how they work in society and their role in the world today, and develop your communication and analytical skills by studying a BSc (Hons) English Language and Literature degree course at Aston University.

What you’ll learn
As an English language student at Aston, you’ll gain theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, along with an exploration of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships.

You’ll learn from world-leading academics with cutting-edge research and teaching experience in fields such as ethnic and gender equalities, global change, theories of social change, forensic linguistics, language, gender and teaching English to speakers of other languages.

On the literature strand of the course, you’ll get a broad introduction to literary genres and periods from the seventeenth century to the present day, and consider all literature’s different manifestations, from graffiti and blogging to poetry, novels and street theatre.

You’ll study literacy as a social practice and will explore how and why people read and write at all levels of society. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our creative writing module.

In the third year of your course, you’ll spend a year on placement with a company, working as a teaching assistant in a school or studying at one of our partner universities - you might even choose to combine two of these options, adding further value to your degree, and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity.

Explore English language and literature, how they work in society and their role in the world today, and develop your communication and analytical skills by studying a BSc (Hons) English Language and Literature degree course at Aston University.

What you’ll learn
As an English language student at Aston, you’ll gain theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, along with an exploration of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships.

You’ll learn from world-leading academics with cutting-edge research and teaching experience in fields such as ethnic and gender equalities, global change, theories of social change, forensic linguistics, language, gender and teaching English to speakers of other languages.

On the literature strand of the course, you’ll get a broad introduction to literary genres and periods from the seventeenth century to the present day, and consider all literature’s different manifestations, from graffiti and blogging to poetry, novels and street theatre.

You’ll study literacy as a social practice and will explore how and why people read and write at all levels of society. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our creative writing module.

In the third year of your course, you’ll spend a year on placement with a company, working as a teaching assistant in a school or studying at one of our partner universities - you might even choose to combine two of these options, adding further value to your degree, and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity.

There has never been a time where so much data has been available in conjunction with the tools to make the most of it. These tools constitute the field of data science. There has also never been a time with so many global challenges to tackle, from the shortage of resource and the impact we have on the environment to the strive to automate and optimise a variety of systems such as transport, energy, health and communication. There are almost limitless opportunities to use these tools in the various domains and applications for making real impact on industry, society and policy making.

This course is for you if you want to use your mathematical and numerical skills to embark on a career in data science and its application. During the course you will develop the necessary analytical and computational skills alongside an informed and critical appreciation of scientific and industrial developments in data.

What you’ll learn 

You will gain a thorough grounding in the fundamental concepts of data analytics to understand the data lifecycle, including problem formulation, data collection and cleaning, exploratory data analysis and visualisation, statistical inference and decision making. Additionally, you will have the chance to apply your knowledge in a research project on a subject of your choice.

You will be trained in a wide range of modern data science and analytics methods in the MSc in Data Analytics programme including the following modules:

Statistical Machine Learning, where you will be able to develop simple, but practical, statistical models for complex real-world data. The models can be used to automate decision making and predictions, such as detecting diseases or deciphering signals.

Algorithmic and Computational Mathematics that focuses on the in-depth study of key general algorithms, with their numerical implementation, which are the heart of data processing and modelling. This includes approximation techniques, interpolation, sampling, etc. that are practiced with hands-on coding.

Data Science Programming will teach you the use of Python and R for data analysis in scientific computing. You will learn how to use Python libraries such as: (i) NumPy and Pandas, for performing complex numerical analysis tasks; (ii) Scikit Learn, to build machine learning models; (iii) Matplotlib and R for 2D data visualisations and (iv) PyTorch, to develop deep learning applications.

Think you know about chemical engineering? Join our course here at Aston to learn how chemical engineers shape the world and get ready for a career in this exciting industry.

What you’ll learn
This course is designed to develop your engineering skills, in the context of a firm grounding in chemistry.?To ensure this, you will share your first year with chemists, giving you a good grounding in the subject before gaining a deeper insight into the industrial processes.

In later years you will specialize at a more advanced level in the core engineering topics as well as studying business, management, and sustainability, designed to further develop your problem-solving skills.?There will also be a focus on computer modeling skills with a strong emphasis on process simulation.

You have the option to spend a year on placement in the industry in your third year.?Many students take advantage of this option and find the experience extremely beneficial both for their development as an engineer and their final year performance.

Explore the concepts, principles and theories relating to leadership within organisations and develop specialist knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship in a range of settings on our MSc Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

The MSc Leadership and Entrepreneurship will develop your knowledge of the concepts, principles and theories relating to leadership within organisations. It will teach you how to apply the strategic role that leadership can make within wider organisational context.

You’ll learn about organisational behaviour, what motivates people and how they work together, how to develop and deliver strategy and change as well as develop businesses within a range of contexts.

You’ll also develop your entrepreneurial skills in relation to business development, identifying opportunities, and international business and emerging economies. This means, you’ll establish a strong entrepreneurial mindset whilst developing your practical skills whilst you study.

If you want to build a career in the exciting world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) but don’t have a computer science background, this conversion course could be for you. This course also features the opportunity to undertake a professional placement in its second year.

What you’ll learn

We'll teach you the specialist, technical information you need, and you'll develop your ability to create ethical, well-justified, and appropriate AI solutions to real-life challenges. 

With an emphasis on practical experience, you’ll have the opportunity to design and plan, implement, test, evaluate and document your solutions, preparing you for future challenges as you develop your career. 

You’ll work on your own and as part of a team on projects and presentations. The different projects will enable you to develop your communication and team working skills alongside your technical expertise, which is important as you enter the workplace.

Business analytics is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in business today. Our data-rich society demands effective solutions to inform everything from strategic business decisions to policymaking.

What you’ll learn
You’ll study how analytical and computing tools can be applied in a business setting to provide fresh insight and tackle complex problems.

You will experience a balanced approach of teaching, hands-on practice, and training in the relevant tools as you develop the skills to inform and influence decision-making when it matters most. All of this will help you prepare for your professional career as well as identify particular areas of interest.

If your ambition is to help shape the future development of towns and cities, our Construction Project Management course will set you on the right path.

What you’ll learn
During the course of the programme you will gain the necessary skills to develop a challenging and fulfilling career in the construction industry. You will gain technical knowledge around materials and building processes as well as specialist modules including health, safety and environmental management. 
 
After your first year, your studies will centre on the construction process as well as learning about management, economics, logistics, finance and decision-making, all of which are required by professional construction and project managers. 

Our Construction Project Management programme, part of the civil engineering and infrastructure cluster here at Aston, examines the societal, economic and operational issues related to the construction industry. The particular focus is on developing the skills and experience you need to deliver high quality construction projects safely, on time and on budget. 
 
These skills are in high demand and you’ll be able to effectively and confidently contribute to the future development of our built environment.