Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics

at Aston University United Kingdom

Explore some of the biggest topics in the world today, from gender, race, and sexuality, to how we behave as a society, with our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Psychology and Sociology BSc at Aston University, Birmingham.

You’ll investigate and analyze how the human mind works, in terms of how it responds to various stimuli, and how our views on relationships and the wider world are shaped by societal structures, culture, and our collective experiences. In addition, you will have the opportunity to research why these societal structures exist in the first place; giving you a rounded view of human behavior and the impact we have on each other as fellow citizens.

Quantity surveyors manage the commercial aspects of construction and civil engineering projects, from the initial calculations to the final figures. Their aim is to minimise costs and enhance value for money, delivering projects to the required quality and on time.

Our Quantity Surveying programme, which is part of the civil engineering and infrastructure cluster here at Aston, examines the economic and operational issues related to the construction industry.

What you’ll learn
On our course you’ll gain a working knowledge of the techniques, and an understanding of the skills, required by quantity surveyors and commercial managers within the construction industry. With sustainable construction methods and technology at the centre of your learning, you’ll also learn about cost planning and estimating, scheduling projects and building engineering and management.

In addition, as you’ll be learning and living in the middle of Britain’s second city, you’ll gain invaluable, real-life experience of the challenges and opportunities faced by the people and organisations responsible for developing our built environment. To help bring this to life there will be regular opportunities for engagement with local projects through a series of guest lectures, site visits and real-life projects.

This course has been designed specifically for those who haven't studied computer science at undergraduate level.

What you’ll learn

You’ll learn to master the tools you need to meet the computational challenges that business and society face, while building a solid base of theoretical knowledge to underpin your delivery of smart solutions and in-depth analysis.

As well as developing a systematic understanding of the software development process you’ll also learn how to make best use of huge amounts of data, enabling you and your future employer to make better business decisions.

We teach specialist subjects ranging from user experience (UX) design to artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining, and give you unique opportunities to apply your knowledge to solve real-world problems.

You’ll be able to get involved with our student-run software development company, Beautiful Canoe, as well as opportunities to work with businesses on real-world issues.

Prepare for a fast-paced career in financial services. Develop a balanced understanding across finance, economics, accounting and management to help you thrive, whether you’re interested in a career in investment banking, training and research, or working with start-ups.

What you’ll learn
You will unpack many aspects of finance and management throughout the course, from capital markets and derivatives, through to asset pricing and international finance. You’ll also develop excellent financial literature skills, from interpreting small scale to large financial data and apply these to real-world company performance questions.

As well as class-based learning, students on our BSc Finance will enjoy study trips such as the recent visit to the London Stock Exchange. Given the global demand for graduates with finance degrees, you can also study a language alongside your degree as well as explore our study abroad opportunities and double degree route.

What you’ll learn
In the first year, you’ll get a grounding in product design principles and an understanding of how design can affect the profitability of a business.

In the second and final year, you will take a common core of design modules to support your projects, integrating your design specialism with the core aspects of product design. You’ll also continue to develop skills that are relevant to your future career, whichever path you choose to take, including presentations and team working. Your final year will culminate in the opportunity to showcase your project work at the Aston Inspired final year design show.

We teach using a hands-on framework called CDIO - Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate – supported by 50 of the world’s top technical institutions. This enables you to apply real-world skills as you learn, enabling you to maximize your learning. You’ll do your learning in our state-of-the-art facilities, which include advanced 3D printing facilitates and a dedicated design studio with specialist equipment designed just for you.

We’ll support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

You’ll also have the opportunity to network with employers and showcase your work as part of the Mechanical Engineering and Design Industry Club, where you’ll be given opportunities to meet employers.

Health psychology investigates how the way we behave influences health, illness, and how we care for people living with long-term conditions.  

A health psychologist uses their knowledge of psychology to understand health behaviours and to develop psychological interventions to support behaviour change. They perform a vital role in a variety of areas such as:

Assisting patients with their emotional and psychological needs.
Working alongside healthcare professionals to help them establish clear communication and productive relationships with patients.
Working with health and social care organisations to develop protocols to engender good health and wellbeing.
 
From health inequalities and public health, to psychobiology of illness and long term conditions, our full-time, on-campus Health Psychology MSc will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the theory underpinning health psychology. This course has been designed to give you an ideal base for a rewarding career in health psychology and related fields.

Prepare for a fast-paced career in financial services. Develop a balanced understanding across finance, economics, accounting and management to help you thrive, whether you’re interested in a career in investment banking, training and research, or working with start-ups.

What you’ll learn
You will unpack many aspects of finance and management throughout the course, from capital markets and derivatives, through to asset pricing and international finance. You’ll also develop excellent financial literature skills, from interpreting small scale to large financial data and apply these to real-world company performance questions.

As well as class-based learning, students on our BSc Finance will enjoy study trips such as the recent visit to the London Stock Exchange. Given the global demand for graduates with finance degrees, you can also study a language alongside your degree as well as explore our study abroad opportunities and double degree route.

Understand some of the biggest debates in society and gain an in-depth knowledge of social processes, organizational dynamics, and inter-group relationships that could make a difference to society in a range of careers.

What you’ll learn
Sociology at Aston is about real-life experiences and how they relate to bigger social problems. We explore the social constraints we encounter in our everyday lives and how they are reinforced by class, race, religion, and gender. To understand how these issues perpetuate existing inequalities and unequal life chances, we analyze what impact official politics has on such processes, how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. We assess public policy responses and where they are problematic.

Our teaching is informed by our research. When learning about contemporary topics such as inequality, racism, health, migration, sexuality, identity, education, the media, crime, and climate change, you will be taught by experts in these fields. Our teaching is constantly updated in light of our research findings.

Develop your understanding of corporate finance, asset valuation, investment management and risk management techniques. Enhance your analytical and quantitative skills and you’ll gain valuable experience using industry-leading software in our state-of-the-art trading room.

Study MSc Finance at Aston University to equip yourself with the financial knowledge and technical skills to kick-start a successful and rewarding career in the financial sector.

This challenging and exciting programme will advance your knowledge and understanding of finance, whilst helping you to develop a wide range of analytical and technical skills, which are in strong demand from employers in the finance and banking sector. By the end of your studies, you’ll be well-equipped to fulfil a variety of financial roles, both in private and public sector organisations.

What will I learn?
You’ll gain a detailed understanding of businesses in an international context, enabling you to work for a leading global firm or operate across borders with your own company.

The course covers the entire process of starting a new business venture, from the initial idea to international expansion. It will help you to identify and develop business opportunities and teach you how to check the feasibility of a venture using key frameworks and tools. It will teach you business growth strategies and what funding options are available to entrepreneurs.

You’ll also appreciate how enterprises can vary in terms of their mission, from commercial ventures aiming to maximise profits to social enterprises who prioritise social wealth creation. We also explore entrepreneurship in the context of family business and corporate intrapreneurship.