Bachelor of Science (Hons) in History and English Literature

at Aston University United Kingdom

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 you’ll learn
You will study literature, culture and history and explore the style choices of films, digital fiction, Instapoetry and Twitterfiction, alongside more traditional modes of text. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across both literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our Creative Writing module.

At Aston University, sociology is about real-life, everyday experiences. Our research-led teaching brings social theory to the study of pressing issues in the modern age, such as migration, climate change, welfare, crime, health and sexuality. We focus on key contemporary issues, social policy and decision-making, global trends and international comparisons.

On the sociology strand of the course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships. 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 analyse how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. 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.

With the rise of social media, the threat of cyber-attacks, appearance of pandemics e.g. Covid-19, and the impact of climate change on natural disasters, there has never been a more pressing time for organisations to establish effective crisis and disaster management strategies and to deploy the appropriate skills to handle them.

Our Crisis and Disaster Management MSc will give you a solid understanding of the core approaches to manage crises and disasters (such as Covid-19 and other similar ones) and of the wider impact on stakeholders, including the implications of mismanaged situations through relevant case studies, discussions and exercises. In the second semester you will also advance your knowledge in either the humanitarian stream or business crisis stream, helping you to progress your learning and career path in the area that interests you most. 

Get a head start in business and examine the major issues facing governments across the world, from terrorism to climate change, with an inter-disciplinary Business and Politics BSc degree course from Aston University.

What you’ll learn
You’ll study the theories, principles, and underlying concepts of the main functions of management and develop a strong understanding of business models and processes. You’ll examine how strategic decision-making within organizations takes place, and develop the ability to recognize and analyze the economic, technical, financial, social, and organizational parameters within which modern managers make decisions, providing you with a solid starting point for your future career.

On the politics strand of the course, you will have the unique 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 not only study the traditional subjects of the discipline, such as security, political economy, or democratization but also have the chance to delve into ethics, sports, gender, protest, or religion.

Applications for September 2022 entry will open on 1 October 2021. You will be able to apply via a link which will be available from this course information page.

Understand human behaviour in the work place on our Business Psychology MSc.

Whether you’re interested in a leadership role, career paths in human resources, marketing, employee relations, or any role that would benefit from understanding other people in the work place, this course is for you. You will develop your critical understanding of the main theories of effective leadership and organisational behaviour and how they can be applied in real-life business scenarios.

You’ll also develop your own skills in relation to human behaviour and leadership in the workplace, preparing you for a wide range of business and management roles across a variety of sectors.

From the gene to the cell, to the whole person; if you have a passion for exploring how the human body works, study Biological Sciences BSc at Aston University, Birmingham.

In its attempt to answer these questions, biology encompasses many areas of scientific study such as living organisms, life cycles, adaptations, and the environment. Biological science also incorporates a wealth of exciting and diverse topics from biochemistry and biotechnology to genetics, microbiology, and physiology.

Biological Sciences at Aston offers you an incredible mix of top-quality teaching, world-class research, and the opportunity to gain real-world experience with our optional placement year. For those who achieve the required grades in the second year, you will be given the option to enhance your learning by transferring onto our integrated masters MBiol program; giving you the platform to be a research and development leader and innovator of the future.

The course will help you enhance the skills required for assessing, developing and critically evaluating entrepreneurial strategies. You will develop the ability to make strategic decisions by advancing your understanding and application of how business analytics methods can support interventions in the decision-making process of organisations. 

You’ll learn about intellectual property, emerging economies, international entrepreneurship and understand how to develop and deliver entrepreneurial strategies in a range of settings.

You’ll also develop the skills to use statistical techniques to communicate key information, how to use decision models, data mining, web and performance analytics, all of which will build on your analytical skills and ability to problem solve. You’ll get hands-on experience using specialist software and experience in using a range of data sets.

Build on your psychology qualifications and learn advanced psychology concepts and how they apply to various business issues, such as the assessment of individuals in the workplace, organizational behavior as well as strategy and leadership.

You’ll learn from one of the best-known and most successful academic groups in applied psychology in Europe, with experienced practitioners who’ve worked for businesses across the world. They use a mix of innovative and inspiring teaching methods to enable you to get the most from the course and all sessions are delivered in a friendly, supportive atmosphere.

You’ll master key theories and concepts of economics and finance, and gain quantitative skills that are in high demand in the global job market. Developed in collaboration with industry practitioners, this course will equip you for a range of career paths including one within the financial sector.

This course will provide you with the tools for a variety of financial positions in a range of organizations, from blue-chip companies to not-for-profit groups.

You’ll enjoy a stimulating range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, simulations, and lab sessions. You will use advanced statistical software packages and have access to Datastream, a global financial and macroeconomics data platform, to enhance your practical skills.

There is also the opportunity to develop other practical business skills, such as writing business plans, and country and market reports. You’ll be able to benefit from visits of guest speakers who are leading industry experts in the field of economics and finance.

Study the BSc (Hons) International Relations and Sociology degree course at Aston University to get a fascinating insight into the political and sociological challenges facing our society in the 21st century, giving you a great springboard for your future career.

What you’ll learn
On this programme, you’ll explore the major political and social issues faced by governments across the world. You will develop a knowledge and understanding of the international state system, the structure and purpose of international organisations and the roles played by international institutions, other intergovernmental organisations, multinational corporations and NGOs. Important strengths of the programme include its focus on key contemporary issues in international relations and policy, such as global economic change and the environment as well as international comparisons of government policies.

On the sociology strand of the course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships. 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 analyse how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. 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.

Sociology will equip you with the knowledge and analytical skills that will enable you to think critically and work independently. This includes how to design a research project, collect empirical data, handle complex datasets (e.g., through applying coding techniques) and, most importantly, develop an advanced analytical mindset. This training will be essential for your final-year dissertation during which you will carry out your own individual research project. This experience will provide you with a skillset that is highly desired in a wide range of industries and areas of work.