Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Sociology and Social Policy (with integrated placement year)

at Aston University United Kingdom

Digital electronics and computer systems are significant in commerce, industry and the home, and have an ever increasing impact on the way we work and live. To gain the competitive edge over its global rivals, British industry and commerce needs trained computer systems engineers with skills in both hardware and software who can assess, harness and influence the growth of information technology.

Our Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng course is designed to stretch our top students and includes a 12 month industrial placement. It gives you the opportunity to study electronics and computer science more deeply than at BEng level while also gaining valuable industry experience.

What you’ll learn

The first two years of the MEng are taught alongside the BEng degree and you’ll gain a solid grounding in software engineering and computing systems, complemented by engineering expertise in digital electronics and telecommunications. To build a bridge between hardware and software specialists you’ll study computing and electronics with single honours students from the electronic engineering and computer science subject groups.?

In the second and final year, you’ll be able to choose options that enable you to specialise in preparation for your future career. These options include digital system design, telecommunications systems, optoelectronics and signal processing.

The final year is taught alongside our master's programmes and you can choose options from the stream that most interests you, including communications, sensing, computing or electrical power. You will also undertake an in-depth project, based on your areas of specialism.

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.

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. 

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.

Gain specialist training and transferable research skills with our specialised MSc Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience at Aston University, Birmingham. Benefit from access to leading researchers and state-of-the-art facilities within the Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment and School of Psychology.

Cognitive and affective neuroscience studies the biological processes that underpin how human beings think, reason and process their emotional experience. 

The MSc Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience at Aston, provides a unique dual emphasis, providing specialist training at the brain-behaviour interface, as well as on generic and transferable research and communication skills for augmenting your career aspirations and professional development.

All organizations and businesses need people who can problem-solve, plan and manage. With a combination of maths and the management and leadership skills needed in business, you’ll be in high demand.

What you’ll learn
The programme combines economics, finance and business-oriented modules with applied maths modules, preparing you for a high-level career in the private or public sectors.

Our joint honours programme enables you to choose a combination of maths and economics modules in your second and final years and will ensure your learning experience is exciting and relevant for tomorrow’s challenges. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop key employability skills including communication, presentation and report writing. On this course, you spend your third year in a paid professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and further enhance your career prospects. Both Schools have strong links with major employers ranging from the biggest communication companies to the pharmaceutical industry.

Develop your skills in the various methods used to analyze big data sets and build a career in this exciting area where your knowledge and experience will be in high demand. This course also features the opportunity to undertake a professional placement in its second year. 

What you’ll learn 

You’ll gain a thorough grounding in the fundamental concepts to understand the data lifecycle, including problem formulation, data collection and cleaning, exploratory data analysis and visualization, statistical inference, and decision making. A range of methods will be covered including algorithmic and computational modeling and statistical machine learning. 
 
You’ll also undertake a research project on a subject of your choice, where you’ll apply the knowledge you’ve gained to produce high-quality independent work. 

Digital electronics and computer systems are significant in commerce, industry and the home, and have an ever increasing impact on the way we work and live. To gain the competitive edge over its global rivals, British industry and commerce needs trained computer systems engineers with skills in both hardware and software who can assess, harness and influence the growth of information technology.

Our Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng course is designed to stretch our top students and includes a 12 month industrial placement. It gives you the opportunity to study electronics and computer science more deeply than at BEng level while also gaining valuable industry experience.

Our courses are developed in collaboration with a wide range of industry sectors to give a broad but relevant degree so teaching won’t just be standard lectures and you’ll be encouraged to discover how science fiction becomes fact. Designing your own products and working with cutting-edge equipment will be a core part of the course. The design of this innovative course emphasises ‘doing’ as well as ‘knowing’, helping you to develop essential practical, intellectual, business and communication skills. This ‘real world’ approach, combined with the beneficial experience you will gain during your placement, will give you a clear competitive edge in the search for graduate employment.

What you’ll learn
The first two years of the MEng are taught alongside the BEng degree and you’ll gain a solid grounding in software engineering and computing systems, complemented by engineering expertise in digital electronics and telecommunications. To build a bridge between hardware and software specialists you’ll study computing and electronics with single honours students from the electronic engineering and computer science subject groups.

In the second and final year, you’ll be able to choose options that enable you to specialise in preparation for your future career. These options include digital system design, telecommunications systems, optoelectronics and signal processing.

Explore the social structures and issues that have shaped your own life and learn not just how to understand the world, but how to change it. Understand some of the biggest debates in society and develop the skills you need to research what matters to you.

What you’ll learn
Sociology and Social Policy at Aston are 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.

You will investigate the economic, social, and political forces which influence government decision-making and develop a detailed understanding of policy-making processes at global, national and local levels of government. You will also explore in-depth, the outcomes and consequences of various government policies on the economy and society. Studying the nature of policy delivery and management by various organizations, such as local governments, schools, and businesses, will prepare you for a range of career paths.

Study a BSc (Hons) History and English Literature degree course at Aston University to grow your understanding of the world we live in and learn about the past to build a better future for all. Make the most of your potential by combining your studies in global contemporary history with English literature, and completing an integrated placement year for a flying start to your career.

What you’ll learn
Working closely with experienced historians, you’ll have opportunities to study topics such as nationalism, state-building and inter-state relations; the history of war and peace; religious and ethnic conflict; trauma and memory; and issues of globalisation in the present that can only be understood by looking to the past. For example, you’ll learn how the British Empire helped to create the NHS, why Britain voted to stay in the EU in 1975 and why Margaret Thatcher became the first pop star of British international relations.