Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Design for Future Living

at Birmingham City University - City Centre Campus United Kingdom

Whether you're a recent graduate or returning to study after a break, our postgraduate courses in Instrumental Performance provide you with advanced-level training in your principal study area, preparing you for a solo, chamber or orchestral career, alongside excellent opportunities to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession.

These courses are open to students pursuing orchestral instruments, keyboard instruments and other solo instruments such as recorder, guitar and saxophone. There is also a Chamber Music route for string ensembles.

We also offer a 'multi-instrument' specialism for woodwind players who do not wish to follow the traditional orchestral route, but would prefer to pursue a career as a multi-instrumentalist in musical theatre. All principal study woodwinds instruments welcome but aimed primarily at saxophone, flute and clarinet players, this course will train multi-instrumentalists to a professional level.

Want to study child psychology at Master’s level? Our MSc Applied Child Psychology course will allow you to explore and develop knowledge of cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and neurological development, as well as research methods in child psychology, and consider the implications for policy and practice in applied contexts such as education and mental health.

The course aims to equip you with a range of applied and transferable skills, enhancing your opportunities for professional and career development in a variety of disciplines within the field of child psychology. Modules will encourage you to develop specialist theoretical and practical knowledge that will underpin your work with children and consider applications of this knowledge to professional contexts and situations, e.g., supporting children with diverse developmental, neurological, and psychological needs.

Although the course is not part of a chartered route into psychology or a prerequisite for entry into Educational or Clinical Psychology training, the course provides an MSc level qualification alongside employability coaching and the option of completing a six-month work placement. If you already have a BPS accredited undergraduate degree in psychology, successful completion of the MSc Applied Child Psychology course can enhance your prospects of applying for doctoral training in these highly competitive fields.

The course is also open to applicants with non-psychology backgrounds and provides opportunities for enhancing and specialising your knowledge of child psychology for work in a wide variety of child-related environments and professions. This includes childcare, education, child and adolescent mental health, pastoral care, special educational needs (SEN), supporting children with disabilities, coaching and mentoring young people, and careers involving research with children.

Finally, if you are already working in the field of child psychology, the course can enhance your future employment and promotion prospects, for example, by aiding re-specialisation as a SENCO, mental health lead, or progression to more senior roles. The option to study full-time or part-time also means that you can fit your studies around your existing work and personal commitments.

The global luxury sector continues to grow, with increasing profits for both well-established and new brands.

The MA Luxury Jewellery Management course addresses the specific challenges and opportunities of the luxury jewellery industry and is the perfect choice for you if you see your future career with premium, high-end and luxury jewellery brands.

What's covered in this course?

You will learn global business strategy and leadership supported by ethical, responsible and sustainable practices. In developing skills to adopt appropriate codes of conduct to improve global operations, you will learn how to promote intercultural communication to enhance business culture and preserve cultural heritage in the luxury jewellery industry. These emerging and significantly important skills are key for managers of luxury jewellery business all over the world.

You will investigate the DNA of brands; designing and creating marketing plans and effective campaigns, with regard to the multicultural aspects of the audience. You will integrate innovations of new technologies, such as additive manufacturing, to embrace the change, meanwhile preserving and enhancing the artisanship’s heritage of the luxury jewellery industry.

The course is global in its outlook and reflects business systems, standards and practices from around the world, drawing upon international case studies and fostering intercultural fluency amongst students. These aims will develop your confidence and ambitions to explore a breadth of careers within a global luxury jewellery industry. Where possible, your learning will be supported by an international field trip, factory visits, exhibitions visits, guest speakers, live projects and simulated practice requiring actual problem-solving.

MA Luxury Jewellery Management is based on the philosophy that management education should provide a thorough grounding in the disciplines related to the functional aspects of management, and the interaction with contextual forces that impact on organisations. This knowledge and understanding is then further contextualised to provide integrative strategic themes. The impact of globalization on business in all disciplines is a coherent theme throughout the course.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

Our postgraduate Fashion Promotion course is highly vocational and an ideal choice if you want to work in fashion communication and the promotion of fashion companies, goods, events and brands.

The course attracts students from all disciplines from around the world, and we urge you to enrich your perspective as a global citizen, through expanding your cultural horizons in a stimulating multi-cultural environment and helping you to become a global graduate equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Your learning environment will encourage you to become an adaptable, flexible and knowledgeable graduate, equipped to pursue a career in the fashion industry. Many of our graduates go on to start up their own, or even develop existing family businesses.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

Our Master's program gives you the tools and techniques necessary to undertake research at the forefront of your chosen gemmological area.

Based in custom-designed facilities within Birmingham’s Assay Office, in the historic Jewellery Quarter, you will have access to equipment more commonly seen in research laboratories, and, through our network of contacts, potential access to a greater range of tools.

What's covered in this course?

This course encourages you to investigate gemmological questions and theories, by way of literature-based peer-reviewed research and practical testing.

You'll be supported throughout your studies by our experienced tutors, with a wealth of knowledge and experience between them - all recognised industry professionals.

As well as learning important skills for your future career development from our practical modules, you’ll learn valuable research techniques and analytical skills, which will stand you in good stead with future potential employers.

You will also benefit from the extensive network of gemmologists through our contacts in various organisations across the globe, including laboratories, museum, auction houses and various other related sectors.

Our MA in Creative Writing helps you to develop your potential as a novelist, poet, scriptwriter or non-fiction author. It is taught by distinguished writers, with the support of a superb range of guest seminars and masterclasses by visiting authors, editors and agents, through our Institute of Creative and Critical Writing.

What's covered in this course?

ur MA is aimed at emerging writers, providing you with the skills and disciplines you need to advance. It’s founded upon the philosophy that writers can benefit from the same kind of training enjoyed by actors, musicians, and visual artists.

Admission to the course is based on talent, commitment and potential. Applicants submit a portfolio of writing, published or unpublished, and are then interviewed by members of the MA teaching team. Applications are considered throughout the year for entry in September of any academic year.

You’ll have the opportunity to develop your writing in the forms of your choice – be it fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, writing for theatre, or poetry – and extend your range in genres that may be new to you.

You’ll attend our program of guest speakers and public events devoted to cultivating the creative imagination, the life of ideas and the literary arts, all organised by the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing based within the School of English.

The MSc Advanced Computer Science program intends to develop your competence in using tools and techniques for producing computer systems solutions, from a sound mathematical and scientific base while appreciating the professional responsibilities and quality needed by industry.

What's covered in this course?

The course is designed to cover a number of advanced computing topics in computer science, namely, ontological engineering, service-oriented design, database design, data engineering, and mobile-application development. In addition, you will receive a solid grounding in research methods and project management before undertaking an individual project that provides an opportunity to demonstrate technical and general employability skills in preparation for career progression. More specifically, the individual project simulates typical graduate workplace tasks that require in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of computer science. This will include consideration of wider issues and the ability to manage activities and resources, as well as generate, implement and report on solutions to meet task objectives.

Throughout your masters in computer science, you’ll be supported by our expert teaching staff, all of whom have a wide range of research and industrial experience in areas such as intelligent systems, mobile computing, Semantic Web, machine learning and software engineering, which they use to enhance the curriculum.

In this course you will learn how to analyse risk and make credit decisions, how to deal with small and large business firms, and how to manage a bank treasury operations.

In addition to traditional banking skills, the course will provide skills in areas, which have become very popular in recent years such as digital banking, cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, etc. The main part of all modules including the assessment will be based on real-life case studies and exercises. Staff involved in designing this course have significant practical experience of working in these areas.

The proposed content of the course will be related to those offered by Chartered Banker Institute (CBI) helping students to gain Advanced Diploma in Banking and Leadership in Digital Age or Professional Banker Certificate. This course prepares you for such positions as credit and loan officer, financial advisor, risk manager, treasury specialist, underwriter etc.

You will be taught by highly qualified academics with industrial and professional experience and actively involved in research. MSc Banking and Finance is the second most popular Master’s program in finance in the UK according to ABS data. The banking sector is one of the most successful and one of the most stable sectors in the UK and England.  The banking sector has also been strongly growing in Birmingham in recent years with some banks moving their headquarters from London including HSBC.

Designed for recent graduates and suitably qualified mature students, our taught Master of Music (MMus) Orchestral Conducting courses provide the technical training, collaborative opportunities and podium time necessary to help you prepare for a career as a professional conductor. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is currently the most exciting destination for orchestral conductors, with an active concert schedule.

As a Principal Study Orchestral Conductor, you'll be offered individual tuition from our staff conductors, and also from the many distinguished guest conductors who work with our ensembles and orchestras on an occasional basis throughout the year.

You'll work across the whole spectrum of the Conservatoire’s music-making, from core contemporary repertoire and student composition projects, through the central romantic and classic masterpieces back to period performance techniques.

It's normal for conducting students to be proactive in presenting performances of projects that they've generated themselves. You'll receive support and professional advice in pursuing such projects, which should be viewed as an essential element of your studies. Both PgDip and MMus courses provide excellent opportunities to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

BSc (Hons) / MSci Computer Games Technology is a course that focusses on the technical expertise required to develop computer games. The core modules deep-dive into 2D and 3D graphics rendering, physics, artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction required for the development of high-end computer games platforms. The course will also involve working in small and large multi-disciplinary (creative and technical) teams for the development of computer games.

While studying your computer games degree, you will use our state-of-the-art computer games technology lab, which is kitted with high-performance PCs with dual monitors and cutting edge GPUs, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and XBox development kits, as well as a variety of industry-standard software.

Our collaborations with Microsoft, Unity and Sony, coupled with our state-of-the-art technology will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in the games industry and beyond.

This course aims to develop critical, current, analytical and agile graduates, who:

• Produce computer games in a legal and ethical manner;
• Have a diverse understanding of the key issues that exist in games development;
• Combine the critical faculties that derive from a traditional academic degree with the professional skills and flexibility needed to get the best jobs in the games development industry;
• Can manage their own personal development and lifelong learning;
• Are equipped to be familiar with a variety of contemporary industry tools and agile enough to respond to new technologies and consumer trends.