Master of Science in Mechatronics (with Optional Placement Year)

at De Montfort University United Kingdom

The future of the design industry lies in advancing technology and emerging digital techniques. Whether your creative specialism lies in media, products, interiors, exhibitions, fashion or branding and marketing, on this course you will explore and embrace digital and design related technologies in your field.

You can specialise in technologies such as user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, mobile app design, e-learning, virtual and augmented reality, 2D and 3D animation, 3D digital printing, digital display and projection design, visual and special effects for TV and film, interactive kiosk and installation design, wearable devices and smart clothing. The course is designed for students with a good working knowledge of multimedia software tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator Flash, Dreamweaver and After Effects, and 3D software such as Autodesk MAYA or 3DMax, providing an opportunity to develop these technical skills to an advanced level.

You will examine the practical skills and the academic theories surrounding digital design methods. We will take you all the way from concept development and prototyping to production techniques and testing. In-depth insight into each stage of the creative production process will be supported by training in project management. This broad base of specialised skills will equip you for wide-ranging creative careers as digital designers, web and app developers, and multimedia production directors, while the understanding you will build of business planning and web presence management will teach you the key skills needed to launch a freelance career.

With us, you will gain real-world experience through live design projects, with the opportunity to collaborate with students from other disciplines. Through your major project (either creative practice based or research focused) you will have the freedom to draw on your learning and respond creatively to your chosen specialism.

Throughout the course we will empower and support you to challenge conventions, experiment boldly, and take risks. Prepare to embrace new ways of thinking and innovative approaches to contemporary design challenges, with a sophisticated suite of devices and industry software and hardware  for you to realise your creative visions.

With the digital era continuing to develop rapidly, the role of computing and its impact on our lives is more important than ever. New and innovative computer technologies are constantly being unveiled, with software engineers, systems developers, programmers and analysts playing a vital role in their creation and development.

Benefiting from more than 50 years of successful teaching, our Computer Science course focuses on modern approaches to software systems development, allowing you to explore both the theoretical and practical skills needed to understand programming language concepts, software design methods, secure web systems, computer architecture and computer networks.

The course prepares you for a wide variety of career opportunities, from programming and developer roles to software engineering, with computer technology closely linked with an extensive range of industries such as medicine, education, entertainment, security and architecture.

If you want to make a positive change to young people’s lives and society as a whole, then studying this course is your first step.

Education Studies with Psychology examines how childhood is understood and shaped by society and how educationalists and psychologists theorise personal, social, emotional and intellectual development.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in teaching, education practice, early years childcare, youth work, educational publishing, the creative industries or choose to progress to postgraduate level courses, such as our Education Practice MA.

You’ll cover topics including perspectives on education, thinking and learning in higher education, historical and contemporary issues and childhood, social justice and education, as well as developing your professional agency through placement in year one.

You’ll also have the opportunity to choose from elective modules in years two and three that include forest school and outdoor learning, preparing for professional practice, music in school life, inclusion, education and equality, special educational needs and creativity and education.

Our course combines academic excellence and professional practice, with a focus on producing festival-ready animation, building an online presence, and creating an industry-standard showreel to prepare you to work in the industry. 

We encourage you to be innovative, creative and push the boundaries of storytelling and artistic style. You will receive a grounding in the fundamental skills of animation, with the opportunity to develop more specialist skills from the second year of study. 

You will develop your own distinct style and voice, as well as enhancing your technical and creative knowledge by studying modules such as 2D Animation, Critical Studies, and Visual Communication. 

Our excellent facilities include dedicated animation, recording and sound studios, graphics studios, computer suites, and a suite of Cintiq stations. You will be supported to master professional tools, such as TVPaint, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects.

The media and communication industry has a widespread influence on the world around us, and this degree course helps enable you to be a part of that revolution.

By studying both the theory and practice of media and communications, this course can equip you with the skills and insights required to be successful in the media environment.

This can enable you to progress into diverse careers in sectors such as PR, journalism, marketing, entertainment, international relations, politics and education.

A modern focus in the teaching of this course enables students to adapt to changes and developments in industry and proficiently use the most up-to-date technology.

Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, this research-informed course is ideal for careers in the medical and healthcare professions or laboratory science. It integrates scientific research and clinical skills to develop your understanding of the human body in health and disease.

You will be taught by experienced, research-active academics and clinical experts who will present the latest advances in medicine and science, and study a range of topics, including Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Inflammation and Immunobiology, Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Perspectives, Cancer Therapeutics, Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Nutrition through the lifespan. As the course progresses, you will be introduced to more advanced medical topics, and start to relate the understanding of normal healthy physiology with pathological processes.

You can choose to enhance your employability through an optional sandwich year work placement, allowing you to gain hands-on experience and develop practical and professional skills that you can apply to your learning.

Many of our graduates have pursued careers in scientific research, teaching, medical writing, and various roles in the NHS. Upon completion you can also choose to progress to graduate entry medicine, physician associate and dentistry courses.

Economics explains the problem of scarcity and human behaviour that shapes the world we live in, and that businesses operate in. From standards of living to the causes of market crashes, the impact of economics plays a critical role in all our lives.

In this course you will develop proficiency in a variety of quantitative techniques as well as learn how to apply economic reasoning and tools to analyse real world problems and policy. You will also gain the analytical and critical evaluation skills to recognise how national and global issues affect the performance of a business.

You will have an opportunity to build real skills for future employability. This includes state of the art knowledge in digital software and applications, as well as core skills in writing, presenting and teamwork.

You will study a range of modules, including Macroeconomics for Business, Data Modelling and Analytics and International Economics, Sustainability and Emerging Markets which are all taught by leading experts in their fields.

This course is for students with a product, furniture or a directly-related 3D design degree who wish to build on their expertise, specialist knowledge and employability. You will develop an advanced understanding of design practice, learn about research methodologies, explore service design and the ways that emerging digital technologies can enhance your work. The flexibility of the curriculum allows you to create a distinct programme of learning that is focused on your individual interests and ambitions, and equip you with the practical commercial skills for a successful career in the creative industries.

Within the course, you can choose from two specialisms. On the Design Practice specialism, you will explore design innovation and the creation of innovative products that fulfil the users’ wants and needs. Alternatively, our Design and Business specialism focuses on commercial practice, research methods and product design – all valuable skills that you would need to forge a career as a creative entrepreneur.

Your studies will culminate in a self-directed design project, during which you will explore real world product design processes such as external validation, prototyping, testing, technical definition and specification.

In all your designs and processes we will empower you to experiment boldly and encourage you to take risks. We aim to develop independent learners who can take their own personal and critical approach to tackling complex design challenges. Access to our sophisticated facilities, including industry-standard vector-based and three-dimensional modelling packages, will enable you to push design boundaries and realise your creative visions.

Overview
John Song, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, talks about the benefits of studying Psychology at DMU.

Please note that this course has been suspended for September 2022 entry. You can find out more about our single honours Psychology BSc (Hons) course. If you are interested in studying this course from September 2023, you can submit your application from September 2022.

Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), this programme explores human behaviour using sound scientific methodology – observation, measurement, and testing – to understand how and why people function in the way they do. Focuses on both psychology and education studies, you will also be introduced to the history of formal education in the UK and explore key contemporary issues and debates concerning social class, race and ethnicity, and social justice in education.

Gaining a professionally accredited psychology degree is an essential first step to a career as a psychologist or to progress to postgraduate study. Choosing this programme will help to equip you with key transferable skills including critical thinking and communication, as well as competencies closely linked with the sector, such as scientific research methods, data analysis and data presentation skills.

Our graduates have gone on to pursue a diverse range of careers where an understanding of societal issues is key – such as in criminal justice, education, social work, research, advertising, human resources and healthcare.

On the course you’ll study core areas of psychology including biological, cognitive, developmental and social psychology, as well as covering personality and intelligence, research methods, and historical perspectives. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore a range of perspectives and debates concerning contemporary cultural change and how these impact education and learning. Our final year options allow you to tailor your study to specific career pathways.

Forensic science – familiar to most of us thanks to its appearances in popular TV police dramas – is the application of science to law. It’s carried out through the collection, preservation and analysis of evidence.

If you have an enquiring mind, are good at solving scientific problems and want to work with cutting-edge equipment and facilities, then you could be the right person to work at a crime scene or analyse the evidence recovered from that scene.

On this course, you’ll study forensic chemistry, biology, imaging and photography, the essentials of forensic investigations, and professional and quantitative scientific skills.

Then you’ll take modules on bodies, tissues and fluids, materials ID, drugs of abuse, analytical forensic chemistry, forensic IT and issues in criminal justice.

The third year will cover forensic case studies and the presentation of evidence, then fire, arson and explosions, authenticity and fraud, DNA profiling, forensic chemical pathology, and project and professional skills.