Master of Arts (Hons) in Geography, Society and Environment

at Heriot-Watt University - Edinburgh Campus United Kingdom

Software engineers create and maintain software applications using best practice from computer science, project management, engineering, application domains and other fields. This programme is designed to teach students how to apply state-of-the-art techniques and methodologies to develop high quality software to professional standards at an advanced level.

Students will be able to specialise in particular areas, such as the development of dependable systems, parallel or big data applications, advanced interactive systems like games, or novel applications using biologically inspired models of computing.

In some cases the project can be carried out in collaboration with an outside industrial or academic organisation.

Graduates from the programme can expect to find employment with software houses, IT companies, R+D divisions of companies, financial services organisations, defence contractors or government IT agencies and as researchers or research students within universities.

Whether you are considering a career as a chartered accountant in professional practice, industry or the public sector, or you are looking to work in other professional, commercial and industrial areas, our MA Accountancy programme has been designed to ensure you have the knowledges and skills that employers most value.

Over the course of studying our MA Accountancy programme, students can expect to develop a broad understanding of the context in which modern accounting operates, as well as developing accounting expertise in several areas including, but not limited to:

• Recording and summarising business transactions
• Preparing and analysing financial statements
• Analysing and making decisions on business operations
• Conducting financial analysis
• Producing and reporting projections
• Conducting audit
• Analysing governance issues
• Gaining awareness of the importance of business ethics.

In addition to these key accounting skills, our MA Accountancy programme allows students to expand their overall skillset through a combination of individual and group work, written reports, presentations and examinations. Throughout this programme, we will develop skills such as:

• Analysis
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Conflict resolution
• Presentation delivery.

On the whole, our MA Accountancy programme provides students with a solid foundation for their future career in accountancy, business or beyond.

Our BSc Computer Science degree focuses on constructing robust and usable systems. As well as looking at cutting edge tools and techniques, it’s designed to help you build the next generation of software tools that other system constructors will use. The course aims to give a well integrated balance of theoretical underpinnings and practical experience, strongly informed by the research expertise of our academic staff.

All Year 3 students take part in a year-long group project, where they co-operate in tackling a large, realistic problem. Year 4 students conduct a major, year-long, individual dissertation project.

You can take advantage of our international campuses by taking part in an Inter-Campus Transfer. This gives you the opportunity to study Computer Science at our Dubai campus for a semester or a year.

This programme prepares candidates for entry into the malting, brewing or distilling industries, or to conduct research. It covers a broad range of subjects, from brewing science and chemical engineering, to business studies and production management.

The quickly developing craft industry, both in brewing and distilling, requires graduates with knowledge of modern instrumentation and this programme will ensure you build the skills and know-how required to perform successfully in the industry.

Our series of ‘Fit for work’ events held on campus include seminars, talks, networking and recruitment exercises and involve a range of industry professionals from graduates with their own companies, to representatives from the major breweries and distilling companies.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree aims to develop students’ understanding of the area of Business Administration and Management and develop practical skills appropriate for careers in this area. Theory and practice are given equal emphasis to give a holistic understanding of the role of Business Administration as well as knowledge of and skills associated with business start-up, growth and innovation.

Robotic and autonomous systems are now used in areas such as autonomous vehicle guidance, healthcare, remote surgery, industrial manufacturing and domestic assistance. This multi-disciplined robotics degree brings together electronics, computer software, and mechanics. In the first three years, you’ll be given a background in all three disciplines, along with the opportunity to build integrated systems. In the final two years, you can either continue with a broad-based curriculum, or specialise in particular aspects of contemporary robotics.

The MEng Robotics degree shares a common first three years with the BEng and includes a six-month industry placement, during years 4 and 5. Advanced courses can also be chosen from the three departments: Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering.

Our teaching philosophy:
The philosophy behind all of our programmes is 'learning by doing'. Our programmes are designed to be practical and allow students to develop skills beyond traditional academic content.

Students work on both individual and group projects from the third year onwards, providing them with valuable hands-on experience. The projects challenge you to solve a 'real life' problem – such as the project in which our students helped design an electronic egg to monitor penguin incubation.

The Applied Petroleum Geoscience (APG) MSc at Heriot-Watt University is one of the top training programmes for geoscientists working in the oil and gas industry. With strong links to our Reservoir Evaluation and Management, Petroleum Engineering, Mature Field Management and Subsurface Energy Systems programmes, this programme is unique, offering a fully integrated understanding of the oil and gas industry, from exploration to production.

Programme content:
The Applied Petroleum Geoscience programme has been redesigned in 2019, with a number of exciting new courses and field trips, including an integrated exploration and development field trip to the Spanish Pyrenees. The programme is focused on geoscience (including petrophysics, geophysics and geochemistry), but we also equip students with a working knowledge of other disciplines, including reservoir engineering and petroleum economics. Students will benefit from engagement with our industry partners and access to high-performance computers, as well as extensive in-house geoscience and engineering expertise, with many of our staff having worked previously in the oil and gas industry.

The programme is deliberately intensive, typically consisting of working a full five days a week of lectures and practical work, including labs or tutorial exercises designed to teach practical skills in addition to learning theory. We have a strong emphasis on group work, whether in the field, the classroom, or in our computer labs. This culminates in an extended (seven-week) group project, where we simulate a real exploration assessment of the Wessex Basin, incorporating field observations, seismic interpretation, well integration and non-technical issues, such as land rights and stakeholder engagement.

The MSc in Business Analytics and Consultancy is designed to equip you with the decision skills you need to develop and excel as an effective leader and manager of transformational change in an era of Big Data and rapid innovation.

The MSc Business Analytics and Consultancy program created by Heriot-Watt University will give you the skills most highly valued by today’s employers who increasingly seek graduates with the decision skills to inform and manage transformational change, including the use of data-driven, evidence-based approaches to management decision-making in complex business environments.

There are several core elements of this MSc program that will set you apart in the corporate world, these include the core skills you will gain on our Business Analytics course followed by our research-led Big Data Analytics course, the Network Analysis course and a new course in Management Consultancy.

Edinburgh Business School’s MA (Hons) Accountancy and Finance degree is accredited by all major professional bodies in the UK.

This 3-year accelerated degree is suited to those who have completed A-Levels. It prepares students to enter accounting or finance professions and features the use of professional-standard Bloomberg Trading Terminals throughout. As your studies progress through Years 1, 2 and 3 of this accelerated MA (Hons) programme you will study an increasing number of specialist accountancy and finance courses.

An industry-focused degree:
MA (Hons) Accountancy and Finance is an industry-focused degree with extensive professional accreditations that offers the strongest possible foundation from which to launch your career. By studying accredited courses on this degree, students can gain the maximum number of exemptions from professional accountancy exams upon graduation. The course content is designed and delivered by professionals with industry experience and respected academics with expert knowledge across the full range of disciplines related to accounting and finance. Students at the Edinburgh Business School can enhance employability in the area of finance through use of our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Trading Room - a professional-standard facility that provides access to live financial data from global markets and organisations. Use of Bloomberg Terminals is integrated into our courses to develop professionally relevant skills in data analysis, financial reporting, financial risk management and financial modelling.

Our MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering covers a broad range of engineering-related disciplines including: mechanics, construction, energy, thermal performance, water and wastewater, acoustics, and human behaviour. The degree is designed to give you the knowledge and skills needed by industry to design buildings of the future that not only provide sustainable and low-energy built environments that have a positive influence on the health and wellbeing of the people who use them, but buildings that are also resilient and adaptable to future climate change. The later years of the degree focus on practical inter-disciplinary design and management skills, with an emphasis on your personal development as an Architectural Engineer within the professional environment.

The MEng (Hons) degree provides the opportunity for greater specialism in your preferred subject areas, plus enhanced practical experience of design management and problem solving with a 12-week industrial placement.

Our architectural engineering degrees are supported by the Architectural Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, which includes representatives from major multi-national employers, ensuring our degrees are exactly what industry needs.