Master of Science in Actuarial Science and Management

at Heriot-Watt University - Edinburgh Campus United Kingdom

Energy – based on fossil fuels and, increasingly, renewables – is an essential component of our existence. The cost, availability and efficient utilisation of energy are increasingly strong focal points in the strategies of governments world-wide, as they realise that the 'raw material' for most of the energy used today has a finite life.

Large industries and small households alike depend on a reliable provision of energy. Energy includes not only electricity, but also heat and transportation. The course will make you aware of the relationship between demand and supply of energy, a relationship that consists of much more than its technical component. It includes political, economic and social issues and has to be viewed on a global as well as a local scale with respect to energy provision, consumption and the costs it might incur – both in the monetary as well as environmental terms.

We have seen countries go to war over energy supplies and we can see the effect of our energy consumption on the global climate. The concept of sustainable energy moves into focus as the finite nature of our main element in our current energy chain of supply – fossil fuel – becomes more obvious. The Paris Treaty is just one example of international and national policy actions which have subsequent implications for legislation affecting industries and communities.

We try to reflect the broad range of disciplines covering energy in this multi-disciplinary degree, which offers courses relevant to energy resources, power generation, process engineering, environmental legislation and environmental impact assessment, energy in buildings, as well as business courses in collaboration with the Edinburgh Business School.

It is the aim of the Energy MSc/Diploma to provide a balanced, integrated course which will equip the participant with the tools needed to positively influence his/her organisation in to developing new business strategies relevant to 'energy', or in reacting to the growing portfolio of environmental legislation. The course is also supported by industrial suppliers and users of energy, who are committed to an ethical environmental policy.

An optional project and dissertation in an engineering subject, which might be a company-specified topic or one selected by the participant, is also available.

Specific roles will depend on the nature of the organisation, including, but not limited to:

• Team Leader
• Team Manager
• Operations Manager
• Investment Operations Analyst

Key areas of the programme:

• The primary focus of the Business Management: Financial Services Graduate Apprenticeship programme is on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills outcomes sought by employers.

Heriot-Watt Mechanical Engineering degrees are ranked 1st in Scotland and top 10 in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020. An industrial panel are involved to ensure the course content reflects the changing needs of industry and that our graduates have the knowledge and practical skills required to successfully gain employment.

Student teaching benefits from our strong industrial links, in particular the involvement of the industrial panel in the assessment of 4th year design projects, providing a realistic client scenario.

The Masters in Business Psychology at Heriot-Watt University is the most established MSc of its kind in Europe, enjoying a well-earned reputation for producing graduates who can improve the performance and behaviour of individuals and teams.

Business psychology is a discipline often referred to as occupational psychology and organisational psychology.

The MSc Business Psychology will give you an in-depth understanding of the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace.

Whether you're coming from an industry position or directly from an undergraduate degree, this long-established programme of study will equip you with an effective blend of knowledge drawn from the specialist fields of psychology, management and leadership.

The content on this one-year masters degree programme has been tailored to meet the needs of those working towards a number of job roles, such as business psychology practitioner, human resources manager, organisational development manager, coaching consultant, management consultant or leadership consultant.

You will develop commercial awareness and an understanding of global organisations which will allow you to recognise the impact of the economy, politics, globalisation and the changing labour market on the psychology of a workplace and performance of individuals and teams.

Key skills for improving performance:

• During the MSc Business Psychology you will explore different aspects of the psychological mechanisms behind workplace behaviour and gain the managerial skills that will allow you to enhance and improve performance of teams and individuals. You will build expertise in:
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Diversity
• Employment legislation
• Organisational change
• Organisational culture
• Marketing and consumer behaviour.

You will study the areas of psychology that directly apply to business settings, and explore some of the key psychological research methods that can be practised in the workplace.

By viewing the workplace through a psychological perspective, and by developing your analytical, critical thinking, and reflection skills, you will learn to recognise and improve seemingly intangible aspects of the workplace which, when appropriately managed, can directly improve business performance in terms of:

• Job satisfaction
• Wellbeing
• Leadership
• Organisational commitment
• Organisational culture
• Performance and productivity.

Specifically-designed group tasks and presentations will allow you to develop your interpersonal and communication skills, giving you the platform to implement your expertise and directly improve the performance of diverse groups of individuals and teams at any level within an organisation. 

Throughout this programme you will learn from a unique blend of research-led academic teaching and industry-focused practical exercises. For example, on the Psychology of Coaching course you will develop knowledge in the theoretical frameworks of this area of psychology whilst gaining practical insights into the tools and techniques of lecturers who are experienced coaching practitioners and consultants.

The 2020 National Student Survey results placed chemical engineering at Heriot-Watt as 1st in Scotland and 5th in the UK, based on students’ overall satisfaction with our programmes.

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 ranked Heriot-Watt University as 1st in Scotland and 4th in the UK for Chemical Engineering.

Our BEng in Chemical Engineering provides students with both the theory and practical application expected by industry. We have strong links with professional communities, allowing us to enhance the career prospects of our graduates.

Programme structure:

• Our BEng programme gives you a sound understanding of both the chemical and process engineering fundamentals that you need to become a professional engineer. In addition to a grounding in science, maths and engineering, our students acquire practical abilities that are highly sought after by industry.
• The BEng in Chemical Engineering is a four-year degree which can include an additional 5th year of study, resulting in the programme becoming a more advanced MEng degree. You will choose which route to follow at the end of your 4th year, giving you the flexibility to decide which degree best suits your career ambitions.
• Final year BEng students undertake a group-based design project that consolidates the subjects taught across the programme.

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.

If you want to start your career with a year's work experience in hand, then you should consider this course. It combines the rigorous studies of the BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science with a year-long work placement in level 4. The work placement gives you experience of working in an organisation such as a life insurance company, a pension consultancy, an investment management firm or a bank. The Diploma in Industrial Training is gained through successful completion of this work placement. The work placement helps you to develop specific work-related skills, giving you the opportunity to apply and build upon the theory you learn in your studies. It allows you to take on real responsibilities, enhance your interpersonal skills through teamwork and communication and experience workplace culture.

The Diploma is available to all students, including those from overseas, as it does not require a work visa. If you are planning to come to the UK using a student visa you should check the Tier 4 Student Visa Policy Guidance to confirm you are permitted to undertake a work placement as part of your studies. It is your responsibility to find a suitable work placement; acceptance onto the course does not guarantee you a placement. If you are registered on the course and are unable to find a suitable work placement before the end of level 3 then you can transfer to the standard BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science degree. Organisations that recent students have secured placements with include Prudential, Aegon and Mercer.

The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship degree develops specific skills and knowledge of information technology, to enable the participants to play a key role in the management of ICT infrastructure, strategy, operations and projects of their organisation.

Key areas of the programme:
The primary focus of the IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship Programme is on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills outcomes sought by employers.

• Business
• Technology
• Personal and interpersonal
• Software project and delivery management

Each of the four key content areas is combined to deliver a holistic learning experience.

Graduates’ skillset:
The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship programme aims to produce MA (Hons) graduates equipped with knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:

• A broad background of business operations, procedures and culture applicable to a career in IT in a business environment
• Sufficient technical knowledge to play a key role in an IT related environment
• Personal and interpersonal skills enabling them to work closely and communicate with employees in non-IT related areas of an organisation
• A set of problem-solving and modelling skills appropriate to IT related business operations
• Sufficient management and business knowledge to play a management role in an IT project
• Project delivery experience in a business oriented environment

The International Master in Industrial Management (IMIM) is a unique multi-site masters programme offered through a strategic partnership of leading universities in the area of industrial management.

This 24-month programme is studied at Heriot-Watt University (HWU) Edinburgh for Semester 1, then Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) for Semester 2, then your choice of Politecnico di Torino, Northwestern Polytechnical University of Xi’an, Tecnológico de Monterrey, or Heriot-Watt Dubai for Semester 3.

Semester 4, the Master Thesis, can be studied 'anywhere in the world' at a university with links to the IMIM Consortium or other industrial or public organisations - it is organised for you as part of the programme and gives you the opportunity to put your learning into practice.

The overall aim of the program is to provide students from a scientific or engineering-based background with business skills relevant for pursuing managerial careers in internationally orientated manufacturing and service industries.

Following completion of this degree, you will be able to design and manage complex organisations and industrial endeavours, in particular those where technology plays a key role. You will be able to diagnose problematic situations in those organisations and then conceive, and put into practice, alternative solutions and processes of continuous improvement.

We have designed this degree to address the challenges of globalisation in an increasingly digital world. We've created a program structure that offers a coherent but also diverse set of pathways beginning with the principles of management in today’s world through to the value chain and the operations within it. In addition, you are able to specialise in one of three key fields of management – innovation in industry and services; technology and entrepreneurship; or the challenge of execution.

Another key feature of the program is its integrative teaching approach aimed at developing the ability of students to tackle managerial issues in an interdisciplinary manner. The fourth semester is entirely devoted to industry-related project work in close collaboration with companies, forming the basis for a master thesis to be submitted towards the end of the semester.

The international education of IMIM students is a valuable asset to be spent in global companies and makes it easier for our graduates to find a job in one of the 27 EU Member Countries, or outside Europe in companies linked with Europe. IMIM alumni are developing their careers in different functional roles, different industries and different geographical locations.

Successful candidates will achieve both an MSc in Industrial Management (International) from Heriot Watt University and an International Master in Industrial Management from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Years 1 and 2 provide a foundation in modern biology, including: Ecology; Pollution Biology; and Man’s Impact on the Environment. Year 3 gives a thorough grounding in many aspects of Marine Biology and Year 4 explores the applications of Marine Biology to Marine Resource Development and Marine Environmental Protection. Fieldwork plays an important part in the course. The course aims to produce good Marine Biologists with a training in applied aspects of marine resource exploitation and protection. Breadth in the curriculum is provided by options including Molecular Biology and Microbiology.