Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biology and Forensic Science with International Year

at Keele University United Kingdom

On this course, you will learn to use chemistry in problem solving, and to present your theories and findings confidently and imaginatively. You will explore scientific instruments and techniques, and enjoy access to dedicated IT facilities. You also may have the opportunity to tailor your studies to reflect your interests, and learn how to pursue your own research. 

With almost 2.5 million untrained ‘accidental managers’ in the UK alone, the need to upskill future business leaders is widely accepted as one of the top organisational priorities. Poor management costs this country around £84bn in lost productivity each year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Grounded in theory and practice, our MSc will equip you with the necessary knowledge, skills and techniques to overcome some of the problems associated with substandard management – low staff morale, loss of talent, inadequate budgeting, reduced productivity and missed commercial opportunities.

Instead, we’ll prepare you to perform executive duties in ways which motivate others and achieve business objectives successfully, with the flexibility to adapt and thrive in rapidly changing and uncertain external environments.

Referring to real-life business examples and hearing direct from businesses, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic and operational challenges that can arise, in areas such as leadership, ethics or sustainability, for example. The Business School’s Grand Challenges lecture series invites key speakers to provide fresh perspectives on the political, ethical and intellectual problems we face as a world today, while our Lunchtime Lectures centre on leadership in the context of complexity and inclusion.

Your final project will give you the opportunity to directly transfer your learning to the workplace by researching a current management topic, responding to a specific business issue or undertaking a ‘live’ work-based project.

Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider topics which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, exploring related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll develop your practical skillset through activities which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs. You will also explore the behaviour and physiology of whole organisms.

Education at Keele has a strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele places education in a very contemporary and even future focused context, exploring the ways in which the world of education is changing, and looking at education from philosophical, historical, psychological, cultural and sociological perspectives. This course examines a wide range of topics which may include the changing ideas about childhood, learning, schooling and education, and factors such as poverty, social policies and digital technologies which impact on these. You will explore a range of educational topics, which could include both present and future developments in education and professional practice, against the wider background of social, cultural and economic change.

The MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations is distinctive as it is one of the most diverse collections of Masters pathways in the UK. The programme offers the possibility of developing an individual specialism as well as learning about broader issues in the pathway, and in wider fields of Politics and International Relations. You will gain a thorough grounding in the philosophical and practical issues underpinning study and research in Politics and International Relations. You will study 3 compulsory core taught modules, 4 optional modules and a dissertation over 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (part-time). 

Key benefits of studying for the MA/MRes in Politics and International Relations include; small class sizes, expert dissertation supervision on cutting-edge issues and debates, a dynamic academic community, strong student-staff relations and stimulating extra-curricular seminars and workshops. Staff and students regularly organise research events, which provide important opportunities for learning, networking and collegial debate on contemporary political and philosophical issues. For example, we host an annual Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, a bi-annual European Consortium on Political Research environmental politics PhD summer school, and in recent years have organised several ESRC-funded (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series. 

As a Biology student at Keele, you will explore a range of engaging biological topics, which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels and related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll be encouraged to examine how bodies work, how animals behave and the uses to which we can put plants. You'll develop your practical skill set through a range of activities which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and also in our well-equippedlabs, and you'll be encouraged to consider how biology can be utilised practically which may relate to improving the quality and sustainability of life.
 

Studying Neuroscience, you’ll explore a range of topics which may include how we learn and remember, how the brain controls the body, and how the brain can be targeted by disease but in some instances can repair itself. Working in diverse ways, including our well-equipped labs, you’ll develop your independent research skills as you learn to acquire, interpret and analyse data from multiple sources. You’ll also understand how neuroscience can help us understand medical problems and improve the quality of life.

For the Forensic Science element of the course, you will be taught by academics and forensic professionals, and gain valuable lab and crime scene experience, helping you to stay ahead in this fast-moving science. You will be taught in our modern laboratory facilities and have access to equipment and our dedicated Crime Scene House. 

This course will provide you with a broad education in the core areas of forensic science. Your studies will focus on key topics in forensic chemistry, analytical science, forensic biology and criminalistics science. You will develop your analytical science skills, enabling you to analyse a variety of forensic of evidence. This is complemented by additional emphasis on professional practice and an understanding of the roles of the crime scene investigator and the forensic scientist as an expert witness in the court. You may be able to study abroad for a semester (dependant on subject scheduling) or a year at one of our partner universities.

You will have the opportunity to develop your creative practice skills alongside the analytical study of screen and literary texts. You will explore the core areas of Film Studies, with Keele’s combined emphasis on local and global film cultures, and its focus on the key concepts and issues in film history and theory. Looking across a range of films and filmmaking contexts, you will analyse, discuss and debate the cultural significance and creative possibilities of this powerful medium as well as having the opportunity to develop your screenwriting skills. Alongside this, you will study literature and creative writing in every semester, experimenting with prose and poetry to develop your skills and to become a mature practitioner. You’ll be taught by a team of researchers and practitioners who are active and experts in their fields, with a commitment to lively and innovative teaching methods.

With increased regulations around financial reporting and an unstable global economy, accounting and financial management is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects in any business. Long-term success requires the ability to?think both strategically and critically, skills we build in our students through?creative and innovative teaching and learning practice.

This master’s course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), which means that with further relevant study and professional experience, you could go on to become a fully qualified certified accountant or management accountant. Alternatively, you can pursue a PhD or a variety of careers in almost any industry in financial advice, management, auditing or risk.

Combining the rigorous examination of core accounting and financial management with a wide range of practical applications, you will learn to work confidently with both numerical quantitative and qualitative financial analysis and reporting. You’ll draw on real-life data and case studies in our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Suite, which features industry-leading technology.

Studying alongside a diverse international body of students from a wide range of national and social backgrounds, you’ll develop as a global citizen, vital in today’s globalised world of work. You’ll expand your professional networks and learn to appreciate different cultural backgrounds and personalities.The theoretical and technical knowledge and skills required to become a professional accountant means that you can choose to transfer to this career from a range of different disciplines, especially since accounting and financial management is needed in every industry – from sport and leisure, the arts and entertainment to social work, engineering and the natural sciences. Each year, we welcome applicants from a wide range of undergraduate disciplines, some already working, who either want to divert to a financial career and/or recognise the benefits of gaining a postgraduate education in a subject which will improve their contribution to businesses. Past students have joined us having studied subjects as diverse as chemistry and history, as well as business.

On this Combined Honours degree you will learn about different methodological approaches to understanding individuals and the societies in which we live.

The psychological content of this degree will challenge you with exciting ideas and findings from across the psychology curriculum. Of particular relevance are the study of developmental psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology and individual differences. Indicative topics include school bullying and the social dynamics of crowds.

The psychology modules on this course are accredited by the British Psychological Society, a necessary first step for many professional careers in psychology, such as clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, occupational or sports psychology, and a prerequisite to becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

The compulsory sociology modules will provide you with a grounding in the key areas of the discipline which may include: inequalities, social theory, and research methods. Our programme covers a wide range of topics such as families, health, activism and protest, social media, globalisation, and urban life. Studying Sociology will enable you to think independently, critically, and imaginatively about the issues that shape our everyday lives and our futures.

In Astrophysics, you will learn to formulate and tackle problems – from below the level of the atomic nucleus to astronomical scales. Astrophysics is active wherever the laws of physics are being tested to the limit – and beyond. Keele will help you to use astronomical observations, mathematical models and computer simulation to develop theories explaining some of the most complex phenomena.

Education at Keele is distinctive because of its strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying Education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele aims to introduce you to many of the big questions concerning education and schooling both in the UK and also internationally. Why do we go to school? What should we learn? How should we learn it? What is the main aim of education? How is educational success linked to students' gender, race and socio-economic background?

In looking at these types of 'big' questions and thinking historically, sociologically and philosophically, the course thinks critically about all aspects of education including primary, secondary and university levels. Whether you are intending to teach or just have an interest in education, this course will explore your assumptions about learning and consider your own school experiences.