Master of Science in Digital Society

at Manchester Metropolitan University United Kingdom

How might modern-day pressures be impacting on children’s mental health? How do our individual experiences of childhood influence our views and perspectives? How can children and young people participate in society and how can this contribute to changes in policy and practice?

From exploring feminism and queer theory to analysing the thinking of key philosophers, on this course you’ll study the complex factors that affect children’s lives and explore ways to positively shape and influence their futures.

In each year of the course, you’ll learn about the different elements that impact on a child’s development. Studying subjects drawn from a range of disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, and criminology, you’ll consider ethics, welfare, and the importance of policy and legislation relating to children, such as the Human Rights Act (1998). You’ll also learn about how childhood has changed over time both in the UK and globally and consider alternative perspectives relating to child development, including post-structuralism, socio-cultural theory and creative play.

You’ll reflect on your own experience of childhood and explore how it was shaped by society. You’ll also consider the diverse experiences of children, young people, families and communities and how policy on local, national and international levels affects children’s lives.

This course will give you the opportunity to study for an Early Years Education Level 3 qualification alongside your degree. When you graduate you will receive a degree, and a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification which meets the national requirements set by Ofqual.

Understanding the power play of international relations is the key to unlocking the secrets of success on the global stage. In addition, studying history will help you to understand how the past affects every aspect of our lives - from the language we speak, to the politics of race, gender, religion and identity.

This Joint Honours degree will provide you with the skills to explore the social and political landscape of human consciousness throughout time and place. You will discover how people lived, and how they perceived and interacted with the world around them. Investigating past events, you will encounter war, injustice, new frontiers, political upheaval, ancient civilisations, invasions, conspiracies, catastrophes and revolutions. You will gain a firm grasp of the core theories of International Relations and their underlying methods. You will get a broad grounding in contemporary government and world politics, including the changing nature of the modern state system.

A wide variety of optional units means that you can pursue your own interests – with units becoming increasingly flexible as you progress through the course. With practical skills training, including advanced analytical approaches, and all the experience that brings – this degree opens up doors to a range of interesting and rewarding career possibilities and provides the skills to progress to higher research programs.

Placement options

You may have the chance to spend a year getting a taste of professional life. It is an opportunity to develop core skills and explore how this course can relate to the graduate world. It shows employers that you’re ready to get to work.

Students are free to choose Placement opportunities from a wide range of roles both in the UK and abroad. Students choosing this option are supported by a dedicated placement team who provide links to employers through presentations, events, and fairs, and provide a specialist program of guidance on recruitment procedures including CV and interview preparation, as well as work readiness and working overseas.

Our computer games development degree is designed to turn you into a games programmer and designer – from the word go you’ll be hands-on, designing and programming games as you prepare for an exciting career at the cutting-edge of interactive digital content.

In our state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll develop traditional computer science skills, such as programming and maths for computing, as well as specialist games development and design techniques. You’ll also study all types of games software, from the programming of game components, to high-level development tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine. At the same time you’ll be learning about game logic and architecture, the production of game objects and environments, and the processes used to design and develop games in industry.

We’ve designed the course to ensure direct relevance to the computer games industry and to provide you with opportunities to showcase your work to potential employers. Throughout the course you’ll build up a portfolio of work that you can showcase when you come to apply for games development roles in industry.

With hackathons, gaming events and lots of opportunities for work experience to hone your skills, by the time you leave us you’ll be well on your way to becoming a player in the action-packed world of computer games.

Placement options
The full-time four-year placement route provides the opportunity to go on a placement for at least 36 weeks, where you’ll get a taste of professional life. Completing a placement not only develops your core skills and experience, but also shows employers that you’re ready to get to work. Graduate employers report that students who have been on placements tend to be more mature, well organized and better able to apply their skills in a structured way.

With our BSc (Hons) Applied Computing degree, you’ll gain an insight into IT and computing industry practices. Alongside developing your technical knowledge and skills, you will also gain an understanding of how these skills are applied in an organisational context by learning about systems analysis, project management, software development, the management of data and the administration of information systems.

You’ll start by studying the core technical subjects of programming, computing mathematics, web development, computer architectures and databases as you cover the fundamentals of computing, developing your team working and communication skills as you go. You’ll then begin to specialise, studying topics such as IT project management, systems analysis and design, the software development process, computer networks and the implementation of database models. As you progress into your final year, you’ll learn about IT systems operations and administration, data management, database architecture and performance and you’ll conduct a large-scale project.

In addition to the computing skills you will develop, you will also gain key employability skills such as team working, report writing, communication and negotiation skills. 

Embark on our creative writing degree and from the very start you’ll study and practise the art and craft of writing in a wide range of established and new forms, from prose fiction and poetry, to screenwriting and writing for computer games. You'll also focus on how writers read texts, how we can learn from them and how to add your own voice into the ongoing conversation of literature.

You’ll learn from award-winning, leading poets, novelists and scriptwriters at the renowned Manchester Writing School – writers who know what it takes to turn a flash of inspiration into brilliant words on the page. The course also has a strong emphasis on professional development, and in our practical 'Beyond the Page' units you’ll look at professional practice in the literary industry and working in the cultural industry in general. In our workshops, you’ll study the formal aspects of creative writing as well as putting your own skills into practice.

If you choose the placement route, you will be able to spend the third year of your studies on an industry placement. A placement is a key element of the course as it allows you to apply university-based knowledge, skills and understanding to the real world of work. It also gives you an advantage when you begin looking for your first job upon graduating. You may also have the opportunity to spend a year expanding your horizons, either studying with one of our partner universities overseas, or working on a placement within the industry.

Smart technology is the future. Machines that talk to each other, learn from their surroundings and respond accordingly – think autonomous robots – are the shape of things to come. On this MSc Engineering Smart Systems course, you’ll put yourself at the centre of these exciting technological developments, working at the forefront of Industry 4.0.

Our new interdisciplinary master's course focuses on applied skills. It will give you the ability to manage forward-thinking technical strategies, and the skills to deploy the latest digital technologies across the engineering sector.

You’ll study a range of core units, exploring the key technological and manufacturing foundations of Industry 4.0. You’ll also develop professional skills with two project management units, where you will learn the principles behind delivering innovation to industry.

In our high-tech facilities, you’ll learn to use the tools and equipment you’ll come across in the workplace. Throughout it all, you’ll have the support of our experienced teaching and research staff, who will ensure that what you learn is 100% relevant to industry. And, with technical, real-world thinking and project management skills, you will have a proven ability, ready to play a constructive role in shaping our technological future.

From breaking news to cultural reviews, sports reporting to in-depth investigations, we’ll help you scrutinise, interrogate and report on the issues that really matter.

This degree is geared towards inquiring minds and creative thinkers seeking a career in journalism and the creative media industries. Throughout the program, we’ll encourage you to carve out your own creative identity as you express yourself through a variety of media and genres – including print, broadcast and digital publishing.

You’ll start with the core skills of interviewing and reporting, before going on to look at specialist areas like media law and ethics, magazine journalism, editing and production. You’ll also get the chance to work on live events and learn how to cover breaking news – all under the pressure of tight deadlines.

In your third year you’ll be able to focus on your own particular interests, such as sports and music journalism. You’ll also create a portfolio of original journalism, rooted in the real world – real people, real issues, real events.

Throughout it all, you’ll have access to the multimedia newsroom, TV studio and radio production facilities, getting you up to speed with all the latest technology. So, by the time you’re finished, you’ll have acquired the wide range of skills necessary to work in today’s multiplatform digital environments.

You may also have the opportunity to spend an extra year expanding your horizons, either studying with one of our partner universities overseas, or working on a placement with an organisation.

Placement options

You may have the opportunity to take advantage of placement opportunities both in the UK and abroad. Students currently on placement are working in a variety of roles over a huge span of industries.

Our dedicated placement team has developed excellent links with various industries. You will be offered support through a preparation program of activities, including guidance on selection procedures, working overseas, CV preparation, interview and selection techniques.

This combined honours course will give you the practical language skills while also developing your understanding of the social and cultural environment in which it is spoken. You’ll also study units ranging from consultancy to enterprise, helping you find your calling in international business.

Business
This degree includes everything you could want from a business degree, from expertise in our research areas of sustainability, strategy, and enterprise to events like our leadership series of guest lectures.

French
In both the private and public sectors, there is demand for professionals with strong language skills who can work in culturally diverse environments. Studying French at Manchester Met will give you the opportunity to learn from native speakers. Our languages department have created their own multi-cultural community, including British, exchange and international students, along with foreign language assistants, allowing you to be absorbed into the everyday use of your chosen language.

We have been providing professional language courses for more than 30 years and our staff are nationally, and in many cases internationally, recognised experts in their field. Our strong local, national and global links will help to enhance your study and future employment opportunities.

If you take French as a major or equal subject you will be required to spend your third year abroad in France. If French is your minor subject, the course will be three years with no study abroad.

By bringing management theory into the practical world, our Sports Business Management degree will help foster the understanding and ability you’ll need for a career in the sport, recreation and leisure industries. Throughout the program, we’ll encourage you to think creatively, bringing your own ideas to tackle real-life business challenges, from running recruitment campaigns and managing events to developing a marketing strategy and conducting market research.

With guest lectures from industry experts and field trips to sports clubs, you’ll meet plenty of professionals working in the sector. And with our connections across sport, we’re ready to help you gain vital experience. You can volunteer for organisations or events in the area, or spend a year studying abroad or working on an industry placement – developing your skills and boosting your career prospects.

Once you've graduated, you’ll have everything you need to chart your future in the business of sport – following in the footsteps of some of our other graduates, working for organisations including BBC Sport, England Netball, and British Swimming.

Study Abroad

Instead of a placement, you’ll have the opportunity to spend up to a year overseas, studying with one of our partner institutions across Europe, or beyond. Go abroad in the third year of your degree, and you’ll not only learn about other cultures, improve your language skills and discover more about yourself – you’ll also boost your career prospects.

Having first-hand knowledge of another country’s cultures and traditions can take you far in a range of careers. And, by going abroad you’ll also demonstrate the kind of independent spirit and adaptability that many employers want.

Study a software engineering degree with us and you’ll build the essential skills you need to work with software systems – opening the door to a range of career opportunities. You’ll cover all aspects of the software engineering process, with a focus on the methodical approach to robust, error-free software design and development.

In your first year, you’ll start with the core principles of computer architecture, databases, web design and programming. You’ll then begin to specialise, with areas of study like software design and development processes, full-stack web development and advanced programming.

As you progress you’ll develop knowledge of cloud computing, full-stack web development, software testing, as well as advanced development skills in a range of programming languages. You’ll also tackle team-based projects and a large-scale software project in your final year. This will help you to build vital project management skills, as well as giving you a sound understanding of the role of software development tools within the software life cycle.

Our BSc (Hons) Software Engineering, BSc (Hons) Computer Science and BSc (Hons) Applied Computing degrees share a common first year, allowing you to switch between these courses at the end of your first year.

Placement options

The full-time four year placement route provides the opportunity to go on a placement for at least 36 weeks, where you’ll get a taste of professional life. A placement not only gives you the opportunity to develop your core skills and experience, but also shows employers that you’re ready to get to work. We offer a wide range of services to help you find the right placement, including employer presentations, advice and fairs. But it’s also up to you – the more proactive you are about applying for placements, the better. This may be subject to national lockdown restrictions.