Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Language and Literature

at Newcastle University United Kingdom

You will learn about the design, development and implementation of software that drives computer games.

Explore different aspects of computing science – such as games design, bioinformatics, and security – in your first two years.

You'll spend a year on an accredited, paid industrial placement between Stages 2 and 3.

Study specialist modules in Stage 3 – such as gaming simulations and computer games development – to develop skills and knowledge for your chosen career.

About Game Engineering
Our degrees in Game Engineering focus on the design, development and implementation of software that drives computer games (rather than the artistic element of games development).

They enable you to design, develop and implement computer graphics software and applications on a variety of architectures including games consoles, graphic workstations and advanced 3D reality environments.

They also allow you to exploit such software and hardware in entertainment, engineering, design and scientific visualisation.

The North East of England is a hub for games development, making it an exciting place to kick-start your career in the industry.

The International Relations pathway is a specialism on the Cross-Cultural Communication MA. It lets you study international relations with intercultural communication. You'll gain a comprehensive grounding in the approaches to understanding contemporary international politics and society.

This master's addresses contemporary international dynamics through a range of approaches:

• Theoretical
• Empirical
• Area-based

Academic staff in politics from the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology deliver this specialist pathway.

This course provides you with a balance of molecular biology, engineering, computing and modelling skills necessary for a career in synthetic biology.

As the field of synthetic biology grows, computational design of biological systems is important. It allows the construction of complex and large biological systems.

This Synthetic Biology master's specialises in computational design. Laboratory approaches to engineering biological systems are also a major focus. The course provides you with essential computing and engineering skills. You'll learn to develop software to program biological systems.

We've designed this Synthetic Biology master's for students from both biological and computational backgrounds. Prior experience with computers or computer programming is not required. Students with mathematical, engineering or other scientific backgrounds are also welcome to apply. It is ideal if you are aiming for careers in industry or academia.

We provide a unique, multidisciplinary experience that is essential for understanding synthetic biology. The programme draws together the highly-rated teaching and research expertise from:

• Computing Science
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Biology
• the Medical Faculty
• the Institute of Human Genetics

Research is a large component of this course. The emphasis is on delivering the research training you will need in the future to meet the demands of industry and academia. Newcastle's research in life sciences, computing and mathematics is internationally recognised.

You study a broad curriculum in your first two years, developing knowledge in different aspects of computing science, and gaining skills in problem solving, program design and implementation.

In your third year, you move onto specialist topics in software engineering, developing skills and knowledge for your future career.

Your modules focus on the design and development of embedded software systems, and include:

• Software verification systems
• Real-time and cyber-physical systems

Our wide-ranging and inclusive Ancient History degree focusses upon a period extending from the eighth-century BCE ‘beginnings’ of Greek history to the fall of Alexandria in 641 CE.

During your degree you'll explore:

• A broad range of historical questions relating to Greek and Roman history
• The interactions of Greeks and Romans with neighbouring or conquered peoples
• A time of widespread mobility, intercultural contact, and exchange

The areas covered will include:

• The Mediterranean world
• Central and Northern Europe, including Britain
• Beyond (e.g., Graeco-Roman Egypt, Babylon, or the steppe regions north of the Euxine/Black Sea)

You'll focus upon ideas of power, identity, religion, and culture along with the histories and experiences of historically marginalized groups.

You'll learn how to work with a wide range of evidence, including:

• Historical texts
• Inscriptions
• Papyri
• Coins
• Art
• Architecture

You can also choose to study ancient Greek and Latin, from Beginners to Advanced level. You'll be learning and working alongside internationally recognised experts. That will provide you with the opportunity to specialise in the topics relating to our various areas of expertise.

Our areas of expertise include:

• The history of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Greece
• Interactions between Greeks and non-Greek ‘barbarians’
• Alexander the Great
• Hellenistic kingship
• The Roman Republic and the High Empire
• Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
• Late Antiquity
• Relations between pagans and Christians
• Ancient literacy
• The experiences of immigrants, women, children, and slaves
• Greek and Roman religion
• Roman Law

Our dedicated research modules will enable you to develop and further hone a broad set of aptitudes and abilities including:

• A sense of empathy
• Curiosity
• The ability to think creatively and reflexively
• Working independently

This three-year Sport and Exercise Science degree will develop your in-depth understanding of the subject. You'll build a firm foundation of knowledge in the area's key disciplines of physiology, nutrition, psychology and biomechanics, and graduate ready to take on a challenging role in an industry with high demand for graduates.

Your learning is by our expert staff, along with industry partners and applied practitioners. You can be assured your education is right at the cutting edge of sport and exercise science.

You will have opportunities to work with athletes from Newcastle Falcons and Newcastle Eagles, performance athletes across Newcastle University's teams, and in the community with Newcastle United. This allows you to gain the practical experience of working in sport and exercise science.

You'll become a confident sport and exercise professional with a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of the topic.

During this three-year degree, you will divide your time equally between politics and sociology – acquiring a rich theoretical understanding of both disciplines and a set of practical skills valued by employers.

The course features regular fieldwork and hands-on workshops to ensure that you graduate as a practising sociologist and political scientist. You'll be trained to conduct surveys, evaluate statistics, and use SPSS – the professional-standard data analysis software.

With a wide choice of modules throughout, you can tailor your degree to your interests – whether it's the sociology of childhood or race, or the politics of the UK parliament, international diplomacy or the far-right in Europe.

Mechatronics represents a fusion of electrical and electronic, mechanical and software engineering.

Our four-year Mechanical Engineering with Mechatronics MEng Honours degree focuses on developing your knowledge across electrical, software and mechanical engineering, to ensure you graduate as a well-rounded, innovative and professionally prepared engineer.

Our degree allows you to fast-track your engineering career with a direct route to Chartered Engineer status, without needing to study any additional qualifications.

You will take specialist modules looking at mechatronic design, robotics and industrial automation and gain a thorough understanding of a range of engineering topics.

We work closely with industry so your studies reflect the challenges engineers face in the real world. We ensure your practical, professional and academic skills continually develop through guest lectures, placement opportunities and interactions with industry through projects and visits.

Work placement

Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 3 and 4.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Placements are subject to availability.

Professional accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). It is also professionally accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council.

This means future employers will recognise the quality of your degree because it meets high professional standards.

This Urban Design master's prepares you to contribute towards an improvement in the quality of the built environment.

We've structured the course around three main urban projects. Each explores key contemporary issues in urban design:

• Urban regeneration
• Housing
• Public space and engagement

Theoretical and practical lectures, seminars and workshops underpin these projects. The course is primarily studio based. There is an emphasis on independent learning. You're encouraged to cultivate a studio atmosphere within your year group. You'll learn from each other's diverse disciplinary backgrounds. 

This degree follow the same programme as our Environmental Sciences BSc Honours degree but includes a year's work placement.

Topics cover a wide range of subjects, from plant biology and ecology, to sustainability and environmental law.

Biology and geography are an important part of this degree, to help you to understand the processes within ecosystems and how we can manage our natural resources effectively.

You will also study chemistry, physics and geology as applied to the study of the environment.

You'll learn about the role of social and economic factors, ethics and public perception in environmental management.

Between Stages 2 and 3 you take a year-long work placement in a relevant environmental sector. This gives you the chance to put your learning into practise and gain valuable work experience, helping you stand out in the graduate job market.

Your degree is shaped by the cutting-edge research of our expert staff, so you know your degree is focused on up-to-date and socially important theories and discoveries in the area.

BSc or MEnvSci?
Some of our degrees are offered at two levels:

• Three-year Bachelor of Science (BSc)
• Four-year Master in Environmental Science (MEnvSci)

Our MEnvSci degrees include an additional year of advanced study at master’s level, where you will gain additional research and practical experience to increase your employability and have the opportunity to work alongside our world-leading experts.