Master of Physics with Astrophysics (Hons) with Study Year Abroad

at University of Bath United Kingdom

Deepen your knowledge of international relations and gain the skills to unpack and detect the causes and consequences of the world’s biggest challenges.

Current world developments - such as security threats, changes of leadership, the emergence of new powers and the evolving nature of the EU - present fresh challenges to governments, regions and the international system as a whole.

This course explores these issues in-depth, taking a close look at politics and policy-making of cybersecurity, security, diplomacy, and great and emerging powers, as well as the interplay of international power, order and institutions.

You'll gain the analytical skills to be able to unpack and detect the causes and consequences of specific political problems and the different political processes that have generated them.

This course attracts students from all over the world at different stages of their professional and academic lives, adding to the richness of debate and offering deep and diverse perspectives on this multi-faceted subject.

Studying at Bath provides you with the opportunity to work with researchers in international security, terrorism, foreign policy and the international political economy. Our staff have expertise in many relevant topics including intelligence, the global resurgence of religion, emerging powers and peace and conflict studies, they offer fresh and leading perspectives on these highly complex and evolving areas.

You'll leave with:

• A broad and informed perspective on current issues of international relations
• The strong analytical skills and theory-informed reasoning to be able to conduct political analysis and understand current challenges and developments
• A deep insight into the world of negotiation and diplomacy and how multilateral institutions operate in the domains of trade and security
• A strong foundation for international careers in administration, diplomacy, policy formation and research

This course is suited to those with an interest in contemporary world affairs and a degree in a relevant subject, such as international relations, politics, European studies, history, sociology, economics or languages. It’s a highly relevant course if you’re interested in, or already working in, public policy, diplomacy, government, think tanks, NGOs, business and industry, or education.

In a world regularly rocked by major upheavals, this course offers you a solid grounding in political systems and ideas, and contemporary global challenges.

This degree combines the study of political theories and concepts with the study of global affairs. You will gain the knowledge and analytical skills required to understand and respond to contemporary international and domestic socio-political challenges, from political polarisation to climate change. The integrated study of politics and international relations allows you to tailor your degree to suit your interests.

In your first year you’ll study topics such as political theory and analysis, comparative political systems, international relations, international political economy and UK politics in a global context.

In your second year you'll delve further into political theory and analysis and advance your skills in research design and data analysis. You'll start to specialise, with themes such as conflict and security, foreign policy analysis, or the politics of environmental crisis.

In your final year you’ll carry out a year-long dissertation and select optional units relating to your interests, covering themes such as international economic crises, war and peace, gender politics, and contemporary critical theories.

Apply the full breadth of physics to a wide range of astrophysical phenomena from star formation to black hole growth and the expansion of the Universe.

Physics with Astrophysics at Bath will give you a strong grounding in physics, along with in-depth specialist knowledge of astrophysics. You’ll learn how to combine evidence from stellar and extragalactic astronomy to build consistent theoretical models of the evolution of galaxies.

Topics covered include exoplanets, galaxies, cosmology, stars and stellar evolution, general relativity and high energy astrophysics. There'll also be opportunities for you to carry out both observational and computational astrophysics projects alongside our astrophysics research group.

Year abroad

Broaden your horizons by spending a year studying at a university abroad. You’ll experience another culture whilst studying a course that complements your studies at Bath.

We currently have links with universities in North America, Australasia, Asia and Europe, including Purdue University, the University of Queensland, National University Singapore and the University of Helsinki.

Learn about the deep connections between mathematics and theoretical physics and develop your scientific computing and theoretical modelling skills to understand and solve complex physical problems.

This course is for you if you want to study a broad physics degree with less emphasis on experimental laboratories and a stronger focus on theoretical, mathematical and computational aspects of physics.

You'll study the cornerstones of theoretical physics while developing your understanding of their mathematical foundations. Our courses reflect our theoretical research expertise in condensed matter, photonics and astrophysics. The computational physics and programming aspects also reflect the more applied nature of our theoretical research.

The combination of theoretical and practical knowledge of physics and mathematics is highly sought-after by employers and also gives an excellent grounding for postgraduate or industrial research.

Placement Year

Apply your skills and knowledge to a year working full-time in a scientific or other professional organisation, anywhere around the world. It is an excellent opportunity to evaluate future career paths and broaden your experience and transferable skills, giving a competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs. 95% of physics students agreed their placement was valuable in helping their learning (National Student Survey 2017).

You can choose from a wide range of roles to match your interests, from working in marketing to a lab-based role at a research institute. We have links with some of the industry’s leading companies and recent employers include BAE Systems, CERN, Dyson, Morgan Stanley, Rolls-Royce and Samsung.

Develop theoretical and practical abilities in software design, development and experimentation, to become an innovative computing professional.

This course is for you if you’re interested in studying computer science but want to wait until later in your degree before deciding what area to specialise in. It's a broad-ranging course giving you the knowledge to apply computer science methods to the latest industry challenges and learn skills highly valued by employers.

Tailor to your interests

In the first year, you’ll learn core skills in mathematics and programming and the foundations of artificial intelligence, software design and development, interaction design, computer graphics and vision. More advanced and specialised units follow in the second and final years. In the second year, you'll complete a group project with other students to design and build an interactive application.

In the final year, you'll choose optional units alongside an individual project combining your interests in a specific area of computer science. You’ll regularly meet with an academic who specialises in your chosen field.

Study at the interface of biological and computational sciences and help address the world’s biggest challenges in health, food biosecurity and environmental sustainability.

Biosciences research has a huge impact on helping people live longer and healthier lives. With the World Economic Forum identifying healthcare as one of the top 10 Global Challenges for 2030, there is a growing demand for specialists in this field.

This course provides you with a broad understanding of the molecular basis of biological systems, with a focus on the increasingly crucial role bioinformatics plays in modern biosciences.

Vital in addressing global health and environmental challenges, biochemistry explores the chemical processes of living organisms at a molecular level.

Combine your interests in biology and chemistry by applying chemical knowledge and techniques to study biological processes. You’ll learn what’s happening inside cells, how they communicate with each other, and use this to predict how molecules will interact.

Tailor to your interests

In year one you’ll gain a broad grounding in biosciences to help work out where your interests lie. Then from year two, you'll choose optional units in specific areas, such as developmental biology, genomics, neuroscience, cancer biology and microbiology.

And to keep your options open further, you'll even have the flexibility to switch between our biology and biochemistry courses after the first year.

Mathematics enables us to reason logically, to understand structure and to formulate scientific principles, whether from the physical, life or social sciences.

Choose this course to gain specialist knowledge in pure mathematics, applied mathematics and/or statistics.

Tailor to your interests

At the start of the course, you’ll gain a broad education in pure and applied mathematics, including programming and statistics. You’ll have the freedom to study a broader mathematical pathway or specialise in your favourite subject areas, enhancing your analytical thinking and appreciation of the beauty of mathematics.

All of our courses are flexible and allow for a wide choice of units after year one. You may be able to switch courses during the first year.

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to a year working professionally. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills. This could give you a competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs.

We have links with some of the industry’s leading companies. Recent placement employers include BAE Systems, EY, Office of National Statistics, JP Morgan and Deloitte.

Develop specialist knowledge in machine learning, statistics and software technology for a solid grounding in the theory and practice of data science.

Data science drives a significant proportion of global economic activity from healthcare to finance and technology. It's influencing scientific progress across numerous fields including bioscience, energy and telecommunications. This course provides you with the tools and strong mathematical foundation to become an industry expert. You'll gain an understanding of the balanced combination of science and technology required for delivering effective data science.

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge during a year working in industry. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills.

We have links with companies of all sizes from household names to start-ups. Recent placements include positions at Rolls-Royce Motorcars, Seagate, Bosch, Cognisses and Imagination Technologies.

Vital in addressing global health and environmental challenges, biochemistry explores the chemical processes of living organisms at a molecular level.

Combine your interests in biology and chemistry by applying chemical knowledge and techniques to study biological processes. You’ll learn what’s happening inside cells, how they communicate with each other, and use this to predict how molecules will interact.