Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Journalism

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

Find your specialism and become the writer of your dreams with our innovative, skill-building course which encourages you to experiment with different modes and genres across a range of media platforms. Our small cohort sizes mean you benefit from personal, tailored support.

Explore writing in a way you may not have experienced before, from from the speculative genres of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, to scriptwriting and performance poetry. Your academic team are all experienced writers who will encourage you to find where your aptitudes and enthusiasms lie, helping you to develop your own writing practice and style.

This course benefits from a close relationship with other creative courses such as media, art and design, journalism, and computer games development so you work in an atmosphere of collaborative, artistic energy. You also have many opportunities to share your work, including in our annual published anthology of student writing and open-mic nights.

Graduates from the course have gone on to successful careers in a range of fields, from published authors of fantasy writing and innovative poetry to editorial roles, from professional YouTubers to Creative Writing lecturers.

Why choose this course?

• We are a student-centred course where the emphasis is placed on your development as a writer
• Belong to a vibrant and diverse writing community and have the freedom to focus on the aspects of writing that interest you
• Optional pathways in genre fiction, innovative forms, and screenwriting, taught by writers from those areas, and the opportunity to collaborate with Computer Games and Illustration students to develop games and graphic novel projects
• Meet with writers and other industry professionals
• Focus on your professional development and your future after completing the degree

As the science of life and living organisms, there’s never been a more important time to study Biological Science. It touches almost every aspect of modern life, from developing drug and immune treatments to cloning and climate change.

This course gives you a wide understanding and knowledge of this exciting specialist field. You begin with a foundation in microbiology, cellular chemistry and anatomy before progressing to biochemistry and biotechnology; human health and environment; the application of biology in industry; and the impact of human population growth on our environment. In your final year, you develop your knowledge of the biochemical and biological mechanisms related to health and disease, exploring areas such as pathopharmacology, immunology, and cell and molecular biology.

The course also helps you evaluate and confidently discuss the ethical issues around biological developments like cloning and the Human Genome Project.

In your final year, you undertake your own research project, under the guidance of the Biological Science team, all of whom are actively involved in research themselves.

Why choose this course?

• It’s a leading-edge course, exploring the impact of the latest advances in areas such as biotechnology and medicine
• You are taught in our state-of-the-art laboratories, within the University’s new, centrally placed STEM building
• Our Biological Science team has over 30 years’ experience and are involved in a range of research projects from environmental science and cancer treatment to biophysical analysis of proteins and drug interactions
• The course offers a broad-based training so you’ll graduate with key transferable skills like critical thinking, review writing, data interpretation and communication
• It opens up a variety of possible career paths, not only in science-related industries but in education, scientific sales and marketing, and technical media

The international tourism industry continues to grow and flourish increasing the need for senior planners and managers with the skills to tackle a broad range of global management issues.

From heritage, cultural, social, environmental and political matters, to questions concerning strategic management and sustainable development, this course will provide you with a critical overview of the subject.

You will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the role of critical evaluation techniques and decision-making strategies necessary to establish yourself and thrive in a senior management role.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study major aspects and developments in international tourism and how these may be positively reflected in management practice
• Explore the interconnectedness of international tourism within its economic, technological, socio-cultural, psychological and political contexts, and deepen your knowledge of the effects of tourism on the environment
• Develop your knowledge of academic frameworks, theories and understandings within the policy and professional practice environment of tourist enterprises and business
• Gain access to high-quality research through our Institute for Tourism Research (INTOUR) and draw on numerous practical projects and case studies from a range of national and international organisations in the commercial, public and third sectors
• Benefit from our extensive links with industry, many of which provide opportunities for internships and possible employment.
• The University of Bedfordshire is a member of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). ATHE is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. It represents universities that are leading providers of tourism programs.

This inter-disciplinary course combines international relations, gender and peacekeeping with cultural studies, and addresses the need for intercultural expertise in all global situations.

Focusing on employability, you will understand the growth of NGOs, the importance of the UN, globalisation of industry and multi-cultural communities made up of economic migrants and refugees.

This integrated course prepares you to work within a wide range of economic, technological, demographic and social justice concerns.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study at a pace that suits your work-life balance – choose a one year full-time course, or extend your learning part-time.
• Explore options in public relations, intercultural communication and international marketing
• Gain real insight into peacekeeping and security though studying with experienced academics and practitioners including a Clinical Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies with experience in peacekeeping as a military officer
• Benefit from a course that combines core international relations units, gender and peacekeeping with cultural studies, focusing on the importance of intercultural competence in international situations.
• Develop the skills needed to work internationally and engage in international issues in political, economic or business areas as both politics and culture integrate to shape economic, technological, demographic and social justice concerns.
• Learn using our employability practice-based approach incorporating real business to develop your strengths and skills in this area.

If you’re an ambitious manager working in the private, public or voluntary sectors, and want to develop your skills and engage in stimulating debate with your peers, then this course is for you.

This course will enhance your understanding of contemporary leadership theory and develop your ability to reflect on your managerial experiences enabling you to transfer learning into practice.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Gain a solid foundation in the key skills and effective leadership and management.
• Study contemporary approaches to management including aspects of accounting and finance, strategic management, operations and project management and marketing and digital futures.
• Build upon your existing management abilities to strengthen your skills and personal performance on a course that inspires teamwork and engagement to contribute to ethical and innovative practice.
• Benefit from our employability practice-based approach with real business that will enable you to critically evaluate and improve your own management skills to succeed in the global marketplace.

This course will further develop the knowledge and skills acquired during your undergraduate studies by enhancing your ability to understand the financial risk frameworks within a business and management context.

Along with the knowledge of financial markets, financial regulation and risk management required comprehending the operations and assessing the risks facing businesses, you will also further develop the necessary quantitative, research, and presentation skills required for a successful career.

Besides focusing on specific areas of financial markets, financial regulation and risk management, this course offers you a contextual understanding of the environment in which businesses operate and the place of financial risk management within a business.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start at a time when it is most suitable for you.

In its structure this course recognises the importance of regulation in underpinning the world of financial reporting and its varied impact on published results and capital markets.

At the same time we realise that although knowledge of economic and finance is a necessary condition when trying to understand the world we live in, it needs to be applied in a concrete way in order to avoid consuming itself in analysing theoretical models.

Therefore, this course is structured in a way that uses risk management and financial theory as the driving force and at the same time it links its concepts with other pillars of knowledge through the holistic approach the global economic and financial environment require.

Biochemistry has revolutionised our understanding of biological systems, from microbes to humans, and led to ground-breaking biotechnology applications. Our degree equips you with the specialist knowledge and skills you need for a career in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries, as well as other related sectors.

Offering a strong foundation in modern biochemistry, this course allows you to explore core subjects such as genetics, cell biology and molecular biology along with specialised fields including bioinformatics and molecular modelling; drug design and development; biotechnology; and genetic engineering.

You gain specialist knowledge in areas such as structure-function relationships; signalling and regulatory systems; and metabolic pathways as well as building the practical laboratory skills to work at the forefront of this exciting and developing field.

Why choose this course?

• Learn the techniques and practical laboratory skills essential for working in the field of biochemistry
• Benefit from our new science facilities and STEM building, which offer a modern working environment including high-spec laboratories
• Study with research-active experts in their field, many having previously worked at leading institutions such as Cambridge University, Imperial College London and King’s College London
• Develop transferable skills highly sought after by employers, such as independent thinking; planning and problem solving; analysis; and communication skills
• As a graduate, seek wider career opportunities in hospitals, government departments, academic organisations and the publishing industry. Or move on to further study at postgraduate level
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry (see below), gaining experience, adding to your CV and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education (see below), start with a Foundation Year which guarantees your place on the full degree course

With the world facing a host of food-safety issues and diet-related health problems, food and nutrition have never been more relevant. This course gets you to the heart of this fast-developing field, opening up a wide range of exciting career paths.

Nowadays food travels as fast as people and the need to supply adequate quantities of safe, healthy and diversified food from production to consumption calls for skilled, knowledgeable and practice-ready food scientists.

This degree gives you the skills and knowledge you need, starting with the core fields of food and nutrition: human anatomy; physiology; microbiology; biochemistry; and the principles of food and nutrition. You then go on to explore specialised areas such as clinical nutrition, immunology, food microbiology and biotechnology. Throughout you develop your ability to relate results to theory, with practical laboratory training in the latest biochemical and molecular experiments.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your understanding of practical aspects of food production such as food spoilage, safety and quality control, and public health nutrition
• Using our modern laboratories, become skilled in analysis including the microbial and chemical contamination of food, nutrition content, and the effect of nutritional supplements
• Think globally about problems such as the effect on health of over-consumption in developed nations or poor nutrition in economically under-developed countries
• Learn from our expert Life Sciences team, all of whom are actively involved in research
• Gain a range of transferable skills including independent thinking; planning and problem solving; observation and analysis; and communication
• If you need a step-up into higher education, take the course over four years and include a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry to the degree course
• As a graduate, benefit from career opportunities in food and nutrition research and development across a variety of sectors including government, health, academia, pharmaceuticals and the biotechnology industry

The media industry is constantly changing, and you need to go into it with up-to-the-minute skills and expertise. At Bedfordshire, you gain cross-industry editorial and production skills - gained through working in radio studios, edit suites and our high-tech newsroom - so you're ready to hit the ground running when it comes to your career.

With our multimedia approach and real-world platforms, this course covers all aspects of journalism: news gathering and reporting (including location work); feature writing and editing; and producing and presenting your work across radio, internet, film and print.

You’ll be based at our well-equipped media arts centre, which features industry-standard radio studios and edit suites as well as our newsroom, which has the latest Apple technology and access to the Press Association news-wire feed.

We give you an essential understanding of the industry back story by teaching media law, ethics and regulation; the theory and current practice of journalism; and the global nature of modern journalism. We also offer insights into future developments.

Why choose this course?

• You’ll be taught by a team of industry and academic specialists
• We organise regular, experience-widening trips and masterclasses from industry guest speakers
• You can specialise, taking optional units in PR and marketing, radio, and magazine and online publishing
• There’s the opportunity for you to gain work experience and build links within journalism through an extra work placement year
• You can put your skills into practice, reporting for our news website or developing your own radio show for our on-site community radio station, Radio LaB
• It opens up additional career paths including research; editorial production (sub-editing and proofreading); new media production; and broadcast presenting
• Past graduates have taken up positions within the broadcast sector at Radio One, Kiss FM, Channel 5 and CBeebies

More than ever before our lives are defined by the spaces in which we live, work and play, and interior architects are ground-breakers when it comes to creating experimental, imaginative and stimulating environments. This course will fire your imagination while giving you the skills and knowledge you need to follow this exciting career path.

Nowadays, people actively want the spaces they inhabit to serve their needs, reflect their personality, and offer ergonomic and environmental innovation. On this course, you explore the relationship between interior spaces, architectural forms and human experience and interaction, considering such aspects as space planning, scale, structure, colour, texture, lighting, branding and user experience.

The remit of a professional interior architect is wide so, while studying, you are encouraged to develop unique proposals for a range of environments, from bars, restaurants and theatres to workplaces, retail spaces and exhibitions. You focus on a number of commission areas including refurbishment, film and exhibition design, and virtual environments.

Where possible, design briefs are collaborative, with real sites, real clients and opportunities to network with professional practitioners, building your practical skills and giving you valuable experience in preparation for a career in the field.

Why choose this course?

• Develop a creative and critical understanding of building structure and fabric while studying the design of interior environments in urban, suburban and rural contexts
• Be able to interpret the different ways in which people, activities and places relate to and with each other
• Learn about the latest innovations used to solve contemporary design problems
• Explore specific specialist areas of the field such as anthropometrics, ergonomics, environmental control and sustainability, and orthographic representation
• Benefit from project-based teaching that covers 2D and 3D computer-aided design, digital image creation and manipulation, and video production and editing
• You have the option to take the course over four years and include a fee-free professional placement (see below) which will give you relevant experience, build your CV and offer networking opportunities for the future