Master of Arts in Art and Design

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

This 2 year Master’s courses will give you the opportunity to be awarded a subject specific degree in Software Engineering and Applications with Project Management. The course will teach you the skills to become professional software developers and create applications with the latest emerging technologies.

If you want to solve real-world problems, evaluate advanced software engineering environments, and build complex software applications then this is the course for you.

The course will cover a range of topics including advanced programming to popular development platforms, open source frameworks, Big Data ecosystems Cloud Computing, and Project Management.

• 2-year subject specific degree with project management
• This course is ideal for Computer Science graduates and experienced programmers who want to solve real-world problems
• Development of advanced analytical and technical skills in core areas of software engineering, which include advanced programming, design patterns architecture patterns, data architectures, distributed and parallel systems, Hadoop, Cloud Computing and web services
• Development of professional skills in management of projects related to software engineering Achievement of critical understanding of core software engineering technologies, development platforms and related open source frameworks
• Acquire the skills related to research methodologies, ethics, and legal aspects, that is required for work within the areas of Computer Science.

After graduation of this course, you'll be producing quality journalism for audiences from the hyper-local to the global. You will have developed an internationalised approach, and be able to challenge specific cultural perspectives, deepening the quality of your analysis. This course will teach you to evaluate issues of media and international development, such as human rights and media structures and explore the latest academic and journalistic research technique

Why choose this course?

• Articulate your journalism across media platforms
• Produce a final project of your choice, either in the form of a journalistic portfolio or an academic dissertation
• Attend master classes and visit the BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, Bloomberg and others
• Interview top UK politicians, human rights lawyers and others visiting the university
• Data Analytics Units covers a wide range of topics including programming, databases, security, project management and computer networking, giving you both the underpinning theory and the ability to apply it to complex real-world problems, as well as an awareness of emerging technologies and developments

Learn how the media works and shapes our understanding of the world with a degree that gives you a thorough understanding of mass media and the workings of the PR industry.

By dividing your studies between media, public relations and marketing, this course combines the expertise of two experienced academic teams and opens up a wide range of career paths from journalism and magazine publishing to digital media production and PR consultancy.

The media side of the degree gives you the practical skills you need to work confidently in a rapidly evolving field. It also provides you with an informed understanding of the social, political and historical forces that have produced our contemporary media forms and institutions.

The marketing and PR side of the degree allows you to explore a range of PR activities; develop your business skills along with your public relations counselling and planning capabilities; and build your knowledge of marketing practices particularly within the context of brand management and corporate communications.

Why choose this course?

• Develop the skills to become an effective media communicator
• Learn how marketing and public relations work, and how they shape businesses and corporate communications
• Benefit from guest lectures and media masterclasses
• Gain personal confidence as well as the ability to express yourself using appropriate media to influence and inform opinion
• Acquire valuable research and project initiation/management experience while working both independently and in teams

This course offers you the opportunity to develop a particular strength in the management of international business issues. You will focus on strategic areas of management, international business, intercultural competencies, brand management, and financial management, all framed by the lens of developing patterns of world trade and the global marketplace.

You will develop the skills required to adopt appropriate strategic responses to different market environments through the study of and working with an organisation. You will also understand and experience at first hand the impact of contextual forces on international organisations, including the management functions of business such as corporate and brand reputation, corporate governance and ethical, economic and environmental change issues.

You will develop your knowledge of the financing of organisations including the sources, uses and management of finance and the use of accounting for managerial and financial reporting. You will also study and experience the management and development of people in organisations within a cross-cultural context, the use of relevant communications within the global economy.

You will appreciate how cultural differences affect both buying behaviour and marketing approaches. As well as specific knowledge relating to international business, you will develop enhanced personal and interpersonal skills through work experience in a professional placement. These include critical thinking, team working, problem solving, numeracy and quantitative skills, self-management and negotiation skills.

The placement will provide the basis for the delivery of the Business Placement Dissertation and comprise one block of study on Campus preparing for the project in the organisation followed by four blocks of study in the organisation and a final block back in the University to complete the write up. The project will be fully academically supervised throughout the six blocks of study.

This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The course, for graduates with a background in electronics, was designed with industry experts and is ideal for those aiming to enter a range of specialist careers in digital electronics or communications.

Gain advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in digital communications, signal processing, electronic circuits and microprocessors, as well as an understanding of engineering best practice and how to apply it in real-life scenarios.

The course will provide you with academic and technical skills to analyse, synthesise, interpret and make sense of modern electronic systems. It will enable you to meet the demands of tomorrow’s engineering society.

Why choose this course?

• Study in an electronic laboratory environment, gaining valuable hands-on experience as well as opportunities for industry connections including National Instruments, Rhode & Schwarz and Axis Electronics
• Explore topics including applied microwave and optical communications, systems engineering, embedded sensors, controllers and energy, advanced digital signal processing, microprocessor architecture and embedded hardware, advanced digital communications, wireless sensor networks, optical communications and other exciting emerging technologies such as energy harvesting
• Develop practical skills in laboratory sessions in which you will build and work with your own electronic devices
• Gain skills and insight into a fast-changing area on a course accredited by the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET), making you well-prepared to enter a demanding and exciting industry
• Benefit from developing expertise and understanding of professional standards to allow you to access careers like electronic systems design, as a development engineer, in software design, as an embedded systems engineer, a communications engineer, product support engineer, technical consultant or further study on an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD

Models of work are constantly evolving, but one thing does not change: people still need to be recruited, trained, motivated and paid to meet an organisation's requirements. If your interests lie in effective people management, this course puts you on the right path.

You begin your journey with a thorough grounding in business before exploring the many aspects of human resource management (HRM): professional practice; leadership and motivation; creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; business systems including international business; selection and recruitment; employee relations; and employment law.

Learn from expert tutors as you carry out practical projects that emulate working as a professional manager, and develop your practical experience with an optional year’s paid work placement in a HRM role.

In your final year, study strategic HRM, examining real firms with a view to solving people problems, and carry out an independent research project.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your understanding of how HRM works with other business disciplines, knowledge that will enable you to fit into numerous types of organisation in the future - private, public or not-for-profit
• Learn from experts in their field, active within the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and in both consultancy and research
• Challenge yourself with an optional sandwich year placement after your second year.
• If you want to step up into higher education, we also offer a degree path with an initial Foundation Year (see below)
• Equip yourself with a range of subject-specific and transferable skills suited to a career in specialist human management roles or professional business and management environments, both national and international

“The University has offered me numerous opportunities to develop my skills and expand my network, and has constantly pushed me outside of my comfort zone, helping me become a real HR professional. My lecturers have always been supportive and understanding, and put great effort into communicating with us. All in all, these have been the most important three years of my life!”

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.

The MBA (Human Resource Management) is a flagship qualification designed to meet the needs and aspirations of early career individuals through the combination of a general management education with the specialist area of Human Resource Management (HRM).

It is designed for individuals who want to develop their leadership and management skills along with their interest in Human Resource Management and for those seeking fast track career progression opportunities.

This postgraduate degree aims to enhance your professional prospects by developing your capability to apply the latest thinking relating to organisational development and change in the competitive global context. Successful completion of the MBA (Human Resource Management) highlights your potential to have a real impact on the transformation of the organisation you join.

Our courses are designed to be engaging, attractive and flexible in the current global marketplace. There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Your course takes place over three semesters. Depending upon when you join the course, this will determine the order of units which you will study. You will benefit by beginning your studies with others who started at one of the earlier points of entry.

Why choose this course?

• The course adopts a practical and applied business curriculum and aims to develop an advanced knowledge of organisations and their effective management in the dynamic competitive global context, and the ability to creatively apply this knowledge and understanding to complex issues to systematically and innovatively enhance strategic business and management practice.
• This offers a challenging learning opportunity to encourage the integration of theory and practice supported by experienced academics with substantial management experience.  
• You will work with academics and professors of practice on live consultancy projects with leading employers in organisations across private, public and not-for-profit sectors to support your personal and professional development as a creative and innovative leader with the knowledge and skills needed in the global, knowledge-based economy.
• You will develop the attributes and skills expected of post-graduates confirmed by partner industry bodies including the Chartered Management Institute and the Confederation of British Industry, including team-working, negotiation skills, leadership, confidence and the ability to apply critical and creative thinking to complex and unclear problems to develop innovative solutions.

Combining practical design skills with creative problem-solving and reflective insight, this inspirational course offers a thorough grounding in contemporary and evolving forms of visual communication across a wide range of platforms, from digital to print, moving image to illustration.

Our degree course explores all contexts where graphic design is found such as digital content; interface design; web and social media; editorial design; print and publishing; moving image; visual identity; typography; and graphic illustration.

Working in creative teams, you learn about materials and methods in a cluster which includes Illustration, Animation, and Advertising and Branding Design. You also study studio practice; collaborative enterprise; context and meaning; and professional practice. This winning combination allows you to develop practical design skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively and show entrepreneurship.

We foster a reflective, outward-looking approach to design challenges; for example, by exploring the ways digital media has created new possibilities for producing, distributing and publishing graphic design work. We also believe a sense of responsibility is essential for a contemporary designer so ethics, sustainability and inclusion are fundamental themes running through the course’s context and debate.

Why choose this course?

• Study in small, lively and committed groups, in spacious, well-equipped studios
• Gain a solid knowledge of the cultural, critical and creative contexts of contemporary practice including how social media has transformed the role of the graphic designer
• Work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and participate in collaborative projects with leading design practitioners
• Learn the team skills required for exhibition curation and group collaborations
• Understand the standards you’ll need to reach to enter the world of professional employment
• Take the course over four years and benefit from a fee-free year in industry (see below), gaining experience and making contacts for the future
• If you need a step-up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry into the degree course on completion

The MSc in Cybersecurity seeks to address the increasing demand in cybersecurity related domains in both academic vocational qualifications and projection for an increased shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the industry.

The programme is delivered by a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts and active researchers in the area and gives also the opportunity to acquire certain units from the programme as dedicated credit-based short courses outside the normal MSc route.

Using cutting edge and leading teaching and training techniques the course helps the candidates to realise the unique complexity and challenges associated with cybersecurity in a highly dynamic and constantly evolving threat landscape in a blended programme that amalgamates both management and hands-on skills required by cybersecurity professionals.

The curriculum gives you skills that are valuable for a career within Information Security but it is also relevant for a much wider range of applications. The diverse skillset around management of security as delivered in the course will equip you with a meaningful GRC knowledge and relevant experience to excel your career prospects. This is quite prominent due to the problem recruiters have to get hold off security managers with these skills.

The systematic application of teaching and learning methods with the GIS goals and clear references made to the University’s employability framework should further help students to develop their career prospects throughout the programme.

Interactive sessions in the form of demos will also be delivered by the teaching staff and guest speakers to further leverage understanding and stimulate attention towards relevant and pragmatic issues in the area

Why choose this course?
Areas of study include

• Cyber threat intelligence
• Ethical Hacking
• Network Security
• Information Governance and Compliance
• Research methodologies and project management
• Tactical and strategic cybersecurity management
• MSc thesis in cybersecurity