Master of Science in Applied Computing and Information Technology with Project Management

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

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!”

This innovative course gives you hands-on experience across a wide range of journalistic and creative fields. You learn from an inspirational academic team of professional writers, using the latest technology to produce your work.

This degree leaves nothing to chance, covering reporting, news and features, fiction, creative non-fiction and new-media writing. You study cross-industry writing, editorial and production skills, with options in radio journalism, innovative writing and specialist fiction. You work with the latest technology in our TV and radio studios, fully equipped edit suites and Press Association news feeds.

Tutors are all professional creative writers with publishing and broadcast expertise who support you as you develop your own unique voice and channel it through your writing. They can also give you practical guidance when it comes to getting recognised and published.

Why choose this course?

• Learn the essential tools you need for writing across genres and media from experienced writers, journalists, academics, research students and alumni
• Develop practical skills in production for television, print and online journalism
• Gain links with the publishing industry and other writing-related industries through the professional practice element of the course (see below)
• Explore outlets for your own work including the Creative Writing Guild which runs workshops and open mic nights as well as publishing anthologies of student work
• If you need a step-up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees entry to the degree course

From global extravaganzas like the Olympics to regional music and food festivals, the events-related industry is growing at an incredible rate so needs specialist managers who can apply their skills to this field.

On this course you will study the project management and strategy needed for successful events and tourism management while examining the cultural impact of tourism and strategies to ensure the long-term success of an events and tourism commercial enterprise.

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

Why choose this course?

• Learn a range of management practices that are integral to the management of events whilst at the same time recognising the importance of the inter-relationships of a range of business functions and the impact they have on the management approach to ensure commercial success in the longer term
• Gain the knowledge and expertise required by event management companies, special production organisers, festival managers and corporate leisure services and exhibition venues
• Study industry-related scenarios and realistic simulations to understand the practice of managing events, and develop the problem-solving and decision-making skills you will need to succeed in your career.
• Explore academic theory relating to tourism, leisure and events, with a particular focus on problem-solving and decision-making which will enable you to sharpen your critical thinking and creativity in analysis, synthesis and appraisal.
• Develop and apply the skills of critical evaluation as you become a self-directed, independent, reflexive learner
• Benefit from studying with a Business School that has partners across the world enabling you to examine the cross culture perspectives essential to organisations in the global markets

In 2019, WHO listed high-threat pathogens, influenza pandemic, antimicrobial resistance and vaccine hesitancy among the ten top threats to global health. In 2020, the world suffered the profound effects of the novel SARS-CoV2 virus. There has never been a more compelling time to become a skilled professional in microbiology.

These global threats highlight the need for highly trained professionals who fully understand the role of micro-organisms in public health. This Master’s course focuses on the science of micro-organisms and the range of strategies employed for public health protection including epidemiology; public health intelligence; vaccination; antimicrobial chemotherapy; diagnostic microbiology; and outbreak investigation.

Why choose this course?

• Study microorganisms that impact on health and disease focusing on applications, including diagnosis, epidemiology and control of infectious disease
• Explore how the developments in molecular biology and genome sequencing have altered diagnosis of infectious disease and impacted on outbreak investigation and management.
• Learn about current practice and new developments in vaccines and antimicrobial chemotherapy and consider the challenges faced by efforts to eradicate specific infectious disease.
• Gain practical experience in laboratory techniques and data analysis and be encouraged to think about their wider significance.
• Challenge yourself by undertaking a microbiology research project or public health dissertation (depending on your specific interests), enabling you to consider a particular topic in detail and develop key transferable skills in research and scientific writing.
• Benefit from a course that prepares your for a career in pharmaceutical or biotechnological industries, or health-related industries, including the NHS and Public Health, as well as academic research.

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

Increasing expectations of ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to network facilities (whether from desktop, laptop, smart phone or tablet) means a constant demand for new networking protocols and technologies to keep up with the needs of a technologically reliant society.

This course is designed to give you knowledge of both wired and wireless technology to enable you to enter a career in this fast-paced industry.

Why choose this course?

• Study with staff active in networking and security research on a course with a balance of focus on wired and wireless technologies, working with a 64-node cluster, and other state-of-the-art equipment including virtualised environments as you advance your knowledge of both theoretical and practical challenges related to grid-computing
• Explore areas including network systems, computer security, networking administration and management, wireless networking, distributed parallel architectures, advanced security countermeasures, professional project management and emerging technologies
• Develop skills related to distributed networks (such as distributed and parallel architectures), ideal if you aim to pursue a career in networking, either in management or network set-up
• Gain in-depth skills in network management and administration (allowing you to work as a Network Manager) including essential security aspects, grid-computing and fault tolerance
• Benefit from developing expertise including components of professional qualifications such as CompTIA Linux+ and EC-Council CEH - equipping you for a career as a Network Engineer/Architect, in IT Support, as a Systems Analyst or Systems/Network Designer or in further study on an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD.

This course gives you an advanced understanding of molecular biology, computational biology and microbiology alongside teaching you valuable skills in project management that you can apply to planning and organisational change.

Modern biotechnology is a hugely complex subject, drawing from a range of scientific fields. On this course, you learn the latest new technologies in key areas; gain insights into how they are used in the global biotechnology industry; and discover how microbes can be used on an industrial scale to benefit humankind.

You also hone your research skills with a laboratory-based project in one of five taught areas: molecular biology; computational biology; applied microbiology; analytical biology; and biomaterials.

The project management units explore the complexity of implementing plans and achieving change in organisations as well as the methods managers can use to overcome these obstacles.

Why choose this course?

• Study the latest developments in applied microbiology and computational biology in high-quality, broad-based classes taught by dedicated staff with research experience in specialist subject areas
• Explore the latest technologies in molecular biology and the industrial processes that are used to exploit microbes for specific products and applications
• Develop the ability to use information from relevant sources, and independently and critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship
• Gain the ability to use assured, accurate and fluent language to present your work, and learn to develop graphs and images that clearly illustrate complex points
• Benefit from a wide knowledge base and the key transferable skills that will give you the opportunity to take your career to new heights in the biotechnology and allied industries

Success in the media industry means creating powerful products that communicate with their target audiences through a constantly evolving range of media platforms. This course gives you the skills and insider knowledge needed to make that success happen.

Producing media content is an exciting, up-to-the-minute form of social communication, strongly influenced by cultural, economic and political factors. To create innovative, effective communications across a range of platforms, you must be able to combine media theory with practical production skills.

This broad-based course focuses on the production process while giving you the theoretical grounding you need. So you study practical units such as digital design, making sound and images, film-making and experimental production, combined with units ensuring your understanding of media theory and research, digital cultures and future digital production.

Why choose this course?

• Access to a wide range of professional production equipment including broadcast-standard TV and radio studios, green screen and 360 production
• Study with industry-experienced, research-active tutors
• Explore the latest world-class research through the Research Institute for Media, Art and Performance (RIMAP)
• Participate in and contribute to student festivals and competitions, building your experience and your portfolio
• Develop portable skills in communications and team-working, increasing your employability
• Benefit from a course that opens up careers in television production, digital media production, journalism, teaching, advertising, media and PR
• Take the course over four years and benefit from a year’s placement in industry (see below), gaining experience and making contacts for the future.
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry to the undergraduate course

The contemporary professional and economic environment of globalised markets commands persistence on quality, the immediate adjustment to the rapidly changing conditions and opportunities, as well as the need for a long-term vision. The world is recovering from a very severe economic crisis which originated in the financial sector and very quickly affected the economies of most countries in the western world.

In the aftermath of this and in a globalised world, the study of finance proves to be essential in understanding the way businesses operate, governments exercise policies and countries cooperate and compete with each other.

Economics on the other hand is the foundation of modern finance. It offers students the opportunity to acquire the cognitive knowledge and skills required to understand the structure of the world we live in.

This course will provide students with an intimate knowledge of the structural issues economies are facing and the way they are being realised in today’s economic affairs through the dominance of financial institutions. Student will be able to apply economic analysis to real-life issues while the technical and analytical skills that are necessary to understand key developments in the global markets will be developed.

The Department of Law and Finance has a critical number of academic staff who will support the delivery of this course. They are highly qualified academics and experienced professionals whose research achievements in the areas of economics and finance and real-life experience promise a unique student experience.

Why choose this course?

The world is recovering from a very severe economic crisis, which originated in the financial sector and very quickly affected the economies of most countries in the western world. In the aftermath of this and in a globalised world, the study of Finance is essential in understanding the way business operate, governments exercise policies and countries cooperate and compete with each other. Economics on the other hand is the foundation of modern finance.

If you are willing to pursue a degree in Economics, driven by the need to understand how the western world is structured and how the environment, in which businesses and financial institutions operate, is working, this course will be of interest to you. You will be able to apply economic and financial analysis to real life issues. All necessary technical and analytical skills that are desired by employers in economics and finance relevant institutions will be developed.

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.