Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Health and Social Care

at University of Bolton United Kingdom

Social work is a varied and rewarding profession centred on people. It offers careers working with children, young people and adults, supporting families, care leavers and older people, as well as those with mental health issues, learning difficulties or physical disabilities. As a social worker, you’ll work in multidisciplinary environments alongside professionals from other agencies, such as housing services, the police and health and social care teams, to empower individuals, families and communities within society.

Our MA Social Work focuses on helping you learn to use your professional judgement and build relationships, both with the individuals and communities you serve as well as with colleagues from other professions and services. Our passionate and knowledgeable staff will support you to develop the sound knowledge of social work theory, models, legislation, policy, ethics and interventions that will underpin your professional decision-making. We’ll cover areas such as the impact of injustice, demography, and social inequality, as well as safeguarding and the signs of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. We’ll guide you as you gain key skills, values and behaviours including professional curiosity, inter-personal and communication skills, initiative, leadership, research and critical reflection, partnership working, self-care and resilience, record keeping, and workload management.

Our focus is on preparing you to become a confident, highly competent, compassionate and professional social worker. On successful completion of this qualification, you’ll be able to use your professional expertise to work, assess, plan, implement, evaluate and intervene putting the needs of people first, and ensuring their voice is central to decision making. You’ll be ready to maintain professional and ethical standards while supporting positive change in people's lives in order to improve their wellbeing and independence.

Highlights

• The University of Bolton’s MA Social Work is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). On successful completion of this programme, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC as a Social Worker.
• You’ll gain first-hand work experience and have the opportunity to develop an invaluable network of professional contacts during your two work placements. You’ll undertake a first-year placement of 70 days and a final year placement of 100 days. Placements are available in a diverse range of social work areas, helping to prepare you for the changing environments you’ll encounter during your career.
• We offer 30 skills development days that focus on helping you learn specific skills, such as interviewing families, communicating with children, family group conferencing, solution-focused approaches, ‘clarifying, probing and challenging’, resilience for practitioners, case recording and giving evidence in court.
• We’ll help you develop an awareness and appreciation for differing cultural values and behaviours, the factors that influence our journeys from pre-birth through to death, and the effects of age, sexuality, gender identity and expression, capacity, learning ability and physical ability. You’ll also be encouraged to recognise how your own values and experience influence the judgements you make.
• Our professional expert academic tutors come from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds, including social work and a number of allied health and social care professions. They weave essential knowledge of inter-professional and multi-agency working into their delivery of the theory elements of the course, helping prepare you to work effectively with colleagues from a variety of other professions and agencies.

Key Features

• Our programme offers 200 days of practice-based learning opportunities. We’ll arrange two work placements for you totalling 170 days, and you’ll benefit from an additional 30 skills development days that take place on campus.
• Throughout the course, specialists in the field of social work, other key allied health and social care practitioners, senior managers and policy makers will be invited to join us as guest speakers. You can also expect to meet service users and carers who have direct experience of services and who can offer their unique and valuable perspectives on the role of social workers in the community.
• Our dedicated team will guide you as you develop critical thinking and research evaluation skills and apply these during your independent master’s-level project. This experience will support your on-going professional development in future and help you evaluate evidence to inform your practice and decision-making in the field.
• Social work can be very demanding and carries a lot of responsibility so we’ll support you to learn strategies and techniques that can help you to build your professional and emotional resilience and successfully manage the situations you face.
• On successful completion of this programme, you’ll be awarded an MA in Social Work from the University of Bolton.

Professional recognition

• This programme is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you meet the standards of proficiency required by the Health and Care Professions Council and professional capabilities for qualifying social workers. You’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC as a Social Worker.

The BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bolton has been awarded professional accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and uses UK-SPEC learning outcomes designed to meet in part the academic requirements leading to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

This course may also be studied as a part-time option on a dedicated one day a week basis. It's ideal if you're an HND student looking to top-up your qualification to degree standard. Year 2 or 3 HND students will be selected according to their level of mathematics, science, and experience. If you’re interested in a degree apprenticeship, the department is actively looking at collaboration with local companies.

The department provides a friendly, yet challenging, environment where the emphasis is on both the theories and principles of mechanical engineering and their application in a work context. You’ll carry out case studies, practical and laboratory work and problem-solving projects. You’ll also develop the presentation and managerial skills that you'll need to manage engineering projects and support your future employment in the industry.

Highlights

• You’ll have the opportunity to work on live engineering projects, both as an individual and as part of a group.
• There are also opportunities to participate in inter-university student competitions including the IMechE’s annual undergraduate design challenge, which includes all the universities in the North West.
• Professionals from national and multinational mechanical engineering firms are regularly invited to give guest lectures about the sector and job opportunities. You’ll also have industry visits and work placements.
• You’ll get hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment and software such as SolidWorks, Ansys, and MATLAB, for analysis and design, prototyping and control.
• Your final year project allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding when investigating and providing solutions to engineering problems. Some projects may be on ‘live’ problems from local industry or in-house research activity.

Key Features

• Our engineering department has a strong tradition in the field of engineering education and high-quality engineering courses have been delivered successfully at Bolton for many years.
• It has modern, dedicated engineering laboratories and state-of-the-art design development and project facilities. These include CAD, analysis, optimisation, CAM and CAE software.
• You’ll be taught in a supportive learning environment with small class sizes. Your tutors are experienced professionals and academics, highly qualified in their fields, and many of them are chartered engineers.
• We’ll encourage you to develop an understanding of all aspects of engineering projects; for example, costings, the science and maths of these projects, functional design materials, and project management.
• You’ll have opportunities to develop business skills for a career in this field, including problem-solving, managing workloads, and communicating with a range of personnel. You’ll also be able to develop your decision-making abilities and your ICT capabilities.
• Our mechanical engineering graduates enjoy high levels of employment, finding interesting and financially rewarding professional careers in the UK and overseas.

If you have a passion for the arts and culture and a keen interest in areas such as creative producing, galleries and curation, and cultural heritage and museums, this master’s degree offers you a route into a rewarding career in arts management. Whether you are progressing straight from undergraduate study, or are already working in the sector, this programme aims to prepare you to work in partnership with a range of arts, theatre and cultural organisations to develop and manage projects that have tangible social, educational and commercial benefits.

Our dedicated team will support you as you investigate the current arts landscape to develop your understanding of the social, political and cultural contexts for the arts, examining growth areas such as arts and wellbeing, social prescribing, social engagement and regeneration. The applications for arts and culture are varied and you’ll have the opportunity to explore areas such as social enterprise, creative engagement, and arts and culture for health and wellbeing.

Your studies will focus on key aspects of arts management practice, including leadership and management, networking and collaboration, logistics and managing risk. Audience engagement, project planning and development, and impact evaluation will also form key cornerstones of your learning. You’ll have the opportunity to work with a number of arts and cultural organisations via live briefs and work-based learning, as well as to gain additional qualifications such as safeguarding, health and safety in the workplace, equality and diversity, and risk assessment to further strengthen your professional profile. Our aim to support you to develop the real-world skills that will enable you to work freelance, on contracted roles within existing organisations, or to set up your own company.

Highlights

• This MA offers opportunities for you to work with a range of arts and cultural organisations across Greater Manchester and the North West region on live projects.
• Our industry-engaged staff are experienced in developing and leading arts and cultural projects, so are well-versed in the skills and knowledge needed for success in the field.
• We’ll focus on helping you develop the practical, real-world arts management skills you’ll need to work freelance, start your own company, or secure employment with established organisations.
• We'll help you learn about tax self-assessment, invoicing, intellectual property and risk assessments, as well as offer business start-up sessions to prepare you to take advantage of opportunities for enterprise development.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by our dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff who are engaged in arts practice, management and research.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners that gives you opportunities to network with and learn from industry professionals.
• You’ll have opportunities to gain additional qualifications such as safeguarding, health and safety in the workplace, equality and diversity, and risk assessment, alongside your master’s degree to ensure you achieve a strong professional profile in preparation for employment.

Business management qualifications open doors and are considered essential whether you’re looking to pursue a career in business, or achieve higher levels of responsibility in your current work. We’ll support you to enhance your existing Foundation Degree or HND-level knowledge and skills, ready to achieve the status of BSc (Hons) Business Management (Finance) Top-up graduate. You can study advanced aspects of business, management and finance, enhance your professional skills, and boost your employability.

Building on your prior studies, we’ll guide you as you explore specialist areas including financial reporting for management, the practice and regulation of financial accounting, and the role of the finance manager. This Honours-level programme will also support you to gain knowledge of strategic management, and develop critical inquiry and research skills to improve your work and enhance its quality. When you successfully complete the course, you’ll also receive the CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management and benefit from exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.

Developing your employability is a key focus of this dynamic and flexible programme. Real-life case studies, guest speakers and industry visits are designed to help you to understand the business environment and the needs of employers in local, national and international contexts. We’ll support you to develop sought-after skills such as communication, data analysis, time management, team working and problem solving.

We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success.

Highlights

• The Institute of Management Greater Manchester – and the wider University – provide a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, purpose-built teaching facilities, and excellent student support and library services.
• On successful completion of this dual award course you’ll receive both an academic degree and a professionally-recognised management qualification – the CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management. You don’t need to take extra exams or coursework to achieve the Award – we combine our degree module and CMI assessments streamlining your route to both qualifications.
• On the Business Management (Finance) Top-up pathway you’ll also have the opportunity to gain exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.
• This course is part of our Business Management suite of degrees. At Honours level, depending on your prior studies, you can follow this specialist pathway in Finance, choose the core Business Management route, or select one of our other specialist pathways in Enterprise, People Management, Supply Chain, Law, Marketing or Retail.
• Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support is offered by our team of highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisation to SMEs.
• We’ll introduce you to your course and new study environment through a bespoke induction programme focused on helping you transition smoothly and effectively to Honours-level study.

Key Features

• This course is offered within our vibrant Institute of Management environment in Bolton town centre.
• We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you have the opportunity to benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
• We regularly invite guest speakers who hold senior positions in industry and practice, enabling you to benefit from their knowledge and advice.
• Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
• Contemporary research findings are woven into our teaching. We offer a robust academic underpinning to your studies of business management.
• Our dedicated team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research skills and apply these during your final year dissertation or work-based project (if you’re in suitable employment).

Professional recognition

• Graduates of our BSc (Hons) Business Management (Finance) Top-up course will receive the Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
• Additionally, graduates of the BSc (Hons) Business Management (Finance) Top-up pathway will benefit from exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.

If you’re seeking to accelerate your career in an area where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, the University of Bolton's MSc Human Society (with specialism) should be of interest to you. This course offers you professionally-relevant training for practice in your specialist area (chosen from Early Childhood studies, Community Development and Youth Studies or Social Care, Health and Wellbeing), coupled with essential skills development for business and leadership that will take your CV to the next level.

An ideal course for graduates and professionals from a wide range of backgrounds
Whether you’re a recent graduate or a professional seeking a change of direction or to increase your credibility in practice, this course offers you the opportunity to study cultures, communities and society in readiness for a career working to improve the lives of vulnerable people, children, families and young people in the community. Our expert team will support you to develop postgraduate-level expertise ready for professional practice in the human services, along with the high-level transferable skills and self-belief you need for leadership roles, teaching or further research. This master’s degree should appeal to (but isn’t limited to) graduates and professionals in areas such as Community Development and Youth Studies; Crime and Criminal Justice; Early Years and Childhood Studies; Education; Law; Nursing; Psychology; Social Care, Health and Wellbeing; Social Work; and Sports Development.

Study a master’s that matters
This course takes a holistic view of social justice, equality and inequality in society so that you can develop a broad appreciation of the interconnected nature and need for multi-disciplinary work in the human services. Armed with this overview, we’ll support you to explore your chosen specialist area in greater depth, preparing you for professional practice in this field. You can specialise in Early Childhood Studies, Community Development and Youth Studies or Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and you do not need to have worked or studied specifically in these areas before. To support your leadership aspirations, we’ll also use tried-and-tested coaching techniques to help you master skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and team working, using your initiative and decision-making.

Experts in the field
Our multi-disciplinary team of experienced academics and practitioners are able to help you forge the necessary links between theory and practice. We’ll support you to develop your knowledge and understanding of human society, focusing on your chosen specialist area. You’ll explore the forms of diversity and challenges to professional practice in the human services. You’ll also learn about the health and wellbeing of individuals and groups in society and how this is related to policy and the professional landscape. Your studies will culminate in your Professional Dissertation, an independent and substantial piece of research that will further your knowledge and practice. This will demonstrate your mastery of an aspect of your field, showcasing your expert knowledge to employers.

Ensuring your learning is contemporary, relevant and industry-informed
We have a well-established network of employers and organisations within our local community that gives us essential insights into the needs of organisations and the individuals they support. We also have significant links with national networks in each specialist area. Our partners span the human services sector and provide up-to-date experience and expertise in practice and policy so you can rest assured that your learning will be contemporary, relevant and industry-informed.

Reach your potential
Our passionate team want to help you make a real difference in society and enjoy a rewarding career. As well as building your knowledge of human society and professional practice, we’ll support you to identify and develop the personal and business skills that are most highly valued in the human services sector. Not only will this help you get established early on in your career, but you’ll also be primed to take on leadership roles. You’ll have the lifelong learning, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to adapt to the challenges you face throughout your career.

Would you prefer to complete your course over a longer time? We also offer this course with a duration of 18 months full-time or 24 months part-time. For full-time study, please visit our MSc Human Society (with specialism): Extended course search web page for details and to apply. Alternatively, for part-time study, please visit our MSc Human Society (with specialism) course search web page.

Highlights

• Dr Selva Pankaj, the author of ‘Thinking into Character – A Proven Methodology for the Creation of Success & Self-Fulfilment’, is a valued partner of the University whose work will support you in the development of business and career planning, confidence and knowledge.
• When you successfully complete the master's, your degree title will be chosen to reflect the focus of your studies. Degree titles include MSc Human Society (Social Care, Health and Wellbeing), MSc Human Society (Community Development and Youth Studies) and MSc Human Society (Early Years and Childhood Studies).
• The University of Bolton’s strong and growing links with human services organisations and employers across the North West offers excellent opportunities for coaching, networking and joint projects with experienced professional practitioners.
• This MSc is part of the University of Bolton’s ‘Career Development Masters’ suite, offering shared modules that give you a wider business perspective. Inspired by the graduate training programmes of major companies, these modules will help you develop high-level employability and transferable skills and apply them to your chosen specialism.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by dedicated staff chosen for their expertise and experience in fields relevant to your professional practice and professional development needs.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners so you can enjoy masterclasses with industry professionals, gaining insights into contemporary issues, developments and practice in the human services field.
• We'll offer you opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration that will help to develop your understanding of the interconnections between policy and practice.

Studying in our well-respected, vibrant learning and research culture, the University of Bolton’s BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology degree gives you the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of offending behaviour from the perspectives of both offender and victim. This course was awarded the 2017 Award for Innovation in Psychology Programmes by the British Psychological Society*, demonstrating our commitment to bringing criminological and forensic psychology to life away from the classroom by offering you an array of innovative and practical learning opportunities.

Our supportive and experienced team will help you gain a strong foundation in the theories and practice of psychology, focusing on forensic theories including aggression, sexual offending, terrorism and delinquent behaviour. We’ll also lead you in an exploration of legal and court psychology, including interviewing techniques used by the police and issues around court testimony.

The course can lead to a range of careers including the prison service, health, police, probation service, victim support and services targeting families of offenders or victims, or on to further study. Accredited by the British Psychological Society, the course enables you, on achievement of the required grade, to progress to further professional qualifications and employment as a registered psychologist.

Highlights

• Our psychology courses are ranked top in the UK for teaching quality by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020, as well as top in the UK for student satisfaction by The Complete University Guide 2020.
• This course is one of only a few Criminological and Forensic Psychology degrees in the country accredited by the British Psychological Society. Accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), this degree is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
• The University of Bolton has invested in the creation of a learning environment that offers innovative methods of teaching and assessment using top-class facilities, such as our observation and psychophysiology laboratories.
• We work hard to ensure the course evolves in response to current issues in psychology. For example, our curriculum includes up-to-date teaching around the themes of honour-based violence and terrorism.
• Course content is delivered by our highly-qualified staff who have substantial experience in the field. By offering personal supervision throughout the course we aim to give you the best possible opportunity to achieve your true potential.
• We’ll encourage you to complete the British Psychological Society accredited Occupational Testing Level A Certificate, which is highly recommended for a career in this field.

Key Features

• You’ll explore the theories and principles of forensic psychology and how these are applied in legal and other offender settings. You’ll also discuss the social and psychological context of offending and examine methods for collating, assessing, and analysing data.
• To help you learn how psychological theories are applied to the activities of psychology staff when they’re working with offenders or victims of crime, you’ll have the chance to take part in a variety of workshops where you can practise and receive feedback on core skills.
• Your personal tutor will be on hand to support you throughout your degree; one of our team of helpful and approachable psychology staff with a diverse range of research interests and professional experience.
• We focus strongly on employability skills and the practical application of your studies as well as academic success. Workshops include leading group therapy and conducting a risk assessment with opportunities for placements in a relevant work setting.
• The applied nature of criminological and forensic psychology is stressed throughout the course and you’ll carry out a criminal justice-related work placement in your final year.

Professional recognition

• Successful completion of the degree course is approved as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society, provided the minimum standard of qualification of second class honours is achieved.
• The British Psychological Society is the professional body for psychologists.

The BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice (Top-up) provides a valuable way to use your existing qualifications and knowledge to obtain a degree at the University of Bolton. You’ll have the chance to study a balanced combination of current educational policy and issues, and draw in relevant aspects of sociology, philosophy and psychology. It’s a great opportunity to explore in-depth some of the key current issues affecting education in the UK and abroad.

By thinking about how we learn, we’ll guide you in an exploration of how formal learning, alongside acquired knowledge, shapes our lives, interests and value structures. We’ll also encourage you to research and analyse a range of educational practices, reflecting on your own and others’ experiences of education. This will help you think critically about teaching, learning and assessing and how education is perceived and received.

Highlights

• This course offers you the opportunity to use your existing qualifications and knowledge to obtain a University degree by completing only one year’s extra study.
• Small class sizes mean more keenly focused attention on your learning needs and strategies for success.
• Our experienced professional and approachable tutors will guide and support you throughout your course, delivering online sessions and offering attentive one-to-one support.
• You’ll be studying at a University known for its supportive atmosphere, and get to study alongside students from a variety of backgrounds, each with an individual and unique perspective on education.

Key Features

• You’ll have the chance to take on a systematic and reflective study of education that’s illustrated and informed by the diversity of teaching and learning approaches in different sub-sectors of education.
• You’ll reflect on your current roles and responsibilities to build on the experience you’ve gained in educational settings and learn from the learning and teaching you’ve observed.
• Our teaching draws on your own experiences of learning as a starting point for understanding the formal educational process. You’ll be expected to contribute to research and discussion through critical reflection on your own education and by listening to the experiences of others.
• On successful completion of this course, you’ll be awarded the BA (Hons) Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Professional Practice from the University of Bolton.

Literature is an extraordinary resource for broadening your intellectual understanding. It’s one of the most powerful ways we can experience others’ lives, enjoy worlds we’ve never visited, and develop our appreciation for the sheer power of words in expressing ideas and emotions. Through in-depth study and analysis of a range of texts and formats – including prose, poetry and plays – you’ll have the chance to hone your critical skills and develop your prowess as a creative communicator.

We’ll guide and support you through a rich course of study that should help you extend your understanding of language and how it can inform, persuade, shock and delight. Join us on a journey into the world of literature, where we’ll help you develop a deeper understanding of the social, political, historical and cultural contexts, and the impact of literary texts.

Our experienced and highly qualified team offers you a supportive environment in which to explore the central role of language in the creation of meaning. Through research, discussion, argument and analysis, you’ll have opportunities to learn to use language, effectively and powerfully, to achieve your goals.

Highlights

• Our English and Creative Writing courses are ranked second in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
• The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 also ranks our English subject area as top in the UK for student experience and second in the UK for teaching quality.
• You’ll get the opportunity to benefit from our strong links with external creative organisations, including the nationally acclaimed Octagon Theatre, Bolton, where you can gain behind-the-scenes access and workshop experience.
• To give you publishing experience, we encourage you to submit your work to our literary magazine The Bolton Review.
• Our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers are professional writers and researchers whose work is published or produced on stage, screen or radio.
• We have excellent industry contacts and strong links to external creative organisations such as publishers, production companies, theatres, libraries, art galleries, schools, funding bodies and arts development agencies – so we can offer you work experience in a wide variety of settings.

Key Features

• We offer popular options in women’s writing, Gothic fiction, children’s literature, film adaptation and contemporary poetry, as well as a range of creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and drama.
• You can benefit from the latest thinking and discoveries, as our course tutors are active researchers in poetry, prose and drama, and feed their knowledge back into the curriculum.
• We’ll help you develop a range of skills highly valued by employers, such as written and verbal communication, presenting information and ideas, argument and persuasion, working to tight deadlines, and research and critical analysis.
• You can attend guest lectures from literary scholars, and hear contemporary writers’ work at the University’s regular literature events.

The global games industry continues to grow. Worth over $137 billion in 2018, this value is predicted to rise to over $180 billion by the end of 2021*. Games offers lucrative careers at the cutting-edge of technology and talented games programmers are always in demand in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Offering a broad education in games programming, design, development and technology, our Games Programming degree emphasises the technical aspects of game production. We aim for you to become a skilled programmer and you’ll use C++, the principal programming language in the games industry, at each stage of the course. We assume no prior knowledge of programming but a good knowledge of mathematics, especially algebra, will help you succeed on the course. We’ll guide and support you throughout your studies to help you master object orientated programming and design techniques and learn about advanced programming data structures and algorithms for game development.

Games and interactive applications are becoming more cinematic in look and feel so we teach maths and physics in a very practical way to help you learn to create 2D and 3D environments where behaviour and movement looks realistic. You’ll also have opportunities to gain experience of multi-platform programming and artificial intelligence techniques used in the development of efficient and robust games.

Highlights

• University of Bolton games graduates have been enjoying careers in the games industry for longer than most – we were one of the first UK universities to offer games courses.
• We’ll help and support you to develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills in readiness to impress potential employers.
• Team working skills are essential so you’ll have opportunities to work with students from our Games Design and Games Art courses on projects that mimic the multi-disciplinary teams found in the industry.
• Our Game Jams are great opportunities to build your social network and practice your programming and problem solving skills.
• We collaborate with games development companies on beta testing, offering you the chance to test upcoming games before they go to market. Previously, students have even got their names mentioned in game credits.
• Industry experts from the leading games studios in the UK, along with Bolton graduates now successful in the sector, are regularly invited to give guest lectures on aspects of games development.

Key Features

• Teaching staff on the games courses have a vast range of industry experience and an extensive network of contacts in the games industry.
• The course covers both 2D and 3D game environments and game engines for traditional gaming (PC and console), mobile gaming (cloud, social and casual) and virtual reality gaming, along with game play analysis and hardware specification.
• We organise studio visits and field trips to games development companies, and will encourage and support you to undertake work experience and industrial placements.
• We design the course assignments and projects so that they mimic industry pipelines and standards to give you a real feel for a career in the games sector.
• Our dedicated games labs feature high-specification hardware and industry-standard software.

The growing social and economic challenges to young people and adults in communities mean the need for highly trained, passionate and creative professionals in the areas of youth and community work have never been greater. The University of Bolton’s MA in Community Development and Youth Studies is designed to prepare future leaders for this sector, ready for a career changing lives by challenging discrimination and oppression through informal social inclusion.

The aim of this course is to extend your already considerable professional skills and knowledge with specialist modules that deepen your understanding of areas such as equality and diversity, community learning, and global community development and sustainability. Our expert team will help you gain critical reflection, analysis and evaluation skills that support your ability to determine the impact of professional interventions on the community and young people.

Combining this knowledge with the principles and techniques of academic research and investigation will help develop your evidence-based practice, and grow your skills in evaluating options and formulating creative solutions to complex problems. Studying leadership and management styles, theories and frameworks will support you to become more actively involved in the planning, delivery and transformation of services and interventions.

Overall, our aim is to help you gain the professional and transferable skills to move forward in your career, empowering young people and adults in communities.

Highlights

• Our students are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds – sharing the individual and unique educational insights and perspectives of your peers helps to enrich your learning experience.
• We promote research and critical enquiry helping you learn to make sound, evidence-based independent judgements.
• Our excellent links with over 70 partners and external agencies means we can offer a wide variety of perspectives and research opportunities; for instance, we work with youth and community centres, schools, alternative education projects, women's refuges and community projects, as well as housing, health, leisure and youth training schemes, resettlement projects, and detached, outreach and mentoring projects.
• On successful completion of this course you’ll be awarded an MA in Community Development and Youth Studies from the University of Bolton.

Key Features

• Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support is offered by our team of highly experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated experts.
• Staff and students from across our Faculty of Health and Wellbeing work closely together. By studying alongside people from related specialisms and sectors, such as early years and health and social care you can benefit from a wider range of knowledge and experience that supports cross-disciplinary thinking and inter-professional working.
• Our academic team is actively involved in community and youth studies research, helping you to explore issues from a robust research-informed knowledge base.
• Specialists in the field of community development and youth work will be invited to join us as guest speakers and lecturers, offering you first-hand live examples of current practice.
• Our highly experienced team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research evaluation skills and apply these during your independent master’s-level project.