Bachelor of Science in Economics and Politics

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

BSc Economics and Mathematics combines high-level mathematics with a technically rigorous economics programme that emphasises the use of mathematical tools, including econometrics.

Mandatory economics units develop your understanding of micro- and macro-economics, while the mathematics part of the degree builds your mathematical ability and allows you to explore applied topics that are particularly relevant to economics.

Having built a solid grounding in the fundamentals of both disciplines in your first year, the second and third years allow you to choose optional units to tailor your degree to your specific interests, including the option to complete an applied economics dissertation.

Previously, economics options have included Industrial Economics, International Economics and Macroeconomic Theory and Policy. Mathematics options have included Complex Networks, Financial Mathematics and Time Series Analysis.

Do you love both chemistry and computing? Why choose between them? Modern chemistry relies on the latest computer technologies to address global challenges facing the environment and human society.

MSci Chemistry with Scientific Computing combines study of the structure and synthesis of matter with development of computational and data analysis skills. It creates a new kind of scientist – one with a firm foundation in chemistry, a sound appreciation of scientific computing and an understanding of what can be achieved by combining them.

The course offers a unique combination of units and projects, incorporating coding, machine learning and high-performance computing, as well as fundamental concepts in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, and applications in analytical, environmental, materials and theoretical chemistry.

Our MSci course is suited to you if you want to gain a solid foundation for a career in coding, scientific computing, the chemical industry or research. You will learn to design experiments, interpret results and apply computing skills to problems in chemistry. You will also take units in communications and mathematics and work on group projects, researching and addressing problems faced in different sectors.

The course builds toward an independent research project. You will collaborate with our leading academics and their research teams, who are experts in computing and in chemistry, to address a current problem in chemistry. For example you may consider global warming, antibiotic resistance or fundamental understanding of chemical reactions.

If you want to improve the world through the responsible use of data, the MSc in Data Science will give you the skills to do so. You will learn how to understand, in depth, the computational and statistical principles of modern data science and be skilled at the rigorous and ethical application of these techniques to real-world challenges.

Whether you have a background in numerate sciences, engineering, or computer science, the program will provide you with the skills to succeed in this exciting and fast-moving discipline and will equip you with excellent employment prospects to pursue roles in industry as either a data scientist or data engineer as well as for research and development roles.

This MSc aims to:

• Equip you with the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries in the effective application and deployment of data-intensive solutions in a variety of contexts.
• Give graduates a breadth and depth of knowledge and skills in computational, machine learning, and statistical principles and the capability for insightful large-scale data analysis, so you will be able to specify and implement analytical pipelines for real-world data at scale.
• Provide you with a good understanding of the ethical issues in the application of contemporary data science techniques to real-world challenges so you can be conversant with arguments concerning the risks and potential benefits and disadvantages arising from the deployment of these technologies.
• Enable you to independently initiate data science projects specified at a high-level perspective, leading them from scoping onward to completion, while exercising appropriate project management methods and maintaining stakeholder engagement.

The MSc in Data Science has been co-designed with industrial partners and is highly relevant to rewarding employment opportunities. There is a strong emphasis on responsible innovation and ethics to encourage you to use your knowledge and skills for societal good in the workplace or through further research. The course is closely associated with excellent research in the University, ensuring leading edge teaching. 

Do you enjoy both physics and computing? Our three-year BSc Physics with Scientific Computing combines study of the building blocks and forces of nature with training in the computational and data-science skills that are currently revolutionising science and society.

Computing skills are vital across many physics-related careers. Computers control advanced instrumentation and simulations predicting the properties of the universe, from subatomic particles to the formation of galaxies. This course offers a unique combination of units and projects blending programming, machine learning, data science and high-performance computing with fundamental concepts in physics to produce a new kind of scientist – one with a firm foundation in physics, a sound appreciation of scientific computing and an understanding of what can be achieved by combining them.

Year one gives you a comprehensive grounding in physics, mathematics and programming, while year two focuses on the principles of physics with further emphasis on scientific coding. In your final year you will undertake a research project or dissertation supervised by staff with expertise in physics and computing.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. We encourage you to develop a broad range of skills, including the experimental, theoretical and computational skills needed for a career in research and industry. Our physics graduates have an excellent record of employment, a testament to the value that employers place on these skills.

If you have a fascination for physics and an appetite for scientific computing, you will enjoy this program.

One of the broadest engineering disciplines, electrical and electronic engineering uses cutting-edge technology to address some of the major concerns of the modern world. There is growing demand for skilled graduates to work in industries such as consumer electronics, alternative energy and transport, medical engineering, and communications.

This course provides full accreditation for the qualification of Chartered Engineer. Entry is by transfer from year two of the MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering subject to satisfactory performance.

Years one and two provide a strong grounding in mathematics, computing, analogue and digital electronics, communications, electromagnetics, power electronics and control.

You will spend your third year abroad at an English-speaking partner university following a similar curriculum to the one taught in Bristol. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

In your fourth year you will have a choice of optional units and individual project topics, meaning you can focus on anything from electrical power systems to electronic communications.

Through our close collaboration with industry you will benefit from excellent employment prospects. Recent graduate employers include Intel, BBC, Dyson, Jaguar Land Rover, Siemens, Hewlett-Packard, EDF Energy and many others.

This course combines politics and international relations with the study of German, providing a valuable skill set, ideally tailored to the increasingly globalised workplace.

You will study the politics of individual countries and governments and the relationships between countries, communities and individuals.

Politics is organised around three themes:

• Political theory
• Comparative and national politics
• International relations.

Our German curriculum is designed to introduce you to many aspects of German studies. As well as taking structured language units, you will study literature, history, thought, politics, linguistics and culture.

You will spend your third year abroad, which will enable you to refine your language skills and cultural knowledge and gain valuable work experience. For further details on year abroad opportunities please see Global Opportunities.

Both schools have an impressive reputation for teaching and research. This degree combination provides a wide range of options that allow you to pursue your own interests.

Our aim is to produce the next generation of leaders in earthquake engineering and natural disaster risk management, who want to make an impact on the design of the built environment, the mitigation of seismic loss and the protection of human life. This specialist MSc combines earthquake, structural and geotechnical engineering with infrastructure design, assessment and management.

This discipline demands world-class facilities and at Bristol you will benefit from studying in one of the UK’s leading centres for earthquake engineering. Here, you will have access to the state-of-the-art BLADE/EQUALS laboratory, including one of the most advanced earthquake shaking tables in Europe.

The University of Bristol is one of 14 partners in the UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) to develop a world-class, national infrastructure research community. UKCRIC will coordinate partnerships across industry, academia, government and communities to facilitate the long-term, cost-effective functioning of the UK’s transport systems and the development of smart infrastructures.

The new National Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction Laboratory at the University of Bristol, which will be operative from 2021, is a £12 million investment that will enable large prototype scale experiments for use by both academics and industry in the field of earthquake engineering and infrastructure resilience.

Throughout the program you will work together with expert staff and international partners, exposing you to real-world challenges that engineers face. Industry links are integral to the program and our graduates are highly sought after by major UK and international employers.

One of the many highlights of the year is a field trip to an earthquake affected area in south-east Europe. You will have the opportunity to visit structures designed with innovative methods to resist earthquake forces or inspect the damage of a recent aftermath by using modern tools for non-destructive material testing and remote imaging. The costs of the trip – accommodation, travel, daily subsidence and insurance expenses – are included within the tuition fee for this program.

In year one you will receive an overview of human and physical geography and develop a range of geographical and scientific skills. The remaining years are organised around specialist units from human and/or physical geography.

Physical geography units cover three broad areas: glaciology, hydrology and environmental change. Human geography units provide in-depth study of cultural, economic and social geography, emphasising the importance of theory and methods for analysing contemporary geographical problems and policies. Topics range from economic development and global politics to inequalities of health and contemporary social theory.

You will also develop skills in the use of specialised computer software, statistics and data collection in the field. Field trips and practical work are key components of the course. There are UK residential trips in year one and in year two there is typically an overseas field trip.

The skills that you acquire throughout your studies will be applied in a self-directed dissertation project in year three.

The MSci Neuroscience is a four-year degree with an extended project in the final year. The course provides an opportunity to gain in-depth understanding of how to plan and perform experimental research in a specialised subject area. The final year provides valuable experience in research and you will develop the skills required to embark on a career as a researcher.

The first three years follow the BSc Neuroscience course. In the first and second years you will explore many aspects of neuroscience, including the neurophysiology of the central nervous system; the pharmacology of drugs that affect the nervous system; and the techniques that have enabled advances in understanding the nervous system.

Alongside neuroscience, you will also learn about how other specialised body systems work and will have the opportunity to study complementary subject areas, including psychology and anatomical science, broadening your knowledge of biomedical sciences.

By the third year you will be learning at the forefront of current research, taking units such as Synaptic Plasticity; Brain and Behaviour; and Neuropsychiatric Diseases. You will also spend a total of 30 days on a research project.