Master of Science in Communication Networks and Signal Processing

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This course combines politics and international relations with study of Spanish, the second most widely spoken European language in the world. This provides a valuable skill set 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.

In Spanish you will study a combination of language and culture units. You will spend your third year abroad, enabling you to refine your language skills and cultural knowledge and gain valuable work experience. For details on year abroad opportunities please see Global Opportunities.

Both schools encourage synergy between research and teaching, resulting in a vibrant learning environment for students as staff respond in their teaching to new research. This course combination offers an enriching experience with exciting intellectual challenges.

At a critical time in history, our LLM in General Legal Studies presents an exciting opportunity to explore a highly sought-after field of study - and graduate to meet a growing demand from organisations worldwide for expert lawyers that can embrace challenges and innovation.

Our LLM Programmes, including the LLM in General Legal Studies, are well-respected by leading law firms*. This LLM is one of our most popular courses and offers in-depth study of the impact of law, regulation, policy and practice on a variety of fields, exploring how they operate in different contexts and from a range of perspectives.

On the course, you will be challenged and inspired by world-leading academics dedicated to progressive and innovative thinking in diverse areas of law. Their expertise is reflected in an exciting range of optional units that offer an opportunity to further specialise your degree.

The intellectually demanding, research-rich curriculum delivered by our staff makes our graduates stand out, able to demonstrate excellent legal, analytical and research skills – and empowered to pursue top-flight careers in a number of sectors. The course has particular appeal for those looking to forge ahead in the legal, business, finance, criminal and technology sectors, or as specialist in-house lawyers.

Econometrics is the application of statistical methods to data to estimate economic models. It is used by economists to verify or disprove theories and analyse the impacts of policies and events on the health of the economy. This course combines the study of economics and econometrics with a wide range of optional units. 

Econometrics is a vital tool for economists because, unlike natural sciences, where controlled experiments are used to determine the effect of one thing on another, it is impossible to hold the economy constant while tinkering with a single variable. Econometrics provides the scientific means to overcome the issue using empirical observations.

Alongside mandatory modules in econometrics and the applied economics dissertation, you will select from a wide range of optional modules from within the Schools of Economics, Finance and Management during all three years of your degree.

The Study Abroad course extends your degree to four years, with your third year spent studying economics in English at a top-ranking university in Europe or farther afield before returning to Bristol for your final year. This course allows you to combine the challenging, broad academic content of all our economics degrees with an overseas dimension that reflects the international nature of the economy.

In your first year you will gain a broad understanding of biomedical science and take units in microbiology and diseases caused by microorganisms. In addition to learning about the immune system, you will also study pathology and biochemistry.

In year two you will study the cellular and molecular basis of human diseases caused by microorganisms, such as shigella and tuberculosis, and viruses. As well as learning about the immune response to a variety of infectious microbes, you will investigate how bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance.

Our eBiolabs online resources will help you prepare for practical laboratory sessions in the first and second year.

In your final year you will take three infection units and an optional unit. You will also undertake a research project or scientific dissertation working in a research group either within the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine or in one of the surrounding hospitals. Your work may even be published in scientific literature.

The four-year BSc Medical Microbiology with Study in Industry is available via transfer after securing a placement during your second year.

This professionally accredited course aims to equip you with the attributes needed to pursue a wide range of accounting, consulting and managerial career paths as a future organisational decision maker. You will develop your ability to interpret, assess and communicate financial and non-financial data.

Through study of the core units you will develop sound knowledge and understanding of accounting practices, financial management techniques, and the key and contemporary theories and practices of management and organisational behaviour.

Beyond the core units you will have opportunities to specialise, choosing from an evolving range of accounting and management units, for example Taxation, Auditing, Operations Management, and International Human Resource Management. The course will allow you to sharpen your ability to think critically and challenge received information. You will also develop the key interpersonal skills needed for success in your professional career.

You can extend your degree to four years by applying to transfer to our four-year professional placement course or spend a year studying abroad in English during your third year.

The MSc in Nuclear Science and Engineering will prepare you for a career in industry or academia by providing a thorough grounding in the science and engineering that underpins today’s nuclear energy systems. It combines the strengths of our science and engineering faculties with an established program of nationally recognised industrial research through the Bristol-Oxford Nuclear Research Centre. The MSc offers a unique multidisciplinary experience and is a key part of the South West Nuclear Hub.

It has been developed and delivered in partnership with industry, including a focus on nuclear professionalism. After completing the program, you will be familiar with the nuclear industry and its unique safety culture, which will prepare you to enter the industry or continue in academia.

The MSc offers numerous opportunities to collaborate with partner institutions, such as Institute Polytechnique de Grenoble (INP), École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), the Materials Ageing Institute (MAI) and Hitachi-GE Internships.

Jacobs and EDF Energy sponsor some of our research projects, giving students a bursary towards their study, as well as a three-month research project and a mentor.

Our four-year MSci degree is similar to the BSc Pharmacology but gives you the opportunity to spend your third year gaining valuable experience of how pharmacology is related to the pharmaceutical and associated industries.

Placements are available by applying directly to providers in a competitive process facilitated by the University. Placements may be in major pharmaceutical companies and other health, biotech and research companies in the UK and abroad.

In your final year you will undertake additional advanced study instead of the research project.

This MSc examines the physical processes governing the behaviour of volcanoes. The program is taught by leading scientists working at the cutting edge of research into volcanoes, and will provide you with a strong background for independent research to PhD level or for a career in industry, the public sector or a non-governmental organisation.

Increasing numbers of the global population being at risk means that volcano hazard prediction and mitigation is a fast-growing and competitive area of research that crosses the boundaries between traditional subject areas.

The program is designed to equip you with knowledge of the physical processes of volcanoes, including both sub-surface and surficial behaviour, insights into important historical eruptions, understanding of risk and risk mitigation, and instruction and experiential learning on data gathering, handling analysis and presentation to publishable standard.

You will develop a wide range of skills, such as quantitative and computational skills, including the application of basic mathematical descriptions of physical processes and the use of statistical and data handling software; proficiency in critical analysis of scientific material from a variety of sources, including primary research documents and original data; and the ability to synthesise concise and informative material produced for a variety of audiences. A familiarity with A-level mathematics (or international equivalent) is recommended.

This course is ideal for students interested in learning more about how to analyse and use numerical data within criminology. It provides training in practical and analytical skills, which will enhance your career prospects and provide you with a strong platform for postgraduate study. No prior knowledge of statistical techniques is required.

About two thirds of your studies will follow the single honours BSc Criminology course, where you will acquire core knowledge in crime and justice. By drawing on social harm perspectives, criminology at Bristol examines conventionally defined crimes along with other problem activities or behaviours which may not be criminalised but which still cause extensive harm to individuals and society. This approach helps you to develop a critical and informed understanding of crime and the criminal justice system, as well as related social and economic questions.

The remaining third of your course will provide interdisciplinary training in quantitative methods. In year one of the quantitative pathway we discuss how numbers and data are used to tell convincing stories in the media and social research. We consider what is meant by segregation and how it can be mapped and measured. Year two offers practical classes in social statistics and applied data analysis, which will develop your skills in numeracy and analysis and enable you to undertake your own individual research project in an area of quantitative social science in year three.

At a critical time for workers’ rights around the world, our LLM in Employment, Work and Equality Law offers you an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of relationships between law, regulation, policy and practice – and graduate to meet a growing demand for specialist lawyers with the knowledge and skills in this important field.

The LLM in Employment, Work and Equality has been well received by trade unions and NGOs as a distinctive programme that offers more than traditional courses in employment law. It provides an in-depth, intensive study of wide-ranging issues analysing domestic and international law, the role of human rights in regulating the labour market, the representative scope of trade unions, treatment of migrants at work and equality more generally.

Choosing our LLM in Employment, Work and Equality means you will be challenged and inspired by world-leading labour lawyers dedicated to progressive and innovative thinking around employment, work and equality law – with those teaching the course belonging to the Law School’s Centre for Law at Work.