Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This interdisciplinary MSc programme is for students who are passionate about early life, mass extinctions, macroevolution, climate change and fossil preservation. It bridges the biology-geology divide. You will learn the latest techniques in phylogenetics, biomechanics and macroevolution, providing you with a strong foundation for independent research to PhD level or for a career in museum curation, science education, science policy, management or the media.

You will join Bristol's established palaeobiology research group and engage in current debates in evolution, systematics and palaeobiology. You will learn how to analyse problems quantitatively and design experimental approaches to resolving questions in macroevolution and the study of both ancient and living organisms.

A key aspect of the programme is preparing your research project for publication, and many of our previous students’ projects have been published in leading international journals. Recent research project topics include the origin of cellular life, the preservation of colours in dinosaurs and the evolution of culture in humans.

This programme gives you the opportunity to develop a wide range of professional skills, including research planning, problem-solving and communication. You will learn to present palaeontological data through talks, visual displays and formal written reports. You will also develop computing skills in data handling, phylogenetics, macroevolution, function and 3D digital modelling.

This four-year degree combines years one, two and four of our MEng Aerospace Engineering with the chance to spend your third year at an English-speaking partner university overseas.

The first two years cover underpinning material organised into three streams:

• Aerodynamics
• Dynamics and control
• Structures and materials.

Specialised from day one, these subjects are taught with aerospace applications and examples. Further material, such as space applications and aviation operations, is covered in specialist units.

You will also learn skills that cross all three streams, such as computing, systems engineering and design.

If you achieve the required grades in your first two years you will spend your third year at a European institution where your studies will match the third year at Bristol.

You will return to Bristol for your fourth year and choose from a range of options. Some options relate to particular application areas, such as helicopter aerodynamics, space systems or wind power. Others study particular technologies, such as composites analysis or experimental aerodynamics, or you can choose to undertake a research project.

This course combines the challenging and broad academic content of our aerospace engineering degrees with an overseas dimension which reflects the pan-European nature of the modern aerospace industry.

Examine the interactions between the geology, biology, chemistry and physics of Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere and gain a deep understanding of Earth’s environment and how it can be influenced by human activities.

Learn with experts whose research feeds directly into your studies at the cutting edge of scientific developments. Recent options have included Soils and the Critical Zone, Environmental Impact Assessments, Oceans and Climates, and Environmental Radioactivity.

This programme is designed for anyone involved in conceptualising or administering policies related to the Global Development Challenges. It is especially suitable if you are already involved in planning development strategies, currently working for non-governmental or governmental organisations in the development field or planning for a career in development.

The programme combines an intellectual and academic approach with policy-oriented and empirical studies of development. It addresses three separate, but related, facets of the development process:

• Analysing what development means;
• Studying the processes of planning (external aid, regional disparities, environmental factors, poverty and industrialisation);
• Examining how development policies may be delivered and administered, analysing the importance of effective political and bureaucratic structures, and evaluating the contributions of NGOs and other external bodies.

Data science is an exciting, emerging discipline that has a profound impact on society. The world produces increasing volumes of data every day and making sense of this data has the capacity to be transformative.Data science combines mathematical, statistical and computational approaches to enable knowledge discovery from data. Employability prospects in this field are very strong.

Bristol’s data science expertise means that you’ll be taught the sophisticated theory and methods needed to address modern data-analytic challenges by leading academics in this field. You will study units involving a blend of theoretical background and practical skills designed especially for this new course, including Mathematical Tools for Data Science, Advanced Linear Modelling and Classification, and Algorithms and Machine Learning.Our highly interdisciplinary program features links with the Bristol Institute for Scientific Computing (BriSC) as well as exposure to real-world problems from our industry partners.

With applications across a wide range of industries, studying data science will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to fast-track your career. Pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, market research, social media, finance, sports and disaster management are all fields with high demand for data scientists.

If you’re interested in pursuing further research, our Centre for Doctoral Training, COMPASS, offers the opportunity to study computational and statistical science through a four-year PhD program.

The next frontier in robotics will take inspiration from biology to design robots that are soft, smart, green, and social. From microrobots for cancer treatment, to swarms powering warehouses, soft grippers for manufacturing, and new material interfaces for prosthetics, biorobots will provide solutions to today’s global challenges. State-of-the-art robots will in turn power scientific discovery, allowing for the study of living systems in their natural habitats from robots automating experiments in the lab, to artificial fish studying pollution in the deep sea.

This programme brings together life scientists and engineers in an interdisciplinary environment where solutions are co-created with stakeholders in mind. For the life scientists, this will open new horizons powered by Robotics and AI, skills in high demand in today’s job market. For the engineers, this will go beyond a typical robotics training, towards reinventing the way robots are designed and used with bioinspiration at heart.

This unique combination of biology and engineering will develop core professional skills including working across disciplines and responsible open-ended innovation. The programme centres around a common core in fundamental robotics and life sciences, followed by dedicated taught and project-based biorobotics units that will walk you through latest research and applications, with a hands on understanding of how to build these systems yourself, and demonstrations of how they can be used for good.

This course provides an exciting intellectual challenge from the outset. In year one you will study physics, mathematics and philosophical topics such as metaphysics, the theory of knowledge and ethics.

Subsequent years allow you to study the overlap between physics and philosophy in depth. You will study the philosophy of science and the foundations and philosophy of physics.

The course gives you the opportunity to develop a physicist's broad range of skills, including problem-solving, numeracy and communication, and to supplement these with a philosopher's ability to rigorously analyse complex texts and form coherent arguments on complex subjects.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. The course is accredited by the Institute of Physics.

If you enjoy the satisfaction of applying real-world mathematical knowledge and are interested in a career in finance, this practical course will help you stand out to top employers.

Our lecturers are passionate about their subject, with modules informed by cutting-edge research; you'll learn statistical skills from leading mathematicians.

Shape your degree to suit your interests and pick from an extensive range of topics alongside your core units in Financial Mathematics and Financial Risk Management.

The first year provides a broad background in pure, applied and statistical mathematics via a range of compulsory units. You'll cover material in lectures and small-group tutorials, with the freedom to explore a range of topics in collaboration with your personal tutor and fellow students.

From year two you will focus more on units that relate to statistics for use in finance, although there is still scope to take some units from other areas.

As you move through the course you will gain academic independence, moving from small-group tutorial teaching in year one to an optional, independent project in your final year.

If you are creative, enjoy design and aspire to improve the built environment we live in then civil engineering is for you. This degree equipa you to find solutions to environmental problems and to design large and unique structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams and coastal defences.

At Bristol you will have access to our world-class laboratory facilities including the most advanced earthquake shaking table in Europe.

The Study Abroad in a Modern Language degree is a great opportunity to broaden your view of the world and experience a different culture. You will be able to spend your third year at one of our European partner universities.

The first two years provide a strong foundation in engineering, including mathematics, structures, soil and fluid mechanics, computing and surveying, as well as optional units. You will also take language units to prepare you for studying abroad in a foreign language. More optional units are introduced in subsequent years, allowing you to pursue your interests while developing key professional skills.

Your third year overseas will mirror the third-year curriculum at Bristol. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad. You will return to Bristol for your fourth and final year.

Design is central to the course and this is reflected in the projects you will undertake. In the first year you will develop a solution to an open-ended problem, such as designing and making a model bridge. Later projects include steel work, reinforced concrete, geotechnical design and water supply systems.

You will take part in an exciting group design project in the fourth year, combining all your learning as you tackle realistic design challenges identified through our industry links. Design projects range from transportation to smart cities and from skyscrapers to sustainable housing.

We equip you with the skills needed to become a future leader in civil engineering. Our graduates are highly sought after by top employers, including civil engineering consultancies, utility companies, the army, public transport, power generation and supply companies.

This four-year course has the same basic structure as BSc Geography but you will spend your third year studying geography and other subjects at a partner university.

In year one you 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 develop skills in the use of specialised computer software, statistics and data collection in the field. You will also take relevant language units to prepare you for studying in Europe.

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 an overseas field trip.

Your third-year studies abroad will be arranged on an individual basis. You will study in the language of your host country. We currently have exchange agreements with universities in Barcelona, Bonn, Grenoble, Paris, Lyon, Valencia and others. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

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