Master of Science in Mathematics and Philosophy

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This degree allows you to study two complementary disciplines, both of which ask you to think carefully about culture and to pay close attention to detail while comprehending and analysing language.

Students on this course will join two leading departments with researchers in a great diversity of fields and will be encouraged to develop expertise and research skills relevant to both subjects, while also considering the relationships between them.

You will explore a rich variety of texts in their social, political and historical contexts and will develop excellent critical and communication skills, both in English and in French. You will also have opportunities to study aspects of history, film and linguistics as part of your French program.

You will spend a mandatory year abroad in a French-speaking environment to improve your language skills and global citizenship. For further details of year abroad opportunities visit Global Opportunities.

All English and French students complete a dissertation during their final year, bringing together the skills you have developed while studying both disciplines.

Our BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures degree offers an unmatched opportunity to study international cultural production in depth and breadth. You will study global literatures and cultures in comparative frameworks that draw on methodologies from textual, cultural and visual studies, as well as from translation, philosophy, history, social science and critical theory. Texts will be read in English translation.

Core units in years one and two currently include: What is Comparative Literature and How Do We Practise It?; Introduction to Visual Cultures; Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture; Migrations of Culture. Additionally, you will have a wide choice of optional units based in the culture of a single language or a combination of cultures.

You will spend your third year in a Russian-speaking country, where you will study in Russian, developing linguistic skills to enable you to communicate easily in writing and orally. For more information about the year abroad, visit Global Opportunities.

In year four you will complete an innovative supervised independent project consisting of an extended essay on a topic of your choice and a public-facing element presented to the entire cohort (e.g. prospectus, interview, museum catalogue entries, newspaper article).

You will be taught by experts in the field and teaching is informed by staff research interests. The course is delivered in varied ways, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and one-to-one supervision. You will participate in small-group teaching and may be asked to give introductory talks to initiate discussion.

This course encourages attributes highly valued by employers, including intercultural understanding, analytical and critical thinking, clarity and self confidence in communication, an aptitude for collaborative work, and creativity. It will instil the habits of curiosity, openness, rigour, self reflection and evidence-based thinking, preparing you for careers in a variety of sectors.

This joint honours degree combines a full course in music with Italian, which can be studied from beginner level. This combination will provide you with a valuable skill set that is ideally tailored to the increasingly globalised workplace.

Bristol has an enviable record for its research both in music and in Italian culture. Our degree offers the chance to learn the Italian language and to gain an understanding of the complexity of Italy as a nation through studying Italian culture from the middle ages to the present day.

Music offers a broad range of units in musicology, composition and performance, across diverse styles and genres. These are complemented by weekly concerts, regular masterclasses and performances in the department, and opportunities to get involved in the dynamic music scene in Bristol.

Italian language and culture have had a lasting impact on Europe. Italy's innovative contributions to design, technology and fashion make it a major commercial force globally. Italy is both traditional and modern, a tension that is apparent throughout its history and culture. Musically, it is the founding place of opera, Renaissance culture, and a driver of avant-garde composition in the 20th century.

You will spend your third year abroad in an Italian-speaking environment, which will enable you to refine your language skills and cultural knowledge.

Social policy provides an exciting opportunity to critically analyse contemporary social issues related to human wellbeing, inequality, disadvantage and crime. You will explore real-world challenges in a global context, drawing on social, political, public policy and economic theories.

Our BSc Social Policy course is one of the longest-running social policy degrees in the country and it consistently scores high in University subject rankings.

The first year introduces key concepts and ideologies and familiarises you with theoretical, comparative and historical analyses. It also develops your research skills as a social scientist.

Years two and three allow you to explore your interests in greater depth through a range of optional units which focus on contemporary, real-world political and social issues. Students may also choose a work placement option in the second year.

The final-year dissertation is an opportunity to choose a topic for in-depth investigation and independent work.

This course allows you to specialise in the study of criminology within a social policy degree. It explores the nature, extent and causes of crime, justice, social harm and deviance in national and international contexts, as well as examining the policy responses to them within a broader conceptual and theoretical framework of social policy and related social science subjects.

The course seeks to address key questions such as: what are the serious crimes and other social harms that people experience? Why do they occur? How effective are criminal justice systems, policymakers and governments in tackling and responding to crimes and social harms? 

You will take compulsory first-year units that introduce you to the theoretical and conceptual debates about the meaning and existence of crime, harm and deviance in contemporary society, the way that crime is understood and represented and the range of responses to various crimes. In the second and third years you will learn about key thinkers in criminology and the policy responses to harm then select from optional units, which may include: Criminology Placement; Youth, Sexualities and Gendered Violence; Youth Justice; Punishment in Society; Globalisation, Crime Harm and Justice; Climate Emergency; Harms of the Powerful; Violence, Conflict and Forced Migration; Drugs and Society; and Understanding 'Terrorism'.