Master of Science in Mathematics and Physics

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

Sociology is a well established discipline, as relevant to the study of 21st-century societies as it is to the sweeping changes of the Industrial Revolution.

Sociologists study society’s structures, forms of action, and cultural practices and they are uniquely placed to understand the changes of social life. This course provides the academic and professional support needed for you to develop your own sociological imagination.

The first year provides a solid grounding in sociology, followed by a greater choice of units linked to staff research interests in subsequent years. Recently, these units have covered subjects such as culture, ethnicity, class, migration, modern slavery, popular music, racism and science. There is a strong emphasis on research skills throughout, with compulsory units in the first two years.

Your third year is spent studying sociology abroad at an English-speaking university. The year abroad is an exciting opportunity to experience and study a different society and culture from a sociological perspective. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

In your final year in Bristol, you will conduct a piece of supervised sociological research on a topic of your choice that draws on your research skills.

This course gives you a thorough grounding in physics with astrophysics as a key component. It is led by an internationally renowned astrophysics research group and covers a broad range of contemporary astrophysics.

Study areas begin with a broad overview of all of the modern astrophysics followed by more advanced topics. These could include high-energy astrophysics, galaxy formation and evolution, general relativity and cosmology, and astrophysical fluids and plasmas.

Your final-year project will be with a member of the astrophysics research group. The group currently specialises in cosmology, the formation of clusters and galaxies, active galaxies, high-energy astrophysical processes, and the formation of extrasolar planets.

You will gain the skills needed for astronomical observations and analysis of data from international ground- and space-based observatories on this course. You will also have the opportunity to develop a physicist's broad range of transferable skills, including problem-solving, numeracy, teamwork and the ability to communicate complicated concepts.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. This course prepares you for a research career in astrophysics but also gives you the flexible career options that a physics degree offers.

In your first year you will gain a broad understanding of the biology of normal and cancerous cells. In addition to studying the immune system, you will take pathology, microbiology and biochemistry units.

In the second year you will study the cellular and molecular basis of cancer and its therapy, as well as autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and arthritis, and human cancers caused by viruses, such as papillomavirus and hepatitis B. You will take molecular genetics and an optional unit, possibly biochemistry or pharmacology, from a selection offered by other schools.

All practical teaching in years one and two is supported by the eBiolabs dynamic laboratory manual.

In the final year you will undertake a research project or scientific dissertation, working in a research group in our Biomedical Sciences building or in one of the surrounding hospitals. Your work may even be published in scientific literature.

The four-year BSc Cancer Biology and Immunology with Study in Industry is available by transfer after securing a placement during your second year.

Digital technologies drive economic growth, yet create new cyber risks demanding ever more sophisticated solutions. There is worldwide demand for new and innovative approaches to tackle global cyber-threats specific to large-scale infrastructures, from energy production to finance through to healthcare and smart transportation. The cyber security of such infrastructures is paramount – their disruption can have large-scale impacts on society as well as massive business losses. There is a major shortage of cyber security professionals globally, and the specialist nature of critical infrastructures makes the problem even more acute.

A strong ethos of rigorous experimental and empirical cyber security research underpins the MSc, facilitated by a state-of-the-art testbed for studying critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and Internet of Things (IoT) security, and bespoke teaching equipment. You’ll learn to apply foundational cyber security techniques to infrastructure and will develop the skills for engineering scalable solutions. You'll be exposed to real-world problems that are practical and challenge-oriented, but underpinned by rigorous research.

This MSc aims to:

• Enable a deep understanding of fundamental concepts, design principles, building blocks and methods to understand and mitigate against cyber security threats;
• Give you hands-on experience of working with devices, systems and networks utilised in realistic infrastructure environments;
• Equip you with the ability to apply security principles and technical knowledge to analyse complex real-world infrastructures systems (including software systems, networks, control systems and IoT) to identify potential security issues and solutions;
• Provide you with the skills to reason critically about complex problems that require evaluation and analysis from a multi-dimensional perspective including technical, human and organisational aspects.

This course combines philosophy with the study of Italian and provides a valuable skill set ideally tailored to the increasingly globalised workplace. 

For philosophy you will study units covering introduction to philosophy, logic, and realism and normativity.

For Italian, you will follow a curriculum designed to introduce you to many aspects of Italian studies. Italian language and culture have had a lasting impact on Europe, while today, Italy's innovative contributions to design, technology and fashion make it a major global commercial force.

You will spend your third year abroad studying or working, which will enable you to refine your language skills and cultural understanding. For further details of year abroad opportunities visit Global Opportunities.

Both the Department of Philosophy and the School of Modern Languages encourage strong synergy between research and teaching, resulting in a vibrant learning environment for students.