Master of Science in Palaeobiology

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

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.

Our MA draws on these strengths. It is intended both for students who have a first degree in philosophy who wish to specialise in philosophy of science at a higher level, and for individuals with a background in pure science who wish to make a transition to philosophy of science or to explore foundational issues within the sciences.

The emphasis of the programme is on philosophical issues arising from specific scientific disciplines, with particular focus on physics, biology and mathematics. The history of science is studied in terms of the philosophical debate about the nature of scientific method and knowledge.

Suitable for graduates in economics, finance or a highly quantitative discipline, this programme combines advanced training in economics and econometrics with the chance to build expertise in finance. You will apply knowledge and techniques from both fields to areas such as financial markets and corporate finance, preparing you for a career in the banking industry or financial sector. Recent graduate destinations include Aviva Asia, JLL and China Grand Enterprises.

At a critical time in history, our LLM in Labour Law and Corporate Governance is distinctive. It presents you with an exciting opportunity to develop a deep understanding of employment and company law (and their interaction) from an economic and socio-political perspective – and graduate to meet the growing demand for specialist lawyers in these fields.

Our LLM Programmes, including the LLM in Labour Law and Corporate Governance, are well-respected by leading law firms*. This LLM provides an in-depth, intensive study of domestic and international legal frameworks, trade, employment and human rights, offering both practical and theoretical perspectives. It also offers an opportunity to explore specialist units in areas such as migration, gender and international law.

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.

Expertise in modern languages has never been more important as the UK forges a new relationship with its European partners and seeks to develop its trading and cultural ties throughout the world. With our dedicated teaching staff and our state-of-the-art Multimedia Centre, we offer an outstanding environment in which to study modern languages.

We offer a flexible degree in which you can choose to study one, two, or three modern European languages. If you are studying one or two languages, you may have the option in the second year to begin Arabic, Catalan, Czech, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, or an additional European language.

In the first year, you gain an introduction to the culture and history of the countries in which your languages are spoken. In subsequent years, you choose from a range of units. Units may include literature, linguistics, film and visual culture, gender studies and political and social history. You can also access extracurricular activities such as talks by visiting speakers, societies, language cafés, student newspapers, and talent shows.

You will spend the third year abroad as a teaching assistant, as a student at a partner university, or on a work placement. You can split your year between different countries, according to the languages you study.

This taught postgraduate program is research-led and will draw heavily on academic literature. It will build on your existing knowledge of technical aspects of accounting and finance. You will develop your ability to critically analyse the nature and conditions of effectiveness for these techniques to contribute to accounting and finance practice and governance.

In the first term you will explore contemporary issues in accounting and finance research literature. You will also build key skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This will prepare you for the more specialist elective units taught in the second term.

The final part of the MSc is a research-based dissertation, which involves identifying and analysing a research question in accounting and/or finance under the guidance of a member of staff. For those planning on undertaking a PhD, this dissertation represents an important bridge between taught and advanced research studies.

This program develops skills for critical analysis of accounting and finance topics, which will be valuable in your future career. The strong conceptual foundation it offers will support students who want to pursue an academic or professional career in accounting or finance.

This MSc provides skills and knowledge to support your career in the field of water and environmental management. The content of the program has been designed to help you develop a detailed knowledge of fundamental environmental processes, as well as policy, regulation and other tools. 

A key focus is on how you can contribute to sustainable management of water resources and other aspects of environmental management. Teaching covers both academic and practical skills. Teaching staff include leading water and environment researchers at the University of Bristol as well as practitioners with experience in private and government sectors, both in the UK and overseas.

This program gives a broad assessment of contemporary international relations. It integrates theoretical approaches with the study of many cases and issues. It also explores the ways in which the line between the domestic and international is blurred by trade, financial, environmental, strategic, ideological, cultural and ethical issues.