Master of Science in Social and Cultural Theory

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

Our MSci course is ideal if you want to continue in research or to stand out when applying for a PhD.

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 papilloma 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.

You will progress to 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 additional, fourth year includes an extended research project and advanced research skills training with an emphasis on enterprise. You will plan projects, communicate with a variety of audiences and learn to translate and commercialise research.

The School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine focuses on turning science into medicine and these courses aim to launch you into a research career with an emphasis on translational research.

This course provides 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.

In years one and two the course introduces all of the key concepts in astrophysics and then focuses on cosmology. In year three you will progress to more advanced topics such as galaxies and high-energy astrophysics.

Your final-year project will be with a member of the astrophysics research group. The group currently specialises in cosmology, galaxy cluster astrophysics, galaxy evolution, black holes and active galaxies, and the formation of extrasolar planets.

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

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. Our physics graduates have an excellent record of employment, a testament to the value that employers place on the transferable skills that you gain on this course.

Neuroscience is beginning to influence education across the world. This program, which can be studied on either a full-time or part-time basis, will provide you with the skills and understanding to interrogate and integrate insights from neuroscience and education.

It is suitable for teachers and practitioners of all subjects and across all ages, including teachers of children with special needs, educational psychologists, education managers, policymakers and educationalists who are keen to contribute to the research agenda of future cognitive neuroscience and educational neuroscience research. It is for those who want to enrich their thinking and practice with insights about typical and atypical learning from the sciences of the mind and brain.

The program also provides an excellent foundation for further research studies, such as a PhD, that involve the ideas and methods of cognitive neuroscience in areas related to education and learning.

You will engage with the latest research literature and debates, including the latest findings arising from the sciences of mind and brain in areas relevant to education (such as reading, attention, mathematics, language and learning disorders, autism, adolescent development, technology and creativity, along with many other areas). You will become an active researcher who draws on findings from neuroscience, psychology, genetics and educational research in order to carry out your own small-scale experiments and research studies, leading to the major work of your dissertation.

You will also complete a range of assignments that encourage written, graphical and oral communication of your ideas. You will become part of a broader community of study and research in the field of neuroscience and education through lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. The program will help you to gain confidence in making critical judgments about research findings, and in debating and discussing issues or ideas in the field of neuroscience and education.

Learn about the physics that underpins the history, structure and dynamics of Earth systems, and how these relate to exploration for natural resources and environmental monitoring.

Explore the inaccessible parts of Earth’s interior through a range of geophysical techniques and become immersed in hands-on science from the start.

Learn with experts whose research feeds directly into your studies at the cutting edge of scientific developments. Recent options have included?Global Seismology, Near Surface Geophysics Fieldwork and Physical Volcanology. By your final year you’ll be conducting your own independent research and exploring the questions that matter most to you.

Field trips are a huge part of why our community is so tight knit, and you’ll to get to know your course mates whilst honing your practical skills. You will gain plenty of hands-on experience, with over 40 days of fieldwork both in the UK and overseas, the cost of which is included in your tuition fee.

The skills developed throughout your studies are highly valued by employers, from scientific and technical skills including coding, modelling, lab skills and data analysis, to transferable skills such as communication, creativity and resilience.

In year one you will 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 also develop skills in the use of specialised computer software, statistics and data collection in the field. 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 typically an overseas field trip.

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