Master of Science in Social Science Research Methods (Politics)

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

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 is applied psychology degree uses psychological research methods to understand and interpret social and human behaviour in the context of education, wherever and whenever it happens throughout people’s lives. As with our BSc Education Studies, education is conceptualised as lifelong and in many different contexts.

The British Psychological Society accreditation means that successful students are eligible to apply for professional training as a psychologist.

Students acquire valuable skills spanning two rapidly changing disciplines that inform each other. You will apply psychological theory and research to real-life educational settings involving children, adolescents and adults.

The course currently includes an optional placement unit, Education in Practice, where you will have the opportunity to connect your academic learning with the practice of education on a placement within a school, community organisation, charity, museum or other relevant organisation.

Lectures, workshops, seminars, discussions, guided independent study and tutorials offer a well-rounded, evidence-based and flexible basis for professional development. Seminars and workshop activities encourage you to collaborate with others, while individual and group presentations help you develop confidence in conveying your arguments and ideas.

This course is available as a four-year degree, including a year studying in English at a partner institution overseas: BSc Psychology in Education with Study Abroad. 

This MSc conversion program is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). It is designed for students from non-psychology backgrounds and provides training in the theories and methods of contemporary psychological science. After successfully completing the program, you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS, which is a prerequisite for pursuing a career in psychology.

You will learn the theories of social, cognitive, developmental, biological and individual differences psychology, and develop the skills to understand and apply the research on which these theories are based. You will also learn how to design research studies and analyse data to provide valid answers to meaningful psychological research questions.

In your dissertation, you will combine these skills and knowledge to develop, carry out and report on a substantial piece of original, empirical research.

Teaching and dissertation supervision is undertaken by internationally renowned academics, who employ a variety of teaching and assessment methods (eg lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratories, essays, reports, examinations). These methods help you to develop transferable skills, such as critical thinking, psychological and scientific literacy, research skills, teamwork, and oral and written communication skills, which are valued by employers across a wide range of industries. They also help to prepare you for further postgraduate study in psychology.

If you are creative, enjoy design and aspire to improve the built environment we live in then civil engineering is for you. This degree will equip 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 first two years provide a strong foundation in engineering, including mathematics, structures, soil and fluid mechanics, computing and surveying, as well as optional units.

In your third year you will undertake a major research project and continue to develop key professional skills. In the fourth year we introduce more optional units, which allows you to specialise in your areas of interest.

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.

The second year includes steel work, reinforced concrete and geotechnical design. Among other activities in the third year you will design a water supply system.

You will take part in an exciting group design project in the fourth year. This project combines all your learning as you tackle a realistic design challenge 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.

As a student on this program, you will explore the development of East Asia within the wider context of global economy and development. You will examine the opportunities, challenges and strategic issues created for East Asian countries in the global and regional political, economic and social structures.

You will also investigate the developing patterns of power relations, and especially international trade and investment, within East Asia and between East Asian nations and other regions of the world. In addition, you will gain core theoretical knowledge and understanding of development and international political economy.

Marketing embraces a range of compulsory skills, competences and knowledge that makes our students competitive in today’s digital era. Our BSc Marketing course allows you to build your knowledge and skills by combining academic rigour with real-world application, leading you into a structured career in marketing.

The course has been developed with input from marketing practitioners and world-leading researchers to synthesise the most relevant advancements in marketing discipline with industry demand. Our broad range of topics includes everything from fundamental marketing theories to digital marketing, consumer behaviour and brand management.

You will also study the key aspects of management theory alongside students from other management disciplines, developing an understanding of how marketing fits into larger organisational workplace structure.

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.

By your final year you’ll be conducting your own independent research and exploring the questions that matter most to you.

We have a friendly community and a program of student-run projects, informal seminars and social events. Field trips are a huge part of why our school community is so tight knit, giving you the chance to get to know your course mates and key staff, while 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.