Master of Science in Sociology

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This program will equip you with the specialist skills and knowledge to pursue a wide range of careers in the banking industry. It has been developed with the needs of the sector in mind and reflects the industry’s growing demand for individuals with an extensive knowledge of regulation and compliance.

Our program has a distinctive focus on banking regulation, supervision, compliance and risk management. It goes beyond traditional banking and finance courses by exploring the regulatory demands within banking and examining the role of central banks and international organisations in achieving and maintaining financial stability.

The MSc in Banking, Regulation and Financial Stability is designed for graduates of economics or finance who aspire to a career in banking. It will also appeal to recent graduates who are already working in financial services and wish to specialise in banking and financial regulation, as well as those who intend to continue to PhD research in this area. Successful students will be in demand and can expect to excel in careers in banks and regulatory bodies, or advisory roles in accounting, auditing and consulting firms.

You will be part of a dynamic and diverse body of staff and students, and will be taught by world-renowned experts. We pride ourselves on our highly interactive and innovative style of teaching, and take a case study approach to learning, utilising the sector experience of our teaching team. Our academics enjoy internationally recognised research profiles in banking and beyond, and bring experience and insight from working at a senior level within the sector. The academic staff on this program enjoy strong links with central banks (Bank of England, European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank) and international organisations (International Monetary Fund and the World Bank). 

This course is ideal for students interested in learning more about how to use numbers and data within social policy. It provides training in practical and analytical skills, which will enhance your career prospects and provide you with a strong platform for postgraduate study. No prior knowledge of statistical techniques is required.

About two thirds of your studies will follow the single honours BSc Social Policy course, where you will acquire core knowledge in your subject. You will focus on key issues such as inequality, risk, need, and the social processes and institutions that enhance or impair wellbeing. You will draw on social, political and economic theory to analyse and explore these in a global context.

The remaining third of your course will provide interdisciplinary training in quantitative methods. In year one of the quantitative pathway we discuss how numbers and data are used to tell convincing stories in the media and social research. We consider what is meant by segregation and how it can be mapped and measured. Year two offers practical classes in social statistics and applied data analysis, which will develop your skills in numeracy and analysis and enable you to undertake your own individual research project in an area of quantitative social science in year three.

This course combines the broad academic content of our business and management degree with an overseas dimension that reflects the global nature of modern business.

This degree is the same as the three-year BSc Business and Management course until you get to year three, which you will spend studying business and management in the host language of a partner university. You will have already developed your existing language experience by studying the language of your host country during your first and second years. Find out more about studying abroad at Global Opportunities.

You will return to Bristol for your fourth year, during which you will complete a dissertation. This is a piece of individual research in which you can focus on a topic that stimulates your interest the most.

Alongside completing your dissertation, you will take other core and optional units as you progress through the degree.

This degree offers you the flexibility to follow your own interests in classical civilisation by combining core units on Graeco-Roman literature and culture with more specialised units on topics such as ancient literature, philosophy, history, art and archaeology.

In your first two years you will explore core topics in the literary and artistic culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and consider its legacy in the modern world. You will choose optional units from a range of topics in ancient literature, history and culture and you may also choose to study Greek or Latin. There is the possibility of studying abroad in your second year.

In your third year you choose seminar-based subjects and write a dissertation on your own specialist research project. You will also plan, promote and execute a project aimed at presenting the ancient world to the wider public, with a member of staff acting as adviser.

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.