Master of Science in Sociology

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

Our intensive, one-year, MSc Management with a specialism in International Business is for graduates from a wide range of subject backgrounds. Due to the increasing globalisation of organisations, work, our economy and society, this specialism in international business will be relevant to any future career, and particularly to graduates looking to work in management and leadership roles within an international organisation.

Our MSc Management pathways provide an introduction to management followed by a detailed exploration of a specific area of management theory and practice, in this case International Business. The program attracts students from around the globe and you will be part of a cohort with variety of backgrounds and interests. 

The MSc will provide insight into international business within a broad range of organisations. You will explore the features, organisational processes and challenges of international businesses, critically evaluating how they are affected by social, institutional and political influences.

We aim to guide, teach and develop analytical and confident critical thinkers. You will be armed with the knowledge to apply international business theory to practice. Group work and presentations, often based on industry case studies, allow practical application of theory and develop the teamwork and communication skills expected in today's workplace.

The MSci Neuroscience is a four-year degree with an extended project in the final year. The course provides an opportunity to gain in-depth understanding of how to plan and perform experimental research in a specialised subject area. The final year provides valuable experience in research and you will develop the skills required to embark on a career as a researcher.

The first three years follow the BSc Neuroscience course. In the first and second years you will explore many aspects of neuroscience, including the neurophysiology of the central nervous system; the pharmacology of drugs that affect the nervous system; and the techniques that have enabled advances in understanding the nervous system.

Alongside neuroscience, you will also learn about how other specialised body systems work and will have the opportunity to study complementary subject areas, including psychology and anatomical science, broadening your knowledge of biomedical sciences.

By the third year you will be learning at the forefront of current research, taking units such as Synaptic Plasticity; Brain and Behaviour; and Neuropsychiatric Diseases. You will also spend a total of 30 days on a research project.

Do you enjoy both physics and computing? Our three-year BSc Physics with Scientific Computing combines study of the building blocks and forces of nature with training in the computational and data-science skills that are currently revolutionising science and society.

Computing skills are vital across many physics-related careers. Computers control advanced instrumentation and simulations predicting the properties of the universe, from subatomic particles to the formation of galaxies. This course offers a unique combination of units and projects blending programming, machine learning, data science and high-performance computing with fundamental concepts in physics to produce a new kind of scientist – one with a firm foundation in physics, a sound appreciation of scientific computing and an understanding of what can be achieved by combining them.

Year one gives you a comprehensive grounding in physics, mathematics and programming, while year two focuses on the principles of physics with further emphasis on scientific coding. In your final year you will undertake a research project or dissertation supervised by staff with expertise in physics and computing.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. We encourage you to develop a broad range of skills, including the experimental, theoretical and computational skills needed for a career in research and industry. Our physics graduates have an excellent record of employment, a testament to the value that employers place on these skills.

If you have a fascination for physics and an appetite for scientific computing, you will enjoy this program.

There is strong industrial demand for skilled engineers able to span the mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines. This degree gives you the fundamental knowledge and tools to satisfy this demand in a unique way.

During this course, you will study units from the mechanical and electrical disciplines along with the following themes: design and integration of electro-mechanical systems; energy conversion and actuation systems; embedded systems and control; power electronics and electric drives; and energy management.

Years one and two offer a grounding in mathematics, thermal management, dynamics and control, computing, electrical energy technologies, and analogue and digital electronics. Laboratory work and case studies will draw together these interdisciplinary foundations.

In the third year, you will choose from a range of options and engage in group design projects and individual research projects. This allows you to focus on anything from soft robotics and intelligent adaptable power systems to efficient, clean propulsion technologies.

Mechanical and electrical engineering graduates will be able to innovate technologies in a range of areas. These might include:

• The power flow of renewable energy microgrids – from the wind to the electric generator and the power network to the user in the home;
• Robotics used in healthcare and manufacturing – by exploring the integration of mechanical and electrical elements to deliver new capabilities;
• The complete power train of future electric vehicles – from the energy storage system, through to the electric motors, to the mechanical drivetrain and traction system;
• Battery-free technology that harvests background energy, allowing sensors to operate in previously inaccessible and far-reaching locations.

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 are concerned with 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. In your final year, you will conduct a piece of supervised sociological research on a topic of your choice that draws on these research skills.

Our LLM in Human Rights Law reflects an area of law that is critical in providing the frameworks necessary to protect the dignity of human beings around the world. It offers you an opportunity to graduate and meet a growing demand for specialist lawyers that have human rights experience and knowledge – and a determination to tackle human rights violations.

The LLM in Human Rights Law offers in-depth, intensive study of institutions and mechanisms at the international and regional levels, as well as more specialist areas such as employment law, mental health law and law around migrant workers, with a variety of related optional units to choose from.

The first two years of this course provide a background in mathematical analysis, modelling and scientific computation and their application to engineering. These core topics underpin the advanced material that follows.

As well as gaining first-hand exposure to pioneering research, after your first two years you will have a wide choice of options from across engineering and mathematics to fit your interests.

A major focus of the course and a key strand throughout the curriculum is real-world problem solving, spanning many different application areas from robotics and social media to medicine and environmental modelling. Problems come from our industrial collaborators or address challenges in current research. Working on these case studies, using theory and techniques from your other units, you will develop your mathematical modelling, collaboration and communication skills.

A highlight is your final year project – a highly creative, challenging and enjoyable experience that is excellent preparation for your future career.

This course allows you to combine two historically interlinked disciplines and develop a breadth of skills across both economics and philosophy.

The economics part of the course is technically rigorous. You will build your analytical skills with mandatory units in macro- and microeconomics, mathematics, statistics and econometrics (the application of statistical methods to data to estimate economic models). These are complemented by units in philosophy, which will equip you with skills in textual analysis, written and verbal expression, logic and critical thinking.

As you progress through your degree you will be able to take an increasing number of optional units to specialise in the areas that interest you most.

Previously, economics options have included: History of Economic Thought; Environmental Economics; Current Economic Problems.

Previous philosophy options have included: Philosophy of Psychology; Evil, Deviance and Crime; Classical Chinese Philosophy.

We offer you the opportunity to extend your degree to four years and spend your third year studying economics in English at a top-ranking university in Europe or farther afield. You will return to Bristol for your final year. For further details of year abroad opportunities, visit Global Opportunities.

This course allows you to combine the challenging, broad academic content of our economics degree with an overseas dimension that reflects the international nature of the economy.