Bachelor of Arts in Digital News and Media (Flexible) - (Accelerated)

at University of Buckingham United Kingdom

The unique structure of Buckingham’s Law and Criminology degree (LLB), with four full teaching terms per calendar year, enables you to graduate after just two years of study (eight, or nine terms with September start).

In addition to your legal studies, you will complete 120 units of criminology, allowing you to develop a deep and wide-ranging understanding of the origins, causes and consequences of crime and criminality. This includes knowledge and understanding of legal and criminological research methods, referencing protocols and the different primary and secondary sources of law. Criminology itself is an interdisciplinary subject comprised of the legal, social, psychological, and cultural aspects of crime.

The Law and Criminology degree also satisfies the necessary first step for qualifying as a lawyer in various common law jurisdictions, including Canada, Nigeria, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.

For those interested in qualifying as a solicitor in the UK, the Law and Criminology degree provides you with thorough preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam 1 (SQE1), enabling you to choose the accelerated SQE1 preparation courses after graduation. Our innovative and diverse curriculum also contributes to preparation for the practice-orientated SQE2, both SQE1 and SQE2 being necessary for qualification as a solicitor.

For those UK and international students wishing to qualify as an English barrister, the Law and Criminology degree satisfies the academic component of Bar training, the necessary first step to qualifying as an English barrister.

Buckingham Law School also offers a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities to develop your professional skills and experience of legal practice. These opportunities include the possibility, between the first and second year of your LLB, of a sandwich year placement with a professional organisation.

We often accommodate the particular requirements needed to practise in various common law jurisdictions other than the UK. If you are an international student from one of these jurisdictions, we are happy to discuss what subjects you must take to qualify.

Our Law and Criminology graduates who gain a second-class honours degree, or higher, are guaranteed a place on our LLM programme in International and Commercial Law. This opportunity greatly enhances specialist knowledge and enables our students to acquire two degrees in only three years.

This cutting-edge programme is unique to Buckingham. A course with wide appeal, it is aimed at anyone who has an interest in biography or in researching and writing a biography for themselves. The varied mix of backgrounds and interests that students bring to the course, the experience and commitment of the programme director and the friendly small-group setting allow a lively, enjoyable and intellectually rigorous exchange of ideas. Graduates have gone on to publish their own books, and to win prizes. Some have embarked on further research for the PhD in Biography.

When it was founded in 1996, the Biography MA was the first of its kind. Since then Life Writing has become part of the postgraduate menu, but the Buckingham course has kept its distinctive edge. Unlike most Life Writing degrees, it is not linked to Creative Writing, and there is a strong emphasis on research and historical biography. The programme is consistently rated ‘excellent’ by external examiners and inspectors.

Course structure

Students have a choice between following the taught MA or opting for the MA by Research. The taught MA gives an opportunity to produce written term papers on a variety of topics as well as a dissertation of up to 20,000 words. Students accepted for the MA by Research are required to produce written work which includes an extended dissertation of up to 40,000 words. All students produce coursework for the Research  Methods module: an annotated bibliography and a short biography, with supporting material, produced according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography format.

Guest seminars on the course are led by leading biographers, critics, publishers and agents. Teachers and speakers on the course have included Andrew Motion, Kathryn Hughes, Frances Wilson, Frances Spalding, Caroline Dawnay, Andrew Lownie, Miranda Seymour, Anne Wroe, Angela Thirlwell, David Lough and Ophelia Field.

The BSc in Business Management 3-year programme will benefit those individuals who wish to study an undergraduate degree but have non-standard academic qualifications.

Year one will follow the Foundation Pathway programme and introduce students to key concepts and study skills. In years two and three students will build on these skills and enhance their knowledge, understanding and practice in core subjects. Throughout the three years, a student will be equipped with the skills to reach their potential in academic studies.

Foundation courses bridge the gap between your current qualifications and the knowledge and skills required for the undergraduate programme you want to do. Even if you have not yet achieved the necessary academic qualifications or your English language is not yet at the required standard, we will help you to identify your needs and develop a learning programme to meet them in Year 1, enabling you to progress on to the full degree. Our unique condensed timetabling at Buckingham allows you to complete your foundation and undergraduate programmes in just three years. This means a faster – and smoother transition into university study in a supportive and stimulating learning environment.

Why study this course?

The BSc in Business Management aims to equip graduates with analytical and decision-making skills relevant to career development in the wider business context.

Business organisations do not exist in isolation and much of the early part of your study is focused on understanding the various external driving forces for change and the internal responses necessary for a business to survive and prosper. The programme provides a blend of theoretical and practical study, never losing sight of employers’ requirements and students’ career aspirations.

At no point in recent history has there been such an exciting time to study the dynamics of business and its role in the global environment. The programme is designed to develop skills in solving business problems that are transferable organisationally and internationally across business environments. Business Management is a broad-based, live subject. Practical and real-life projects and case studies are introduced to enhance your learning experience while equipping you to meet the needs of, and manage within, today’s dynamic business world.

This programme aims to engage energetic and motivated Mathematics students in innovative research in pure Mathematics and its application in Computer Science. The programme is suitable for students with a solid background in Mathematics or in a closely related discipline. This programme, in particular, is a stepping stone for students to join research institutes and universities as PhD students and researchers.

Some of our research projects will seek new directions towards neural networks and AI, and potentially towards industrial application. The significance of interdisciplinary research is emphasised in the UK’s Research and Development Roadmap, which includes innovative proposals for interactions between mathematical sciences, biomedical research, and the Computing industry.

The main research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Model theory is a branch of mathematical logic, and its applications in a wide range of subjects such as algebra, topological dynamics, combinatorics, and theoretical Computer Science. Specifically, the projects are focused on Fraïssé construction method, automorphism groups of countable homogeneous structures, structural Ramsey theory, asymptotic classes, ultraproducts, and infinite constraint satisfaction problems in theoretical Computer Science. Research proposals in a wider range of areas in mathematical logic, philosophy of Mathematics, pure Mathematics and theoretical Computer Science are also welcome. These include research areas such as formal methods, type theory, set theory, higher-order logics and fuzzy logics.
• Applied Computational Topology and Geometry is a relatively recent and fast-growing field of mathematics that emerged from applying well-established theories in algebraic topology and geometry. Specific projects focus on applications of data-driven Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in the fields of computer vision, medical diagnostics, and multimedia security for image tampering and fake videos. These applications employ Topological Data Analysis (TDA) and its growing list of tools (Persistent Homology, Mapper, etc.) to infer relevant (topological) class discriminating features from high dimensional and complex data. Other projects involve the use of TDA for interpreting Deep Learning (DL) decisions and dealing with the problem of overfitting of DL models.

Throughout the project, students will interact and be encouraged to work with other researchers at the University of Buckingham and other leading research universities in the UK. The students will be part of research networks such as BPGMTC, SEEMOD, MODNET and Data Science groups.

The course includes a series of seminars (see below), given by a range of eminent guest speakers, to supplement students’ private research. These will provide a broad chronological survey of the period and an introduction to major themes in the political and social history of 20th century Britain. The seminars will take place at the elegant Reform Club in Pall Mall, and supervisory meetings will be held at the Humanities Research Institute offices at 51 Gower Street in Bloomsbury.

The programme’s major concentration will be on politics and society, but there will be a subsidiary focus on cultural history and historiography. Guest speakers will include the contemporary historians Sir David Cannadine, Lord Hennessy, David Kynaston and Michael Bentley.

Assessment is via a dissertation of approximately 25,000 words on a topic of the student’s choosing, which is completed under the guidance of a supervisor and submitted at the end of the academic year.

BA International Studies allows you to study the world  from different perspectives: political, economic, historical and legal. It enables you to understand the interconnectedness of everything. A graduate in International Studies will have a sophisticated grasp of our shared world and the flexibility to find solutions. This is an asset prized by major employers.

A key feature of the global economy is the rapid adoption of new technology. Technology has proved to be an agent which encourages cooperation across national boundaries. Technological developments in transport, telecommunications and computing have encouraged economic changes such as the decline in barriers to trade, the internationalisation of financial markets, the rise of global companies, and a massive increase in the volume of international trade in goods and services. These trends have been accompanied by political developments such as the rise of regional trading groupings of countries, international efforts to agree about common legal and technical rules to govern business dealings, arguments about ‘tax competition’ between countries, as well as increasing concern about the environmental consequences associated with world economic development. Enormous social tensions arise as these international forces come into conflict with long-established ways of doing things in every country. Political and social systems are in a continuous process of adjustment to an increasingly open world.

The BA International Studies course at Buckingham gives you an opportunity to learn about these fundamental problems. With students coming to Buckingham from over 80 countries, it is an ideal environment to learn about matters of international concern and to discuss them with people from differing cultural backgrounds.

BA Security, Intelligence and Cyber looks at global politics and diplomacy in the 21st century which are increasingly underpinned by questions of security, both as a threat and as policy. Diplomats and decision-makers in government and business increasingly need to understand the complex dynamics of regional and global security, whether that be the complex dynamics of the Middle East; the resurgence of assertive powers in a multi-polar world; or domestic extremist movements, to name but a few. Processes of globalisation have taught us that two further developments are also critical. First, in order to survive and prosper in an uncertain world, all states need good intelligence on threats and adversaries. But how do intelligence capabilities properly interface with the business of government, especially in democratic states where security, privacy and accountability must be carefully balanced? Secondly, the twenty-first century is and will increasingly signify a world where the virtual and the physical become intertwined. The key managers and decision-makers of tomorrow will need to be very much at ease in the cyber realm, recognising both its opportunities and its threats. The intersection of technology, security and politics will become the essence of modern life.

This BA Security, Intelligence and Cyber programme builds upon the success of the Centre of Security and Intelligence Studies at Buckingham (BUCSIS) which has established itself as one of the world leaders in educational provision in this subject area. Both the centre and the university at large offer a very diverse environment. With students coming to Buckingham from over 80 countries, it is an ideal situation to learn about matters of international concern and to discuss them with people from differing cultural backgrounds.

The programme is structured around a core set of modules, and two optional pathways, focusing respectively on politics and diplomacy; and foundational-level computing and cybersecurity.

Students wishing to pursue careers in security, intelligence, diplomacy, foreign affairs or business management will find this programme a unique and attractive foundation.

The BA in Digital News and Media 3-year programme will benefit those individuals who wish to study an undergraduate degree but have non-standard academic qualifications.

Year one will follow the Foundation Pathway programme and introduce students to key concepts and study skills. In years two and three students will build on these skills and enhance their knowledge, understanding and practice in core subjects. Throughout the three years, a student will be equipped with the skills to reach their potential in academic studies.

Foundation courses bridge the gap between your current qualifications and the knowledge and skills required for the undergraduate programme you want to do. Even if you have not yet achieved the necessary academic qualifications or your English language is not yet at the required standard, we will help you to identify your needs and develop a learning programme to meet them in Year 1, enabling you to progress on to the full degree. Our unique condensed timetabling at Buckingham allows you to complete your foundation and undergraduate programmes in just three years. This means a faster – and smoother transition into university study in a supportive and stimulating learning environment.

Why study this course?
The main BA degree Digital News and Media comprises study and training in a wide range of aspects of the subject area, including online media, news management, PR, advertising, photojournalism, broadcast journalism and legal/ethical issues in journalism, and is intended for those considering careers in these and related fields.

The degree consists of a combination of practical modules in all aspects of design and content production in online, broadcast and print media together with courses in communication and English language studies in order to professionalise students’ writing abilities.

Single or Flexible Honours
Make your degree as unique as you! If you choose Digital News and Media (Single or Flexible Honours) you’ll have the freedom to tailor your Digital News and Media degree to reflect your interests and passions by combining it with a wide range of other subjects taught here at the University. This means that when you graduate you will have a highly personalised degree that will suit you and your aspirations perfectly.

If you choose Flexible Honours you have the freedom to select up to a third of your modules from the whole range of what is taught at the University. This means you can mix and match lots of different subjects ?with Digital News and Media or focus solely on Digital News and Media. At every stage, your Personal Tutor will be on hand to advise and guide your choices.

Our new flagship MBA programme takes advantage of Buckingham’s unique student-centred pedagogical approach, to give you an unparalleled opportunity to work closely with expert-faculty to develop considerable specialised and general business knowledge. It will help you achieve a more rewarding career and lucrative lifestyle.

On the programme you will:

• Develop knowledge and understanding of organisations, their management and the changing internal and external contexts in which they operate.
• Build knowledge and understanding of the complexity of business management in order to improve the effectiveness of decision-making in organisations.
• Develop as managers who can contribute a balanced outlook which incorporates an understanding of the economic, environmental, social and ethical concerns in the context of managing organisations.
• Develop enduring skills and an appreciation that these skills can be enhanced and developed through life-long learning.
• Develop the necessary knowledge and skills to improve your employability in an increasingly competitive environment.

Modules are designed to enhance your employability by developing your capacity to make high-quality decisions, undertake organizational analysis, lead others and communicate effectively. In particular, the MBA project provides you with the opportunity to develop, but also demonstrate your business acumen through a significant piece of original organizational research or consultancy-style project work.

A BSc in Computing looks at the computing and communications technologies lie at the heart of modern society. They include hardware, software, networks, tools, telecommunications equipment and required standards that provide the technological framework on which the delivery of information services is based. The IT industry is reporting a widening gap in software skills while hard technology is developing and diversifying fast.

The overall aim of this intensive programme is to enable all students to develop their potential so that they can apply what they have learnt to deal with computational problems and develop solutions in a real-world environment. Through studying this programme, students learn how to specify, design, develop and operate efficient and innovative computer-based systems and gain up-to-date knowledge of the relevant computing technologies at an advanced level within a shorter space of time. Graduates of the degree programme will be able to undertake a variety of careers in the IT industry, including programming, systems analysis and design, network and systems management, and technical support. Alternatively, they can advance their careers in research in computing/computer science in academic institutions at Buckingham, other UK universities or universities abroad.