Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Mass Communications (with Sandwich Year)

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Data is the currency of all but the most theoretically-based scientific research, and it also underpins our modern world, from the flow of data across international banking networks and the spread of memes across social networks, to the complex models of weather forecasting. The constant generation of data from our digital society feeds into our everyday lives, affecting how we receive healthcare to influencing our shopping habits. In order to handle, make sense of, and exploit large volumes of available data requires highly skilled human insight, analysis and visualisation. The professionals working in this field are called ‘data scientists’, who blend advanced mathematical and statistical skills with programming, database design, machine learning, modelling, simulation and innovative data visualisation. These professionals are in high demand in both public and private sectors in the UK and worldwide. This programme aims and learning outcomes are built around two guiding principles:

• To provide comprehensive understanding of the fundamental mathematical and statistical concepts underlying data science, and how they are implemented in algorithms and machine learning techniques to solve a variety of data processing and analysis problems.
• To provide training in the practical skills relevant to data science, central of which is the ability to write clean and efficient code in industry-recognised languages (in particular, Python and R), but also includes data handling, manipulation, mining and visualisation techniques.

Our BA Philosophy and Media degree allows you to learn more about how various media function and to examine the philosophical issues surrounding our attempts to represent the world. You’ll develop practical and theoretical knowledge of how various media techniques are implemented, whilst exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to a variety of ways in which communication can be achieved. You will learn to think critically by examining reasoning and persuasion and how that might be inflected by the medium in which it is conveyed, including the use of rhetoric and propaganda. You’ll also study social and political philosophy, covering topics such as freedom of speech, as well as examine the nature of knowledge and reality. There is also a philosophy module dedicated to exploring the scope and limits film and literature in what they can represent about reality.

All our philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings. The media staff are academics and practitioners in the creative industries and will give you the knowledge and understanding to be successful for a career in media.

In your second year, you’ll be able to select areas on which to focus, such as on influential works of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and social and political philosophy. There is also a philosophy of art module, which tackles the question of the relation between artistic representations (in various media) and reality. You’ll also gain knowledge of research methods in the communications industry and learn about publishing.

In your final year, you’ll delve deeper into the media industry and into more specialist areas of Philosophy, including the opportunity to develop your understanding of the nature of communication in the philosophy of language module, or on the nature of the representation of women in the module on feminist philosophy.

Why choose this course?

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

One of a range of degrees from the taught Master's Programme at the Department of Computer Science.

This course considers current research and practice in cyber security. You will build the fundamental and advanced aspects of cyber security in terms of theory, practice, policy and security standard to enable critical cyber security decision marking, the extant threats to current and emerging systems and networks and the effective countermeasures to such threats in compliance with information security management standards, and the social, legal and ethical issues relating to cyber security in the context of digital forensics, information security management, penetrating testing and cyber operations.

This degree enables you to explore the nature of current sound and music technologies, using the latest digital audio hardware, software and programming packages. You'll investigate topics such as sampling, sequencing, mixing, remixing, signal processing, sound editing and recording, alongside audio programming, internet audio and electronics, ensuring that you'll be well equipped with the knowledge and hands-on experience expected of today’s professionals.

• Our programme is Accredited by JAMES, who represent the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), the Music Producers Guild (MPG) and Associate Industry Bodies.
• Develop excellent technical skills over the course of your degree, and benefit from our high quality studio, listening room, venue and sound resources including those by SSL, Yamaha, Avid, Focusrite, Quested, Genelec, Neumann, TLA, Lexicon and Drawmer to name but a few.
• Excellent industry input is built into the design of the degree awards from a huge number of areas within the wider music industry.
• The degree awards within the programme are designed to expose you to areas of music, sound and audio technology that you might not even know exist yet.  "Coming to this course has really given my brain the kick-start it needed, and I'm beginning to see near endless possibilities with where I can go." - Glenn Osborn, second year student
• We have a strong record of students from the programme securing placement years between years 2 and 3 of their studies.  Placement destinations include Focusrite,  Sound Technology (a leading distributor of high profile brands for the Music Retail and Professional Audio industries), The Famous Company, and a number of recording studios.
• Every year, organisations and companies approach us to recommend our graduating students.
• Music business is woven into your degree study at every year giving you the skills to slot into the music industry (or create your own business).
• Organise and Participate ‘live’ projects, and our ‘JamJar’ showcase live events.
• Benefit from studying in creative arts school and collaborate with filmmakers and animators in realising fully featured, professional standard media projects.
• We have some of the best resources in the UK, including the 39 million pound entertainment venue – the Forum where our students perform, and engineer every month, and state-of-the art music studios and film and TV facilities in our 12 million pound building for Music, Film and media.

Course Details

The BSc (Hons) Music and Sound Design Technology course is designed for students who wish to interrogate music and media through music, sound design and immersive audio applications.  Focus is placed on sound and music as a component of multimedia, including the world of sound design as a creative process.   Students create and work on a range of media focused projects including moving image, game audio and voice over production as well as determining how sound can be delivered within both multi-speaker environments and ‘virtual’ spaces. 

Core modules studied alongside music and sound design technology practice modules develop students’ techniques and approaches using a range of sound technologies, as well as fostering professional and industrial contextual immersion and awareness, and experience with specialisms within connected music and sound related fields.

BSc (Hons) Music Production sits within the overarching Music & Sound Technology Programme.  There are four degree awards within this programme: BSc (Hons) Music Production, Bsc (Hons) Music and Sound Design Technology, BSc (Hons) Live Sound and Lighting Technology. 

All courses share the same ethos, and you’ll have opportunities to work alongside our music composition and music industry management students too, ensuring you benefit from teaching and experiences within a large community of musicians, composers, technologists and performers.

Within the wider school of creative arts at UH, there are opportunities to collaborate with students from other creative areas, including animation and film and TV, allowing you to network with a broad range of creative industries.

The massive research expenditure of Britain’s pharmaceutical companies and the fierce competition in the field ensures a continual demand for well-trained pharmacology graduates. This degree covers all aspects of drugs and their uses as medicines. You’ll learn how new drugs are discovered and tested and understand the reasons for their effectiveness in treating disease. You’ll also gain an appreciation of why new drugs are needed and how they can be developed. Our links with major pharmaceutical companies will provide cutting edge insight into the drug discovery process and give you the opportunity to gain valuable experience during your placement year. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Pharmacology is the study of the action of drugs or other chemicals on living systems.
• Pharmacology studies the mechanism of action of drugs and the effects of drugs at the whole body level (therapeutic pharmacology), at the tissue level (system pharmacology) and at the level of receptor proteins (molecular pharmacology).
• The demand for new drugs continues and the University of Hertfordshire has strong links with the pharmaceutical industry which is located in this region.
• A number of the pharmacology teaching staff have extensive experience working in industry and this expertise ensures that the course provides an excellent stepping stone to a career in a range of healthcare industry roles.

Through this BA English Language with English Language Teaching you’ll learn about the English Language but you will also learn about teaching English as an integral part of your course. And you’ll be taught by research-active academics working in cutting-edge areas such as language and gender, formulaic language, corpus studies, bilingualism, bilingual processing and codeswitching.

This combined programme of English Language and English Language teaching will give you an excellent grounding if you plan to teach English as a foreign language following postgraduate teacher training.  Alternatively you could be teaching children in primary or secondary schools whose second language is English.

In your first year, alongside core English Language modules, you’ll study language and mind, where you’ll analyse child speech transcripts and consider language acquisition. You’ll also explore the diversity of use of the English language including regional variants, pidgin and creole English, language and ethnicity, and slang and street English. In addition, you’ll take two English Language Teaching (ELT) modules each year.

Core modules in your second year focus on English grammar and the sounds of English. You can explore theories of how and why language developed and also have the option to take a language competencies module leading to a work placement. This could involve field work or observing teaching and learning methods in a college setting.

In your final year you can follow modules in different topics, including child language and communication, clinical linguistics, gender and language, and formulaic language, informed by our academics’ own research specialisms. In addition, you’ll study Global Englishes and take a compulsory project looking at a particular aspect of English Language teaching.

We give you:

• An understanding of applied language, to underpin a career in teaching English to non-native speakers
• A supportive, research-active academic team
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• Access to huge online databases to underpin your original research projects
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities
• A guaranteed post-graduation interview with the School of Education

This degree is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). Students who complete an IBMS portfolio during the placement year, which is successfully verified, receive the award of Applied Biomedical Science. With a career in biomedical science, you could help improve the lives of millions of people suffering from a wide range of diseases. You’ll study the causes, diagnosis and treatments of major diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, blood disorders, respiratory diseases, biochemical and endocrine disorders, and infectious diseases. Once you’ve developed a fundamental understanding of biology and chemistry, you’ll move on to specialised areas such as pathophysiology, molecular biology, haematology, clinical microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, histopathology and transfusion science. You’ll also have the exciting opportunity to study abroad or take a year-long work placement in industry. This degree is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology.

• Biomedical Science involves the study of disease, drugs and other topics related to human health.
• The biomedical sciences are made up of the following disciplines; biochemistry, haematology, immunology, microbiology, histology, cytology, bacteriology and transfusion (blood) technologies.
• In the UK the term 'biomedical scientist' is a protected title used by professionals working within the pathology department of a hospital. This group of healthcare professionals is the second largest profession registered by the Health Professions Council but not all students who study biomedical sciences end up working as biomedical scientists. Many graduates continue in pharmaceutical companies or other research institutes.

Do you have a story to tell, or have you always wanted to be a writer? Perhaps you want to learn how to be a critical reader or gain a greater understanding of the craft or writing.

Through the BA English Language and Creative Writing you’ll gain a better understanding about the English Language, as well as the process of writing so that you can find your voice, whether as a poet, playwright or novelist.

We offer a stimulating and supportive environment in which you can explore your ideas, hone your craft and understand how to use language effectively. Our creative writing modules are taught by lecturers who are themselves award-winning practitioners and who bridge the gap between creative and academic approaches to literature. They include our poetry lecturer Wayne Holloway-Smith, winner of the Poetry Society’s Geoffrey Dearmer Prize and Seamus Heaney Prize nominee.

In your first year, alongside core English Language modules, you’ll also explore the diversity of use of the English language including regional variants, pidgin and creole English, language and ethnicity, and slang and street English. The core Creative Writing module, Becoming a Writer, will introduce you to genres and forms and examine the universalities of dialogue, plot and language. A second core module, Writing for the Screen, introduces you to the key principles of scriptwriting, while the optional module Identity and Contemporary Writing introduces you to some of the most exciting new writing as a model for your own work.

Core modules in English Language in your second year focus on English grammar and the sounds of English. You can explore theories of how and why language developed and also study language-related real-life problems such as plagiarism and crime investigation in forensic linguistics. For Creative Writing you can explore the practicalities of getting published or working in literary publishing in a creative writing module taught by a former editor of Granta, the renowned magazine of new writing.

In your final year you can follow modules in different topics in English Language, including child language and communication, clinical linguistics, gender and language, and formulaic language, informed by our academics’ own research specialisms. For Creative Writing, your particular creative interest can be channelled into a long piece of writing, which can be poetry, prose or drama.

• An understanding of English language, to underpin a career in writing or publishing
• An exciting and creative environment where you are taught by published writers
• The opportunity to hone your craft through supportive feedback from tutors and peers
• A platform for publishing your work and a springboard for your future life as a published author
• An inspiring programme of visiting writers, workshops, readings and masterclasses
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting

Learn the fundamental skills and knowledge of a modern engineer. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to engineering, giving you the flexibility to work in a broad range of industries. Among the general topics, you’ll study engineering mathematics, materials and electrical science, mechanical science, manufacturing technology, computer-aided engineering and thermodynamics. During your MEng year, you’ll deepen your understanding of engineering through a selection of advanced modules. As with the BEng, you’ll get the chance to work on some impressive team projects, including designing a hovercraft, a Formula Student racing car and an unmanned aircraft. This course is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• The MEng in Mechanical Engineering is a broad subject and there have been thousands of successful UH graduates of this discipline working in all fields of engineering
• You can apply your knowledge to typical mechanical projects such as the design of a hovercraft
• You may join the automotive students and help design, build and race single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition
• You may join aerospace students on projects involving Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), rocketry and space tourism
• You will learn how to apply computer-aided engineering and industrial-standard software, recommended by the Automotive Industry Advisory Panel
• Students from the School of Engineering and Technology have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Rolls Royce plc, BAE Systems, and RP Aero Systems
• Recent Mechanical Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: Ocado, Ford and General Electric

More about the Course
Our School of Engineering and Technology is well known for project-orientated learning, and mechanical engineers have the opportunity to take part in exciting team projects such as the UH Hovercraft, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ESCO-UAS) competition or the Formula Student competition. For more information see racing.herts.ac.uk

Our students can take the work placement option, spending their Third Year in industry. Some students take the opportunity to study part of their degree abroad through student exchange programmes with other universities in the EU, USA or Canada.

A mechanical engineering degree will provide you with the flexibility to be employed in any industrial company irrespective of their product range. Mechanical engineers are involved in producing innovative designs, using the latest materials and Computer Aided Engineering systems to meet ever-increasing expectations in 21st century living.  With our excellent teaching standards and facilities, the University has a strong track record of providing industry with these highly skilled professionals.

In your first year you will study the fundamental skills and knowledge required by a modern engineer including principles of flight and an introduction to aircraft systems. In particular you will be introduced to computer packages commonly used in the aerospace industry.

In your second year the core themes from year 1 are further developed so that they can be applied to solve engineering problems encountered in industrial and commercial environments. You will learn about the design process, through both group design and detail design work, and will have the opportunity to work on the Class 200 Formula Student car.

In your third year you have the chance to work for an engineering company on placement.

In your fourth year you have the option of covering either manufacturing or the rapidly growing field of micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS). Project work, both in teams on design and individually on a topic of special interest, encourages you to develop valuable practical, interpersonal and communication skills. You also have the opportunity to work on the University's entry to the Formula Student competition.

In your final year you will study at Masters level, deepening your knowledge and understanding of engineering as well as developing your business and management skills. The Team Project is multidisciplinary and involves applying your skills to solve an unusual and challenging problem.

Graphic Design is a very broad subject, with students increasingly able to choose a wide variety of career paths after they graduate. This pathway, based around the current successful BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, allows students to gain the specialist skills required for advertising and branding projects. Workshops will introduce art direction, copywriting, campaign development, brand strategy and how to design dynamic visual identities. Dedicated modules will give a thorough grounding and understanding of the commercial applications of both subjects, as well as exploring creative applications of emerging technologies

Our location on the doorstep of London means we’ve been able to develop relationships with some of the world’s biggest and best agencies and brands. In recent years our students have worked on live briefs with the likes of Prada, Lacoste, Sky, and Mini. We’ve also partnered with design and creative agencies that include Droga 5 (named D&AD’s ‘Best Agency 2019’ and Campaign Magazine’s ‘Agency of the Year’ 2019) and DesignStudio (the designers of the Premier League, Airbnb and Deliveroo branding). Students on the Graphic Design & Illustration programme have a phenomenal record in the highest-profile award schemes, including winning a prestigious D&AD New Blood pencil every year since 2011.

• Outstanding connections to industry, including high profile live briefs.
• A forward-thinking curriculum which prepares our graduates for a career in rapidly evolving industries.
• A reputation for success in the most-coveted student award schemes.