Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

• This BEng Honours degree course in Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies places is a particular emphasis on the flying qualities from a pilot's point of view;
• You will get the opportunity to gain a UK National Private Pilot's Licence whilst doing your degree;
• The flying is offered locally at an attractively discounted rate.
• Our BEng Aerospace Systems Engineering with Pilot Studies students have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Rockwell, Eads Astrium, and MBDA
• Recent Aerospace Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including The Royal Air Force, Martin-Baker Aircraft Company, and Chester Hall Precision Engineering

This unique course gives you the flexibility to pursue an engineering career designing aircraft from a pilot’s perspective, or to take the first step to become a commercial pilot. The compulsory flying element is mainly in the Fourth Year and is provided by a nationally recognised flight centre either in the UK or the US. There are additional fees for this, but with at an attractively discounted rate compared to other flight centres. There are also opportunities to fly in the First and Second Years as an extracurricular activity, including the chance to use various flight simulators.

More about the course

The aerospace industry is increasingly in need of Systems Engineers with the skills to integrate modern communication systems with conventional aerospace systems to enhance aircraft performance.  This variation to our Aerospace Systems Engineering degree can be the first step for those wishing to become professional pilots.  It combines the multidisciplinary nature of the Aerospace Systems Engineering degree with pilot studies to a National Private Pilot’s Licence level and beyond. 

The compulsory flying experience is mainly in the Fourth Year, provided locally by a nationally recognised flight centre either in the UK or the USA. There are additional fees for this, but with an attractively discounted rate compared to other flight centres. There are also opportunities to do some flying in the First and Second Years as an extracurricular activity, including use of various flight simulators.

On the BA in Politics and International Relations you’ll study the central challenges that politics faces in the 21st century. You’ll develop the skills to understand, analyse, and critically debate the issues and arguments that shape national and international politics today. Our Politics and International Relations degree allows you to take your interest in politics and add the knowledge and training to turn it into a successful career in the world of local and global politics, the media or business.

Our BA History and Philosophy gives you the opportunity to study two subjects that will help you to make sense of the world around you.

Through our diverse and inclusive History curriculum you will learn about an array of cultures and identities.  What links our work is our focus on people’s history and everyday lives. This is represented strongly in our first year programme, which will give you an insight into the making of the modern world through exploration of beliefs, magic and medicine, campaigns for freedom and equality, Africa and the world, and America from Hamilton to Trump.

In your philosophy modules, you will be introduced to a variety of philosophical issues ranging from the nature of reality, knowledge and mind, to questions about how we should live, what we should value, and what would be the best way of organizing society.

Throughout your degree, the common link between the two disciplines will be the development of analytical skills. As historians you will learn to analyse historical documents and debates among historians, while in Philosophy you’ll assess the arguments of others, arriving at your own conclusions on deep, important issues. 

These analytical skills, honed over the course of your studies, will benefit you in the final year, if you choose to write a dissertation. This extended piece of work, available either in History or in Philosophy, will grow out of a topic that interests you. Previous students have been inspired by their year of study abroad. Others have worked on the history of jiu jitsu, women code breakers at Bletchley Park, the Notting Hill riots, and vice and sexuality in 17th-century London.  And Philosophy students have worked on the ethical issues of playing video games, the nature of the imagination, and environmental philosophy and the obligations of the state.

We give you: 

• An exceptional History team, conducting world-leading research (REF 2014), and a Philosophy team ranked in the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide (2017 QS rankings). 
• Stimulating, innovative courses - History students reported almost 94% overall satisfaction with their course (2018 National Student Survey)
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting and the scope to write a dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• The opportunity to expand your horizons by studying abroad at the end of your second year
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and deals with every aspect of life. During the course you’ll examine the physiology of the human body and how it’s affected by disease and drugs. You’ll study the structure, biochemistry and mechanics of the cell, as well as evolutionary processes and genetics, both in mammals and microorganisms. As you progress, you’ll choose from a wide range of modules including blood sciences, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology and drug discovery. You’ll also have the chance to study abroad or take a year’s work placement, either of which will boost your employability. Ultimately, you’ll gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, humans and animals. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Biology is a discipline with a broad range of applications affecting many areas of human activity.  You will study life at all levels from molecules, through organelles and cells, to whole organisms.  You will gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, human beings and other animals.
• The Biological Science programme offers you flexibility and a broad range of options for study.  The first year provides a solid foundation in all aspects of biology including topics in areas such as physiology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.  It also gives you an opportunity to start developing your practical skills in the laboratory.   At second and final year you can choose from a range of modules from across our biosciences courses according to your particular interests. 
• The degree provides a stepping stone to a wide range of scientific careers, including teaching.

Indicative course structure
The course looks in depth at a range of core business areas, including accounting, marketing, operations and human resources. At the same time, you’ll gain a specialism in tourism, in which you’ll explore career planning in the tourism industry, passenger tourism transport, visitor attraction management, strategic tourism planning and responsible tourism. There's also the chance to travel and experience different cultures and study tourism’s impact on domestic and international destinations.

• Gain the skills and expertise you need to start a career in the dynamic and challenging tourism industry.
• Develop a firm understanding of the role of organisations in society.
• Develop your knowledge in a broad range of business areas.

MSc International Business is an innovative flagship programme designed to help you build a strong understanding of the way organisations operate globally, and help develop specialist skills that enable you to work effectively across national borders.

The programme gives you the opportunity to explore international business from a number of perspectives, including economics, finance, strategy, marketing, management, human resource, and supply chain. There will also be the opportunity to conduct an independent major research project in your area of interest.

Throughout the programme, you will gain a unique combination of skills sought after by employers all over the world. These include communication, numeracy, graphics, team-working, cross-cultural awareness, reflective learning and the ability to critically analyse complex business challenges to reach considered creative solutions.

You will also build a strong network of international contacts – some will become their close friends and a few may even become their future business partners.

Studying Philosophy, Religion and Ethics at Hertfordshire will enable you to explore the connections and contradictions between thought and faith in the world today.

You may have taken Religious Studies at A-level or be fascinated by how religious belief is a driving force behind social and political events in today’s globalised world.

This degree course offers you the opportunity to explore the beliefs that guide people’s lives using the logical and critical skills gained through philosophical inquiry.

You’ll be taught by internationally regarded academics, who will help you understand how the practices of religion and philosophy have influenced – and been influenced by – the modern world. You’ll learn to address the arguments and beliefs of others and to engage with them, so that you can arrive at your own conclusions and create your own original work.

All our 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.

In your first year you’ll take philosophy modules exploring ethics, mind, knowledge and reality alongside an introduction to four of the major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. This will be given a modern context through a module on religion and the contemporary world.

Seminars in your first year will explore how to investigate and discuss different beliefs and ideas and to develop your critical thinking, all within a respectful and empathetic environment.

In your second year you’ll study the philosophies of religion, and explore virtues, vices and ethics. Focusing on specific virtues such as forgiveness, hope or love from both a secular and religious point of view, you’ll examine what it means to live a good life.

Alongside options in your final year to explore religion and popular culture, as well as feminist and political philosophy, your dissertation will allow you to develop your particular interests, perhaps encompassing an exploration of some aspect of your own religious belief system.

• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• The opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate
• CV-building potential through extra-curricular activities

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and deals with every aspect of life. During the course you’ll examine the physiology of the human body and how it’s affected by disease and drugs. You’ll study the structure, biochemistry and mechanics of the cell, as well as evolutionary processes and genetics, both in mammals and microorganisms. As you progress, you’ll choose from a wide range of modules including blood sciences, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology and drug discovery. You’ll also have the chance to study abroad or take a year’s work placement, either of which will boost your employability. Ultimately, you’ll gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, humans and animals. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Biology is a discipline with a broad range of applications affecting many areas of human activity.  You will study life at all levels from molecules, through organelles and cells, to whole organisms.  You will gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, human beings and other animals.
• The Biological Science programme offers you flexibility and a broad range of options for study.  The first year provides a solid foundation in all aspects of biology including topics in areas such as physiology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.  It also gives you an opportunity to start developing your practical skills in the laboratory.   At second and final year you can choose from a range of modules from across our biosciences courses according to your particular interests. 
• The degree provides a stepping stone to a wide range of scientific careers, including teaching.

This course combines two highly respected subjects to give you a powerful business degree with real career potential. You’ll learn from Hertfordshire Business School’s highly experienced, research-active academic team. You’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the role finance and economics plays in the health of an economy, as well as have the opportunity to become part of a new generation of international financial experts.

As well as deepening your knowledge of these important areas, your lecturers here at Hertfordshire will be firmly focused on your employability, giving you the advanced skills that employers today demand.

• Understand the role economics and finance play in analysing current problems.
• Develop a firm understanding of key business functions, the industrial structure of market economies and the global environment.
• Learn how to analyse data from a financial point of view.
• Enhance your experience through a 12-month work placement or study abroad year.

All three of our model design courses share the same First Year, giving you an excellent introduction to model making, prop making, sculpture and special effects. Building on this foundation, you’ll focus on developing your artistic and technical skills to produce models, animatronics and other effects. You’ll also gain hands on experience of the specialist equipment used to produce rain, fire, smoke, wind and snow, and learn about the safe use of pyrotechnics.

In Second Year, you will acquire an understanding of special effects design and receive a thorough grounding in the practical aspects of this. You will be able to combine your artistic and technical skills to produce animatronics, action props, models and special effects.

In your Final Year, you’ll work on major projects and create a professional portfolio to impress employers. Throughout your studies you’ll use a mix of traditional techniques and modern technology. This course is accredited by Creative Skillset, reflecting the highest standard of teaching and facilities.

• Combine your artistic and technical skills to produce animatronics, action props, models and special effects.
• Gain ‘hands on’ experience of special effects equipment used to produce, rain, fire, smoke, wind and snow etc. and learn about the safe use of pyrotechnics.
• Use of traditional workshop machinery and cutting-edge technologies, plus access to specialist industry standard facilities for animatronics, model making and prop making.
• Close contacts with industry, which provide outstanding work experience opportunities and collaborative projects.
• High graduate employment rates for Special Effects students. 
• The only Creative Skillset Tick accredited Model and Special Effects course in the UK.