Master of Science in Sociology and Social Policy

at University of Southampton - Highfield Campus United Kingdom

Our MSc Finance master's has a unique emphasis on quantitative and analytical techniques. You’ll develop and use real industry skills and gain a competitive edge with employers. There’s a strong focus on the latest practices and research that you’ll learn with essential theory. Prepare to succeed in rapidly changing and complex financial environments.

Through this course, you'll learn insights into the future of finance from our academics who have extensive professional experience. They are also leading and active researchers. This will help you develop skills that employers want, and will advance your career in industry, government, or research.

You'll cover:

• Complex financial products
• Assessing and managing financial risk
• Management decisions and value creation
• Econometric modelling
• Forecasting
• Leading econometric and statistical software

On our master of finance UK we’ll teach you advanced stock market analysis, corporate finance, and portfolio management. You'll also have an unusual opportunity to study behavioural finance. This will let you explore the behavioural biases that can affect financial decision making in uncertain environments.

You’ll also use your skills and have real industry experience through:

• Trade simulation workshops
• Access to industry software
• Using live company data
• Weekly research update seminars

Develop the analytical and statistical skills for success in industry, business or public sector on this MSc Operational Research and Statistics at the University of Southampton. You’ll work with multinational industry partners on real case studies, and learn operational research techniques and applied statistical methods at an advanced level. You’ll graduate with the knowledge and practical skills in 2 highly valued disciplines. 

Operational researchers use analytical methods to help organisations become more productive through better planning of strategy and delivery. 

Statistics is an important tool for operational researchers, because it involves decision-making in the face of uncertainty. 

On this operational research UK master’s course you’ll learn to develop solutions to complex organisational problems using mathematical modelling, experimental design, statistical analysis and numerical computation. 

You'll gain essential skills in the 4 main areas of real-world problem-solving: 

• Analysing the problem through designing experiments, and collecting and visualising data
• Formulating the problem mathematically and offering solution approaches
• Providing statistical analysis and computation
• Presenting and communicating the results

A highlight of this statistics and operational research course is the 3-month summer project, when you’ll have the chance to compete to work with an external organisation on a real problem. This could relate to operational research, statistics, or both. 

Our exciting and topical Environmental Science degree combines a range of subjects, including geography, law and oceanography. It focuses on applying science to some of the biggest environmental challenges of today and in the future. It will prepare you for a rewarding career in many fields, like environmental management and conservation.

Our BSc Environmental Science consists of theory with practical and project work, and explores sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

At the start of the course, you'll choose one of 4 specialist pathways. This will give you control over your degree and career route. You can change your pathway at the end of the first year.

You can choose to specialise in:

• Aquatic Environments and Resources
• Environmental Change
• Biodiversity and Conservation
• Sustainable Environmental Management

You'll complete a research project in year 3. Industry regularly implements our students’ work. For example, Ordnance Survey has used recommendations from student-designed environmental management systems.

We provide many opportunities for fieldwork, where you'll gain the skills to collect and analyse data. Previous field trips have used drones for remote sensing and studied salt marsh vegetation.

As part of this course you can:

• Learn to apply quantitative analysis and field research techniques
• Use computer-based geographical information systems to study environmental change
• Use specialist facilities including a purpose-built teaching lab and remote sensing equipment
• Join our award-winning Enactus society
• Boost your skills and employability by spending a year in employment

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES).

Are you fascinated by the human mind? Do you question what prompts human behaviour? Choose the BSc in Psychology degree at the University of Southampton to journey into the human psyche. This highly useful degree course will let you analyse human choices, emotions, motivations and beliefs through research and data analysis.

On this degree, we offer you a broad range of subjects to delve into, such as social psychology and neuroscience, leading to more specific subjects such as child development and the psychology of advertising.

This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society, and you’ll be eligible for membership when you graduate. 

Our facilities will support you in every area of research. They include:

• A custom-fit mobile research vehicle for community research
• Eye movement recording facilities
• An observation lab with audiovisual studio
• A virtual reality (vr) laboratory

As part of your degree you can:

• Study a second subject as a minor discipline
• Study abroad at one of our partner universities including the University of Sydney, University of Hong Kong, and University of Western Ontario
• Study modules outside of psychology to broaden your knowledge, including criminology, social sciences and law

On this MSc in Acoustical Engineering you'll learn how to apply acoustics to technology. Our master's in acoustics will give you expert knowledge of the latest modern developments in sound, vibration and signal processing. You’ll graduate with the skills you need for a career in acoustical engineering or for continued study at PhD level.

This acoustic engineering course combines an understanding of engineering fundamentals with specialist knowledge of sound and vibration. We’ll develop your practical and problem-solving skills to apply them in fields including:

• Noise control
• Audio engineering
• Architectural acoustics
• Biomedical ultrasounds

You’ll study at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) - a world-leading centre for acoustical engineering.

You can choose to study acoustic engineering as a general topic, but may also decide to specialise in signal processing or structural vibration:

• Signal processing provides in-depth training on modern signal processing techniques for biomedical applications and audio signal processing.
• Structural vibration emphasises the advanced techniques to model, measure and control vibration in mechanical systems such as railways and automotive applications.

Develop the skills to tackle complex political challenges, such as cyber threats, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, on this MSc International Security and Risk degree at the University of Southampton. You’ll use advanced research on risk analysis and decision-making to understand and inform global security policy. You’ll graduate with the knowledge and practical skills to become a security specialist.

This UK master’s course combines security studies, cyber security and risk analysis to reflect a global political environment that demands new thinking.

On this course we take a multidisciplinary approach to teach the skills and understanding you'll need to work in the modern political landscape.

You’ll have the chance to develop new solutions to these complex challenges by undertaking wide interdisciplinary study. You'll examine the key security issues facing the world today, including:

• Cyber threats
• Terrorism
• Weapons of mass destruction
• The challenges posed by states and non-state actors

With a focus on understanding the real-world policy implications of these security challenges, you'll have the chance to develop practical, policy-relevant proposals.

Using advanced research on risk analysis and decision-making, you'll learn how to apply advanced interdisciplinary skills and knowledge in addressing global security issues.

You’ll consider historical, social, scientific, technological and military factors as you examine the issues of modern security.

Spend your third year in Spain, studying maths at one of our partner universities. This degree is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in Spanish, while developing your mathematical problem-solving skills. You’ll study pure and applied mathematics, statistics and operational research. You’ll graduate with sought after skills in mathematics as well as experience of working and studying in another language.

This BSc Maths with Spanish degree covers the foundations of algebra, calculus and statistics. You’ll investigate the applications of mathematics in a variety of contexts and use mathematical and statistical models.

As part of this course you’ll:

• Be able to specialise in pure or applied mathematics, operational research or statistics
• Become proficient in Spanish, understanding subtleties and holding formal and informal conversations with ease
• Spend your third year at one of our Erasmus partner institutions in Madrid, Malaga, or Santiago de Compostela
• Use our student centre, a dedicated learning and social space for maths students
• Use mathematical and computational packages such as Python and the statistics package 'R'

You’ll be taught through a combination of lectures and workshops by leading researchers. Their fields of expertise include group theory, the mathematics of nature, and experimental design.

Become an expert in auditing, corporate governance and tax through our MSc Accounting and Finance degree. You’ll also have a rare opportunity to study international accounting and taxation. This course will prepare you for a variety of careers in accountancy and other sectors.

This master's in accounting and finance is ideal if you have studied in accountancy, business, mathematics, or economics. It’s also suitable if you have relevant professional experience and want to improve your career opportunities.  

You’ll evaluate and apply core technical accounting and finance methods to real-world situations, and gain a detailed understanding of global financial markets and accounting systems. You can use our Bloomberg terminals for live financial data as well as a range of key databases for research.  

Throughout the course you’ll cover:

• Equity markets
• Investment decisions
• Management and financial accounting  
• Mergers and acquisitions  
• Internal and external auditing
• Behaviour

Unusually for a postgraduate in accounting and finance, you’ll have an opportunity to study international accounting and taxation. You’ll learn how a country’s social, economic, legal and political environment determines its tax regulations, and the impact of tax on company behaviours.

Other current study choices include the rapidly expanding area of corporate governance. This will give you an understanding of high profile corporate collapses and financial crisis. You can also choose from reporting and markets, or sustainability accounting.

Specialists also give regular guest lectures and will share insights with you from current research and industry issues. This will enhance your studies and career options, giving you real networking opportunities.

Our MSc Environmental Pollution Control course provides excellent training for careers in air, water and waste pollution management. Students explore the scientific basis of pollution and practical approaches to its control. Through the optional modules you’ll get the chance to learn about the legal and business framework and the many environments affected by pollution.

The ability to accurately monitor emissions to the environment and mitigate their harmful impacts sits at the heart of this diverse environmental science master’s degree.

On completing the course, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The importance of environmental concepts, terms, principles and methods
• The value of using techniques and ideas in different subject disciplines
• The socio-economic context of environmental issues and the legal framework for environmental regulation
• The contribution of science, engineering or communication to the identification, understanding of environmental issues and concerns
• The human causes and consequences of environmental impacts
• General environmental concerns, which may include: biodiversity; environmental limits to economic or population growth

This course develops the professional skills required for a rewarding career as an environmental scientist in air, water and waste pollution management.

Acoustics can affect designs in many mechanical engineering projects, including vibration or noise. This course will let you specialise in areas that interest you, from making aircraft quieter to optimising sound for music venues. When you graduate, you'll be prepared for a career in the engineering sector.

This course follows similar content to our degree in Mechanical Engineering. You'll explore the core topics and specialise on Acoustical Engineering modules.

You'll learn how to solve real-world challenges, from making jet engines quieter to improving the accuracy of ultrasound scans.

As part of this course you can:

• Use our design workshops and studios
• Showcase your work in our annual Engineering Design Show
• Study management and design to improve your employability
• Go on site visits to experience engineering in practice

You can take this course with an additional year-long, paid placement. Apply with UCAS code H34H for the Industrial Placement Year option.

We're a designated university for the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS).