Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Life Sciences and Global Sustainable Development

at University of Warwick United Kingdom

Do you want to become an expert in communicating scientific concepts? Whether you are preparing for a career in scientific writing, education or communication, this course is the one for you.

You will choose from over 50 modules and tailor the course to your specific scientific skills and interests. You will enhance your communication and English Language skills, learning to convey advanced technical scientific concepts for journals, classrooms, or the media.

You will also undertake a bespoke research project, gaining research experience using our state-of-the-art facilities in an interdisciplinary environment. You will gain advanced knowledge in your chosen fields and learn to communicate with a range of audiences, preparing you for a career in research, scientific writing, science education or science communication.

The significance of United States foreign policy has grown in the 20 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent 'war on terror' in ways that have been reflected in the development of the academic literature and in the increased level of interest in the subject area.

This programme focuses on US foreign policy in the context of national security as well as wider aspects of the country’s foreign policy and its impact in the areas of the economy, international relations, and particularly security. Emphasis is given to critical debates over whether US power is declining and how well equipped the US is to deal effectively with the challenges of contemporary international affairs.

This exciting new course is built on the strength of existing research connections between the four departments that will contribute to it: the departments of Economics, Psychology, and Philosophy, and Warwick Business School (specifically the Behavioural Science Group).

The current attention that this interdisciplinary field of research, particularly the area of Behavioural Science and Behavioural Economics, receives across academia, government and the private sector also makes this course an excellent preparation for a wide range of careers within local government, public health, media, charities and NGOs, marketing and finance.

You will have a choice of interesting potential specialisms and pathways through your course so that you can explore the issues that interest you the most, to graduate with either a BA or a BSc.

Students on all pathways take a course-specific co-taught core capstone module in the final year, which is designed to set the disciplines in interdisciplinary dialogue with each other.

Study abroad

You have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated study abroad year at one of our many partner institutions, extending your degree to four years.

As well as offering an opportunity to experience an alternative university system, studying abroad can also provide the chance to improve language skills and to gain an understanding of a country that can only be gained by living and working in it.

This course will help you understand the importance of thinking critically about how we know and experience the world, and recognise the importance of linking precision in thought and analysis to a grounded understanding of different historical periods.

You'll learn to consider ideas for their own sake, while recognising that they are developed in particular contexts, for particular purposes, and reflect the conditions under which they are produced.

Students will be offered the opportunity at the start of their second year to apply for an optional Year Abroad. Following the application process, those students who are offered and take up a Year Abroad place transfer to the four-year History and Philosophy (with a Year Abroad) course, with the Year Abroad as the third of the four years.

Study abroad

History and Philosophy students have the opportunity to join history students for a term in Venice at the start of year and also to apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities. The Student Mobility Team based in the Office for Student Opportunity offers support for these activities, and both Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinators can provide more specific information and assistance.

Taking a cross-discipline approach, you will consider the relationships between a functioning society, and how political and legal systems are structured and operate. The course will also develop your understanding of the philosophical origins and basis for law and politics.

You may explore concepts such as justice, freedom, morals and democracy, as well as the formulation and implementation of law and policy across the world. In addition to core modules in each discipline, there is significant flexibility as the course progresses to choose optional modules from within the three departments as well as across the University.

You will have the opportunity to apply to spend a year abroad with one of our international partners and you may also apply to take a work placement.

Study abroad

We support student mobility through year abroad programs. PPL students have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated year of study abroad at one of our prestigious partner universities.

With intelligent vehicles on the horizon of technical advancements, the automotive industry is facing a developmental challenge. How do we develop a robust technical infrastructure to support the anticipated explosive growth in smart vehicular functions, communications systems, and driverless cars? This demands a comprehensive understanding of the technology and a bottom-up approach ensuring robustness and dependability of Electronics, Communications and Control Systems.  

Through this MSc, we aim to address the knowledge gap in the areas of machine learning, automated control strategies, connectivity, and communication infrastructure, cyber-security protocols, emerging automotive networks and robust automotive embedded systems within the context of smart, connected and autonomous vehicles. This programme has extensive industrial support with the Industry Advisory Board consisting of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and RDM among others.  

What challenges does the natural world face in the wake of unprecedented human impact upon the environment? How might new research and innovations in Life Sciences work to secure the future of sustainable societies by countering infectious disease and biodiversity loss?

By choosing to study Life Sciences and Global Sustainable Development (GSD) degree, you will be encountering these questions daily.

You will gain valuable lab and analytical experience whilst studying with Life Sciences. You will apply that knowledge to our current understandings of climate change, social justice, and food security. At the end of the first year, you will choose either a Biological Sciences or Ecology route, allowing you to study modules tailored to your interests and career aspirations.

By studying GSD, you will take a transdisciplinary approach and confront issues from a diverse array of perspectives. You will need to be ready to think creatively and embrace new opinions from your peers from across the world. We will challenge you to become an active participant in your own learning.

You can enhance your skills and studies through optional work placements, study abroad, and certificates.

Study abroad

Although it is not compulsory, we encourage you to study abroad during your degree.

Option 1: Part of your second year abroad

Spend part of your second year at Monash University, home to the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. You will learn to appreciate the different concerns and priorities for sustainable development, including different approaches to tackling global issues.

Your academic achievements abroad will count towards your degree awarded by Warwick.

Find out more about studying abroad for part of your second year.

Option 2: Year abroad

You may choose to apply for an intercalated year spent either studying abroad or on a work placement (subject to you meeting departmental academic requirements). This will mean extending your course to four years.

Warwick has partnerships with universities across the world. You will spend your first and second years at Warwick, studying abroad in your third year before returning for final year.

Your year abroad will not count towards your overall final mark, giving you the freedom to choose modules outside of your comfort zone.

This is a research led course that sits at the crossroads of psychology and education. It offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective on important issues regarding child developmental and educational outcomes; notions of difference and disability; the role of early intervention in maximising children’s life chances; and what we mean by evidence based practice in the field of education.

The modules of this course are carefully chosen to help you to develop the intellectual and critical tools required to tackle some of these issues. If your outlook is wider than one academic discipline and you have the passion to explore and understand problems from a variety of perspectives, then you are ideally placed to benefit from our style of teaching and learning.

Our flexible modules offer you a wide range of teaching and learning experiences and the capacity to examine in depth topics about individual differences (e.g., emotions, personality and intelligence) and the role they play in children’s learning; how contextual factors such as poverty, social class and parenting, work together to shape children’s developmental outcomes; and how SEN and Disability policy translates into practice in schools.

Seminars and debates are at the heart of the way in which these issues are examined, so there will be a number of opportunities to work with your peers, collaborating, debating, and researching practical solutions. Your interdisciplinary skill set will be developed throughout this course, enabling you to pursue a diverse array of career pathways, including those directly relating to SEN and Disability and psychology in practice.

Skills from this degree

• Capacity for advancing evidence-based arguments and drawing conclusions that are supported by in depth data at a dissertation level
• Confidence in engaging in academic debates on the intersections between Psychology and Education
• Intellectual thoroughness required to review diverse bodies of research and analyse their findings
• Understand current theoretical and policy issues with regard to special educational needs and disability
• Undertake a research project that involves theoretical and methodological understandings. Create a well-defined topic with a view to advancing evidence-based arguments. Drawing implications for policy and practice.
• Reflect on your own potential as a learner

Neuroscience is the discipline that encompasses the study of the brain and nervous system in health and disease. This degree course is designed for students who wish to develop a greater understanding of the most complex and enigmatic of organs.

With the knowledge and practical experience gained on this course, you will be able to develop a career in neuroscience and human health. Careers could include academic research, laboratory services, pharmaceutical drug discovery or clinical trials. Alternatively, you may wish to pursue a career in employment sectors that appreciate the value of a solid understanding of scientific principles, methods and approaches.

Our four-year MBio gives you the opportunity to undertake an extended final-year research project in-house.

This degree, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society, draws on Warwick’s research strengths and agendas across the Department of Psychology and Education Studies. The issues of learning and teaching are key in both disciplines, making them a natural academic combination.

If you are interested in a career working with children, young people, schools and families, the course will give you an understanding of education, development, and behavior from a psychological perspective.

Study abroad

In an interconnected world, employers greatly value an international perspective. Studying abroad provides you with a first-hand opportunity to explore how culture influences psychological processes and develop a range of valuable skills that give you a competitive advantage in the graduate market.

Our Department is part of the University’s large global network of exchange partners, with long-standing agreements with prestigious universities around the world. A particularly popular Warwick option is with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, acknowledged as one of the world’s top universities.

Our students have previously undertaken study abroad opportunities in Brazil, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and the USA. Typically, when students choose to study abroad, they apply in their second year for the third year of study at a partner institution. Students then return to Warwick for their final year.