Master of Arts in Sociology

at University of Warwick United Kingdom

This course arms you, as an educational professional, with the knowledge and skills to identify problems of practice in educational settings and within the education system as a whole. To do this you will evaluate research and development within education, understanding the validity and applicability of these ideas by investigating them from a variety of perspectives.

The flexible nature of this MA means you can choose optional modules which suit your current and future needs, expanding your understanding of the scope and nature of Education as a discipline. You will have the opportunity to engage with ideas, debates and research, developing your academic and research skills.

You will develop your knowledge and understanding of research in education through reflective and innovative means, and apply this to your own practice. You will have the opportunity to debate with your peers on a host of important innovation in education issues, and develop a sceptical and inquisitive stance in relation to educational developments and ideas.

Skills from this degree

• Evaluate theory, practice and research in education
• Plan, undertake and evaluate a small scale activity involving an element of innovation
• Apply knowledge and understanding of research methods critically in planning, undertaking and evaluating a research project
• Evaluate existing methodologies and develop new hypotheses which provide fresh insights into education and professional practice
• Deepen insights into the dynamic interaction that exists between education research, theory, policy and practice

Our Visual and Material Culture of Ancient Rome MA courses provide a thorough preparation in research techniques if you are considering further research in the fields of art, numismatics or epigraphy, or are working on an historical topic that involves the consideration of material evidence. It will also provide a detailed understanding of ancient visual and material culture to prepare you if you are aiming to enter a career in museums and curatorial work, or in education.

For the Visual and Material Culture of Ancient Rome MA, one module is taught by the British School, Rome, focusing on the history and material culture of Ancient Rome. Please note admission is subject to the discretion of the British Schools and cannot be guaranteed by Warwick.

Skills from this degree
The degree is designed to introduce you to major issues in the study of ancient material culture, and to key methodologies and approaches. It will help to develop your intellectual skills in the following areas:

• Ability to select and respond to particular methodological approaches when dealing with material culture
• Understanding of the ways in which material culture has been studied since antiquity
• Ability to present a structured chain of argument drawing together evidence into a cohesive whole
• Ability to select and apply appropriate problem-solving methodologies
• Ability to conduct independent research and analysis

It will also help to develop the following key transferable skills:

• Written and oral communication skills
• Organisational Skills
• Ability to evaluate intellectual progress
• IT skills – word processing

This degree includes a year abroad studying French law at a university in France and is aimed at those with a strong grasp of the French language.

You will develop an excellent understanding of core legal principles of both the English and the French legal systems. Examining the law from a modern, international and critical perspective will equip you for the demands of a global legal market.

You will gain insight into the impact on the law of cultural, economic and political developments, and learn how law affects everyday life in the UK, France and beyond.

You will develop advanced legal, research, independent learning and writing skills, and will become a confident communicator, able to participate fully in debates and to present your ideas clearly, both in English and in French.

Study abroad

This course features an integral year abroad, in which you will study approved law modules at one of our partner universities in France which currently include Paris, Bordeaux or Lille.

Are you keen to specialise in the academic study of your chosen language and culture, and do you have the motivation to develop an individual research path, leading potentially to PhD study? This course combines taught modules with language-specific research and offers an advanced preparation for doctoral research.

You will work with the support of leading researchers, drawing on expertise in critical theory, research skills and key research themes. You will benefit from an introduction to critical theories and perspectives across the European and North American intellectual traditions, as well as developing your research specialism in Italian Studies.

Skills from this degree

• Advanced research and information synthesis skill
• Advanced report-writing and written communication skills
• Oral communication skills
• IT skills

This innovative course in the growing area of decision science and behavioural economics combines multidisciplinary expertise from the Department of Psychology, Department of Economics and Warwick Business School (WBS). The course emphasises both theoretical foundations and real-world application of core and advanced areas of behavioural economics, and the cognitive science of judgement and decision making. The Science Track variation of the course is designed for students with a first degree in a science-based subject, such as Psychology, Maths, Biology, etc. or a subject with a strong quantitative element, such as Business, Finance, etc.

A variation of the course is offered by the Department of Economics and is available if you have a first degree in Economics.

Skills from this degree

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of how and why people make the choices they do
• Understand how influencing such choices is important across a variety of domains, from public policy (e.g. encouraging people to save for pensions), through to industry (e.g. how to place a new product in the market), and individual behaviour (e.g. why people drink and eat too much).
• Develop a theoretical understanding of key models and results in behavioural economics and judgment and decision making
• Design, conduct and analyse behavioural experiments
• Implement models of choice
• Access and analyse large-scale datasets
• Initiate economic enquiry and test economic models
• Assess and deploy potential behavioural interventions

Engineering companies need to provide not only superior products, but also superior services to be sustainable in the long-term. There is a real demand for graduates with technical knowledge and strategic business management and entrepreneurship skills. By mastering this you will provide the key interface between roles as diverse as design, manufacturing, marketing, contract management and supply chain management.

In the same way as other Engineering undergraduates, those studying Engineering Business Management will develop an in-depth understanding of the classical principles of Engineering by following a general engineering programme for the first four terms. Thereafter, Engineering Business Management students will specialise in engineering business-related subjects, equipping students with the business and management skills they need to operate in a global economy.

Teaching draws on the expertise of the School of Engineering, which delivers the highest standards of technical expertise; WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group), which offers innovative links between academia and industry; and Warwick Business School (WBS), which is internationally recognised for excellence in business management.

Study abroad

You may choose to take an intercalated year in industry, research or study abroad between years two and three (BEng and MEng) or between years three and four (MEng only). If you choose to take an intercalated year this will be reflected in your degree title, and add a year to your degree programme.

The MA in Critical and Cultural Theory will equip you with the analytical tools and concepts to respond to, understand, theorise, and critique the literary and cultural artefacts of the modern world. In the dedicated core module, you will immerse yourself in fundamental theoretical questions through individual reading and collective discussion.

You can also choose from a wide range of modules that span a variety of critical perspectives and approaches to literary studies, and grapple with the ideas of some of the great critical thinkers. You will also write a dissertation on an (approved) topic of your choice with a specialised supervisor.

Our MA is designed to prepare students for specialised postgraduate research in the fields of Art History and Visual Studies. You will have the option of spending the autumn term in Venice or can study for the full year on the Warwick campus.

The course enables you to develop your research skills by studying different periods and media in the history of art, and by taking an active part in research, exploring some of the broader issues in Art History today such as cross-cultural interaction and the arts, the spatial contexts of art, architecture and urbanism, and the arts within a global society.

Civil Engineering is everything you see that’s been built around us, the kind of things we take for granted everyday but would find life hard to live without: roads and railways, schools and hospitals or water and power supplies.

Civil engineers design, create, connect and change the world, making places work for the people that live there, and working on projects that can make a real difference to people’s lives.

Engineering students at Warwick develop an in-depth understanding of the classical principles of Engineering by following a general engineering programme for the first four terms.

If you then choose to specialise in Civil Engineering, you will develop expertise in the fundamental principles of analysis, design, sustainability and safety. This will enhance the quality of life for present and future generations.

By choosing the MEng degree you can explore specialist areas of Civil Engineering through fourth-year core and optional module choices and a group project.

Study abroad

You may choose to take an intercalated year in industry, research or study abroadLink opens in a new window between years two and three (BEng and MEng), or between years three and four (MEng only). If you choose to take an intercalated year, this will be reflected in your degree title, and add a year to your degree programme.

Our Italian and History of Art (BA) degree is split 50:50 between both subjects.

In addition to Italian language in Year One, you will take an Italian culture module and foundational modules in Art History.

In intermediate and final years at Warwick you can choose from optional modules covering the history of art across the centuries to others covering Italy from the late Middle Ages to the present.

In your final year, along with other core and optional modules you may choose to research and write a dissertation bridging the two disciplines.

You will normally spend your second or third year abroad, consolidating and enhancing your learning.

Study abroad

We strongly recommend that you take a year abroad as part of your modern languages degree, if you are able to. If you are unable to take a year abroad you may move to a three-year degree. In such cases, you will be required to complete further language reinforcement work. You will also be encouraged to spend time abroad in other ways, during vacation times.

You will usually spend your year abroad doing one of three things:

• Working as a language assistant teaching English in a primary or secondary school
• Studying full-time at a partner university in your chosen country
• On a work placement

Most students going to Italy opt for an exchange at a partner university. Some are successful in obtaining a (highly competitive) language assistantship. Most students apply through the British Council's English Language Assistant scheme during the first term of their second year at Warwick.