Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Politics (with integrated placement year)

at Aston University United Kingdom

Electronic engineering impacts on so many areas of every day life so it is perhaps no surprise to find that it is the most extensive and pervasive of all the engineering disciplines.

Our courses are developed in collaboration with a wide range of industry sectors to give a broad but relevant degree so teaching won’t just be standard lectures and you’ll be encouraged to discover how science fiction becomes fact. Designing your own products and working with cutting-edge equipment will be a core part of the course. Our ground-breaking, fast-track, higher level Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng course allows you to gain an MEng qualification in four years, rather than the traditional five years, making it a more time and cost-effective choice.

What you’ll learn

The first two years of the MEng are taught alongside the BEng degree. You’ll begin by covering the fundamental principles of the field, such as digital and analogue electronics, computing, mathematics and project management, rapidly developing the analytical skills to understand and begin designing electrical circuits and systems.

In the second and final years you’ll specialise by selecting from a broad range of career-focused options, including systems analysis, data acquisition and control, digital system design, telecommunications systems, optoelectronics and signal processing. The final year is taught alongside our masters programmes and you can choose to study a broad range of modules, or specialise in one particular area, such as communications, sensing, computing or electrical power. You will also undertake an in-depth project, based on your areas of specialism.

You’ll have access to an extensive network of computer facilities throughout your course, including high performance PCs for industrial standard ECAD, Unix workstations and a large number of embedded processors for lab work. These resources are complemented by specialist electronics, telecommunications and networked laboratories and research facilities.

If your ambition is to help shape the future development of towns and cities, our Construction Project Management course will set you on the right path.

What you’ll learn
During the course of the programme you will gain the necessary skills to develop a challenging and fulfilling career in the construction industry. You will gain technical knowledge around materials and building processes as well as specialist modules including health, safety and environmental management. 
 
After your first year, your studies will centre on the construction process as well as learning about management, economics, logistics, finance and decision-making, all of which are required by professional construction and project managers. 

Our Construction Project Management programme, part of the civil engineering and infrastructure cluster here at Aston, examines the societal, economic and operational issues related to the construction industry. The particular focus is on developing the skills and experience you need to deliver high quality construction projects safely, on time and on budget. 
 
These skills are in high demand and you’ll be able to effectively and confidently contribute to the future development of our built environment. 

Study Psychology BSc at Aston University, Birmingham, and experience our unique mix of expert teaching, specialist facilities, and real-world placement opportunities, which will help you to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of human behavior.

Psychology is a fascinating subject that aims to understand why people behave in the way that they do, by considering the complex interplay between biological, psychological, environmental, cultural, and social influences on behaviour. This academic discipline encompasses a wide range of topics including how changes in the brain influence behaviour, why false memories occur, why people behave differently when they are in a group, how language influences thinking, how we learn to understand other’s intentions, how psychological distress can be alleviated, why we identify with some people and not others, how subconscious processes influence our behaviour, and how our thinking develops as we grow from children to adults.  

Studying psychology at Aston University will provide you with the basis for understanding why people act in certain ways and insight into methods of changing their behaviour.

Develop your understanding and application of core theories in marketing analytics and how different methods can inform strategic decision-making and interventions in a breadth of business settings.

The MSc Marketing and Analytics will develop your understanding and application of core theories in marketing. You will learn how to undertake and apply marketing analyses using appropriate marketing theories and techniques, which will allow you to make appropriate strategic and operational marketing decisions.

The course will also help you develop the ability to make strategic decisions by advancing your understanding and application of how business analytic methods can support interventions in the decision-making process of organizations. 

This course aims to provide a program of study that meets your needs if you are a local, national or international student, enabling you to learn by the exchange of experience as well as formal academic study. It is designed for recent graduates and those already in employment. 

Study the BSc (Hons) International Relations and Sociology degree course at Aston University to get a fascinating insight into the political and sociological challenges facing our society in the 21st century, giving you a great springboard for your future career.

What you’ll learn
On this programme, you’ll explore the major political and social issues faced by governments across the world. You will develop a knowledge and understanding of the international state system, the structure and purpose of international organisations and the roles played by international institutions, other intergovernmental organisations, multinational corporations and NGOs. Important strengths of the programme include its focus on key contemporary issues in international relations and policy, such as global economic change and the environment as well as international comparisons of government policies.

On the sociology strand of the course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships. We explore the social constraints we encounter in our everyday lives and how they are reinforced by class, race, religion and gender. To understand how these issues perpetuate existing inequalities and unequal life chances, we analyse how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. When learning about contemporary topics such as inequality, racism, health, migration, sexuality, identity, education, the media, crime and climate change, you will be taught by experts in these fields.

Sociology will equip you with the knowledge and analytical skills that will enable you to think critically and work independently. This includes how to design a research project, collect empirical data, handle complex datasets (e.g., through applying coding techniques) and, most importantly, develop an advanced analytical mindset. This training will be essential for your final-year dissertation during which you will carry out your own individual research project. This experience will provide you with a skillset that is highly desired in a wide range of industries and areas of work.

What you’ll learn
Combining both core and specialized subjects, our programme prepares students for high-level careers in the private and public sectors.

In your first year, you’ll cover fundamental and advanced maths such as algebra, calculus, and geometry alongside applied maths topics like statistics, machine learning and quantum computing. Our joint honors course enables you to choose a combination of maths and economics modules in your second and final years.

On this course, you’ll spend your third year in a paid professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

Recent placements for mathematics students have included Warner Bros, where the student worked on data analysis about movie releases, and a hospital trust where the student was working with an e-prescribing team, helping to improve efficiency for patients.

Explore English language and literature, how they work in society and their role in the world today, and develop your communication and analytical skills by studying a BSc (Hons) English Language and Literature degree course at Aston University.

What you’ll learn
As an English language student at Aston, you’ll gain theoretical knowledge and understanding of the English language, along with an exploration of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships.

You’ll learn from world-leading academics with cutting-edge research and teaching experience in fields such as ethnic and gender equalities, global change, theories of social change, forensic linguistics, language, gender and teaching English to speakers of other languages.

On the literature strand of the course, you’ll get a broad introduction to literary genres and periods from the seventeenth century to the present day, and consider all literature’s different manifestations, from graffiti and blogging to poetry, novels and street theatre.

You’ll study literacy as a social practice and will explore how and why people read and write at all levels of society. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our creative writing module.

In the third year of your course, you’ll spend a year on placement with a company, working as a teaching assistant in a school or studying at one of our partner universities - you might even choose to combine two of these options, adding further value to your degree, and in your second year we’ll make sure you’re ready to get the most from this opportunity.

What will I learn?
You’ll gain a detailed understanding of businesses in an international context, enabling you to work for a leading global firm or operate across borders with your own company.

The course covers the entire process of starting a new business venture, from the initial idea to international expansion. It will help you to identify and develop business opportunities and teach you how to check the feasibility of a venture using key frameworks and tools. It will teach you business growth strategies and what funding options are available to entrepreneurs.

You’ll also appreciate how enterprises can vary in terms of their mission, from commercial ventures aiming to maximise profits to social enterprises who prioritise social wealth creation. We also explore entrepreneurship in the context of family business and corporate intrapreneurship.

Explore the impact of economic, political and social environments when developing entrepreneurial strategies. You’ll learn how methods to analyse business data can support interventions in the decision-making process of organisations.

The MSc Leadership and Analytics will develop your knowledge of the concepts, principles and theories relating to leadership within organisations. It will teach you how to apply the strategic role that leadership can make within wider organisational context.

This course aims to provide a programme of study that meets your needs if you are a local, national or international student, enabling you to learn by the exchange of experience as well as formal academic study. It is designed for recent graduates and those already in employment.

Health psychology investigates how the way we behave influences health, illness, and how we care for people living with long-term conditions.  

A health psychologist uses their knowledge of psychology to understand health behaviours and to develop psychological interventions to support behaviour change. They perform a vital role in a variety of areas such as:

Assisting patients with their emotional and psychological needs.
Working alongside healthcare professionals to help them establish clear communication and productive relationships with patients.
Working with health and social care organisations to develop protocols to engender good health and wellbeing.
 
From health inequalities and public health, to psychobiology of illness and long term conditions, our full-time, on-campus Health Psychology MSc will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the theory underpinning health psychology. This course has been designed to give you an ideal base for a rewarding career in health psychology and related fields.