Bachelor of Applied Science in Global Challenges (Planetary Health) with Placement (Thick - Sandwich)

at Brunel University London United Kingdom

Mathematics is a fundamental subject that is critical to our understanding of the world. Through the study of mathematics you’ll advance your problem solving skills, develop your reasoning and increase your analytical thinking. This is why mathematics forms a basis to so many careers. Yes – it is a discipline in its own right, but it is also the thinking behind countless commercial, industrial and technological activities. Mathematical models underpin engineering, the applied sciences, computing and many aspects of management today.

With the Financial Mathematics MMath you’ll study for a further year and bring your BSc degree to master’s standard. This means you’ll be able to get that competitive edge when you apply for jobs without having to go through the application process again after Level 3.

Two-thirds of your course is shared with the MMath in Mathematics. This covers several application areas – finance, statistics, operational research (i.e. how maths can be applied to commercial and industrial problems) and numerical analysis. The remaining third covers the key principles of finance.

Follow the five-year ‘Professional Placement’ degree programme and you‘ll benefit from our extensive experience in helping students to find well-paid work placements with blue-chip companies. Our sandwich students find that their mathematical and transferable skills are in demand in many sectors, both in the UK and abroad.

Areas recently offering placements include: accountancy, aviation, banking, defence, finance, insurance, IT (software development, network management and design), management (public and private sector), marketing and telecommunications.

This programme will meet the educational requirements of the Chartered Mathematician designation, awarded by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, when it is followed by subsequent training and experience in employment to obtain equivalent competences to those specified by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for taught master's degrees.

The Education BA at Brunel offers you the opportunity to combine the study of education with professional practice to give you a pathway into a range of education professions and postgraduate professional study including teacher education.

Whether you are looking to explore education related fields – such as counselling, educational psychology, social services, local authority work, social work, administration and education management – or you already know you want to teach, Brunel’s Education BA will give you a strong foundation from which to build.

The course will equip you with a broad and balanced view of educational theory, policy and practice within a range of educational contexts. You will also have numerous opportunities to develop a range of transferable skills such as critical reflection, systematic analysis, communication, collaboration, presentation and writing skills.

When it comes to professional practice, the Education BA includes three integrated work placements to give you the opportunity to explore different educational settings. To help you manage your time, you can do your placement experience weekly or in a block over the holidays.

If it’s teaching experience you’re seeking, Brunel’s network of partner schools is diverse and well-established which means you can gain highly valued teaching experience in vibrant multi-cultural schools where you will be fully supported by a work placement mentor as well as a Brunel tutor.

The way we do business is changing, particularly how and why we carry out transactions. Decision times are increasingly based upon user-friendliness via mobile and social media, and improving these channels is reliant upon data and analytics. The Business Intelligence and Social Media MScis a new multi-disciplinary course which explores developments in technology for businesses such as social media, business intelligence, and mobile and cloud services.

There is a worldwide shortage of qualified managers with the skills needed for new jobs being created in this area, particularly in the emerging economies. Companies that are actively seeking candidates include tech sector businesses, but also banking, insurance, retail and education. In fact, it’s expected that virtually all business sectors will need to address big data and will need skilled people to manage development. 

Developing sound knowledge and understanding of digital business practices, you will learn the importance of data, information, and mass communication technologies to business.

You will be encouraged to reflect on the relevance of these new concepts to business and apply your newly developed skills in advanced research or via professional practice in collaboration with an industry partner.

Brunel’s Wireless and Computer Communication Networks MSc will deepen your theoretical understanding of wireless and computer communication systems, as well as equip you with the ability to analyse complex problems associated with such systems.

You will study and work to solve complex industrial problems in wireless and computer communications. This specialist course has a particular emphasis on traditional, new and emerging technologies and subjects, including communication network technologies, communication network security, intelligent systems, internet of things, radio and optical communication systems, business and enterprise and engineering ethics and sustainability.

Access is available to modern technical facilities including computers, electronics, and power and control laboratories where you’ll work on your lab exercises. The latest industry-standard engineering software packages are available for you to use in purpose-built computer laboratories.

During your studies, you will benefit from guest lectures delivered by industry professionals. You’ll participate in conferences and deliver poster presentations on your research work. This allows you to network and exchange ideas with experts in wireless and computer communication networks.

Our MSc wireless and computer communication networks degree is seeking accreditation from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This professional engineering institution ensures that your degree meets the academic requirement to qualify as a professional engineer.

Learn what role the media plays in shaping our society and influencing peoples’ thoughts and behaviours by studying our exciting Sociology (Media) BSc.  

By adding media studies to your study of sociology, you’ll be able to explore and specialise in areas such as the social impact of new media, the internet and other information and communications technologies, media discourse, media policy and regulation.

The first year is designed to offer you a solid base in theoretical and methodological innovations in sociology and media. You will explore the similarities and differences in the methodologies used in sociology, media, and communications. The focus of study is upon all aspects of societal relations: it’s personal, social and cultural dimensions.

As you progress through the course, you will be able to choose modules you are interested in to actively shape and apply your learning to the issues you wish to interrogate. In your third year, you’ll work on a dissertation focusing on an area of interest of your choice. Your dissertation can be a theoretical or practical dissertation, so you can work to your own strengths.

Depending on the modules you choose, you may have the option go on fieldtrips where you will be able to apply your learning to current issues and broaden your theoretical imagination. Previous fieldtrips have included: Barbican; British Board of Film Classification; London Migration Museum; Museum of Comedy; Museum of London; regeneration areas (e.g. Spitalfields, Smithfield); and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

As you’ll be taught and supported by academics who are not only experts in their field but are actively engaged in research, you’ll develop skills that can be applied from the classroom to the workplace. They know the industry inside out, so you know you are learning from experienced professionals who will bring their unique insights into the classroom and will ensure your learning is up-to-date.

Gain an insight into life after your studies by putting your learning into practice by opting for a one-year work placement or two short placements for six months at a time. You will graduate with valuable work experience to enhance your employment prospects and will be able to develop an understanding the working world. We have excellent links with a wide range of notable external organisations, so you will have the opportunity to apply for high quality placements across London.

Some of our sociology and media students have undertaken placements in a variety of companies including the political research unit at the Conservative Party Campaign HQ, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, the Prince’s Trust, the Crime Statistics Unit at the Home Office, Citizens Advice Bureau and the Department of Work and Pensions.

This is a broad-based degree which will enable and encourage you to specialise in areas which particularly fascinate you. As a graduate of this dynamic degree, you will leave us with various transferable skills that are key to the contemporary employment market. 

Our Aerospace Engineering BEng degree is an exciting, hands-on specialist course that has been developed to equip you with the knowledge and understanding to meet the real world needs of the global aerospace industry.

You will be introduced to fundamental engineering subjects such as structures, materials, fluids, and maths, and gain skills in technical drawing. You’ll then learn about the principles of aircraft design and progress to specialist subjects such as propulsion systems, and flight testing and analysis.

You’ll have access to a range of technical facilities including our aerospace/aviation laboratory, full-motion engineering flight simulator, supersonic and subsonic wind tunnels, materials and structure testing laboratory, and 3D printing in the digital fabrication workshop. Industry standard specialist software for aircraft design is available for you to use 24 hours a day in high-performance computing clusters.

During your time at Brunel, you will benefit from guest lectures delivered by industry professionals who present a valuable insight into current, challenging topics in the field of aerospace. There are also planned visits to engineering and manufacturing companies where you’ll see first-hand the latest breakthroughs in development and technology for future aerospace systems. In addition, you have the advantage of Brunel’s close location to London’s Heathrow Airport for site visits as well as project opportunities, and placement and employment options.

Our BEng aerospace engineering course is accredited by both the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). These professional bodies ensure that your engineering degree meets the academic requirement to qualify as a professional engineer. This accredited BEng degree in aerospace engineering can be studied full-time over three years, or four years with a placement year. The BEng degree meets the educational requirement to become an Incorporated Engineer (IEng). You may wish to transfer to the MEng route of study at the end of your second year, subject to meeting the progression requirement. The MEng degree fully meets the educational requirement to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and involves a further year of academic study.

We encourage the placement year option. This time in industry helps you to further prepare for the world of work and you’ll have a year’s worth of invaluable professional experience when you graduate. If you decide to go on an engineering placement year, you will have the opportunity to work in the aerospace engineering sector.

As an extracurricular activity, there is the opportunity to be part of a student-led initiative involving the design and build of an unmanned aircraft vehicle and participating in the IMechE industry-sponsored UAS Challenge (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Challenge).

The Brunel International Human Rights Law LLM is designed for graduates wishing to develop the specialist skills needed for a career in this dynamic field of law.

Through a detailed analysis of the theory, history and development of human rights, and an exploration of the mechanisms of human rights protection you will acquire a comprehensive understanding of international human rights law and its interconnection with international criminal and comparative criminal law.

The course places particular emphasis on the radical transformations in international human rights law since the beginning of the 21st century, with the establishment of the International Criminal Court, the on-going process of the United Nations reform, and the post 9/11 shift to a more ‘security-at-all-costs’ approach to criminal process values, especially with regards to the war against terror.

You will explore key contemporary issues, such as: 

• Human rights advocacy and global governance though NGOs and non-State actors 
• The European system of human rights protection 
• Group rights and the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples 
• The challenges posed by international migration and the protection of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees 
• Women’s rights and the rights of the child, including protection for victims of human trafficking
• Sexual and gay rights 
• The right to development and “third- generation” rights

With human right issues featuring more and more prominently in public debates and institutional policy considerations, employers are looking for job candidates with the specialist training needed to keep up with the new realities. Your International Human Rights Law LLM will give you that expertise and make you a sought-after prospect by law firms, businesses and government bodies.

The Brunel Economics and Business Finance BSc gives students interested in pursuing careers in finance the theoretical and practical skills needed to understand and analyse economic and corporate financing and investment decisions in the business world.

You’ll get a solid grounding in the analytical techniques of micro and macroeconomics and develop your ability to critically evaluate economic events and their impact on financial markets.

You’ll study econometrics and develop highly valued skills in data modelling, and will get training in analytical packages widely used by business and financial institutions such as SAS, EViews, Bloomberg, Reuters and STATA.

We offer two study options. You can choose three years full-time or four years full-time with a one-year professional placement between years two and three that will give you the chance to apply the theoretical principles you’ve learned to a working environment.

You can tailor the final year of your course to specialise in an area of particular interest.

The degree is accredited the ACCA and CIMA, which means you’ll gain exemptions from certain professional qualifying exams.

In a financial marketplace that is becoming more complex and sophisticated, the skills and knowledge that you’ll gain from your Brunel BSc will stand you in good stead for a successful career.

Design at Brunel is all about realising fantastic ideas in the real world. Our Product Design Engineering BSc degree is for creative thinkers who are also comfortable with mathematics and who enjoy deeper analysis of functional and technical design challenges, principally focused on industrially-manufactured products. The course spans design and engineering, meaning you can develop products that both look good and work well.

There is a lot of project-based learning to test your skills and you’ll see the outcome of your design from concept to making the actual product. This means you’ll be able to build a great portfolio of your best-quality projects, academic and industry briefs, and case studies, during your studies.

You’ll have workshop training and will use industry-standard equipment and software to develop quality hands-on skills to become a maker. Independent access is available to modern facilities that include dedicated design studios, digital sketching, extensive prototyping workshops, and electronics and digital fabrication labs. The practical knowledge you gain is transferable to industry and provides a head start for your future career as a designer and design making in the modern world.

Our product design engineering course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) and can be studied full-time over three years, or four years with a placement year.

The placement year helps you to prepare for the world of work and you’ll have a year’s worth of invaluable professional experience when you graduate. Our students have worked in both small innovation start-ups and multinational organisations such as Dyson, Jaguar Land Rover, Philips, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt Benckiser. 

Our students have the opportunity to add another dimension to their university experience by spending a term or a year in one of our partner universities via our exchange programme: Politecnico di Milano in Italy; Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, San Francisco State University in USA and Institut Superieur de Design, ISD Bubika in France.

Education is a discipline, encompassing many elements including concepts of teaching, learning and pedagogy. Understanding how people learn and are educated is a subject of great depth and variety. In fact, learning and education is not uniformly understood worldwide and can vary from country to country, region to region and culture to culture.

Whether you’re an experienced teacher looking to acquire a higher academic qualification, and progress in the profession, someone with a keen interest in the subject of education or wishing to change to a more educational career route, this course will take you on a rich learning journey of your own.

The Education MA is designed to develop your knowledge, skills and confidence in the subject of education.  The programme will provide opportunities for you to develop knowledge and understanding of key theories, concepts and methodologies in the study of education.

The aim of the course is to help you understand the different disciplinary perspectives that inform the field of education, to engage in critical discussion on current issues and contemporary educational questions and to encourage global perspectives on educational policy and practice.

Along the way you will develop knowledge and understanding of a range of methodological approaches and the independence and confidence to undertake educational research for others or your own professional interests.

The course is available either as the Education

The Education MA will enhance your employment and career opportunities in complex professional environments that require sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative.

Possible career destinations include a range of informal and formal learning organisations, such as local authorities, industry, art galleries, theme parks, museums, charities and companies offering educational or training services to staff or customers.

If you successfully complete your Education MA and would like to consider further study in education, perhaps PGCE teacher training, a taught Doctorate of Education or a research based PhD, you will be warmly encouraged by the department with the opportunity of discounted fees as a Brunel graduate.

MA or the Education MA with pathway choices in:

• Special Educational Needs and Disability and Inclusion
• Leadership and Management
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Professional Practice and Pedagogy

Classes for the one-year full-time course are taught over two evenings a week from 5pm – 8pm, while the two-year part-time study option is taught on one evening per week.