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

at Brunel University London United Kingdom

Over the last ten years, global aspirations to reduce the suffering of the ‘bottom billion’ have led to unprecedented attention on international development. International agencies, governments and NGOs are working more intensely than ever before to deliver appropriate policies and interventions.

Anthropology has played a key role in the emergence of new perspectives on humanitarian assistance and the livelihoods of populations caught up in extreme circumstances such as famines, natural disasters and wars.

On the one hand, this has led to a radical re-thinking of what has been happening, but on the other hand, it has led to anthropologists sometimes playing controversial roles in agendas associated with the ‘war on terror’.

This course will provide you with insight into contemporary issues and debates and explores their implications. It also sets them in the context of anthropology as a discipline.

The course will appeal to graduates from a variety of backgrounds, including anthropology, sociology, economics, politics, geography, law and development studies. It is suited for those interested in critically assessing the policies and practices of international development and humanitarian assistance to war-affected regions from an anthropological perspective.

Anthropology at Brunel is well-known for its focus on ethnographic fieldwork. As well as undertaking rigorous intellectual training, you will be expected to get out of the library and undertake your own, original research – whether in the UK or overseas – and to present your findings in a dissertation.

In recent years, Brunel students have undertaken fieldwork in locations across the world, including India, Mexico, Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, China, Nepal, Peru, Morocco, and New Zealand as well as within the UK and the rest of Europe.

International business is an exciting and rapidly evolving space as politics and economics shift, and societies and cultures evolve. On the course you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the processes of globalisation in the 21st century and the implications that these ongoing processes have for today’s business women and men – and indeed, for tomorrow’s leaders.

The International Business MSc is designed for those seeking to operate within an international business setting or within companies and jobs where an understanding of international business is an asset. The course will help you to develop a sound understanding of international business contexts and to make integrative links across various disciplines.

We will explore the impact of internationalisation on factors such as the management of resources and operations, the financing of business enterprise, and the management and development of people. Aspects of the course will focus on emerging markets. It will also focus on the development of appropriate business policies and strategies to help you put your learning into practice.

You will receive training in research methods with particular application to the empirical study of international management situations, issues and process.

What you learn on the International Business MSc will enable you to further develop transferable skills that can be used to address the challenges of working within an organisation or for yourself as part of the global economy.

If you’re interested in politics and history, you don’t have to substitute one for the other. Why not study both in a combined degree? You’ll find they complement each other in so many ways. What is modern politics anyway but a reflection of yesterday’s political decisions?

Politics and history at Brunel is a dynamic combination of high level study in both subjects. Your politics studies will help you address critical questions like: Who has political power? Why do they have it? And in whose interest do their exercise it? Meanwhile, your studies in history will take you back into the societies of the past in Britain, Europe and the wider world to help you understand contemporary issues all the more. Both subjects will help to demonstrate your intellectual acumen and understanding of world affairs, which will be an asset in so many fields of work.

Whether you’re studying modern Africa, imperialism or intelligence and security, you’ll not just learn about them – you’ll be analysing them using the tools of political science or craft of the historian to help deepen your understanding and critical thinking.

Opt for a placement year and you'll gain work experience that is highly valued by employers. Brunel students have secured placements in the Environmental Audit Committee, the House of Commons, Directorate of Gender Affairs, HM Treasury and the Competition Commission, to name only a few.

It’s a competitive world out there, so you’ll get plenty of support from your lecturers and the University’s Professional Development Centre to help prepare you for your placement year and the world of work.

Why not increase your career options with an accredited journalism course, a free modern language course, or a social media internship? You can even opt to study part of your degree abroad in one of our partner universities in Europe, or participate in an exchange programme to China or the USA.

It’s all available at Brunel to help you make a difference in the world – now and in the future.

Brunel politics and history graduates enter diverse careers. Many of our former students go into politics and the civil service and some are currently at GCHQ and military intelligence. Others work in the public and private sector like the NHS, international banks, business consultancy, law, NGOs and the media.

Our Creative Writing BA course has been designed to encourage high levels of creativity,initiative and originality in the design,production, interpretation and analysis of creative writing.

You will be taught every genre of creative writing by some of the most talented and original writers working today. Between them, they’ve published over 100 books,produced countless scripts for TV, radio and film, and won umpteen awards. The teaching team includes renowned authors like Bernardine Evaristo, Hannah Lowe and Max Kinnings.

From week one you’ll write and interact with your peer group of creative writers. You will also share ideas and give constructive feedback to others on their creative writing work.

In your first year you’ll gain a solid grounding in fiction,drama and poetry writing, and you’ll study world literature.You can choose a variety of subjects in your second year such as journalism and screenwriting. In your final year, the creative industries module helps you consider your career options and shape your future. You’ll start to specialise in your chosen field and choose from a wealth of specialist options.

There are guest lectures covering different aspects of creative writing. Industry expert speakers include book publishers, screenwriters, poets and broadcasters.   

You have the advantage of Brunel’s close location to London, the literary capital of the UK. You’ll benefit from trips to the British Library, Shakespeare’s Globe and West End theatres.

Our BA in creative writing can be studied full-time over three years, four years with a placement year, or part-time over six years.

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 a creative writing placement year, you could find yourself working at magazine publishers, film production companies, or even the London Screenwriters’ Festival. Some placements lead to jobs on graduation.

You’ll have the opportunity to get your work published before you graduate. An anthology of creative work is produced each year, curated and edited by our creative writing students. Your writing talent can also be showcased at a variety of performances hosted by Brunel including poetry, plays, comedy and film screenings, literary debates,and the popular Brunel Writers’ Series.

Far from being just knowledge of the past, studying issues related to important world events, defence, security, intelligence and strategy are not only insightful, they’ll be highly valued in a troubled world by employers within these fields, and beyond.

A varied set of core modules will take you into scope of studying history at University, whether you’ve got a history qualification or not. Modules like ‘What is History’ which uncovers the themes and tools used by historians and ‘Total War in the Modern Era’, chronicling key wars and their influence, will help prepare you for the more specialist modes to follow later in the course.

A wide range of optional modules in years two and three will help you decide where your interests lie in preparation for your final year project, including the option to study intelligence and security taught by experts in the University’s internationally renowned Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies (BCISS).

Along the way, you will build a toolkit of transferable skills gained through evidence gathering, analysis, problem solving, drafting and communications, which can be applied to a wide range of industries within the public and private sector.

Opt for a placement year and you’ll be adding a year’s experience in a job role and industry sector that will help to show future employers where you might be a good fit for their organisation. Your placement doesn’t have to be related to history and you’ll get plenty of support from staff and resources in the University’s Professional Development Centre.

Studying military and international history at Brunel has many advantages. Situated in London, the course has established links to world-renowned archives and libraries based in and close to London, including the Caird Library (National Maritime Museum), The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum, among others.

Additionally, the original WWII operations bunker used by Sir Winston Churchill on the former RAF Uxbridge is a walk away from campus where Brunel students regularly volunteer.

Our Civil Engineering with Sustainability BEng degree is a highly innovative course that has been developed to equip you with a broad range of knowledge and skills to meet the real world needs of the civil engineering and construction industry.

You will study the traditional elements of civil engineering including design, structures, materials, fluid mechanics, geotechnics and maths. You’ll be introduced to a range of sustainable infrastructure topics and then progress to specialist subjects such as water and wastewater engineering.

Access is available to custom-designed technical facilities to work on your laboratory experiments. These include fluids and hydraulics laboratories, and structures, materials and geotechnics labs. The latest industry standard engineering software packages are available for you to use in dedicated computer clusters.

During your studies, there is a residential field trip with hands-on experience in surveying and geology using industry standard equipment. You will also benefit from guest lectures delivered by industry professionals, as well as visits to construction sites and civil engineering development projects.

Due to recent changes to the engineering curriculum, our accreditation is currently being reconfirmed with the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM). The JBM compromises the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Institute of Highway Engineers. We have every expectation that our accreditation will be renewed later in the academic year.

This BEng degree in civil engineering with sustainability 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 civil engineering sector. It could be for a contractor, consultant or government authority.

The Human Genome Project is having a huge impact on the field of science and genetics. How will it provide new insights and therapies for the treatment of genetic diseases? If you’re interested in the field of genetics and the treatment of genetic diseases then this specialist course is perfect for you.

At Brunel, we understand that your specialist knowledge should be built on a sound grounding of all the areas of biomedical sciences. This means that your first year will cover areas such as the human body, biochemistry and research skills. As you continue through your degree you will study specialist areas that will teach you how the role of various genetic mutations alter cellular processes and biomechanical pathways in normal metabolism, and also how these pathways may be altered during specific human disease.

And if you change your mind about your specialist area, don’t worry. The flexibility of our course at Brunel means that you can switch to another specialist pathway in the second year or even take the general Biomedical Sciences BSc.

The Royal Society of Biology has awarded its accreditation to all of Brunel’s undergraduate Biomedical Sciences courses. This means you can be confident that your degree will prepare you for the working world – and your prospective employers will know this too. You'll receive a one year’s membership as an Associate Member once you graduate, integrating you into the sector with access to key contacts and up-to-date knowledge.

In your final year you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to our research programmes in cellular and biochemical pathways, the regulation of gene expression, DNA repair and immunological responses to microbial infection. This will give you first-hand experience of real-world laboratory research and prepare you for your future career.

Our Design and Branding Strategy MA degree focuses on using design to address key issues in branding. It examines how design thinking can develop a new brand, or improve or expand an existing brand and enhance customer engagement. It aims to produce master’s qualified creative design management graduates capable of making a major contribution to the use of design in branding practices in organisations, both large and small.

You’ll have access to modern teaching and learning facilities, including a dedicated master’s design studio. Here you can discuss and exchange ideas with other students passionate about design management and design-led branding strategy.

Our popular, annual Design Master’s: Industry Student Review Evening is a great opportunity for you to connect with experts from design, brand and business. Their professional and practical perspective will help you to build a strong and clear direction for your research projects and dissertation.

And there’s Made in Brunel - a unique, student-led initiative that showcases our design talent at its finest. Each year our students run a series of industry and community events leading up to the Made in Brunel exhibition. This annual showcase is a highlight of the London design calendar and promotes the incredible work our students produce to the creative community, and is your chance to network with key design professionals.

Our Sustainable Electrical Power MSc degree has been designed to equip you with advanced knowledge of sustainable electrical power and energy generation systems.

You will gain the skills and knowledge to lead teams which will operate, control, design, regulate and manage the power systems and networks of the future.

You’ll develop the ability to critically evaluate methodologies, analytical procedures and research methods in renewable energy sources; the design of stand-alone, grid connected and hybrid sustainable electrical power systems; power system engineering; power electronics for power quality and grid integration; and regulatory frameworks for power systems and electricity markets.

You’ll have access to our high-performance technical laboratories for the testing of power and control systems. The latest industry standard simulation software is available for you to use in grid computing facilities to investigate and design sustainable electrical power systems.

During your studies, there are site visits to National Grid substations and control centres, and power stations. You will benefit from guest lectures delivered by experts from the electricity industry, and take part in conferences where you’ll deliver poster presentations on your research work.

Our MSc sustainable electrical power degree is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Energy Institute (EI). These two professional bodies ensure that your degree meets the academic requirement to qualify as a professional engineer. This accredited MSc degree in sustainable electrical power fully meets the educational requirement for progression to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. It can be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years.

Storytelling is part of every culture and reveals much about a person’s lived experience, values and aspirations within a given time.

Studying the English Literature MA at Brunel gives you the opportunity to uncover the richness of the history of English Literature – through selected periods, genres and diverse storytellers – through a set of underlying themes that act as windows into deeper understanding.

Whether your purpose is to explore a long held interest, build on previous studies or to benefit your career, studying a literature degree at Brunel will keep you close the one of the key literary capitals of the world.

Your journey will commence with an introductory module on ‘Reading, Writing and Research’ to help equip you with the required skills and competencies relevant to literary studies, so you will have the confidence to pursue self-directed study on any given topic.

You will then study four additional modules including ‘Authors’, where you will study one author or a well-recognised group of authors from a list that includes: John Keats and P.B. Shelley; the Brontes; Charles Dickens, or selected modernist authors such as Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield or postmodernist and experimental writers, B.S. Johnson and J.G. Ballard.

‘A British Literary Decade’ will immerse you in the literary and cultural aspects of one nominated decade from a range including the 1850s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s or 1980s, crossing into neighbouring disciplines like history and politics along the way.

You will also have the opportunity to cover more contemporary works in ‘Postmillennial Literature’ including texts from a selected field, which includes:  Anglophile writing post 9/11; science fiction and fantasy; LGBT writing, or experimental fiction.

Finally, after a series of planning and skills workshops to prepare topic, under the guidance of a nominated supervisor, you will undertake critical reading towards a 15,000 word dissertation on an agreed area of English post-1789 literature.

Outside your classroom, you can look forward to a calendar of events and activities organised by the Brunel Centre for Contemporary Writing, including the annual Hillingdon Literary Festival: a free weekend of literary performances from internationally renowned authors, writing workshops and lively debates right here on the Brunel campus.