Bachelor of Arts in Modern History

at Brunel University London United Kingdom

The Human Resource Management degree will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of current theory and practice relating to employment relations and Human Resource Management (HRM).

You will learn to combine theory and practice to perform effectively and responsibly as an HRM practitioner, understanding the purpose and key objectives of the HRM function in contemporary organisations. The course will further equip you to implement sustainable HRM strategies and practices that raise levels of employee recruitment, training, talent development, engagement, wellbeing and performance in a specific organisational context.

You will further learn of the complexities of employment regulation and the way it informs practice to ensure staff are treated ethically when they are at work, as well as how to promote equal opportunities and manage workplace diversity and inclusion. For a career in HRM you will also develop competencies in analysing key contemporary global labour market trends and their significance for workforce planning in both domestic and international organisational contexts.

Take your knowledge of culture and society to the next level and equip yourself with a big range of practical and analytical skills for a changing world with our Anthropology and Sociology BSc.

Anthropology is concerned with contemporary issues such as multiculturalism, identity politics, racism and ethnic nationalism, changing forms of the family, religious conflict, gender, and the political role of culture. It also addresses fundamental questions about human nature, such as: ‘What do we have in common with each other cross-culturally?’ and ‘What makes us different?’

Sociology, its sister subject, looks at the foundations of social life and the big issues in contemporary society such as inequality, racism, globalisation, and migration.

In particular, your sociology studies at Brunel will be closely related to the central and ever-increasing importance of the communications media in our culture, for example, how poverty is portrayed and the powerful influence of celebrity.

Brunel is a great choice for this combined study with lecturers from both subjects producing cutting edge research alongside their teaching, on both global issues and local problems.

This research expertise filters down into what you will learn. In anthropology students have learnt about youth and motorcycles in Rwanda, and in sociology, about cosmetic tourism.

Choose this course and you can do fieldwork on any subject, anywhere in the world, whether it’s learning about refugees in Athens or mother and toddler groups in inner London.

Around half of Brunel anthropology students carry out a placement or fieldwork abroad, in places as wide ranging as India, Nepal, Australia, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Jamaica.

Recent UK placement destinations include the Royal Anthropological Institute, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Amnesty International and the Department of Health.

Alternatively, could choose a placement that’s more sociologically focussed. Either way, you can choose to take it as two six month placements or one year-long placement.

Take advantage of real-life work experience to gain a competitive advantage on your anthropology degree.

• You have the option to undertake two six-month placements, or a year-long placement whilst studying one of our anthropology degrees.
• If you opt to go on two six-month work placements, then you can use the first one to help determine an area of interest to you in the future. You have the freedom of choice when looking for placements and can be based locally for one and go abroad for the second one.
• You’ll have support from day one of your anthropology course from your personal tutors and the Professional Development Centre in finding a suitable work placement according to your interests. They can range from working in a church, in a museum to supporting charities on-sites and studying a local community within a village.
• This invaluable experience will not only build your confidence but also provide you with a platform to showcase your project management, organisational and creative skills in the workplace.
• Some of our students have completed their placements in Guatemala, London, Malaysia and Morocco which really gives a global perspective.
• Fieldwork can also be conducted as volunteering to give you a real insight into cultures and communities. For example, one of our students did charity work in Cambodia and enjoyed experiencing different cultures and working with a range of people from different backgrounds.

If studies of the mind and mental health interest you, this socially and culturally focused course may provide a rich alternative to more scientific studies in psychology and psychiatry.

Study this course and you will investigate psychological and psychiatric issues from an anthropological perspective, addressing issues at the forefront of debates in social policy, morality, personal identity, and mental health.

By considering cases from around the world you’ll explore how person, consciousness, and experience are shaped through cultural practices and political realities.

Examining world ethnography (including the UK), you’ll learn about selfhood, emotion, personality, and understandings of ‘madness’ and mental illness in cultural context.

Brunel students come from varied professional and academic backgrounds, many taking time out for professional development. If you haven’t studied anthropology before, you’ll be offered introductory modules in anthropological theory to help prepare you for the rest of the course.

Anthropology at Brunel is well-known for its focus on ethnographic fieldwork and 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.

Your fieldwork can be taken anywhere in the world, locally, previous students have explored psychic training, Pentecostal churches, and mental health charities, and internationally, students have explored subjects like funerals in Iran, Amazon neoshamanism, and autism programmes in Belgium.

Psychology is an exciting subject to study as we are still looking for answers to questions about the human mind and consciousness. At Brunel, you will have the chance to immerse yourself in the accepted theories of psychology as well as the latest research that is expanding our knowledge.

Our Psychology degree is accredited by The British Psychological Society and can be studied full-time over three years. We also offer it as a four year course which is unique in offering two six-month work placements or you can carry out a one year placement within a single environment.

Work experience while studying is a great asset, whether you choose to continue your studies in psychology or seek employment. You will know what it’s like to apply your skills in the workplace, which builds confidence and is attractive to employers. Recent placements have included the Institute of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital and Holloway Prison.

The course will help you to develop specific skills and practical methods before allowing you to tailor your studies to your own interests in the final year by selecting modules and writing a dissertation. This prepares you for the more self-directed study of a masters and specialisation in a particular field should you choose to pursue it.

Brunel offers access to extensive laboratory and technical facilities including brain imaging facilities (fMRI, EEG), psychophysics, and eye tracking. A good understanding of the equipment you may use in your work placement or in research is a useful skill to have for the future.

As an accredited psychology course, should you graduate with a 2:2 grade or higher, you will be eligible to apply for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society. Membership will be key if you choose to pursue postgraduate training and become a psychologist.

The Brunel Business Finance MSc aims to give graduates a comprehensive knowledge of the theories and practices of business financial operations within the context of modern financial markets.

You’ll study the design and processes of corporate financial systems, analyse financial and investment decision-making, and examine how firms interact with financial markets and institutions.

You’ll learn about valuation, optimal capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, derivatives, finance microstructure and taxation as well as the econometric and mathematical techniques necessary to undertake empirical investigations and data modelling.

Crucially, you’ll develop your problem-solving skills and ability to critically evaluate and deliver midterm and long-term strategic solutions. 

Throughout the course you’ll have access to a variety of professional databases used in business and finance including Datastream, Bloomberg, Bank Scope, Osiris, Reuters 3000 Xtra and Thomson One Banker.

You can choose to study one year full-time, two years full-time with a year's work placement or 16 months full-time with a 6-12 week work placement.

In a financial marketplace that is becoming more complex, sophisticated and global, the advanced skills and knowledge that you’ll gain from your Brunel MSc will make you a sought-after job candidate to employers across the sector.

This course has a professional placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

The Brunel Banking and Finance MSc is designed to give graduates the knowledge and advanced skills needed for careers in the complex and rapidly changing banking and financial services industry.

Your studies will cover key subjects including financial economics, the economics of banking, international financial markets and quantitative methodology, as well as financial regulation at national and international levels and matters arising in private banking.

Crucially, you’ll develop your problem-solving skills and ability to critically evaluate and deliver midterm and long-term strategic solutions. 

Throughout the course you’ll have access to a variety of professional databases used in business and finance including Datastream, Bloomberg, Bank Scope, Osiris, Reuters 3000 Xtra and Thomson One Banker.

You can choose to study one year full-time, two years full-time with a year's work placement or 16 months full-time with a 6-12 week work placement.

While you study for your Banking and Finance MSc you can take advantage of the opportunity to follow the CFA Program (Chartered Financial Analyst) specialist pathway and gain the skills required to complete the Level I CFA Program exam.  The CFA Program has become the most respected and recognised professional qualification in finance in the world. Find out more on our  Level I CFA® Program Pathway page.

As the worldwide financial services industry grows, so does the demand for professionals with specialist skills and competencies in banking and finance. Your Brunel Master's will give you that and make you a preferred job candidate to employers across the sector.

The Brunel Sport, Health and Exercise MSc is aimed at graduates with a background in sports science who want to build on their existing knowledge with advanced study in the specialist areas of human performance and sports psychology.

Our selection of optional modules, covering the range of physiological, biomechanical and psychological factors governing how the human body works, allows you to tailor your course to your interests and objectives.

You can choose, for example, to concentrate on the mechanics of optimal performance, with a focus on developing your practical and analytical skills of accessing and enhancing a person’s strength, flexibility, stamina and athletic technique. Alternatively, you might examine the key psychological factors that impact on sports performance such as anxiety, motivation, concentration and confidence, and learn strategies that help athletes to overcome inhibitions and achieve peak performance.

Your course will include two compulsory modules. One investigates contemporary issues related to physical activity and health such as the effects of ageing, injury rehabilitation, obesity, and cardiac health. The other looks at research methods and data analysis, tools that will prepare you for higher, research-related degrees.    

Throughout your studies you’ll be able to take advantage of our modern physiology and biomechanics laboratories and some of the best sports facilities in the UK.

From elite performance to personal fitness to community-based sport activity, sport is an ever-expanding, global industry. The expert knowledge and practical skills you’ll gain from your Brunel master’s will boost your employment prospects in the lab, on the training field or with sporting bodies.

The Brunel Automotive Engineering BEng gives students with a passion for motor vehicles the specialised expertise they need to become professional engineers in the fast-moving automotive industry.

Along with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, including maths, engineering science and design, you’ll gain an in-depth knowledge of the technical workings of current and future automotive systems.  

You’ll study all aspects of automotive development and manufacture from vehicle design and performance to engine and transmission systems to materials, structures and safety.

You’ll also get hands-on practice troubleshooting engineering problems that inevitably arise during the construction and testing processes.

Your education will profit, too, by your access to the work done at our Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels (CAPF). One of the largest and most active engine research groups in the UK, CAPF focuses on minimising pollutant emissions and improving fuel efficiency while maintaining performance levels.

Throughout your studies you’ll have use of our modern, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, which comprise our motorsport workshop, and 24-hour access to industry standard specialist software for engineering design at dedicated computer clusters.

Our automotive engineering BEng course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). We offer two study options. You can choose three years full-time or four years full-time with a one-year professional placement that will allow to put what you’ve learned to use in real-world situations.

If you start on the full-time course, you can transfer to the professional development option, which includes the placement, at any time before the end of Level 2.

In the rapidly evolving automotive industry, demand for engineers with the technical and managerial skills to excel is on the rise. Your Brunel BEng will give you these and equip you to play leading roles in industry and public service.

Communication has always been integral to politics and politics to communication but the interplay between them is changing dramatically in the social media age and as new forms of politics emerge in spaces as far afield as Trump’s America, Brexit Britain or Modi’s India. Such developments challenge at a global and national level the taken-for-granted assumptions about what is political and how we communicate it. The Political Communication MSc aims to tap into growing interest nationally and internationally in how to make sense of these developments and what they may mean for political communication professionals working in areas as diverse as election campaigns, PR and crisis communication, political satire, or journalism. 

The new interdisciplinary degree is unique in offering a strong practical strand of modules that aim to upskill you within a theoretically robust degree. The academic component of the degree aims to critically examine current developments but also locates them historically and within an internationalised curriculum. You will have the opportunity to take practical modules or theory-practical offering the potential to upskill in different types of writing, technical competencies and presentational elements on practical modules. 

The academic component is grounded in a flagship module in political communication which locates current developments historically, theoretically and critically as well as nationally and internationally. You will not only study conventional political communication topics on elections, but also learn about digital cultures, political satire and fake news. Crucially, in an age where facial recognition, AI, deep fakes and micro-behavioural targeting are creating new possibilities and challenges, you will also study international media ethics.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the scientific study that enables machines to mimic cognitive functions of human mind, such as learning and problem solving. It has enjoyed a resurgence following the advances of computational power, the availability of large amount of data and the development of theoretical understanding.

Built on Brunel's strong international research profile in intelligent data analysis, the aim of our Artificial Intelligence MSc course is to provide you with a solid awareness of the key concepts of artificial intelligence. You will develop a critical understanding of the state-of-the-art in this area and the practical skills to create value in its applications to business, scientific and social domains.

The programme offers a wide range of study areas that cover data analysis, various intelligent techniques, machine learning, deep learning, data visualisation, and ethics and governance.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop a broader set of skills including study skills, research skills, employment skills and capability skills through group projects, guest lectures or workshops from industry, and dissertation projects with industrial collaborations.

If you don’t want to commit to full or part-time study of the entire MSc, you can develop your educational portfolio over a longer period of time by undertaking staged study that leads to the award of Postgraduate Certi?cate (PGCert in Data Science), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip in Artificial Intelligence) and Artificial Intelligence MSc in separate stages.