Master of Science in Business Analytics

at Durham University United Kingdom

The MMath is a four-year degree in Mathematics. It offers a good basis for a wide range of employment, including a career as a professional mathematician or statistician in industry or if you wish to go on to do research in the higher education sector. You will spend one-third of your final year on project work, and consequently be able to study in depth a topic in which you are particularly interested.

The Music and Philosophy joint degree course at Durham enables you to pursue your interest in both disciplines, explore the fascinating intersection between them, and enjoy belonging to two particularly vibrant departments. In Philosophy, a wide selection of modules is on offer, addressing the most fundamental questions that arise in diverse areas of human concern, from religion and politics, to morality and the sciences. In Music, the learning of techniques such as harmony, counterpoint, and aural skills are juxtaposed with an investigation of the most up-to-date thinking in musicology, critical theory, composition (acoustic and electroacoustic), analysis, ethnomusicology, cognitive musicology, and performance.

Durham is one of the leading physics and astronomy departments in the UK, enrolling around 170 students each year. The dedication to our teaching and research consistently puts us high up in all the league tables. While studying here you will benefit from the buzz and creative environment of a large research department and join a dynamic and focused intellectual community. Our research ranges from fundamental elementary particle physics and cosmology to more applied topics in which we collaborate closely with industry.

We offer degrees in Physics, Physics and Astronomy, and Theoretical Physics, all of which are accredited by the Institute of Physics. Our course structures have been designed to provide flexibility in your final choice of degree course. The three-year BSc degree is aimed at those mainly interested in a degree in Physics as a preparation for a career not necessarily in the Physics area.

Our four-year MPhys degrees will suit those looking for professional training leading to research in physics or a physics-related career. The first year of the BSc and MPhys degree courses in Physics, Physics and Astronomy, and Theoretical Physics is identical, and it is possible to select modules in your second year such that you need not make a firm choice of course until the end of the second.

You will spend three years developing an understanding of a broad range of modern chemistry covering organic and inorganic synthesis, physical characterisation methods, and chemistry at the interfaces with biosciences, engineering and physics. You will also gain a broad range of practical skills in synthesis, physical measurement and data analysis. In your third year you will have an opportunity to demonstrate the research skills you have developed. Throughout the degree you will develop your chemical understanding, problem-solving and practical skills, whilst learning how to learn. Graduates of this degree are well-prepared for Masters level study, work in the chemicals sector, and roles requiring problem-solving and numeracy skills.

This is a four-year multidisciplinary degree in which the compulsory Chinese language and culture modules will be taught at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLaC) and in the Department of History. You may choose a selection of other modules relevant to the study of China from other departments, including Anthropology, Education, Government and International Affairs, Economics, and Theology and Religious Studies.

In addition, you may choose to take additional modules offered by MLaC including European languages and Japanese. All students will spend their third year studying the Chinese language at a university in China. Students are not expected to have any previous knowledge of Chinese, but a pathway is available if you have an A level or equivalent qualification in Chinese.

This course provides you with systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It will enable you to evaluate in a sophisticated and critical fashion concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.

You will develop the ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.

The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations in comparative and historical perspective taking account of regional specific political and economic factors.

Bioarchaeology is a branch of archaeology that focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological contexts to provide information about the life and environment of humans in the past. It is a fast-paced and continually evolving field, with new breakthroughs and discoveries emerging almost every month. Studying the subject at Durham University opens the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including human bioarchaeology and palaeopathology, stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and environmental archaeology.

The Bioarchaeology Research Group at Durham works in cutting-edge laboratories, specialising and teaching in the areas of human health and well-being, diet and lifeways, human and animal identities, dispersals and mobility, the reconstruction of palaeoenvironments, and human-animal-environment relations. Many of the assemblages our students work with for their research derive from staff research projects, or the excavations of our in-house commercial unit, Archaeological Services.

Durham University’s unique MSc Bioarchaeology is aimed at inquisitive graduates from archaeology or science backgrounds, and those with professional experience in commercial archaeology or museums, who are interested in learning how biosciences can be applied to field research or museum collections. It provides high quality training in analytical, research, and communication skills, which prepares students for progression to doctoral research in bioarchaeology.

Geophysics is the application of physical principles to the study of the structure and dynamics of the Earth and increasingly other planets. Geophysics has many practical applications and forms an essential part of the economic exploitation of hydrocarbon and mineral resources. Geophysicists are also involved with assessing and mitigating natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis.

The Geophysics with Geology degree shows progression from the first year through to the third year. In the first year, you share the core modules with the other degree courses, but it also includes additional core modules which specialise in Mathematics and Physics. In the second and third years, you deal with material that is specialist, numerically based and at the cutting-edge of geophysical research.

Graduates from this degree have secured employment across the geoscience sector, within the mineral exploration and extraction industries, in petroleum exploration companies, and with environmental and hydro-geological industries. The advanced quantitative skills developed during this course can provide a strong base for securing employment outside geoscience, for example, in finance, insurance and banking.

The MSc Business Analytics course is intended to provide premium Masters-level education and training in relevant areas of contemporary business analytics in a supportive research-led interdisciplinary learning environment.

The broad aims are:

• To develop advanced and systematic understanding of the complexity of data, including the sources of data relevant to business, alongside appropriate analysis techniques
• To enable you to critically review and apply relevant business analytics knowledge to practical situations
• To develop a critical awareness of current issues in business analytics which is informed by leading research and practice in the field
• To develop a conceptual understanding of existing research and scholarship to enable the identification of new or revised approaches to business analytics practice
• To develop creativity in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established, advanced techniques of research and enquiry are used to develop and interpret knowledge in business analytics
• To develop the ability to conduct research into business analytics issues that requires familiarity with a range of business data, research sources and appropriate methodologies and ethical issues
• To develop advanced conceptual abilities and analytical skills in order to evaluate the rigour and validity of published research and assess its relevance to new situations
• To extend the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, using a range of media.

The MSc Cognitive Neuroscience is aimed at students who are seeking to build up knowledge and practical experience of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology. Students from our course go on to pursue careers in research or research related disciplines but also careers in industry or clinical psychology.

The MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham University stands out because it has many practical elements, like workshops and lab placements, that allow you to experience research rather than just hearing about it. As the theoretical background to, and techniques of Cognitive Neuroscience are rarely available to students at undergraduate level, the main objective of this MSc is to provide you with detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience techniques that are most relevant right now. This wide-ranging knowledge will make you an extremely strong candidate for future research or research related positions, and will enable you to engage with broad research programmes, utilising a range of techniques.