Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Astrophysics and Education

at Keele University United Kingdom

This Environmental Geoscience pathway through the Geology degree combines the study of the geological aspects of the Earth, including its structure, formation, composition, history, processes, hazards and materials, with key topics in environmental science, including climate change, contaminated land and remediation, water, soil and air quality, and the sustainable use of resources.

Environmental Geoscience is a practical subject with an emphasis on critical analysis and problem-solving. The learning environments we use include the traditional lecture setting, but you will spend more time with hands-on learning in labs, practical classes and on fieldwork using a wide variety of equipment and software. A diverse range of specialist topics are covered, and you will conduct your own research projects. All of our single honours students are offered a work placement module in year 2.

You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease, obesity and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories and be taught by a team of engaging academics.

Practical chemistry is taught in our teaching laboratories and staff have direct experience of working in pharmaceutical companies and can therefore challenge you to develop the rigorous and demanding scientific approach that the industry expects. You’ll develop essential skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

The chemistry courses at Keele provide an innovative curriculum and high quality teaching. In your final year you will undertake a research project and learn how to conduct effective independent research.

Studying History at Keele will enable you to develop your appreciation of various global histories, whilst enjoying the rich history of our local area. In your spare time, you might find yourself exploring the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon metalwork most likely deposited in the 7th century in the then Kingdom of Mercia. The Staffordshire Hoard provides a window to England in the 6th and 7th centuries and also to the warrior elite that existed during these times and now rests less than 5 miles away from Keele.

Our History programme will carry you chronologically from the medieval period to the present, and span the globe. You will be introduced to a wide range of history – from political, social, economic and cultural history to the history of gender, health, sexuality and religion. Throughout your first year, you may engage in modules that encourage you to explore topics such as how European rulers tried to strengthen their authority with the increase of military power between the late fifteenth and late seventeenth centuries, or some of the key defining moments in History which may include the 1720 South Sea Bubble in Britain, the 1791 Haitian Revolution or the 1933 Bauhaus movement.  

At Keele we pride ourselves on the applicability of our degrees to the work environment graduates are entering. The course structure and ethos have been designed to ensure that you will hit the ground running, giving you the subject and industry knowledge and transferable skills so that you can make an immediate contribution to your employer or indeed your own company.

This course covers the main aspects of pharmaceutical discovery and development, including product formulation, manufacture and quality assurance, and explains how such pure and applied sciences fit into the global pharmaceutical business, legal and regulatory frameworks. This includes elements of clinical development and the role of the pharmaceutical scientist within the industry team that take a drug from research to the clinic. 

The treatment and prevention of disease with medicines remains at the heart of the global healthcare system. Pharmacists play a key role in many aspects of the design, development, delivery, and optimisation of the use of medicines and related products. They are clinicians and scientists, with strong management and communication skills. These skills ensure that pharmacists are highly effective in community pharmacy, hospitals, GP surgeries, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, regulatory affairs and public health.

Pharmacists promote the safe and effective use of medicines and ensure the highest quality of patient care. Often, they are the first point of information for the public and other healthcare professionals, and as such must be effective communicators.

All aspects of the Pharmacy programme are taught in dedicated, well equipped facilities using a wide variety of teaching methods. Placements form an important learning experience throughout all years of the course giving you the opportunity to place your learning in context within different working environments.

Keele’s Biochemistry programmes offer broad and stimulating coverage of modern biochemistry. Whether you choose to study as combined honours or single honours, you’ll be studying life at the molecular level, investigating some of the most exciting areas of contemporary life science and medical research.

You might explore the secrets of the human genome, or the individually tailored molecular therapies of the future. Particular emphasis is placed on human and mammalian biochemistry, especially relating to health and disease. 

The Human Biology element of this course is ideal if you’re interested in biology but are looking for a particular focus on the human body and how we’ve adapted to our environment. This course provides a broad understanding of the physiology of the body’s major systems as well as human health and disease and the relationship between the human body with the environment. You might explore the impact of nutrition and the environment on health, how humans in turn impact on the environment, and specialised topics such as human parasitology and human evolution.

Keele’s multidisciplinary approach puts human biology in context, so you’ll have input from a range of experts which may include clinicians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, geographers and conservation biologists. You may engage in additional opportunities which might include studying abroad and work experience. 

You will have the opportunity to develop your creative practice skills alongside the analytical study of screen and literary texts. You will explore the core areas of Film Studies, with Keele’s combined emphasis on local and global film cultures, and its focus on the key concepts and issues in film history and theory. Looking across a range of films and filmmaking contexts, you will analyse, discuss and debate the cultural significance and creative possibilities of this powerful medium as well as having the opportunity to develop your screenwriting skills. Alongside this, you will study literature and creative writing in every semester, experimenting with prose and poetry to develop your skills and to become a mature practitioner. You’ll be taught by a team of researchers and practitioners who are active and experts in their fields, with a commitment to lively and innovative teaching methods.

Biology at Keele focuses on the amazing world of organisms – from how they’ve evolved to their relationships with the environment and each other. Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider a range of biological concepts which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, and the related philosophical and ethical issues.

You’ll engage in activities to strengthen your skillset which might include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs. Complete this course over three years, or it may be possible (subject combination dependant) to add an extra year with an applied life sciences work placement or a one year study abroad placement between the second and third year.

Our Single Honours Physics programme builds upon, and then goes beyond, the core topics defined by the UK Institute of Physics to provide both breadth and depth of study, with an additional emphasis on mathematics and computing as tools for physical problem-solving. This occurs in problem classes where practice problems are solved with staff and teaching assistants available to help, in laboratory teaching where practical and computational problems are addressed, and in directed work for assessment.

You will explore the subject fundamentals (including quantum mechanics, relativity and electromagnetism) and apply this knowledge to solve problems, plan investigations, analyse results, and to report and present your work. Your course will be informed by the research interests of staff, and laboratory sessions will enable you to investigate unfamiliar phenomena and develop valuable transferable skills such as scientific writing, programming and presentation. You'll benefit from a flexible approach to learning the mathematical and computational skills that are essential to the learning and application of physics.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease, obesity and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories and be taught by a team of engaging academics.

Practical chemistry is taught in our teaching laboratories and staff have direct experience of working in pharmaceutical companies and can therefore challenge you to develop the rigorous and demanding scientific approach that the industry expects. You’ll develop essential skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

The chemistry courses at Keele provide an innovative curriculum and high quality teaching. In your final year you will undertake a research project and learn how to conduct effective independent research.