Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Product Design and Craft with Placement/Overseas Study

at Manchester Metropolitan University United Kingdom

Our computer games development degree is designed to turn you into a games programmer and designer – from the word go you’ll be hands-on, designing and programming games as you prepare for an exciting career at the cutting-edge of interactive digital content.

In our state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll develop traditional computer science skills, such as programming and maths for computing, as well as specialist games development and design techniques. You’ll also study all types of games software, from the programming of game components, to high-level development tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine. At the same time you’ll be learning about game logic and architecture, the production of game objects and environments, and the processes used to design and develop games in industry.

We’ve designed the course to ensure direct relevance to the computer games industry and to provide you with opportunities to showcase your work to potential employers. Throughout the course you’ll build up a portfolio of work that you can showcase when you come to apply for games development roles in industry.

With hackathons, gaming events and lots of opportunities for work experience to hone your skills, by the time you leave us you’ll be well on your way to becoming a player in the action-packed world of computer games.

Banking and finance are not only central to the country’s (and the world’s) economy – they also offer a diverse range of opportunities for your future. Whether you’re considering a career in personal banking, wealth management or corporate finance (to name but a few), our BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance program offers the skills and knowledge you’ll need to get started.

You’ll start off getting a good grounding in financial theory and practice, before exploring specialist areas in more depth – from retail banking and corporate finance, to risk management and the industry’s most influential institutions. You can also choose to spend a year working on a placement or studying abroad, developing valuable skills and boosting your career prospects.

Whether you take the three or four-year route – and whatever specialist areas you choose in your final year – you’ll find a practical focus throughout your studies. Not only is everything we teach rooted in real-world experience and expertise, but we’ve designed the course to give you the kind of transferrable skills employers across the industry demand.

As a social worker, you’ll often be in complex and challenging situations but you’ll help to improve lives and bring about social change through working in partnership with individuals, families and communities.

Working within health and social care teams, and with partner agencies, from the police to housing services, you will help to promote human rights and social justice. It can be difficult to appreciate the difference social workers make until you’ve experienced social work practice in action – and that’s why you’ll complete placements in your second and third years.

Our BA (Hons) Social Work course is approved by Social Work England*. This means, when you graduate, you can apply for professional registration with Social Work England to practice as a registered social worker.

Some of the topics you’ll explore include how to communicate with service users and carers, theories to inform practice and the factors that influence our journeys from pre-birth through to death.

Social work can be difficult and challenging at times and, as well as developing your academic knowledge, we aim to develop your resilience and help you learn ways to manage the situations you’re faced with.

The relationship between politics and communications has never been more dynamic or more important than it is today. Digital media, particularly social media, is fundamentally changing the terrain of politics.

This course allows you to study those interactions within an interdisciplinary environment, drawing on research and expertise from the fields of politics, international relations, information and communications, journalism and linguistics.

You will study media and communications theory, plus the historical development of international relations and key issues in contemporary global politics, becoming an expert in how new communication technologies shape societies, politics and individual lives.

With our human physiology degree, you’ll develop both a strong theoretical and a practical understanding of physiology, with a particular focus on physical activity and health. You’ll look in-depth at the human body – from the cellular level to the whole person – through specialisms like molecular biology, neuromuscular physiology, cardiovascular science and human movement science.

You’ll also get up to speed with the latest theories about how the body responds to movement, exercise and nutrition. In our high-tech laboratories, you’ll learn how to monitor and scientifically investigate the various physiological systems as bodies come under stress from illness or our environment.

The degree combines the department’s life and health sciences teaching strengths with our internationally regarded research expertise.

Explore a fascinating area of biology: a microscopic world inhabited by single-celled organisms which drives all other facets of the natural world. While rooted in the fundamental theories of biological science, our BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology degree is also designed with practical applications in mind. As you progress, you’ll find a real emphasis on the environmental, industrial, clinical and research applications of microbiology and molecular biology and study current techniques, such as next-generation DNA sequencing technology and biotechnology.

Study microbiology and molecular biology at Manchester Met and you’ll learn about how biomolecules enable cells to function, the genetics of microorganisms, biotechnology and environmental microbiology. You will explore specialist aspects within the subject as you progress, with the opportunity to specialise in areas like molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics and microbial ecology.

Along the way, you’ll develop a valuable set of skills in our laboratories, with an emphasis on how to apply the tools and techniques within biotechnological, medical and environmental microbiology.

Our BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology degree also provides the option of spending an extra year expanding your horizons, either studying with one of our partner universities overseas, or working on a placement with a business or non-governmental organisation. This is subject to national and international travel restrictions.

Placement options

The four-year placement route gives you the opportunity to spend your third year on a placement with a relevant employer, like a conservation or environmental body, zoo or animal welfare organisation, or local government or a molecular diagnostics company. It’s a great chance to gain experience, build your network and develop transferable skills – all of which can boost your career prospects.

The four-year study abroad route gives you the opportunity to study overseas during your third year in Europe, North America or Australasia.

Drawing upon our internationally recognised research expertise in economic, social, political and cultural geography, our human geography course has been designed to let you understand the causes and potential solutions to some of the biggest challenges the world faces today. We’ll introduce you to theories and approaches to understand the relationship between society and space and help you make sense of geographical processes.

From past events to future developments and from local changes to global trends, you’ll build up a wide-ranging understanding of how our society interacts with our environment.

Study human geography at Manchester Met and you’ll get to grips with qualitative research techniques, not only learning the theories but also putting them into action – both in the city of Manchester and overseas. With a range of units on offer, you can follow specialist pathways in environmental sustainability and Geographical Information Systems through to your final year. If you take the four-year route for this program, you can spend a year either working on a placement or studying overseas before returning for your final year.

Your introduction to degree-level mathematics will leave no stone unturned, with a broad range of topics including discrete mathematics, linear algebra, calculus, statistics and decision mathematics. And in our high-tech teaching laboratories you’ll learn to program in a mathematical language, using software packages that are commonly used for both commercial and research purposes.

As you progress, you’ll be able to choose from a range of subjects that reflect your interests and career aspirations, culminating in a chance to apply your learning in project work. Typical areas of study include further calculus and linear algebra, numerical methods and modelling, mathematics of computer graphics, number theory, cryptography, operational research, financial mathematics, statistics, machine learning, dynamical systems and group theory.

Placement options

Our BSc (Hons) Mathematics program offers the chance to spend a year getting a taste of professional life. If you choose to go down this route, your degree will take an extra year, with the third year spent working in industry. These optional placements not only give you the opportunity to develop your core skills and experience, but also show employers that you’re ready to get to work. Graduate employers report that students who have been on placement tend to be better organised and better able to apply their skills in a structured way.

Decision making, big data, management… there’s more to accounting and finance than numbers. By studying our accounting and finance degree, you’ll explore every aspect of the area and learn to support businesses across different sectors.

Whether you want to work in a top accountancy firm or start a career in research, we’ll help you develop the expertise you need. You’ll take some of the professional exams too, so you’re one step closer to professional or chartered status when you graduate.

Study Abroad

Instead of a placement, you’ll  have the opportunity to spend up to a year overseas, studying with one of our partner institutions across Europe, or beyond. Go abroad in the third year of your degree, and you’ll not only learn about other cultures, improve your language skills and discover more about yourself – you’ll also boost your career prospects.

Having first-hand knowledge of another country’s cultures and traditions can take you far in a range of careers. And, by going abroad you’ll also demonstrate the kind of independent spirit and adaptability that many employers want.

Proficiency in modern languages can give you the competitive edge in the global jobs market. In both the private and public sectors, there is demand for professionals with strong language skills who can work in culturally diverse environments. We have created our own multicultural community, including British, exchange and international students, along with foreign language assistants, allowing you to be absorbed into the everyday use of foreign languages.

We have been providing professional language courses for more than 30 years. Our strong local, national and global links will help to enhance your study and future employment opportunities. If you study French as a major or equal subject you will be required to spend a year abroad. The experience of being immersed in another culture for several months is one our students find both beneficial and rewarding. They return having made new friends, experienced new places and having grown in confidence.

This course places language learning within the wider context of French studies including culture, society, literature, film and history. The language units emphasise communicating effectively and developing transferable skills such as translating, interpreting and interview techniques, with practical language classes embracing speaking, listening, reading and writing.

TESOL is a practical branch of applied linguistics and it will help you understand language learning and teaching approaches, as well as the English language itself. You will develop a new understanding of different types of communication and other cultures.

This course will help you improve your own fluency and accuracy in other languages. You will gain experience of how to help learners of all abilities to become fluent English speakers and you will be taught by highly qualified and experienced practitioners who have taught across the world. All of these skills will give you a head start if you decide to take a further qualification such as CELTA or Trinity Certificate TESOL.

Placement options

If you take French as a major or equal subject you will have the opportunity to spend your third year in France and we will assist you in choosing from a wide choice of partner universities or other approved organisations where you can study or work. After this, you will return to Manchester Met for your final year.